Podcasts about ponzi

Steven Hoffenberg, Jeffrey Epstein's former business partner in the Towers Financial Ponzi scheme, repeatedly claimed that Epstein presented himself as connected to U.S. intelligence and foreign intelligence services, particularly as a way to intimidate, impress, and shield himself from scrutiny. Hoffenberg said Epstein openly bragged that he was an intelligence asset, telling people he worked with “the government” and hinting that his role involved compromising powerful figures. According to Hoffenberg, these claims were not whispered rumors but part of Epstein's persona, used to explain his unexplained wealth, his access to politicians, financiers, academics, and royalty, and his apparent immunity from consequences. Hoffenberg argued that Epstein's lifestyle, travel patterns, and proximity to intelligence-linked figures were inconsistent with the narrative of a lone, rogue predator operating without protection.Hoffenberg went further, stating that Epstein learned early on that intelligence affiliation, real or exaggerated, functioned as a shield, discouraging questions from law enforcement, regulators, and potential adversaries. He described Epstein as someone who deliberately cultivated ambiguity, never fully clarifying who he worked for, but constantly reinforcing the idea that he was untouchable because he was “connected.” Hoffenberg maintained that this aura of intelligence backing helped Epstein survive scandals that would have destroyed ordinary criminals, including the collapse of Towers Financial and later sex-trafficking allegations. While Hoffenberg acknowledged he could not prove formal intelligence employment, he insisted that Epstein's consistent behavior, confidence in evading accountability, and access to sensitive circles made the intelligence narrative impossible to dismiss and critical to understanding how Epstein operated for decades without serious interference.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Ponzi schemer claims Jeffrey Epstein moved in intelligence circles | Daily Mail Online

Steven Hoffenberg, Jeffrey Epstein's former business partner in the Towers Financial Ponzi scheme, repeatedly claimed that Epstein presented himself as connected to U.S. intelligence and foreign intelligence services, particularly as a way to intimidate, impress, and shield himself from scrutiny. Hoffenberg said Epstein openly bragged that he was an intelligence asset, telling people he worked with “the government” and hinting that his role involved compromising powerful figures. According to Hoffenberg, these claims were not whispered rumors but part of Epstein's persona, used to explain his unexplained wealth, his access to politicians, financiers, academics, and royalty, and his apparent immunity from consequences. Hoffenberg argued that Epstein's lifestyle, travel patterns, and proximity to intelligence-linked figures were inconsistent with the narrative of a lone, rogue predator operating without protection.Hoffenberg went further, stating that Epstein learned early on that intelligence affiliation, real or exaggerated, functioned as a shield, discouraging questions from law enforcement, regulators, and potential adversaries. He described Epstein as someone who deliberately cultivated ambiguity, never fully clarifying who he worked for, but constantly reinforcing the idea that he was untouchable because he was “connected.” Hoffenberg maintained that this aura of intelligence backing helped Epstein survive scandals that would have destroyed ordinary criminals, including the collapse of Towers Financial and later sex-trafficking allegations. While Hoffenberg acknowledged he could not prove formal intelligence employment, he insisted that Epstein's consistent behavior, confidence in evading accountability, and access to sensitive circles made the intelligence narrative impossible to dismiss and critical to understanding how Epstein operated for decades without serious interference.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Ponzi schemer claims Jeffrey Epstein moved in intelligence circles | Daily Mail OnlineBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

If you are wary of getting into real estate because you believe that it is a difficult industry with numerous risks, well, it is all in your head.Our guest today, Javier Hinojo, is living proof of that. Javier is a locksmith who lost his hard-earned money to a Ponzi scheme and went bankrupt. After his friend introduced him to real estate, he put in the work, and he now owns over $50 million in his real estate portfolio.In this episode, Javier will go over all of the deals he has done -from flips to wholesales. He will then reveal his secret to maintaining momentum and becoming one of the most successful people in the business. He will also go into his mentorship program, Teen Millionaire Challenge, where he helps teens become real estate entrepreneurs. Go to TTP Training Program for more winning strategies!---------Show notes:(0:00) Beginning of today's episode (4:17) Invest in your education and attend seminars even when funds are tight or non-existent (5:44) Take action by making low offers on MLS properties that have been sitting on the market (10:19) Understand that wholesaling is simply sourcing opportunities; you can choose to assign, flip, or hold the property (11:36) Maintain consistent cash flow by wholesaling some deals rather than trying to fix and flip everything yourself (16:03) Read "Mikey and the Dragons" to realize the fears holding you back are much smaller in reality (19:41) Apply wholesaling marketing strategies like direct mail and cold calling to find off-market multifamily deals (25:52) "Get loud" and tell everyone in your network you are in real estate to attract private money lenders----------Resources:Javier's InstagramJavier's websiteRich Dad Poor Dad Investing ClassesThe Collective GeniusMikey and the Dragons by Jocko WillinkTeen Millionaire ChallengeThe One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen MLSTo speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeGo to Wholesalingincgroup.com to become part of one of the fastest growing Facebook communities in the Wholesaling space. Get all of your burning Wholesaling questions answered, gain access to JV partnerships, and connect with other "success minded" Rhinos in the community.It's 100% free to join. The opportunities in this community are endless, what are you waiting for?

The name Charles Ponzi has become synonymous with financial frauds. In 1920 the formerly obscure Italian immigrant suddenly became one of the most famous men in Boston when his Securities Exchange Company started offering investors remarkable returns. Ponzi claimed that he had discovered an ingenious method of using postal coupons to profit off international exchange rates. However, before the year was out his scheme had totally unraveled. What many Bostonians did not know was that Ponzi was a two-time ex-convict with a history as fraudster. Still, there may have been more to Ponzi than his dishonest reputation would lead you to believe. Ponzi claimed that he was a misunderstood genius. Should we believe him? Tune-in and find out how wasted undergrads, Canadian scammers, and the Hawk Tuah Girl all play a role in the story.Join us in Greece in 2026! Check out the itinerary and book HERE!Check out the merch at out T-Public store HERE! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adam and Dr. Drew open by blasting people who don't practice what they preach, especially politicians who pushed Covid masking rules they didn't follow themselves. Adam questions why Ponzi schemes are illegal, Dr. Drew shares concerns about New York's new mayor Zohran Mamdani, and they react to a viral clip of a woman defending socialist property policies. They wrap by discussing the latest on Nick Reiner, L.A.'s drug and homelessness crisis, and why they think San Diego has become such a dump.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by the University of Illinois-Chicago United Faculty, a roundtable discussion about confronting the challenges facing higher education labor organizing. Topics included education technology, faculty autonomy, power mapping, board composition, lobbying state legislators, artificial intelligence, surveillance and data-mining, Ponzi austerity, and more. Cast (in order of appearance): Jeff Kessler, Matt Seybold, Anna Kornbluh, Dominique Baker, Peter Coviello, Nassar Mufti, Jeff Edwards Date Recorded: December 4, 2025 Music: Danny Weiss Quartet

