The Ultimate Ponzi

The Ultimate Ponzi PDF Author: Chuck Malkus
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1455617873
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 187

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Book Description
This true crime exposé details the exploits of a Florida lawyer and master con artist who stole more than a billion dollars before getting caught. In what became one of the most ruthless Ponzi schemes in United States history, Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein stole $1.4 billion to finance his opulent lifestyle. It’s a story of corruption, murder, sex, and suicide in which no one is innocent. From Rothstein’s humble beginnings in the Bronx through his sudden rise to become one of the most powerful men in Florida, the full story is revealed in The Ultimate Ponzi. An employment lawyer of flamboyant charm and seemingly endless wealth, Rothstein infiltrated South Florida society by posing as a philanthropist. All the while, he was using criminal kingpin methods to corrupt one prominent businessman after another. But in late 2009, South Florida learned that Rothstein was far from generous—he was a destructive con artist who plundered investor accounts to build his own fortune. With photographs and input from community members and psychologists, The Ultimate Ponzi reveals the man behind the scam that deceived hundreds. Despite Rothstein’s lavish lifestyle, he was unable to escape judgment both from the law and from the society he used to manipulate.

The Ultimate Ponzi

The Ultimate Ponzi PDF Author: Chuck Malkus
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1455617873
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 187

Get Book Here

Book Description
This true crime exposé details the exploits of a Florida lawyer and master con artist who stole more than a billion dollars before getting caught. In what became one of the most ruthless Ponzi schemes in United States history, Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein stole $1.4 billion to finance his opulent lifestyle. It’s a story of corruption, murder, sex, and suicide in which no one is innocent. From Rothstein’s humble beginnings in the Bronx through his sudden rise to become one of the most powerful men in Florida, the full story is revealed in The Ultimate Ponzi. An employment lawyer of flamboyant charm and seemingly endless wealth, Rothstein infiltrated South Florida society by posing as a philanthropist. All the while, he was using criminal kingpin methods to corrupt one prominent businessman after another. But in late 2009, South Florida learned that Rothstein was far from generous—he was a destructive con artist who plundered investor accounts to build his own fortune. With photographs and input from community members and psychologists, The Ultimate Ponzi reveals the man behind the scam that deceived hundreds. Despite Rothstein’s lavish lifestyle, he was unable to escape judgment both from the law and from the society he used to manipulate.

Ponzi's Scheme

Ponzi's Scheme PDF Author: Mitchell Zuckoff
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN: 0812968360
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 418

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Book Description
It was a time when anything seemed possible–instant wealth, glittering fame, fabulous luxury–and for a run of magical weeks in the spring and summer of 1920, Charles Ponzi made it all come true. Promising to double investors’ money in three months, the dapper, charming Ponzi raised the “rob Peter to pay Paul” scam to an art form. At the peak of his success, Ponzi was raking in more than $2 million a week at his office in downtown Boston. Then his house of cards came crashing down–thanks in large part to the relentless investigative reporting of Richard Grozier’s Boston Post. A classic American tale of immigrant life and the dream of success, Ponzi’s Scheme is the amazing story of the magnetic scoundrel who launched the most successful scheme of financial alchemy in modern history.

The Rise of Mr. Ponzi

The Rise of Mr. Ponzi PDF Author: Charles Ponzi
Publisher:
ISBN: 9788896617045
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description


EASY MONEY and the American Real Estate Ponzi Scheme

EASY MONEY and the American Real Estate Ponzi Scheme PDF Author: John Agostinelli
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781633933316
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
Politicians, bureaucrats, home buyers and housing activists are at it again. History is repeating itself right in front of us, and if we do nothing to stop the volatility in real estate markets, we risk the impending doom of the next housing collapse. Industry experts John Agostinelli and Chris Michaud had front row seats during the Great Recession. They witnessed the nonsensical lending practices that blew up the bubble and created disastrous consequences for government endorsed loans, and hurt low to moderate income people and the communities they lived in. Not only did government create the problem, their reaction to the crisis made matters worse. So what now? How do we prevent this from happening again? Easy Money and the American Real Estate Ponzi Scheme reveals: - How to determine where prices are heading - The whole truth about the causes of the real estate bubble - Why the real estate cycle is important to you - How to make better real estate decisions that affect your pocketbook - What needs to be done to restore the American Dream With keen insights and a no-holds-barred style, this in-depth examination of the real estate market is a cry for action because--without change--we are headed towards another calamity. Readers will learn about the need to revamp Dodd-Frank, how to stop incentivizing debt and risk, put an end to our National bailout mentality and return to the days of achieving the American Dream as our forefathers had envisioned. Now is the time to stop the nation's addiction to "Easy Money," and blow the whistle on corruption so that our children's standard of living does not disappear.

