Fraud careers, told by the people living them.
Fraudish pairs host Kelly Paxton with fraud professionals, among them CPAs, a lawyer and an ACFE regent, for conversations about how they got into the work and what they have seen. Expect talk of the IRS, embezzlement and a fake military ID made from a Costco card, plus more than one tribute to LinkedIn.
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Fraudish is Kelly Paxton's interview show about fraud as a line of work, told through the people who do it. The format is one-on-one conversation, and the host tends to greet listeners as 'Fraudish fans'. The guests are practitioners: Carla Blake, a CPA and CFE with more than 15 years at the IRS; Natalie Lewis, an ACFE regent; Brian Levine, introduced as another lawyer on the show; Liz Briggson, CPA of Encoursa; and Kelly Riddle. That last pairing produces a running 'Kelly to Kelly' joke, and the host opens by asking whether the surname Riddle is an aptonym, a name that matches the job. Riddle agrees. The episode titles lean toward careers in motion. 'From Cybercrime Prosecutor to Cyber Yenta with Brian Levine' and 'From Big 4 to Family-Owned Fraud Business with Liz Briggson, CPA of Encoursa' are both framed as a move from one role to another, while 'Following the Money: An Inside Look at IRS Criminal Investigations with Carla Blake' is pinned to a single agency. The host asks guests for their backstories and makes no secret of enjoying how a career has progressed. Several conversations begin with a speed round built on one question: which fraudster, dead or alive, the guest would most like to interview. Levine picks Charles Ponzi. Natalie Lewis chooses Al Capone, and Liz Briggson reaches for someone connected to the Leslie Fay companies. After that, the talk goes where it wants. Levine recalls getting Enron-era Sarbanes-Oxley cases against banks dismissed, and the host seizes the moment to criticise John Ray, citing Michael Lewis's book about FTX. Natalie Lewis weighs the ACFE Report to the Nations against recent casework, describing a fraudster who went unnoticed while colleagues came and went. The Carla Blake conversation carries a secondhand story about a surgeon who paid for her office manager's cruise just to get investigators into the office. The Kelly Riddle episode includes a supposed military ID made from a Costco card, plus unease about what AI and 3D printers mean for fakes. Professional development is a thread too. With Liz Briggson the subject turns to courses and webinars, and the host describes vetting instructors by checking them out on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is close to a recurring character, called the matchmaker for business and credited with more than one of the show's connections. The register is warm and fast, full of 'oh my gosh' and the odd 'squirrel, squirrel' aside, and the host admits to talking a lot about pop culture. A listener after investigation talk could start with Natalie Lewis on embezzlement and turnover; one drawn to corporate collapses could start with Brian Levine on Enron and FTX.
Made for: Suits a listener who works in or near fraud examination, accounting, law or investigations and wants to hear how others built careers there, with real case anecdotes along the way. Also a fit for someone curious about embezzlement and scams as practitioners talk about them.
What sets it apart: Instead of reconstructing a single scheme, Fraudish centres on the accountants, lawyers and investigators themselves: how their careers moved, how they met the host, and which fraudster they would most like to interview. Case stories arrive as asides inside those career conversations.
Fraudish is a podcast to help those working in fraud. Hosted by Kelly Paxton, Certified Fraud Examiner, Ex-Private Investigator, and Pink Collar Crime Expert. Kelly is a former special agent turned investigator specializing in embezzlement and workplace dishonesty cases. Fraudish interviews outstanding fraud professionals so you can continue to move forward in your career. Origin stories, tips, resources are just some of the amazing fraud content you will hear each Tuesday.
A paid cruise to clear the office? You'll appreciate Kelly Paxton's disbelief at that investigative tactic.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A name joke opens into fraud, branding, and the changing tools of deception.
Kelly Riddle's name gives the conversation its hook, and the discussion then broadens into practical fraud talk, from fake military IDs built off a Costco card to the pressure now added by AI and 3D printers.
IRS criminal investigations, tax shelter trouble, and fraud cases that start closer to the office than people expect.
Carla Blake, a CPA and CFE who spent over 15 years at the IRS, gives this Fraudish episode a firm grounding in criminal tax work. She describes why the strongest agents she knew worked in IRS Criminal Investigative Division, how her father's repeated audits shaped her view of…
ABC Audio's Theranos fraud series that also introduces its other true-crime podcasts.
LA Times reporter Christopher Goffard traces con man John Meehan's fraud, abuse, and its Bravo TV adaptation.
Kelly Riddle says he has spent 37 years in fraud-related work, starting with seven years in law enforcement, then insurance investigations, and later his own company formed in 1989.
Host Kelly Paxton interviews fraud professionals and discusses notable fraud cases, starting with a speed round question about interviewing a fraudster.
Carla Blake, a CPA and CFE who spent more than 15 years at the IRS, says the IRS Criminal Investigative Division was the group she most liked working with.
Brian Levine recounts seven years as a U.S.
Liz Brigson describes how a surprise job elimination redirected her from corporate finance into Encorusa entrepreneurship.
Fraudish interviews Natalie Lewis, a CPA, certified financial forensic accountant, certified fraud examiner, and JS Held senior vice president about embezzlement investigations.