Betting her Ass. Another look at ‘girls night out.' Based on a post by Farmer Jill. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. It was the usual thing, Dexter and Mia Johnson were married 19 years, and everyone thinks they have it all together. They met at a 4th of July fireworks. The fireworks were over, and it started to rain. Dexter had a coat and Mia didn't. He lent her his and the rest is history. Two kids came along, Allison and Amy. Two good kids, two good jobs, a nice house in the suburbs. Dexter and Mia were more in love now than when they first married. The only thing Dexter could complain about was Mia's friends Cynthia and Roxanne. Cynthia or Cyndi (sounds like sin for a reason) was married to Chet, and they had no children. Cyndi was a beautiful woman. She knew it and used it. Cyndi liked to try new things and always talked about the latest concepts. They weren't always new ideas, but they were new to her, and she spoke about them with passion like a true believer. Cyndi's latest was that the three women should start going out one night a month together, the dreaded girls' night out ( or Girls' Night, for short). Roxanne went by Roxy, and if Cyndi was beautiful, Roxy was gorgeous. She was married to Tom. They had a single child. Roxy wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and usually would get drawn into Cyndi's latest ideas. Sometimes this caused Roxy some grief because she didn't always "get" all the fine details of Cyndi's latest obsession. TikTok trends were an example of this. Cyndi got into a phase of TikTok and never should have told Roxy about "The one chip challenge." Luckily, Roxy only had some bad diarrhea. Thankfully, Tom or Mia usually caught Roxy before she did something really stupid. Dexter was used to laughing as Mia told him about Cyndi's latest and greatest but when the topic of a girl's night out came up he did not laugh. "Mia I'm not sure if you're asking me if you can go or just telling me about it but it's a hard no." Mia was taken aback, Dexter had hard lines, but she hadn't been near one in a while. "Dex, what do you mean, hard no? Cyndi said that this could be good for a marriage. I also don't like you saying hard no, you can't order me around." "Mia, when we got married, we committed to one another. That means we have a veto over the other person. In my mind, it means that each person should know what would be a veto thing to the other and therefore not do it in the first place, or in other words, use a self-veto. Let me give you a real-world example. 3 weeks ago, all of the guys were going to the stripper bar after work because Davis was getting married. I didn't think you would like me to go to a stripper bar. I also didn't think it was appropriate for me to go. I imposed a veto on myself and told them I wasn't going. I gave Tony $50 bucks to buy a round on me, and I came home. Maybe you would have said yes, maybe you wouldn't care but I don't think it is appropriate behavior for me, your husband. If I had of wanted to go and asked you and you said no, I would not have gone and respected your veto." Mia spent some time digesting Dexter's words. Part of the reason they had such a good marriage is because they talked things out. Mia also remembered a few times when Cyndi's schemes had almost cost them money before Dexter pointed out the flaws. "Dex I wasn't sure if I was going to ask you if I could go along, but now I don't have to. I am not going but I am interested to see if what Cyndi think's it will achieve will actually happen." "Mia I love you more than anything, and I'm glad you aren't going to go with Cyndi and Roxy. I would also be interested to hear about whether or not it pans out like Cyndi thinks." Dexter never wanted to close the door on communication. Moreover, he knew he had been kind of harsh and didn't want Mia to think him as a bully. He was not changing his mind however, about the Girls' Night. Dexter was also taking nothing for granted and was going to talk to Chet and Tom as soon as possible. Three days later while they were eating supper, Mia told Dexter about Cyndi and Roxy's Girls' Night the night before. Mia was pretty excited. "Umm, Dex; Cyndi and Roxy went out last night, Thursday's is lady's night at Maxi's. They told me it was great." Dexter pondered for a moment, something about Maxi's was out there that he couldn't remember. Then it came to him. "Isn't Maxi's like a pickup bar?" "I'm not sure about that, but it is the happ'n place to be in this town. Cyndi said that Chet didn't know what hit him when she got home. Roxy said that Tom liked how rejuvenated she was. So far, this seems to be working like they said." Mia knew better than to push any harder about the Girls' Night and going with her friends. She definitely wanted to go with them, but Dexter said no, and it wasn't worth a big fight. The following Wednesday Dexter met up with Chet and Tom for a beer. After beers were ordered, Dexter got to the point. "Thanks for coming, Chet and Tom. I really appreciate you coming out to speak with me. I was wondering about your wives and them going out together once a month." Chet laughed, "Yes, the good'ole girl's night out. Cyndi's latest thing. What would you like to know?" "It seems your wives have been telling my wife Mia about how great it is. Specifically, that it has made a difference in the bedroom." Now Tom laughed, "That's a laugh, Roxy came home the first time all hot and bothered and wanted to get it on. She was all worked up. I said No thanks. I told her that I had no interest in being the vicarious recipient of her lust for other guys. She wasn't happy about that, and tried to deny it. I told her that once she was truly excited for me, lusting for me, then I would be available. She was shocked that I turned her down for sex. The girls went out on Thursday, and by Saturday, she was all over me, once the kid went to bed. Sure, it was great, but I think there was some left-over lust from Thursday that reduced it from awesome." Chet had taken a different approach, "That's a good idea, but it's not what I did. Instead, on the Wednesday night before, I took Cyndi to bed right after supper and gave her my best. By the time we fell asleep, I was worn out. When she came home the next night from her Girls' Night, I pretended to be asleep; so any amorous intentions she might have had, didn't get fulfilled." Dexter tried to match up what the husbands said, with what their wives told Mia. Then Chet continued, "What about you Dex? Why isn't Mia going with our wives to the Girls' Night?" "I told her no. I told her that we had veto rights over the other's actions, and I didn't want her to go. I told her I saw no benefit, only a downside." Tom was impressed, "That's what I should have done. Sorry Chet, but Cyndi tends to lead Roxy down the garden path. Anyways it made me sit down with Roxy and have a serious conversation about fidelity; and that if she did anything that didn't pass the husband test we're done. What did Mia specifically say they told her?" "She said that your wife was rejuvenated by the experience; and that Chet didn't know what hit him." Chet laughed louder, "I think that Cyndi got that confused; she said that to me, after I wore her out on Wednesday. She said, What got into you? I don't know what hit me.' She liked our Wednesdays before her Girls' Night, at least that's what she told me. So, I guess in a way it is good for us, but frankly I've never complained about the sex with Cyndi, anyways." Tom looked confused, "Rejuvenated, is not the word I would use, but it sort of works. Roxy, before this Girls' Night thing wasn't initiating very much, but now she did. Not that she turned me down very often, when I initiated. But you know, it's nice when they come after you for a change." Dexter was feeling much better about things after he left the bar. Chet and Tom seemed to have things well-in-hand. Mia said nothing about the Girls' Night for the next couple of months, but her friends wouldn't let it go, that she wasn't coming. Cyndi especially wanted to get Mia to come. Cyndi had discovered something called the hotwife lifestyle that she wanted to couple with the Girls' Night. She called Mia and invited her out for coffee on the Monday before the women were having another Thursday Girls' Night. Cyndi was already seated when Mia arrived. "Hi Cyndi, what's so important that we have to meet for coffee today?" "Oh, Mia! There's so much to tell you. But first I have to ask, can you remind me why don't you come to our girls' night out?" Mia was a little embarrassed about this. She had told Cyndi and Roxy she wasn't interested; she didn't want to tell them that Dexter said no. "I'm just not interested Cyndi; it's not my thing." "Come on, Mia! It's loads of fun. It makes a girl feel young and wanted, desired even." "Dex wants me, I'm certain he desires me, I don't need anyone else for that." "Come on Mia, you aren't even a little bit interested in seeing what happens? Maybe Roxy and I are doing things there, that have really spiced things up in the bedroom." Truthfully, Mia was very interested in being part of the Girls' Night. She tried to keep the eagerness under control, and out of her tone, "What kind of things have you two been doing?" "Oh, a few little things that might not pass the husband test. But don't worry; Chet's fully on board and is reaping the results." Mia was shocked. Chet was okay with this? "Sure, he is. It gets him right worked up that we're out flirting and things. He especially likes it when I come home and give him the details." If Mia had a fault, it was being too trusting. If Cyndi was telling her this, it must be true. This just made Mia want to go to the next Girls' Night, all the more. "Wow, well, I can talk to Dex about it. I'll see what he thinks." Cyndi saw an opening and drove in the wedge, "What about what he thinks? Aren't you your own boss? Does he think he can order you around, and tell you what to do? I thought Dex was a good guy? Now you're telling me he's some kind of dinosaur. Next time we all get together, I'm going to have a talk with him." That was the last thing Mia wanted: Cyndi talking to Dex about this. She also didn't want Cyndi to think she was under Dexter's thumb. "Ok, I'm pretty sure I'm good to go with you guys; but I am going to run it by Dex." Cynthia held off talking about anything else. She figured she had pushed hard enough, for now. If Mia came on Thursday, she could tell her about the hot-wife thing, then. That night, after the kids went to bed, Mia and Dexter were on the sofa watching TV. Mia really wanted to go out to the Girls' Night on Thursday and decided she had better talk to Dex, sooner rather than later. "Dex, you know how we spoke about me going on a Girls' Night a while back? You told me about your veto, and I've been thinking about that. If the President uses the veto, the Senate and House can override it, but if that doesn't work then the congress can try again. I'm not interested in overriding your veto, but I would like to discuss it again." "Sure Mia, we can discuss it again. Good communication is one of the keys to a happy marriage. What has changed with Cyndi and Roxy, and their Girls' Night, which is going to convince me not to use my veto?" "Cyndi told me that She and Chet are really reaping the rewards of this, in the bedroom. She said he gets very worked up. Roxy told me that She and Tom are the same. This has really spiced things up for them." "Mia, are you telling me that you aren't enjoying our loving? I thought we kept it pretty exciting? It wasn't too long ago you told me it was spectacular. What sorts of things could happen on a Girls' Night, that we couldn't do together?" "Cyndi says that there is flirting and other things that they do when they are out that might not pass the husband test, but Chet and Tom are on board with it, and it is ramping things up in the bedroom." Dexter was stunned. Chet and Tom were good with that? No way. "Mia, there is no way that Chet and Tom are good with their wives fooling around on their Girls' Night." "No Dex it's true, Cyndi told me, and Roxy confirmed it." "Ok Mia, how about this then. We have a bet about this. I bet that Chet and Tom are not on board with their wives doing things with other men, that would not pass the husband test." Mia was sure that she could win this bet; she would make the wager, and then she could go out to the Girls' Night. "What kind of bet are we talking about, Dex? What would you want to bet, the loser does dishes for the week? Something like that?" "No Mia. I want weekly anal sex if I win, what do you want if you win?" Mia was flabbergasted. Dexter had never shown any interest in anal sex and the thought of it disgusted her. "I thought you weren't interested in that, Dex, has something changed?" "No change, but when you lose, I want you to remember this for a long time." Mia said nothing, but pulled out her phone and started texting. A flurry of texts later Mia was ready to respond. "Ok Dex, I think this is a sucker bet; but when you lose I get to go out to a Girls' Night with Cyndi and Roxy. I just texted with them, and you are definitely going to lose. You can back out if you like." Dexter shook hands with his wife to confirm the bet. Then Mia wanted to show him the texts. "We can settle this right now, Dex, look at my phone you can read the texts." "No thanks, we will settle this thing properly. Your friends might be bending the truth." "Cyndi said you would say that. She also said that Chet is embarrassed and doesn't want to talk about it. If you ask him, she said he would deny everything to protect his ego." "That Cyndithia sure knows everything. I guess we will just have to independently confirm what she says." "If we can't call Chet because he won't give us a straight answer, what do you propose Dex?" "I'll tell you Thursday Mia. Don't look so glum. I know you want to go on this Girls' Night, but you can certainly wait at least another week. If it's such an easy bet like you think, your friends would probably do it again next week." Tuesday and Wednesday dragged slowly for Mia. Dexter not so much. He was counting on ego's to prove him right. Perhaps it should be said; he was betting on egos to prove him right. There was just no way that Chet and Tom would change their minds. Fantasies are one thing, but what guy would actually want their wife to come home all revved up from being with someone else? This whole Girls' Night thing was like letting a serpent into the garden. On Thursday, Mia came home from work to find Dexter already home. "Hi, are you ready to go out on a date, my love?" "Ah, sure, Dex. Where are we going? and where are the kids?" "Your parents have the kids, and we are going out to supper and then to a club. You need to put on these new work clothes I bought you and put this wig on." Dex had gone to the local college and borrowed really good wigs. Mia took her wig, she was brunette, tonight she would be a blonde. Dex the blonde was going to have black hair and a moustache. They both would wear glasses. Mia figured they were playing dress up for a reason, she just couldn't figure out why. "To settle our bet, we are going to first go out for supper like two businesspeople away from home, and then we are going for a drink at Maxi's. While there, we are going to see what your friends get up to, on their Girls' Night. Phone, please." Mia watched Dexter put her phone in his suit jacket pocket. He put his own in the pocket on the other side. Mia believed that this idea seemed reasonable. Dex would see with his own eyes, what Cyndi and Roxy were up to, and she could go next time, simple as that. It was also kind of fun dressing up in a disguise. The wigs were good quality, and when Mia looked in the mirror with the glasses, she indeed looked like a businesswoman. Dex certainly looked like a businessman too; one that Cyndi and Roxy were unlikely to recognize. Dinner was great. Mia was enjoying her date with Dex. She reflected on the whole Girls' Night thing. What was the big deal? She had such a good time with Dex, isn't that why you get married? Girls' Night is for single women looking to meet someone, not married ones looking to have a happy life. It is one thing to go out once or twice a year with your gal pals to a concert or a birthday party, but every month or every few weeks, this seemed counterproductive. That was time spent away from the person you supposedly wanted to spend your life with. This said, Mia was definitely wondering what Cyndi and Roxy would be up to at Maxi's. Dexter and Mia arrived at Maxi's at 9 pm. It was fairly busy, being ladies' night with cheap drinks for the women. There were plenty of guys there, too; as could be expected. Dexter found them a nice table with a good view, but somewhat out of the way. They had been there only a few minutes when Cyndi and Roxy arrived. After getting drinks, the two women found a table in a main traffic zone. They both were dressed to impress but not slutty. After an hour, Mia was starting to get worried about who was the sucker in this bet. Cyndi and Roxy had been up to dance together and with only a couple of guys. Nothing even remotely risqué had happened. No one bought them drinks, no one sat down with them. They didn't go sit with anyone else. Dexter noticed Cyndi dancing with a very good-looking blonde guy. He never asked her again and soon zeroed in on a very big-chested blonde woman. Dex watched them leave together at 10:45. At 11 pm, Dexter went to the bar to get them a drink as the bartender looked momentarily not busy. "A draft and a white wine, please?" "Sure, coming right up." It was a quick order, Dexter paid and then decided to ask a question. he pointed to Cyndi and Roxy, "Those two in the green and blue dresses, are they regulars?" "I guess you could call them that, but I would call them cock teases." "What do you mean?" "Oh, they are a couple of married women on the prowl; to get amped up for their husbands, but that's it. You look like you're here on business and if you want to hook up with some married slut that are the real deal, try that one over there." The bartender pointed to a solitary woman just coming back from the washroom. She had on a slutty Little black dress, and Dex had noticed she received plenty of attention. Motioning back to Cyndi and Roxy. "So, is that why those two aren't getting the same amount of attention as