Faces of Fraud

Faces of Fraud PDF Author: Martin T. Biegelman
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118235452
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 247

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Book Description
The ultimate tool for understanding, investigating and preventing fraud Fraud is an evil with a life of its own that leaves a financial, repetitional, and emotional toll on its victims. While monumental scandals, such as Enron, WorldCom, and Madoff's Ponzi scheme make the front pages, fraud is a daily occurrence impacting companies and individuals alike. Faces of Fraud reveals must-know characteristics of fraudsters and the skills needed to outwit them. Recognized Fraud Fighting Expert Martin Biegelman draws from his 40 years of experience fighting fraud to profile not only the key traits fraudsters share, but also the qualities fraud examiners must possess to be successful. Each chapter contains stories from actual cases that the author investigated Profiles the must-know characteristics of fraudsters and the skills you'll need to outwit them Reveals the traits of accomplished fraud examiners Explores the best practices in fraud detection, investigation and prevention to cultivate in order to maximize success Written by fraud fighting expert Martin T. Biegelman Although fraud will never be completely eradicated, there is much that can be done to reduce the number and size of frauds that take place in any organization. Boiling down the key lessons the author has culled from his long career, Faces of Fraud entertains and informs with stories from real cases the author investigated over his long career, and imparts useful tips you can start using right away in the fraud examination field.

History of Greed

History of Greed PDF Author: David E. Y. Sarna
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470877707
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 418

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Book Description
The “greater fool” theory of economics states that it’s possible to make money by buying paper (securities), whether overvalued or not, and later, selling it at a profit because there will always be an even greater fool willing to pay the higher price. Many described in this book profited by peddling such worthless junk to foolish investors. But for some people—Bernie Madoff, Norman Hsu, Sholam Weiss, and “Crazie Eddie” Antar, aka the “Darth Vader of Capitalism”—overvalued securities were not enough. Outright fraud was their way of life. History of Greed is the compelling inside story of the names you know—Charles Ponzi, Baron Rothschild, Lou Pearlman—and the names you don’t—Isaac Le Maire, the world’s first “naked” short-seller. It’s also our story—why we ignore the lessons of the past and fall prey, most every time, to the promise of easy money. For thousands of years, alchemists unsuccessfully tried to turn worthless base metals into gold. Where science failed at turning nothing into something, business succeeded. Sometimes we praise the creators of derivatives, collateral debt obligations, subprime mortgages, credit default swaps, or auction rate securities as Wall Street’s new financial wizards, the creators of “magic paper.” Other times, we vilify and prosecute them as scam artists. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell who is who. History of Greed reveals the inside secrets of how the markets really work, and how scam artists abuse them to gain an unfair edge or to outright steal. It describes how luftgescheft (“air business”), wizardry, dishonesty, and fraud are used to swindle people. Along with a comprehensive bibliography, History of Greed also details: 400 years of financial fraud—from everyday fraud to the odd and unusual Accounting fraud (phantom sales), stock option fraud (backdating), auction rate securities, hedge fund fraud, Ponzi schemes, promotion fraud (pump-and-dump scams), and money laundering How to detect fraudulent schemes How government regulation only fixes yesterday’s problems If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. If they say you can’t lose, you probably will. History of Greed shows that there really is no such thing as a free lunch, while also detailing how not to become the “greater fool.”

Fraud

Fraud PDF Author: Edward J. Balleisen
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691183074
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 494

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Book Description
A comprehensive history of fraud in America, from the early nineteenth century to the subprime mortgage crisis In America, fraud has always been a key feature of business, and the national worship of entrepreneurial freedom complicates the task of distinguishing salesmanship from deceit. In this sweeping narrative, Edward Balleisen traces the history of fraud in America—and the evolving efforts to combat it—from the age of P. T. Barnum through the eras of Charles Ponzi and Bernie Madoff. This unprecedented account describes the slow, piecemeal construction of modern institutions to protect consumers and investors—from the Gilded Age through the New Deal and the Great Society. It concludes with the more recent era of deregulation, which has brought with it a spate of costly frauds, including corporate accounting scandals and the mortgage-marketing debacle. By tracing how Americans have struggled to foster a vibrant economy without encouraging a corrosive level of cheating, Fraud reminds us that American capitalism rests on an uneasy foundation of social trust.

