Air Travel Is it better than a long caravan or sea voyage? – yes. Are some flights better than others? – oh, heck yes. Are some seating configurations better than others? – uh huh. The good thing about … Read More
Due Diligence – The High Net Worth Individual’s Circus
High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) do not play by the rules, or at least the rules the rest of us have to play by. It is both part of their success and part of their charm. I have enjoyed working with my HNWIs … Read More
Wisdom of Crowds
Wisdom of Crowds For us old folks – yeah, those of us over 50. We knew how to do our due diligence. We just asked everyone in our community about the realtors, the butcher, the lawyer, the stock broker and we … Read More
Online Business Strategy and Media Buying
Online Business Strategy and Media Buying How would you like to have a guaranteed promotional strategy for your business? Would you like to know exactly how much every dollar you spend in advertising will … Read More
The Big Event
The Big Event It has been many months since this event and enough time and distance has passed so that by writing about this now no confidence or security will be breached. Several months ago a very famous Latin … Read More
SpyWarn – App
SpyWarn - App The SpyWarn app from Kevin Murray and Associates is $2.99 and is a gem of an app. Not sure if that virus software you installed on your phone is catching everything? Well it’s not! Professionals … Read More
Those who do not go away
Those who do not go away Few of you may actually know what I am talking about, but those who have suffered from these people know the rest of this story without reading it. None of us are Saints. If the truth be … Read More
BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas BNP Paribas is going to get a mighty big fine. The street estimates are in the range of 5 to 10 billion dollars. The bankers are riled up about unfair treatment and are haranguingFrançois … Read More
American Pastoral, by Phillip Roth
American Pastoral, by Phillip Roth Ok, so it won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. It really is a work of art and it caused a real dialogue between the reader and the author. The prose crafts pictures in the … Read More
Projections
Projections I am inherently distrustful of projections. For too many years as an investment banker I reviewed business plans and their projections. If you asked any of the authors of the projections- no matter what … Read More
Warehouse Receipts
Warehouse Receipts What is a warehouse receipt? It is a title of goods stored by a warehouse. This title, or warehouse receipt, can be in a bearer form or it can be issued to in entity specific form. From the … Read More
Language Fluency
Language Fluency When traveling, it is insufficient to have a team member just ‘get by’ in speaking the foreign language of the country in which you are travelling; you need to have at least one team member … Read More
MTN Trading Programs
MTN Trading Programs There have been frauds since they first surfaced. But they, like pesky Nigerian inheritance scams and lotto winnings, just do not seem to go away. An example from Treasury.Gov as an opening … Read More
Poaching, the Animal Trade and Money Laundering
Poaching, the Animal Trade and Money Laundering The video is an effort to share with our readers a bit more about the illegal trade in poached animals in East Africa and how the money from the poaching is … Read More
The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Street Our view is a bit different from the side of frauds. One only has to see the destruction that fraud wrecks upon their victims to find what was done to be utterly reprehensible. The … Read More
International Due Diligence Association
International Due Diligence Association Dubai Launch Event Hosted by Allied Compliance Consultants Dubai – UAE June 23rd – 24th,, 2014 http://www.acc-co.com … Read More
The American Anti-Corruption Institute
The American Anti-Corruption Institute Jordan Launch Event Hosted by Albatross Consulting Dead Sea - Jordan June 18th – 19th, 2014 … Read More
International Associations of Financial Management
International Associations of Financial Management Athens, Greece Anti Money Laundering and Compliance June 10th – 13th, 2014 … Read More
Money Laundering and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance
Money Laundering and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance Club Quarters Hotel, Manhattan June 4th - 5th, 2014, New York City … Read More
8th Annual Fraud and Forensic Accounting Education Conference
8th Annual Fraud and Forensic Accounting Education Conference Hyatt Regency Savanna Georgia May 15th-16th 2014 … Read More
Due Diligence: Digital Currency
Linden Dollars, Liberty Dollars, e-Gold, Bitcoins are all Fiat Currencies issued by entities with some form of limiting mechanism so that they just don’t keep issuing bazillions of digital dollars - like some … Read More
NGO’s and Charities
NGO’s and Charities NGO’s and Charities have slowly evolved, under the radar, to become significant channels for laundering money. Charities alone in the US received 320 billion dollars. About 2% to 3% of US … Read More
Carl, the Loud Investment Banker
Carl, the Loud Investment Banker Location: Birmingham, Alabama airport. Point of reference: Carl is a very loud investment banker taking on his cell phone. Carl was making a long call and walking up and down … Read More
2 Teams at Once
2 Teams at Once The following story is from one of our scouts is a quick but interesting tale about how well-thought our plans go afoul despite precise planning and good intentions. Our scout was at a famous … Read More
Widows XP – Soon To Be A Legacy
Widows XP - Soon To Be A Legacy On April 8th 2014 Microsoft will end support for Windows XP. An event of planned obsolescence, yet many computers still run XP as it really was one of MS’s best operating … Read More
AML and OFAC Applies to State Governments
AML and OFAC Applies to State Governments I had a short conversation, off the record, with several investigators that work for state unemployment agencies. The common complaint was the inertia with regards to … Read More
Victorinox Luggage
Victorinox Luggage Rarely do we pen a complaint on an item a book or a service, but here is a case worth bringing up. The Victorinox Spectra 26, Hardside Spinner, in Blue. Price was about $210.00. The bag, which … Read More
Due Diligence – Flight Capital
Part of due diligence is anticipatory in nature, what risks do you see in your organization, industry, or market space that you can either - assume, transfer, hedge or accept. But also what risk events occur that … Read More
Web Domains as Property
Web Domains as Property The subject of ownership with regards to web domains remains a controversial topic. In this article, we take a look at two cases. In Virginia in Umbro Int’l V Can., Inc. The Supreme … Read More
TiO2 and China
TiO2 and China The story of Pangang Group, of China, a State Owned Enterprise in China, Walter Liew and Robert Maegerle of California ended in March with the two individuals being convicted of espionage. It also … Read More
Winter sports with your VIP
Winter sports with your VIP Believe it or not, a Russian Oligarch arrived in Switzerland (Klosters) with 10 bodyguards and not one of them could ski. The trip was planned for weeks, the executive protection team … Read More
Losing Control of Your Car
Losing Control of Your Car A while ago we wrote about how a BMW could be hacked. http://www.international-due-diligence.org/hey-who-hacked-my-bmw/ but access to a vehicles computer systems is getting more – … Read More
Stupid Broker – Weapons Grade
Stupid Broker - Weapons Grade On a long plane ride from New York to Dallas, a gentleman sat next to me and began a conversation. He eventually disclosed that he was a 30-year financial broker with a major firm. … Read More
Simple Lesson on Bribery
Simple Lesson on Bribery So, we campaign loudly against bribery. Yet some say – ah yes, but when does a gift between friends become a bride? The answer is when the bribe motivates the choice maker to subvert … Read More
CBonds.info
CBonds.info We were recently tasked to track down some very unusual bonds from some developing nations including a few with in the CIS States. In doing so we ran across a service called CBonds. From their web … Read More
Due Diligence: Cash and Remediation
There is a saying on a poster in our office “Come the revolution things will be different, no better just different;” no doubt one of the more optimistic sayings from Murphy the philosopher and his book of … Read More
Authority to Bind
Authority to Bind It is too often a question that is not asked or answered. How does one have the authority to bind a company, a partnership, a country or even a group of victims? A few recent events come to … Read More
Who Was That Man?
Who Was That Man? This is short simple and the point. Do you have any idea who you are doing business with? Do you have any idea of their background or credentials These are a couple of quick stories from very … Read More