the one you pointed out, in the black dress?" "Absolutely!, The regulars here know they are wasting their time and effort, so ignore them, it's only the new guys who give them a try but soon learn." The bartender got busy, and Dexter went back to Mia. He didn't share this new information with Mia, let her stew. At 11:45 Roxy and Cyndi looked like they might be getting ready to go so Dexter pulled out Mia's phone. He pulled his chair in closer to Mia and asked her to text Cyndi about how the night was going. Hey Cyndi! How's the night out?" Amazing! Tell me more. Met some great guys! Really? What were they like? Are you still with them? What are you doing? Roxy's still with one now. What! Yes, she's making out with this gorgeous Black guy. Dexter looked at Mia, Mia looked at Roxy, who was sitting at the table watching Cyndi text. Dexter then looked around. "Do you think Cyndi is pretending Roxy is with that Black guy over there? The one kissing what looks to be his girlfriend or wife?" Mia looked over at the couple that had arrived about half an hour ago. They had been all over one another since they arrived. Neither Cyndi nor Roxy had danced with him or even been close to him. Mia wondered what it would feel like for Dex to put his hard cock in her ass. Dexter then turned the phone to him and texted Cyndi, What about you? I might have gone out to the parking lot with this hunky blonde guy. No way! Way! What happened? Let's just say, I better use mouthwash before I kiss Chet tonight. Dexter laughed. "Sounds like she is dreaming that the blonde hunk left with her,  instead of the girl with all the cleavage." Mia swallowed hard, She could not believe her friend was lying to her. She did not want Dex in her ass at all! This couldn't be happening. Then Dexter shook her out of her revelry. "Should I forward these messages to my phone and then pass them on to Tom and Chet?" "No, don't do that, Dex." "But the bet was that they were alright with what their wives were doing?" "You win Dex, let them have their fantasy, getting them in trouble with their husbands; isn't going to save my ass." Dexter was smiling the whole way out of the bar. Once they were back in the car, he handed Mia her phone. Mia immediately began texting and mumbling at the same time. Dexter caught some of the mumbles, 'assholes' 'bitches' Mia was not happy. Mia was even more unhappy when Dexter stopped at the 24-hour pharmacy on the way home. "Why are you stopping, Dex?" "I have a bet to collect on, and no time like the present. Get an enema kit; and make sure you get lots of good lube. I read that you need plenty of lube. Also, get some condoms, it's pretty gross down there. " Mia grabbed her purse and left the car. She looked like a convict headed for execution as she entered the store. Mia returned in only a few minutes with a little bag. Nothing more was said on the way home. There was plenty of thinking going on. Mia couldn't believe how her friends had lied to her. They knew she had bet her ass, and they still lied to her! She couldn't believe their bullshit about the Girls' Night. Dex was so right about the veto, and what was appropriate in a marriage. The worst of it was that she didn't even really care about the Girls' Night, it was just her friends pushing her, that made her feel so stupid. Now Mia was wondering if she could talk Dex out of reaming her ass. Dex didn't even like it! Maybe she could do something else to pay the debt? Dexter was also thinking. He was hoping Mia had learned her lesson and wouldn't endanger their marriage again. Dex really hoped she would get rid of her stupid friends; Cyndi and Roxy. However, this would probably blow over eventually, and they would be friends again. Then there was the bet. He didn't have any interest in putting his smearing cock around  in Mia's feces; but that was the bet. Mia certainly had not done anything disrespectful or cheated on him. Yet there was plenty of potential for trouble. He just didn't want anything like this to happen again. They arrived home with Mia carrying her pharmacy bag, like it was going to explode. Dexter wanted to take advantage of the kids being gone, the date had been fun, and he was horny. "Mia, why don't you go get ready, in the bedroom. I'll be there shortly." Mia thought about saying something, but a bet is a bet, and she walked to their bedroom, like it was the gallows. Dexter wanted to let her stew, so he checked the sports scores, answered some emails, and somehow burned up ten minutes. Then he went to their bedroom. Mia was naked and got up on all fours, on their bed. He asshole was glistening with lube. She was looking back at the door with a look that could only be described as pleading. Dexter entered the room and began undressing. "Mia, do you understand how much I don't ever want to share you?" "Yes, Dex, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I just want you, and only you." "Mia, do you understand how much I love you?" "Yes, Dex, I know you love me more than I deserve, or can imagine." "That's good Mia because I can't even describe how much I love you." Dexter was now naked, and his cock was hard as an iron bar. He picked up a condom package. "Mia, what do you think of Roxy and Cyndi right now?" "I'm so pissed at them right now, that I never want to talk to them again. They just suggest stupid things all the time, like this Girls' Night and that crazy Ponzi scheme, a few years ago. They even do stupid things like that Tiktok challenge. I don't care if I ever see them again." Dexter wasn't so sure about that, as he rolled the condom on his cock never taking his eyes off Mia. Mia was starting to look like she was going to cry. Dexter came in close behind Mia, and she couldn't look anymore. She just put her head down, closed her eyes, and gritted her teeth. Dexter slowly ran his cock down her ass crack from the top until he was lined up with her rosebud. He began to rub her asshole in little circles with the tip of his cock. "Mia, are you ready?" "No, Dex, please be gentle. I know a bet is a bet, but I really don't want this. Please use more lube. Go slow, please." Dexter made a big show of getting the lube and squirting down her crack. He also made sure to lube up his condom. It was at this point that Dexter smelled his wife's arousal. He looked and her pussy was glistening just like her asshole. "Mia, is this turning you on?" "No, well yes, ah no. I had a great night with you, Dex and the kids are away, and that usually means great sex. So, I am excited but not about the anal." Dexter almost laughed, Mia was so worked up about the anal sex, she was sweating and almost hyperventilating. At the same time, she had a great night and wanted him. Time for one more question, "Mia who's the sucker?" "I ah, ugh, ah." Dexter had pulled off the condom and plunged into Mia's aroused cunt. "I am the sucker, Dex. Please, this feels great, but don't torture me any longer, please just get the anal over with." "Mia I'm not putting my cock in there. I think the point has been made without smearing your poop on my cock.  Your cunt is far sexier and feels so right for my cock. You accepted your loss of the bet, let's not have to do that again." "Oh, Dex, you are too good to me. I'm not going to even think of doing anything that might get vetoed, ever again. I'm sorry it got this far, please forgive me?" "Oh, course I forgive you, Mia, however, you really should stay away from those two. They are nothing but trouble." "I hope I never see those bitches again! Some friends they are! Let's forget about them and enjoy each other." "Mia, I love you." "I love you, too Dexter." 3 Months Later. Mia and Dexter were doing very well, but Mia was missing her friends. Cyndi and Roxy were also missing Mia. Their husbands had asked Dexter about why the three women weren't friends anymore, and Dexter had filled them in. Both women were on a very short leash after that. No more Girls' Night for them! Chet was particularly disappointed in Cythia for trying to mislead Mia and hurt her marriage. However, Chet and Tom were enjoying all the extra attention they were receiving from their wives in the bedroom. Tom especially, was loving the blow job festival Roxy was having for him. Yet the two women were upset about what had happened with Mia, and they missed their friend. Good people can do without a bad friend, but bad people do miss the good friend they offended. The husbands knew that there had to be some closure to what happened, so when Chet came up with a plan. Tom and Dexter readily agreed. They would have a BBQ get-together on the following Saturday, at Chet and Cynthia's house. The husbands informed the women about it on Wednesday. "Mia, I know that Cyndi and Roxy really burned you, bad. But you've been friends with them forever, and I think you need more closure than a handful of hate texts." Mia was missing her friends. They had been friends for a very long time. It left a void in Mia's life, and Dexter didn't want the burden of making up for the other voids in her well-balanced life. The way things ended was unfinished, and she did want to speak to them. Yet, she also didn't want to bring it up with Dexter. Now that Dex was bringing it up, Mia was happy to talk about it. "I do miss them, even after what they did, I would like to have some closure with them." "We husbands have organized a BBQ for Saturday. The women don't have to do anything, we are taking care of it. At the appropriate time, we will then sit down and sort out the Girls' Night fiasco." "Thanks for this, Dex. You really are too good to me." "And you are good to me, Mia, let's keep that going." The time before Saturday dragged for Mia, Cynthia, and Roxy. When Dex and Mia arrived at Chet and Cyndi's house, Tom and Roxy were already there. It was awkward for a while, but eventually, with the beers flowing, things lightened up. It was almost like old times. As agreed, no one spoke about the elephant in the room. After supper, Mia was talking with Dexter when she noticed that everyone else was missing from the backyard. "Mia, it's time to get this mess sorted out. You are to go into the living room and listen to what Tom tells you." Mia thought this all was pretty odd. She slowly entered the house, as Dexter sat down on the patio and drank his beer. She was shocked to see Tom standing, and Roxy kneeling over on all fours in the middle of the living room. The nice skirt that she had been wearing was flipped up over her back, and she had no panties on. Mia was shocked, but Tom's voice brought her out of it, "Ok, Mia, here's your chance to settle the score. These two cost you your ass so now you get theirs." Tom held up a strap-on dildo with a harness. "Already for you." Roxy was looking back at Mia and didn't like the smirk she saw. "Wait a minute Tom, I'm sure Roxy told me she likes anal so what is the revenge in me doing her ass?" Tom then held up a paddle, "We thought you might say that, so how about some whacks with this?" Roxy groaned. She knew about the strap-on and was looking forward to getting punished and maybe getting her friend back. This, however did not look like fun. She started to squirm, and Tom put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't even think of moving Roxy, you're going to take what Mia gives you without complaint." Mia stepped forward and took the paddle from Tom's hand. She smiled as she felt the weight of it. She thought about Dex making a big show about getting ready to do her, so she slowly slid the paddle from the top of Roxy's ass to the bottom. She didn't know how much it would hurt, so she didn't swing very hard. Smack! Tom didn't even feel or see Roxy move, "Come on, Mia, no love taps, make it count." Smack! Mia really let Roxy have it, and to her credit, Roxy didn't move or make a noise, but she did feel tears starting to form in her eyes. Mia gave her five more whacks on the ass. Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Roxy let out a whimper, and the tears were flowing freely. Mia looked at Tom. "How about four more for an even 10?" Mia smiled and slowly slid the paddle down Roxy's ass again. Then she gave Roxy four more. Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Roxy collapsed, curled up in a fetal form, in the middle of the living room. Mia had worked up a bit of a sweat. Roxy was sweating and crying profusely. Mia was kind of stunned that she had done it, but the silence was broken again by Tom, "Roxy; are you sorry for misleading Mia, and costing her ass?" "Yes, please, no more. Sorry Mia, we were stupid, Girls' Night is stupid, please forgive me, I miss you?" The whole thing was surreal to Mia, but she helped Roxy up and gave her a hug. "Yes, I forgive you, Roxy, let's just try and forget this ever happened." Roxy was rubbing her sore ass gently; Mia was thinking that she really got off easy with Dex, but Roxy didn't have to know that. "Thank you, Mia, I really am sorry." Tom then handed Mia the strap-on. "Mia, now it's Cyndi's turn. Cyndi doesn't like anal. Please put this on before you go upstairs to their bedroom. You don't have to use it, but Chet would appreciate it if you were wearing it when you entered the room." Mia looked at Tom, Roxy, and the strap-on. She put the harness on over her shorts, and put the dildo in place. She thought it looked quite funny on her; fake phallus bobbing as she walked up the stairs. When she entered the bedroom, Cynthia did not think it looked funny. Cyndi was knelt at the base of the bed, her bare ass sticking up, and holding a pillow in her arms. "No, Chet, Mia! You can't be serious; please let it be something else!" Chet gave his wife a light slap on her ass; "Come on, Cyndi! Stay bent over, get that ass up, I told you to get ready. You knew what was coming. Do you want Mia to do it with no lube?" "No! Please no." and Cyndi grabbed the tube of lube. She squirted some on her hand, then reached between her legs and found her rosebud. She worked it in and arounf, her hand trembling as she completed the prep. As Cynthia frantically prepped her virgin bottom, Chet held up a paddle out of her view. Chet looked at Mia and pointed at the strap-on and then the paddle. Mia held out her hand to take the paddle. Cyndi was now bent over on all fours with her head down biting into the pillow. She was mumbling "please no" over and over again. Mia stepped up and tapped the dildo on her friends butt. "So, Cyndi, was it worth it telling me those stories about your girls' night out? I bet Chet really liked hearing about you using mouthwash after going out to the parking lot with lusty men?" "No, it was all just make-believe to spice it up. No one did anything wrong, it was just a little fantasy." Mia looked at Chet. Chet was not looking happy. "Not much of a joke to me, Cyndi,” Chet barked.  “Telling your friend I was a cuck. I hope she really pounds your ass." You endangered our marriage and humiliated me. But that wasn't enough, was it? You had to destroy the trust in two other marriages. How can you deserve to have girlfriends, if you disregard their marriages?” Cyndi started to shake, "No! please, please! I was so pathetic. I have no excuse. But still, Please! I'm begging don't put that thing in my ass. I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, I'm sorry, please." Mia slowly traced Cyndi's rosebud with the dildo as Cynthia started to cry. "Cyndi, you could have really fucked up my marriage! That would have been a thousand times worse than letting Dex do my ass, or you getting this hard rod up your ass. You're lucky I've had 3 months to cool off. Otherwise I'd have used a much fatter and longer dildo." "I know Mia, I know. Chet reminds me every day of my fuck up. Please, I'm so sorry, I'll never do anything like that again." I've changed! I have to change. I love my husband, and I love our friendship, Mia.  I'm so, so sorry!” "Well Cyndi, you have to pay for almost ruining my life." Smack! "Oh! shit! fuck! what was that?" "That was a paddle hitting your ass, would you prefer the dildo?" "No, please don't use that dildo! Please use the paddle." Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! These were harder blows than Roxy received. Cynthia was the instigator, and deserving on more severe corrections. Cyndi was now sobbing; she wasn't sure how much it was out of relief for not getting the dildo in her ass; and how much was the pain of the paddle. Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Mia was getting a real charge out of spanking her friend. Her own panties were soaked. She never realized she might be into this. She was just taking a little rest when Chet spoke up again. "So, Cyndi, are you going to try any other new things to ruin anyone's marriage?" "No, Chet. I'm not doing that anymore, I'm happy with the way things are. No more new things." Chet then nodded at Mia, "I don't know Cyndi? Mia better give you a few more reminders." Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Now Cynthia was sobbing uncontrollably from the pain in her ass. She was praying it would be over soon. Nothing had ever hurt so much in her life. When Mia stopped again, the sobbing woman hoped it was over. "Mia, I'm sorry, please forgive me." Mia decided that she had had enough and put the paddle down. "Ok, Cyndi, I forgive you, but just remember if you ever do anything like this again, I will take Chet's advice, and use this dildo on you." And with that, Mia tapped Cynthia's ass with the dildo. Mia then took off the harness and left the room. There was no one in the living room, so she went back outside. Dexter was sitting alone; Mia figured that Roxy and Tom had already left. "Are you feeling better, Mia?" "Yes, Dex; I am, I think they learned their lesson. Can I see them again now?" "Yes, Mia, just no more stupid stuff at all." "Of course, Dex; no more. Cyndi said she's done with that, and Chet will hold her to it." "Good, I'm glad to hear it." "Ah, Dex, can we go home now? I really need you inside me?" Dexter concurred, but was surprised that his lovely wife got aroused by the spankings. He would never figure out women, but it didn't matter he was fairly certain his wife was not going to do anything stupid again, to endanger their marriage. Regardless, he would stay vigilant and keep the communication lines open. Yet for tonight, she was horny. And he was getting lucky. He couldn't complain about that. Based on a post by Farmer Jill, for Literotica.