Empire of Deception

Empire of Deception PDF Author: Dean Jobb
Publisher: Algonquin Books
ISBN: 1616204966
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
“A rollicking tale that is one part The Sting, one part The Great Gatsby, and one part The Devil in the White City.” —Karen Abbott, author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy In a time of unregulated madness, nowhere was it madder than in Chicago at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties. It was the perfect place for a slick, smooth-talking, charismatic lawyer named Leo Koretz to entice hundreds of people to invest as much as $30 million--upwards of $400 million today--in phantom timberland and nonexistent oil wells in Panama. It was an ingenious deceit, one that out-Ponzied Charles Ponzi himself. In this rip-roaring tale of greed, financial corruption, dirty politics, over-the-top and under-the-radar deceit, illicit sex, and a brilliant and wildly charming con man on the town and then on the lam, Empire of Deception proves that the American dream of easy wealth is truly a timeless commodity. “Captivating . . . Dean Jobb tells the story of Leo Koretz, a legendary con artist of Madoffian audacity, with terrific energy and narrative brio.” —Gary Krist, author of Empire of Sin “A brilliantly researched tale of greed, ambition, and our desperate need to believe in magic, it’s history that captures America as it really was--and always will be. A great read.” —Douglas Perry, author of Eliot Ness “Reads like a Gatsby-Ponzi mashup . . . Kudos to Jobb for unearthing this overlooked story and bringing to life a charming, witty, naughty, iconic American crook.” —Neal Thompson, author of A Curious Man “The granddaddy of all con men, Leo Koretz gives Jobb the opportunity to exhibit his impressive research and storytelling skills . . . A highly readable, entertaining story.” —Kirkus Reviews

The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century

The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century PDF Author: Paul Krugman
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393071170
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 564

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Book Description
"Paul Krugman is a hero of mine. Read his book."—Al Franken No one has more authority to call the shots the way they really are than award-winning economist Paul Krugman, whose provocative New York Times columns are keenly followed by millions. One of the world's most respected economists, Krugman has been named America's most important columnist by the Washington Monthly and columnist of the year by Editor and Publisher magazine. A major bestseller, this influential and wide-ranging book has been praised by BusinessWeek as Krugman's "most provocative and compelling effort yet," the New York Review of Books as "refreshing," and Library Journal as "thought-provoking...even funny." The American Prospect put it in vivid terms: "In a time when too few tell it like it is...[Krugman] has taken on the battle of our time." Built from Paul Krugman's influential Op-Ed columns for the New York Times, this book galvanized the reading public. With wit, passion, and a unique ability to explain complex issues in plain English, Krugman describes how the nation has been misled by a dishonest administration. In this long-awaited work containing Krugman's most influential columns along with new commentary, he chronicles how the boom economy unraveled: how exuberance gave way to pessimism, how the age of corporate heroes gave way to corporate scandals, how fiscal responsibility collapsed. From his account of the secret history of the California energy crisis to his devastating dissections of dishonesty in the Bush administration, from the war in Iraq to the looting of California to the false pretenses used to sell an economic policy that benefits only a small elite, Krugman tells the uncomfortable truth like no one else. And he gives us the road map we will need to follow if we are to get the country back on track. The paperback edition features a new introduction as well as new writings.

I Should Have Stayed in Morocco

I Should Have Stayed in Morocco PDF Author: Stephen Caputi
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781606190111
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
To be on the edge. Straddling that fine line between employing aggressive business practices and making split second judgments based on instincts. A select few are able to balance it day after day in order to taste the sweetness of success. One slight 'nudge' in the wrong direction could take you swirling backwards over the velvet ropes that separate those privileged champagne-sipping few, from the rest of the meek beer-guzzling wannabes. Stephen Caputi's memoir, I Should Have Stayed in Morocco, is not just another forensic account of billionaire Ponzi-schemer Scott Rothstein. Caputi opens his heart and soul as he takes the reader on a journey through two decades rife with personal experiences, misadventures and wild escapades with Rothstein, climaxing with their now-infamous ramble in Casablanca. It's a frighteningly true story of how friendship and loyalty was dedicatedly served to a master-manipulator, just to be rewarded with deceitful betrayal and a prison sentence.