Schemes, Scams and Swindles: Legal Challenges During the COVID Crisis
When Fake Covid Products Hit the Market
When Fake Covid Products Hit the Market The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that emergency clearance was granted for the first in-home test kits for COVID-19. Currently, the test kits will be available to health care and emergency workers who...
Setting the Record Straight on Covid-19 Misinformation, By Waterfront Intelligence
In the midst of the world’s most nerve-wrenching crisis in generations, so much content is available that it’s hard to know what is fact, fiction or just way off base, baffling some of the most intelligent people I know. My passion for fact-finding inspires my life and work, so we have put together a selection of issues unique to COVID-19 to clear the record.
One fraud often demands a team approach
In the midst of digging for minerals, a mining company’s biggest lender pulled out and filed for bankruptcy. The mining company, which was publicly traded, had to sell all of its assets and go out of business. We were asked to make sense of this. An investor sensed a...
Affinity frauds and recovering from the scam
Affinity frauds and recovering from the scam Picture this. You’re at a mixer for one of your business associations. The leader of the group, someone you truly respect, begins waxing poetic about a specific investment they’ve made, suggesting that you invest as well....
Highlighted Cases of 2019
Over this past year we handled cases leading us to find a Ferrari, successfully defend clients accused of murder and untangle financial scams. Our cases ranged from background due diligence investigations into executives and developing sources inside organizations to...
How to spot fake web sites
Is this website real? 5 ways to know when it's fake. In the 2003 film Shattered Glass, a journalist accused of fabricating a story goes down a personal rabbit hole to prove that a made-up source for his article is real. Not only does reporter Stephen Glass create a...
Pump-and-Dump Schemes: How to spot them
Investor Beware: How to Spot a Pump and Dump Scam This securities con, by its purest definition, happens when a group of executive officers or investors inflates the value of a publicly traded company’s stock, only to sell when the price hits the ceiling. Once the...
Embezzlement within an organization: Determining if theft is taking place
Embezzlement within an organization: Determining if theft is taking place Over four years, a Sacramento Kings executive funneled more than $13 million in team sponsorship money into a shell company, using the funds to buy prime California real estate. After finally...
Vetting Your Donor
Vetting your donor Protect your organization's reputation by shining a light on your funding source A massive ripple swept across the art community this year. Famous for donating extraordinary amounts of money to museums, hospitals, and even universities, a wealthy...