Are you "robbing Peter to pay Paul" just to keep your job sites running? In this episode, Seth sits down with Nick, co-founder of Buildplus, to discuss why the traditional construction cash flow model is broken—and why so many contractors are unknowingly operating like a Ponzi scheme.We dig into the messy reality of construction finance, from the "receipt in the cup holder" problem to the "napkin math" that passes for estimating today. Nick explains how Buildplus is using fintech and "Cost Plus" models to force radical transparency, eliminate client anxiety, and ensure every project stands on its own financial feet.If you're tired of estimates that are "slop" and want to stop flying by the seat of your pants on high-end projects, this conversation is for you.In this episode, we cover:The Origin Story: How a builder bankruptcy sparked the idea for Buildplus.The "Ponzi" Trap: Why using Project A's deposit to fund Project B is a ticking time bomb.Cost Plus vs. Fixed Fee: Why transparent pricing actually builds trust (and protects your profit).The "Receipt in the Cup Holder": Solving the chaos of expense tracking in the field.AI & The Future: Why current estimates are "BS made up on a napkin" and how AI might fix it.

In this episode, host Travis Chappell and producer Eric break down missed opportunities, painful losses, and fraud-adjacent stories to show how real-world investors actually think through risk. Using everything from crypto FOMO to Shark Tank misses and Ponzi-style funds, they explore how to build a rational investing framework that can survive both wins and wipeouts.​ On this episode we talk about: Passing on early opportunities like crypto and what that really cost over time Famous “missed deals” like Ring and other Shark Tank passes that later exploded How to emotionally process investments that go to zero—even when they seemed “safe” Why trying to “beat the market” usually backfires for non-professional investors The blackjack analogy for setting clear investing rules and sticking to them Angel investing math: why most startups fail and what that means for your checks A real story of an investor-turned-felon running a quasi‑Ponzi fund How seemingly smart people slide from aggressive bets into outright fraud Why Travis shifted from big swings to boring, low‑risk, long‑term investments Top 3 Takeaways Losses are inevitable, so you need rules before you need returns. Approaching investing like blackjack—accepting losses as part of the game and sticking to a predetermined strategy—keeps you from going on emotional “tilt” after a bad beat. Most private deals will fail, even with “strong” founders. Angel and alternative investments should be treated as high‑risk, small‑allocation bets—not as the foundation of your net worth. Boring usually wins over time. For long‑term wealth, broad, diversified, low‑chance‑of‑zero investments (like major index funds) are a far more reliable base than chasing the next Uber or crypto rocket ship. Notable Quotes “You have to set rules and then stick to the rules—because losses are part of the game.” “You're not going to beat the market. Ray Dalio can't consistently beat the market, and he's the best in the world.” “There's no truly ‘no‑risk' investment. If someone promises that, they're either lying or they're going to prison.”​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️

While our team is out on winter break, please enjoy this episode of Hacking Humans This week, our hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Bittner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joe Carrigan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maria Varmazis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (also host of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠T-Minus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Space Daily show) are sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. We start with a scam warning from Michal, who is sharing the latest conference scam. Dave's got the story of a retired federal investigator who mapped out the “Scammer Psychological Kill Chain” and shared rules to help you spot and break it. Maria has the story of job scams surging over 1,000% in 2025, as scammers exploit a slowing labor market and desperate jobseekers with fake offers, texts, and bogus recruiter schemes. Joe follows the story on a $4 million forex scam where two men promised safe, high returns but instead ran a Ponzi scheme that defrauded 20 investors before landing in federal prison. Our catch of the day comes from listener Shannon who writes in to share a message from "Amazon" about a recall notice. Resources and links to stories: J⁠ob Scams Surge 1,000% As Americans Struggle to Find Work⁠ ⁠Forex Account: What It Means and How It Works⁠ ⁠Ex-NYPD Cop Gets 36 Months In $4M Forex Scam That Duped 20 Investors: Feds⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hackinghumans@n2k.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports a Colorado man is back in the states to face Ponzi scheme allegations.

Schemes, scams, and spectacularly stupid greed! This special greatest hits episode of History's Greatest Idiots celebrates the season with four legendary criminals who proved that audacity and terrible judgment make the perfect con artist cocktail.First up: Charles Ponzi, the Italian immigrant whose name became synonymous with financial fraud, promising impossible returns while building a house of cards so unstable it makes modern crypto schemes look sophisticated.Then we meet Howard Marks, the Welsh drug smuggler who turned marijuana trafficking into a global enterprise, juggling fake passports, MI6 connections, and enough aliases to confuse even himself before his spectacular arrest.We'll explore John Factor, the mafia conman whose brother founded Max Factor cosmetics while he specialized in extortion and fake kidnappings, somehow parlaying criminal notoriety into Las Vegas respectability.Finally, Melissa Caddick rounds out our line-up: the Australian fraudster whose Ponzi scheme funded designer shoes and luxury living until she vanished, leaving behind one of true crime's most bizarre mysteries.From postal reply coupons to disappearing feet on beaches, these criminal masterminds prove that sometimes the biggest cons collapse when greed meets absolutely zero exit strategy.Join Lev and Derek as they count down the greatest hits of history's most gloriously idiotic fraudsters.Perfect for true crime fans, scam history buffs, and anyone who's ever wondered how someone can be simultaneously brilliant and catastrophically stupid.⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/HistorysGreatestIdiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/historysgreatestidiots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Artist: Sarah Chey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fiverr.com/sarahchey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Animation: Daniel Wilson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/wilson_the_wilson/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: Andrew Wilson⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrews_electric_sheep⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4675161203933184⁠⁠

This episode was originally recorded for Times Radio on 13th November 2025.In this special bonus episode, Aidan Larkin joins Hugo Rifkind on Times Radio to discuss what happens after a major seizure and why the landmark £5.1bn crypto seizure could redefine how governments handle digital assets. In November 2025, a Chinese national dubbed the “Bit Queen” was sentenced to several years in prison for orchestrating a staggering £5.1 billion cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. The case made headlines worldwide, not just for its scale, but for the questions it raises about the future of asset recovery in a digital age. Aidan and Hugo explore:What happens after billions in crypto are seizedHow governments navigate cross-border asset recoveryThe diplomatic and legal challenges of returning funds to victimsWhy this case could set a global precedent for managing digital assetsResourcesCrypto Seizures: A Turning Point for Global Asset RecoveryBBC News: Cryptoqueen who fled China for London mansion jailed over £5bn Bitcoin stashStay Connected Subscribe to Seize & Desist for all the latest insights on asset recovery. Disclaimer Our podcasts are for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, and/or investment advice. Listeners must consult their own advisors before making decisions on the topics discussed. Asset Reality has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by Asset Reality employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the views of the company. Asset Reality does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of the information in any particular podcast and will not be responsible for any claim attributable to errors, omissions, or other inaccuracies of any part of such material. Unless stated otherwise, reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Asset Reality.

Kate breaks down the shocking true story behind Hulu's Missing Millionaires and the disappearance of Australian financial fraudster Melissa Caddick. Melissa Caddick appeared to be a successful Sydney-based financial advisor living an enviable life in one of the city's wealthiest coastal neighborhoods. But in November 2020, as federal police raided her home for operating a massive Ponzi scheme, Melissa walked out for a morning run and never returned. Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/katecasey Like it to Know It: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/katecaseySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is Social Security just neutral math, or a moral issue for Christians? Kevin Swanson and Josh Schwisow open Matthew 15, 1 Timothy 5, and the example of Jesus on the cross to show that God assigns elder care first to children, grandchildren, and the local church—not the state. They expose Social Security as an unsustainable Ponzi scheme propped up by birth implosion and political denial, and then cast a hopeful vision for families, diaconates, and congregations that tithe, give, and prepare to care for their own widows when the system cracks.

 Chris Markowski, the Watchdog on Wall Street, delves into the financial truths that are often obscured by mainstream narratives. He discusses the ethical implications of capitalism, the pitfalls of trading platforms like Robinhood, and the consequences of political decisions on financial justice. Markowski emphasizes the need for accountability in both the financial sector and government, while also critiquing the media's role in shaping public perception. The conversation touches on various topics, including Ponzi schemes, government spending, healthcare fraud, and the current state of the entertainment industry, culminating in a discussion about the implications of technology and regulation in the modern economy.

This Day in Legal History: Madoff ArrestedOn December 11, 2008, Bernard L. Madoff was arrested by federal agents and charged with securities fraud, marking the start of one of the most consequential white-collar crime cases in American legal history. Madoff, a former NASDAQ chairman and respected figure in the investment world, confessed to running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded thousands of investors—individuals, charities, and institutional clients—out of an estimated $65 billion. The legal scheme unraveled when Madoff admitted to his sons that the business was “one big lie,” prompting them to alert authorities. Prosecutors swiftly brought charges under multiple statutes, including securities fraud under 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b), mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, perjury, and false statements.The Department of Justice pursued criminal charges while the SEC, heavily criticized for prior inaction, launched civil enforcement actions under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Madoff waived indictment and pleaded guilty on March 12, 2009, to 11 felony counts without a plea deal. He was sentenced to 150 years in federal prison—the statutory maximum—and ordered to forfeit $170.8 billion, reflecting the full scope of the fraud. The case catalyzed intense scrutiny of the SEC's oversight failures and led to internal reforms within the agency, including new whistleblower protections and enhanced enforcement procedures.In the bankruptcy proceedings under SIPA (Securities Investor Protection Act), trustee Irving Picard was appointed to recover funds for victims, using clawback lawsuits under fraudulent transfer laws to retrieve ill-gotten gains from those who had profited—wittingly or not. The legal theories underpinning those suits, including the application of actual and constructive fraud standards, sparked complex litigation that continues to shape bankruptcy and securities jurisprudence. Madoff's arrest also prompted Congress to review gaps in financial regulation, laying groundwork for reforms later codified in the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010.Jury selection began in the federal trial of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who is accused of helping a Mexican migrant avoid arrest by U.S. immigration agents. The case, brought by the Trump administration's Justice Department, charges Dugan with concealing a person from arrest and obstructing federal proceedings, alleging she deliberately diverted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and allowed the migrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, to exit through a non-public courthouse door following a domestic violence hearing.Federal prosecutors argue that Dugan acted corruptly, citing her visible anger upon learning that ICE agents were present and her claim that a judicial warrant was required for the arrest—an assertion prosecutors say was false. Flores-Ruiz was ultimately arrested outside the courthouse after a brief chase.Dugan's defense contends that she was navigating unclear rules around courthouse immigration enforcement and had sought guidance from court leadership days earlier. Her legal team maintains she was not trying to obstruct justice but rather to understand what rules applied.The case illustrates the broader tension between local judicial discretion and federal immigration enforcement under Trump's expanded deportation policies, which have included more aggressive operations in local courthouses. Critics argue such tactics deter immigrants from accessing courts and undermine public confidence in the legal system.Dugan, a judge since 2016 and formerly head of Catholic Charities in Milwaukee, has been suspended from the bench pending the outcome of the trial. Her prosecution echoes an earlier Trump-era case against a Massachusetts judge accused of similar conduct—charges that were later dropped during the Biden administration.Wisconsin judge on trial as Trump administration targets immigration enforcement resistance | ReutersThe Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department to block its decision to feature President Donald Trump's image on the 2026 America the Beautiful national parks annual pass. The group argues the move violates the Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement Act of 2004, which requires the pass to display the winning photograph from a public contest depicting natural scenery or wildlife in a national park or forest.This year's winning photo—a landscape of Glacier National Park—was allegedly discarded in favor of a close-up image of Trump, posed beside George Washington, without any new contest or congressional approval. The lawsuit calls the switch an unlawful act of self-promotion and criticizes it as an attempt to turn a public symbol into a personal branding tool.Adding to the controversy, the lawsuit claims that the Glacier photo was demoted to a new $250 pass for foreign visitors, part of Trump's newly introduced “America-first” admissions system. The updated pricing structure and design were part of a broader Interior Department announcement touting “modernization” of park access.The lawsuit also highlights changes to the free admission calendar, noting that Trump's birthday (June 14) was added as a holiday, while existing free days honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Juneteenth were eliminated. These shifts coincide with Trump's efforts to slash the national parks budget and workforce while raising fees for international visitors.Lawsuit seeks to keep Trump's face off of national parks annual pass | ReutersIn a piece for Forbes this week I unpacked the misleading claim that Social Security is no longer taxed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Despite bold headlines and political messaging to the contrary, Social Security remains taxable, just as it has been since 1983. What the bill actually includes is an expanded senior-specific deduction—$6,000 for individuals and $12,000 for couples—that may reduce taxable income, but doesn't isolate or exempt Social Security from taxation in any way.The structure of Social Security taxation—where up to 85% of benefits can be taxed for higher-income seniors—remains untouched. What changed is that some seniors, depending on income and deductions, might now end up paying less tax, including on Social Security, not because the income is tax-exempt, but because the overall taxable income has been reduced. This is a fungible deduction, applicable to any income source, not a targeted policy shift.The White House's messaging reframes a broad-based, temporary deduction as a specific, permanent tax relief for seniors, creating confusion. While some retirees may see a tax reduction, the underlying rules that govern when and how Social Security is taxed have not changed, and inflation-adjusted thresholds that pull more seniors into taxability remain. The deduction itself expires in 2028, unlike other OBBBA provisions that benefit wealthier taxpayers and corporations.The element worth highlighting is the difference between a deduction and an exemption, and how political messaging often blurs this. Deductions reduce taxable income; exemptions remove specific income from taxation entirely. In this case, branding a general deduction as a Social Security exemption is both legally inaccurate and politically strategic—obscuring the truth behind a familiar and emotionally charged issue.The Truth About ‘No Tax On Social Security'The estate of an 83-year-old woman filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that their chatbot, ChatGPT, played a central role in a tragic murder-suicide in Connecticut. The suit claims that Stein-Erik Soelberg, a 56-year-old man experiencing delusions, had been interacting for months with GPT-4o, which allegedly validated and intensified his paranoid beliefs, ultimately leading him to kill his mother, Suzanne Adams, before taking his own life.The complaint, filed in California Superior Court, accuses OpenAI and Microsoft of product liability, negligence, and wrongful death, arguing that the chatbot systematically encouraged Soelberg's psychosis—affirming fantasies about divine missions, assassination attempts, and even identifying his mother as an operative. The plaintiffs argue that Microsoft shares liability because it benefited directly from the deployment of GPT-4o and played a role in bringing the model to market.This is the first known lawsuit to link ChatGPT to a homicide, though it follows a growing number of legal actions that claim the AI system has fostered delusions and contributed to suicides. OpenAI denies wrongdoing, emphasizing efforts to improve mental health safeguards and noting that newer models have significantly reduced inappropriate responses in emotionally sensitive conversations.The suit also names OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as a defendant and cites Soelberg's social media posts as evidence of his deteriorating mental state and dependence on the chatbot. The plaintiffs seek monetary damages and a court order to compel OpenAI to implement stronger safety measures. The law firm behind the case, Edelson PC, is also representing a similar lawsuit involving a California teenager's suicide allegedly linked to ChatGPT.OpenAI, Microsoft Sued Over Murder-Suicide Blamed on ChatGPT This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Prendi parte alla nostra Membership per supportare il nostro progetto Missione Cultura e diventare mecenate di Geopop: https://geopop.it/Muh6X Cos'è uno schema Ponzi? E come funziona? Si tratta di una truffa finanziaria, o meglio un modello di vendita fraudolento, che promette guadagni esorbitanti, ma che in realtà paga i primi investitori usando i soldi dei nuovi arrivati. Resa famosa da Charles Ponzi negli Stati Uniti, questa truffa segue uno schema preciso: la vittima crede di star investendo, ma viene pagata con i soldi di altri investitori, che a loro volta sono pagati con i soldi di altri risparmiatori, e così via, finché a un certo punto il meccanismo si rompe e chi ha investito perde tutto. In questa nuova puntata della serie “I meccanismi delle Truffe” vi spiegheremo cos'è uno schema Ponzi, come riconoscere la truffa e la storia incredibile dell'uomo che le ha dato il nome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I am delighted to welcome Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist and New York Times bestselling author of the Wheat Belly series. He is also the author of Undoctored, Super Gut, and his latest book, Super Body. In our conversation, we dive into the toxic diet industry and how it profits from repeatedly delivering wrong messages. We explore physiological changes in body composition that contribute to poor metabolic health and inflammation, the dangers of ectopic fat, and the influence of our environment. Dr. Davis explains the weight loss Ponzi scheme and how muscle loss drives changes in body composition. We also unpack the gut-muscle axis, the role of the microbiome in muscle building, SIBO and treatment options, and examine the broader effects of oxytocin on body composition, touching on the benefits of replacing lost biological compounds, like collagen and hyaluronic acid, the impact of Max, the microbiota, and accessible carbs, along with practical takeaways to support healthier living and better body composition. This conversation with Dr. Will Davis is incredibly insightful, and I look forward to having him back to discuss the female and vaginal microbiomes. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: The specific probiotic strain that influenced body composition in a clinical trial The benefits of fiber for your metabolism and fat distribution The role of collagen and hyaluronic acid in joint, skin, and vascular health How animal-based fibers affect the microbiome differently from plant fibers The value of fermented foods for cultivating beneficial gut microbes The long-term risks of restrictive diets  How declining estrogen alters immune function in women The lasting impact of antibiotics and past treatments on gut microbiota How to prepare your gut for a thriving microbial ecosystem The surprising effects of foundational probiotic interventions on mood and social behavior Connect with Cynthia Thurlow   Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Connect with Dr. William Davis On his website  YouTube Blog Defiant Health (Podcast) Books

The newest data from the Real Estate Staging Association just dropped for Q2 and Q3, and I need to share something with you that honestly broke my heart a little bit when I saw it. The ROI numbers? Absolutely extraordinary. We're talking about the kind of returns that would make any financial advisor pause and say, "Wait, are we talking about a Ponzi scheme here?" But here's what got me: The average staging investment sits under $5,000. A $3,800 to $4,300 investment producing anywhere from $58,000 to $100,000 in additional seller equity. Now, I'm not sharing this to make you feel bad about your pricing or to pressure you into arbitrary price increases. This isn't about comparison or judgment. But when you place those incredible ROI numbers next to what our industry is charging on average, it creates a powerful moment for reflection. So today's conversation is really about one question: Does the price I charge reflect the value I create? In this episode, I'm walking you through the latest RESA statistics, breaking down the neuroscience behind why pricing feels so hard and inviting you to start tracking your own data so you can price from confidence instead of fear. Afterall. We are entering into a new season and better now than ever.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: The staggering new staging ROI numbers from Q2 and Q3 and why they matter more than ever. Why many staging CEOs undercharge from outdated brain patterns. How to build your own staging statistics and stop relying on national averages to justify your pricing. A reflection framework to help you assess alignment between your pricing and the outcomes you create.   RESOURCES:   Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!   ENJOY THE SHOW? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you. Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  This episode unleashes a blistering reaction to one of the most disturbing pardons in recent memory—an act that wiped away prison time, fines, and restitution for a convicted Ponzi schemer who devastated retirees, families, cancer patients, and lifelong savers. After 25 years of exposing Wall Street fraud, Chris confronts the heartbreak of watching a president he once supported let a major financial criminal walk free. He reads the voices of the victims, challenges partisan blinders, and asks: if you can't criticize your own side when it betrays the innocent, what good are your principles?

Join an active community of RE investors here: https://linktr.ee/gabepetersenBECOME A SUCCESSFUL LIMITED PARTNER IN REAL ESTATE

Jeffrey Epstein's early financial career is cloaked in mystery, with only fragments of fact piercing through layers of rumor and myth. After leaving Bear Stearns in 1981, he founded Intercontinental Assets Group Inc., a consulting firm where he claimed to “recover stolen money for wealthy clients.” What exactly that meant was never made clear, but the business quickly drew speculation that Epstein was dealing in murky worlds where stolen wealth, corrupt regimes, and shady operators overlapped. In a 2025 DOJ interview, Ghislaine Maxwell went further, alleging that Epstein built his fortune partly by working with or for African warlords in the 1980s. She claimed he once even showed her a photo of himself with such figures, suggesting his reach extended into circles where violence and illicit wealth were the currency.What is confirmed, however, is that Epstein was already operating in shadowy financial arenas, including his lucrative role as a consultant for Steven Hoffenberg's Towers Financial Corporation, a Ponzi scheme where Epstein earned $25,000 a month and received a $2 million loan. The warlord connection remains unproven but symbolically aligns with the trajectory of a man who, from the start, was willing to skirt moral boundaries, exploit opaque systems, and surround himself with power—whether in Wall Street boardrooms or, allegedly, among those who carved fortunes out of bloodshed in Africa.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Records show Jeffrey Epstein's requests for multiple passports, travels to Africa and Middle East - ABC News

Luisa Ponzi (wine grower, wine maker, vineyard lover, business owner, mama) says she's not quite sure what her "role" is these days - but it certainly has to do with wine. She says her role in the Oregon wine industry has shifted somewhat and it's done so in a natural way - where the winery used to be her key focus, she says she's now finding the vineyard is where she's pouring a lot of her heart and soul into. The Ponzi family moved from Southern California years ago to the Willamette Valley to start a vineyard, make wine, live off the land and Luisa has fond memories of being in the vines, playing in the dirt and helping Dad. Winemaking was not on her radar, but after she graduated college, Dad invited her to help with harvest (100% intentional on his part) and she says everything just clicked. She made tremendous strides in the Oregon wine industry and when she talks about winemaking, specifically, the vines her family planted years ago which are still producing grapes, you can almost feel her passion for this role she clearly loves so much. Be on the lookout for her label, "Luisa Wines" coming out spring 2026 and the collab she's currently doing with her daughter, Mia - "Drink Lerzi"!

Jeffrey Epstein's early financial career is cloaked in mystery, with only fragments of fact piercing through layers of rumor and myth. After leaving Bear Stearns in 1981, he founded Intercontinental Assets Group Inc., a consulting firm where he claimed to “recover stolen money for wealthy clients.” What exactly that meant was never made clear, but the business quickly drew speculation that Epstein was dealing in murky worlds where stolen wealth, corrupt regimes, and shady operators overlapped. In a 2025 DOJ interview, Ghislaine Maxwell went further, alleging that Epstein built his fortune partly by working with or for African warlords in the 1980s. She claimed he once even showed her a photo of himself with such figures, suggesting his reach extended into circles where violence and illicit wealth were the currency.What is confirmed, however, is that Epstein was already operating in shadowy financial arenas, including his lucrative role as a consultant for Steven Hoffenberg's Towers Financial Corporation, a Ponzi scheme where Epstein earned $25,000 a month and received a $2 million loan. The warlord connection remains unproven but symbolically aligns with the trajectory of a man who, from the start, was willing to skirt moral boundaries, exploit opaque systems, and surround himself with power—whether in Wall Street boardrooms or, allegedly, among those who carved fortunes out of bloodshed in Africa.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Records show Jeffrey Epstein's requests for multiple passports, travels to Africa and Middle East - ABC NewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Jeffrey Epstein's early financial career is cloaked in mystery, with only fragments of fact piercing through layers of rumor and myth. After leaving Bear Stearns in 1981, he founded Intercontinental Assets Group Inc., a consulting firm where he claimed to “recover stolen money for wealthy clients.” What exactly that meant was never made clear, but the business quickly drew speculation that Epstein was dealing in murky worlds where stolen wealth, corrupt regimes, and shady operators overlapped. In a 2025 DOJ interview, Ghislaine Maxwell went further, alleging that Epstein built his fortune partly by working with or for African warlords in the 1980s. She claimed he once even showed her a photo of himself with such figures, suggesting his reach extended into circles where violence and illicit wealth were the currency.What is confirmed, however, is that Epstein was already operating in shadowy financial arenas, including his lucrative role as a consultant for Steven Hoffenberg's Towers Financial Corporation, a Ponzi scheme where Epstein earned $25,000 a month and received a $2 million loan. The warlord connection remains unproven but symbolically aligns with the trajectory of a man who, from the start, was willing to skirt moral boundaries, exploit opaque systems, and surround himself with power—whether in Wall Street boardrooms or, allegedly, among those who carved fortunes out of bloodshed in Africa.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Records show Jeffrey Epstein's requests for multiple passports, travels to Africa and Middle East - ABC NewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

This Day in Legal History: John Brown AssassinatedOn December 2, 1859, abolitionist John Brown was executed by hanging in Charles Town, Virginia (now West Virginia), following his conviction for treason against the Commonwealth of Virginia, murder, and inciting a slave insurrection. Brown had led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in October, attempting to seize weapons and incite a large-scale slave uprising. His plan failed, with most of his men either killed or captured, and Brown himself wounded and arrested by U.S. Marines under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee. The legal proceedings against him were swift: Brown was indicted within days, tried in state court, and sentenced to death less than a month after the raid.His execution was a national event, drawing immense media coverage and polarized public reaction. In the North, many abolitionists hailed him as a martyr who sacrificed his life to end the moral atrocity of slavery. In the South, he was widely viewed as a terrorist whose actions confirmed fears of Northern aggression and interference. Brown's trial and punishment underscored the deepening legal and moral divide between free and slave states, particularly regarding states' rights, federalism, and the use of violence to oppose injustice. The charges of treason and insurrection also raised complex constitutional questions, since Brown was prosecuted under state, not federal, law — despite attacking a federal facility. His case set the stage for intensifying legal and political disputes over the limits of protest, the legitimacy of armed resistance, and the definition of loyalty to the state.Brown's final words, predicting that “the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood,” would prove prescient less than two years later when the Civil War began.A federal appeals court has ruled that Alina Habba, a former personal attorney to Donald Trump, was unlawfully appointed as the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court's finding that the Trump administration violated federal appointments law in installing Habba without Senate confirmation or proper legal authority. This decision disqualifies her from overseeing federal cases in the state, potentially disrupting numerous active prosecutions.The case was brought by defense attorneys who argued that the Justice Department used procedural workarounds to improperly extend Habba's tenure after New Jersey's district judges declined to reauthorize her. In response, DOJ fired her court-appointed successor and tried to reassign Habba under a different title, which the court rejected. The ruling is significant because it's the first appellate decision pushing back on Trump-era efforts to place loyalists in key legal roles without Senate oversight.Habba, who had no prior prosecutorial experience, previously represented Trump in high-profile civil litigation, including the defamation case involving E. Jean Carroll. During her controversial tenure, she was criticized for politicized statements and for filing charges against a Democratic congresswoman. Similar appointment disputes are playing out in other states, and this decision sets a strong precedent against bypassing constitutional and statutory nomination processes. The administration is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.Court disqualifies Trump ally Habba as top New Jersey federal prosecutor | ReutersHSBC has announced a multi-year partnership with French start-up Mistral AI to integrate generative AI tools across its global operations. The bank plans to self-host Mistral's commercial AI models and future upgrades, combining its own tech infrastructure with Mistral's cutting-edge AI capabilities. The collaboration aims to boost automation, productivity, and customer service, with use cases spanning financial analysis, multilingual translation, risk assessment, and personalized client interactions.By adopting Mistral's tools, HSBC expects to significantly reduce time spent on routine, document-heavy tasks, such as those in credit and financing teams. Already active in AI applications like fraud detection and compliance, the bank sees this deal as a way to accelerate innovation cycles and roll out new features more efficiently. The move comes amid a broader industry trend as banks seek to scale generative AI solutions, while addressing ongoing concerns around data privacy. HSBC emphasized that all deployments will comply with its responsible AI governance standards to ensure transparency and protection.HSBC taps French start-up Mistral to supercharge generative-AI rollout | ReutersPresident Donald Trump has commuted the prison sentence of David Gentile, the former CEO of GPB Capital Holdings, who was convicted under the Biden administration for his role in what prosecutors called a Ponzi scheme. Gentile had been serving a seven-year sentence after being found guilty of securities fraud in 2024. The DOJ argued that GPB misled investors by using new investor funds to pay returns, rather than profits from legitimate operations.However, in announcing the commutation, a White House official pushed back on the prosecution's claims, arguing that investors had been clearly informed about the firm's payment practices and that prosecutors failed to directly link fraudulent misrepresentations to Gentile during trial. The official also alleged misconduct, claiming the government elicited and failed to correct false testimony.The commutation comes amid heightened political scrutiny of financial fraud prosecutions and continues Trump's trend of intervening in controversial white-collar cases. The Department of Justice has not yet responded to the decision.Trump frees former GPB Capital CEO after Biden admin's Ponzi scheme sentence | ReutersMy column for Bloomberg this week is about … the penny. The official end of penny production may seem trivial, but it's creating real legal headaches for retailers and tax administrators alike. Without the one-cent coin, states are facing ambiguity about how to round sales tax totals for cash transactions—should it happen before or after tax, and who absorbs the rounding loss? These questions go largely unanswered, and in the absence of clear rules, businesses are improvising, which risks inconsistent compliance and enforcement challenges. There's also a legal tension where cash transactions require rounding but card payments do not—potentially running afoul of laws banning payment-method discrimination or even the Internet Tax Freedom Act.Streamlined Sales Tax rules add more complexity, limiting when and how rounding can occur and cautioning against systems that enrich the state at consumers' expense. I argue that instead of patchwork fixes, this moment should push states to modernize their sales tax systems with mandatory e-invoicing and real-time reporting. This would standardize how tax is calculated and rounded, reduce compliance uncertainty, and shrink the window for fraud. Paired with something like a receipt lottery—used successfully in countries like Brazil and China—states could turn customers into compliance allies by rewarding them for scanning and validating receipts.Ultimately, automating rounding decisions and reporting in point-of-sale systems would lift the burden off retailers and give governments cleaner data with lower enforcement costs. The penny may be dead, but this is a rare chance to bring sales tax enforcement into the 21st century. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Not only are the opportunities for personal financial gain for Trump and his White House cronies driving the administration's foreign policy decisions, his tariffs look more and more about grift. Trump also inexplicably granted clemency to a private equity exec who ripped off ordinary Americans in a Ponzi scheme, while he plans a pardon for a former Honduran president who trafficked cocaine to America—even as he orders the bombings of suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, on the immigration front, Border Patrol is moving into NOLA, and the administration is exploiting the heinous and tragic DC Guard shooting to try to rid the country of black and brown immigrants. Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller. show notes Bill's 'Bulwark on Sunday' on Trump's anti-immigrant agenda Tim's 'Bulwark Take' on Scott Jennings WSJ's piece, "Make Money Not War: Trump's Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine" NYT on David Sacks Andy McCarthy on the killing of two survivors of a missile strike in the Caribbean Makeup-less Trump at Mar-a-Lago New Bulwark merch! Go to https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code BULWARK. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show!

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured  White-collar crime pays—and this case proves it again. After orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme that devastated thousands, a politically-connected private equity executive walked out of prison before Thanksgiving. This episode dives into the broken incentives, regulatory failures, and media silence that allow financial con artists to escape real consequences.

This week Amanda and Lauren covered the rise and fall of the crypto king, Gerald Cotten.Sources:CBC: “Quadriga CEO's widow speaks out over his death and the missing crypto millions” by Cassie Williams with additional reporting by Andrew ChangCBC: “Crypto exchange Quadriga was a fraud and founder was running a Ponzi scheme, OSC report finds” by Tara DeschampsCoindesk: “Gerald Cotten” by Nikhilesh DeVanity Fair: “Ponzi Schemes, Private Yachts, and a Missing $250 Million in Crypto: The Strange Tale of Quadriga” by Nathaniel RichThe Independent: “‘Bitcoin widow' reveals how she fell victim to her own husband's $215m scam after his mysterious death” by Josh MarcusNewsweek: “‘The Crypto King': Who is Gerald Cotten and Where is Gerry Now?” by Molli MitchellOntario Securities Commission: “QuadrigaCX” Vancouver Sun: “B.C. seeks forfeiture of money, gold bars linked to failed cryptocurrency company QuadrigaCX” by Gordon HoekstraNew York Times: “Crypto-Exchange Says It Can't Pay Investors Because Its C.E.O. Died, and He Had the Passwords” by Karen ZraickNetflix documentary: Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto KingExit Scam podcast: 8 episode seriesWikipedia

Charles Ponzi conducted a financial fraud so audacious he became the biggest brand name in crime. Yet most people don't know what he actually did and those who do are often hard-pressed to explain why it was special.So why, more than 100 years later, do we call so many financial scams a Ponzi scheme?Brian tells the story of a poor boy from Italy whose name is still on the lips of everyone worried they're about to be made a sucker.BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 110.ScamStuff.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please enjoy this encore of Hacking Humans. On Hacking Humans, ⁠Dave Bittner⁠, ⁠Joe Carrigan⁠, and ⁠Maria Varmazis⁠ (also host of N2K's daily space podcast, T-Minus), are once again sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines to help our audience become aware of what is out there. Our hosts discuss and ponder whether or not diamonds are the original cryptocurrency, as well as diving further into Yubikeys for organizations. Maria shares the story of a 66-year-old woman who lost her $2 million retirement savings to a romance scam on Match.com, highlighting the rise in such scams and efforts to pass the Online Dating Safety Act to protect users. Joe's story is on the Madoff Victim Fund's final $131.4 million payout, bringing total recoveries to $4.3 billion for victims of Bernard Madoff's infamous Ponzi scheme, which collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis. Dave's got the story on allegations that the PayPal Honey browser extension not only fails to deliver the best deals but also hijacks affiliate revenue from influencers by replacing their links with its own, sparking backlash and controversy. Our catch of the day comes from Reddit and Dave and Maria do their best impressions yet, as a scammer chats up an unsuspecting victim. Resources and links to stories: ⁠Online dating scammers bilk more money each year. A bipartisan bill seeks to stop them at the source.⁠ ⁠Madoff fraud victims get $4.3bn as fund completes payouts⁠ ⁠Honey's deal-hunting browser extension is accused of ripping off customers and YouTubers⁠ You can hear more from the T-Minus space daily show ⁠here⁠. Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at ⁠hackinghumans@n2k.com⁠.

MY NEWSLETTER - https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeJoin me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Alex Nelson (https://x.com/weddingvenueguy).I'm thrilled to welcome back Alex Nelson, the wedding venue guy! When we last spoke, he had just launched his incredibly successful Iowa wedding venue with zero experience.Now, Alex has expanded beyond the venue, buying five coffee shops and supporting his wife's baby boutique, leading me to call him a mogul. We dive deep into his journey since that first venture, starting with how he and his wife booked their own venue a year and a half out, inspiring the business idea. Alex shares the shocking reality of building a multi-million dollar venue from the ground up, dealing with massive budget overruns (the original $1.5 million budget ended up closer to $2.7 million!).He explains the intense stress of unexpected construction delays that forced them to refund deposits from booked weddings, a situation he said felt like the start of a Ponzi scheme. We also discuss the key advantages of using an SBA 7A loan for real estate projects, specifically the 25-year amortization period.Finally, Alex details his shift from the high-ticket, specific needs of the wedding venue business to acquiring and rebranding multiple coffee shop locations, and offers excellent advice for anyone looking to enter the wedding venue space, including essential ways to test demand.Questions This Episode Answers:1. What are the key advantages of using an SBA 7A loan when financing both real estate and a business?2. How do you accurately gauge market demand for a new standalone wedding venue?3. What happens when catastrophic construction delays impact a business that operates purely on pre-booked deposits?4. Is it easier to buy an existing business (like four coffee shops) or build one from scratch (like a wedding venue)?5. What is the most critical first step (and financial commitment) an aspiring wedding venue owner should take?Enjoy the conversation!__________________________Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.__________________________MY NEWSLETTER: https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98yApple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT__________________________This week we covered:00:00 – How he discovered the wedding-venue idea03:02 – Booking a venue before even being engaged05:26 – Saving money & early planning07:36 – COVID moment: deciding to build now10:01 – SBA loan plan + cost jump to $2.7M12:27 – Construction delays & real challenges17:19 – Taking deposits before the venue existed19:34 – Stress, refunds & near-disaster moments24:20 – Year 1–3 revenue growth29:04 – Buying & expanding multiple coffee shops36:16 – Scaling operations & improving systems41:02 – Future plans: more shops + another venue

The guys discuss how a very lucrative Ponzi scheme can easily be formed by just clearing out your unwanted organs, when homemade currency and/or ID card should immediately raise suspicion, and why you should never buy your weed from Tyler. 

You know things are bad when nobody is going to Las Vegas, but that is just the tip of the economic iceberg, and the over-taxed American consumers have tickets aboard the Titanic. Warren Buffett is selling equities and stockpiling cash as a hedge against uncertainty, as well as future bargain hunting after the economic collapse decimates Western society.  SNAP benefits have been intergenerational in many cases, with entire family trees built upon complete government dependence and free handouts. With yearly totals exceeding $100 billion in the United States for food programs, and more than nine million Americans on Section 8 government assistance, the Ponzi scheme seems to be coming to a conclusion, and they never end well. — Watch the video version on one of the Macroaggressions Channels: Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/Macroaggressions  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MacroaggressionsPodcast — MACRO & Charlie Robinson Links Hypocrazy Audiobook: https://amzn.to/4aogwms The Octopus of Global Control Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3xu0rMm Website: www.Macroaggressions.io  Merch Store: https://macroaggressions.dashery.com/  Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/macroaggressionspodcast Activist Post Family Activist Post: www.ActivistPost.com  Natural Blaze: www.NaturalBlaze.com  Support Our Sponsors C60 Power: https://go.shopc60.com/PBGRT/KMKS9/ | Promo Code: MACRO Chemical Free Body: https://chemicalfreebody.com/macro/ | Promo Code: MACRO Wise Wolf Gold & Silver: https://macroaggressions.gold/ | (800) 426-1836 LegalShield: www.DontGetPushedAround.com  EMP Shield: www.EMPShield.com | Promo Code: MACRO Christian Yordanov's Health Program: www.LiveLongerFormula.com/macro  Above Phone: https://abovephone.com/macro/ Van Man: https://vanman.shop/?ref=MACRO | Promo Code: MACRO The Dollar Vigilante: https://dollarvigilante.spiffy.co/a/O3wCWenlXN/4471  Nesa's Hemp: www.NesasHemp.com | Promo Code: MACRO Augason Farms: https://augasonfarms.com/MACRO  —

This is part 2 in a series on creating successful family businesses and legacy. The last episode laid out why it is important. This episode introduces how to do it, what tools help my clients as their guide towards a successful family wealth, agency and legacy. Highlights Elon Musk's vision for the future. Importance of a strong family unit. Elon Musk and leadership decisions. Infinite Banking and legacy tools. New challenges for business owners. Becoming a certified exit planning advisor. The importance of owning your expertise. Turning a Ponzi scheme failure into strength. Value of admitting mistakes quickly. Key message: Invest in yourself.   Links and Resources from this Episode Connect with Gary Pinkerton https://www.paradigmlife.net/  gpinkerton@paradigmlife.net https://garypinkerton.com/  https://clientportal.paradigmlife.net/WealthView360  Connect with Jen McAllister https://riseaccountingllc.com/about/  https://exit-planning-institute.org/about-us  jen@riseaccountingllc.com  Review, Subscribe and Share If you like what you hear please leave a review by clicking here   Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast so you get the latest episodes. Subscribe with Apple Podcasts Follow on Audible Subscribe with Listen Notes Subscribe with RSS  

The Energy Of Money: Unlocking The Spiritual Science Of Success with Dr. Maria Nemeth.What if money isn't just a resource to manage, but a mirror for your consciousness, and a vehicle for awakening to your life's true purpose?In this deeply moving and practical episode of the Sacred Changemakers Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Maria Nemeth, a renowned psychologist, master certified coach, and author whose groundbreaking work bridges the worlds of spirituality, psychology, and financial empowerment.Maria is the Founder and Director of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, an internationally accredited training program that has transformed the lives of thousands worldwide. Featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and in Inc. Magazine, she's best known for her seminal book The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment, a timeless guide that continues to help purpose-driven people live and lead with clarity, focus, ease, and grace.Together, we explore Maria's personal journey from a painful financial loss to a life of profound purpose and service. She shares how a devastating experience in a Ponzi scheme became the catalyst for her mission to help others transform their relationship with money, from fear and scarcity to empowerment and meaning.Throughout our conversation, Maria reveals that money acts as a form of energy, reflecting our beliefs, values, and level of consciousness. We talk about the difference between honesty and truth, how our relationship with money evolves through life's stages, and the powerful concept of generativity: using our energy, time, and resources to give life to what truly matters. This isn't a conversation about financial tactics, it's about sacred exchange: the flow of energy that allows us to create, serve, and live without regret.Maria's humility, humor, and deep wisdom remind us that success isn't measured by accumulation, but by our ability to channel energy toward what gives our life meaning. Whether you're navigating financial uncertainty, seeking alignment between purpose and prosperity, or curious about how consciousness shapes your experience of abundance, this episode will invite you to rethink your relationship with money, and rediscover what it means to live a life fully energized by purpose.Key TakeawaysHow money mirrors our consciousness and reveals our deepest beliefs.The profound difference between honesty and truth in creating authentic success.Why financial challenges often hold the key to our spiritual growth.How to move from scarcity and fear into clarity, focus, ease, and grace.The role of generativity in creating a meaningful, regret-free life.Practical ways to transform your relationship with money into a force for good.Guest BioDr. Maria Nemeth, PhD, MCC, is a leading expert in leadership excellence, personal and professional development, and financial empowerment. She is the Founder and Director of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, an internationally accredited training organization serving thousands worldwide across the nonprofit, for-profit, and governmental sectors.A Master Certified Coach, Ph.D. in Psychology, and lifelong advocate for social change, Maria's work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and in Inc. Magazine. She is the author of two acclaimed books, The Energy of Money and Mastering Life's Energies, both of which have inspired generations to bring timeless wisdom into daily life and work with grace and integrity.Listen NowThis conversation invites you to see money, and yourself, in a completely new light.Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts and discover The Energy...

Harley Schlanger, a historian and national spokesman with expertise in the financial industry since the 1980s, offers insights through The LaRouche Organization, where followers can access his analyses on geopolitics and economics. The recent government shutdown, orchestrated by Senate Democrats in a bid to extend Obamacare subsidies set to expire, brutally exposed the fragility of their socialist welfare empire, with SNAP benefits for millions of low-income Americans abruptly halted as leverage in the standoff. Critics highlighted how Democrat-controlled states exploit loopholes in the Affordable Care Act to divert federal funds toward healthcare for undocumented immigrants, turning taxpayer dollars into a slush fund for illegal border crossers while insurance giants like Blue Cross rake in billions in subsidies. This cynical tactic, which risked starving families reliant on food stamps just past Election Day, underscored the Ponzi-like nature of these programs, where Democrats prioritized bailing out their failing healthcare scheme over essential services, forcing Republicans to vote repeatedly for full funding that was repeatedly blocked. NATO and EU leaders are accelerating Europe's slide toward direct conflict with Russia through unprecedented military pacts, including France and Britain's coordination of nuclear forces and missile systems, framing the continent as a militarized frontline in a broader anti-Russian strategy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the alliance of already declaring war via Ukraine proxies, with NATO's creeping expansion into the Arctic and Pacific designed to isolate Moscow and provoke escalation, echoing long-suspected Western plots dating back to 1993 documents advocating offensive operations against Russia using Eastern European buffers. As EU elites dismiss peace talks as "more dangerous than war" and ramp up hybrid defenses against perceived Russian threats, voices warn that this desperation masks internal failures on debt and energy, pushing the bloc into a suicidal confrontation that could doom the continent.

A newly elected congressman is expelled and prosecuted for financial crimes after his elaborate web of personal and professional lies unravels. Prelude: JP Maroney's inventive "digital marketing arbitrage" is revealed to be a Ponzi scheme. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SwindledPodcast.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONSUME: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SwindledPodcast.com/Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Deformr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SwindledPodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Don and Tom tackle the timeless question: why do you invest? They challenge the “TINA” mindset (“There Is No Alternative”) and dissect new research claiming retirement savers should own no bonds at all. They argue that while stocks outperform over long stretches, bonds remain essential for emotional stability and survival during market crashes. Listeners join in with sharp questions about CD ladder withdrawal strategies, crypto-based dividend schemes, securities lending, and international ETF allocation. The show wraps with a skeptical look at Vanguard's growing tilt toward active management and new global funds from Avantis. 0:04 Why do you invest? Defining purpose versus chasing returns 1:29 The rise of “TINA investing” — there is no alternative to stocks? 2:30 Bonds as shock absorbers when markets collapse 3:57 Questioning global overweights in new stock research 5:01 The emotional toll of chasing maximum returns 6:12 Bonds' true role: keeping investors calm and consistent 7:50 Zweig's conclusion — even he still owns bonds 9:06 Retirement timing risk and the case for diversification 10:29 Caller Jay from Georgia — testing a five-year CD ladder withdrawal plan 12:34 Turning the CD ladder into part of a bond portfolio 13:46 What to do with the ladder during a market downturn 14:47 Caller Jason from Washington — Elon Musk, Bitcoin, and the “Strike/Strive” gimmick 15:49 The math behind high-yield crypto preferreds doesn't add up 17:18 When hype meets hazard: Ponzi parallels in risky yields 18:57 Why “everyone's doing it” isn't a defense for bad strategy 20:04 Why MicroStrategy's dividend promises defy logic 21:15 Listener question — securities lending in IRAs 23:09 How stock lending actually works (and why it barely pays) 24:18 Why most small investors shouldn't bother 27:15 Vanguard's new identity crisis: the push into active management 27:47 The profitability problem of index funds 28:53 Can Vanguard's active funds really beat their benchmarks? 31:48 Why past performance still fails as a predictor 33:14 Vanguard's crypto flirtation and industry pandering 35:43 Caller Craig from Seattle — expanding global exposure with AVNV 36:32 The case for adding Avantis International Value ETF 37:46 Early results and long-term expectations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the BBC World Service: During the financial crisis of 2008, the crimes of Bernie Madoff came to light. The ripple effects of his Ponzi scheme — one of the biggest frauds in Wall Street's history — are still being felt today. Now, banking giant HSBC has put aside over $1 billion for litigation related to Madoff. And later, we'll learn more about India's hard-hit carpet industry and a sports betting scandal in Turkey.

Rebecca Chaiklin, director and executive producer of Hollywood Hustler: Glitz, Glam, Scam on Prime Video. From courtside seats to a $5.7 million mansion, aspiring actor Zach Horwitz appeared to have it all, but behind the picture-perfect facade lurked one of Hollywood's most audacious financial scams. The series reveals the shocking true story of how an Indiana transplant orchestrated a massive Ponzi scheme to finance his dreams of Hollywood stardom. Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itskatecasey?lang=en Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/katecasey Like it to Know It: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/katecaseySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natalie Cochran seemed like she had it all: a good job as a pharmacist, a loving husband, and two kids. But then she quit her job to become a government contractor and started raking in dough, or so she claimed. Behind the scenes, Natalie was running a classic Ponzi scheme, scamming friends and family with fake contracts, fake government emails, and even fake cancer. But when the walls start closing in, lies alone won't be enough to save her… These are the stories of the world's most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. Every week on Scamfluencers, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? Listen now: Wondery.fm/SCAMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natalie Cochran seemed like she had it all: a good job as a pharmacist, a loving husband, and two kids. But then she quit her job to become a government contractor and started raking in dough, or so she claimed. Behind the scenes, Natalie was running a classic Ponzi scheme, scamming friends and family with fake contracts, fake government emails, and even fake cancer. But when the walls start closing in, lies alone won't be enough to save her… These are the stories of the world's most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. Every week on Scamfluencers, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? Listen now: Wondery.fm/SCAMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natalie Cochran seemed like she had it all: a good job as a pharmacist, a loving husband, and two kids. But then she quit her job to become a government contractor and started raking in dough, or so she claimed. Behind the scenes, Natalie was running a classic Ponzi scheme, scamming friends and family with fake contracts, fake government emails, and even fake cancer. But when the walls start closing in, lies alone won't be enough to save her… These are the stories of the world's most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. Every week on Scamfluencers, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? Listen now: Wondery.fm/SCAMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natalie Cochran seemed like she had it all: a good job as a pharmacist, a loving husband, and two kids. But then she quit her job to become a government contractor and started raking in dough, or so she claimed. Behind the scenes, Natalie was running a classic Ponzi scheme, scamming friends and family with fake contracts, fake government emails, and even fake cancer. But when the walls start closing in, lies alone won't be enough to save her… These are the stories of the world's most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. Every week on Scamfluencers, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? Listen now: Wondery.fm/SCAMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natalie Cochran seemed like she had it all: a good job as a pharmacist, a loving husband, and two kids. But then she quit her job to become a government contractor and started raking in dough, or so she claimed. Behind the scenes, Natalie was running a classic Ponzi scheme, scamming friends and family with fake contracts, fake government emails, and even fake cancer. But when the walls start closing in, lies alone won't be enough to save her… These are the stories of the world's most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. Every week on Scamfluencers, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? Listen now: Wondery.fm/SCAMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Natalie Cochran seemed like she had it all: a good job as a pharmacist, a loving husband, and two kids. But then she quit her job to become a government contractor and started raking in dough, or so she claimed. Behind the scenes, Natalie was running a classic Ponzi scheme, scamming friends and family with fake contracts, fake government emails, and even fake cancer. But when the walls start closing in, lies alone won't be enough to save her… These are the stories of the world's most insidious Scamfluencers. And we are their prey. Every week on Scamfluencers, join co-hosts Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi as they unpack epic stories of deception from the worlds of social media, fashion, finance, health, and wellness. These influencers claim to be everything from charismatic healers to trusted financial insiders to experts in dating. They cast spells over millions. Why do we believe them, and how does our culture allow them to thrive? Listen now: Wondery.fm/SCAMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A prominent Christian businessman operates a massive, "too-good-to-be-true," charity-based Ponzi scheme. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Patreon⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: ⁠SwindledPodcast.com/Support⁠ CONSUME: ⁠SwindledPodcast.com/Shop⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: ⁠Deformr⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: ⁠SwindledPodcast.com⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Twitter.com⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brigham Buhler is a healthcare entrepreneur transforming America's broken system. As founder of Ways2Well, owner of Revive Rx Pharmacy, and an investor in psychedelic research, he champions a model of care that prioritizes patients over profits through preventative medicine, transparency, and innovation. His work is guided by a few core convictions: -Former insider's perspective: With deep experience navigating the corrupt systems of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), insurance companies, and the FDA, Brigham knows firsthand how the system is stacked against patients. -Uncompromising advocate: He pushes to expose and dismantle the corporate capture of American healthcare. -Bold truth-teller: He believes in revealing the realities of the insurance Ponzi scheme and providing practical ways to bypass outdated systems. -Relentless reformer: He is dedicated to replacing a model that profits off sickness with one centered on health, longevity, and patient empowerment.   Today's Sponsors: Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com LMNT: https://www.drinklmnt.com/clearedhot