Product Description
Praise for HISTORY OF GREED

"David Sarna is a visionary technologist. He is also a sophisticated investor and financier. He has written a readable, comprehensive, fascinating, and well-researched book that explores troublesome aspects of the financial system in a way only an experienced insider could."
—Jay N. Goldberg, Senior Managing Director, Hudson Ventures

"A comprehensive review of what has happened to us in our financial markets over and over and over and over again. It's an important history, written with wit and delivered with wisdom. Undoubtedly, History of Greed will become required reading for anyone serious about understanding the capital markets."
—Frederick L. Gorsetman, Founder and Managing Member, Oxbridge Financial Group, LLC

400 years of financial fraud in the making

From the earliest financial scams of the seventeenth century, through the headline-grabbing Wall Street scandals of our times, History of Greed provides a comprehensive history of financial fraud. In it, David E. Y. Sarna exposes the true and often riveting stories of how both naïve and sophisticated investors alike were fooled by unscrupulous entrepreneurs, lawyers, hedge fund managers, CPAs, Texas billionaires, political fundraisers, music managers, financial advisers, and even former Mossad agents. From the people behind the financial fraud and how they did it to why people continually fall prey to scam artists, Sarna outlines what actions you can take today to protect yourself from becoming the victim of tomorrow's "too good to be true" investment opportunity. History of Greed details how markets are manipulated, books are cooked, Ponzi schemes are hatched, and how the government only closes the barn door once the cows have all escaped. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Investment lessons.
In an age of financial hardship and scandal, "History of Greed: Financial Fraud from Tulip Mania to Bernie Madoff" by David Sarna is a book that exposes the truth.He takes a look at financial fraud from past centuries and how it affects families and cultures.The book is well written and easy to read by the financial savvy as well as those not as savvy.He does a great job of stressing financial responsibility and skepticism for the investments that seem too good to be true.

After reading this book, I have learned that just because someone has a degree in financial management and investment banking does not mean they are going to look out for your best interest.For every honest investment specialist there is another who will take your money and run.I highly recommend this book for everyone looking to invest.

A Comprehensive and Interesting Book
History of Greed: Financial Fraud from Tulip Mania to Bernie Madoff

The History of Greed:Financial Fraud for Tulip Mania to Bernie Madoff by David Sarna was an informative and enlightening book to read.I don't typically read books like this but was curious about everything that happened.The book has a detailed index and is thoroughly annotated.

It is simple enough for someone like me to be able to understand what happened and why. The author uses stories and descriptions to make a subject matter that is really complex something I could imagine, see, and feel.

At the same time there are complexities to his explanations that will interest and engage any student of economics and history.If you believe, like I do, that we can learn from our mistakes, people can use this as an important addition to their library.The author goes back through history to describe fraud and the many ways people are cheated.

The descriptions are sometimes hard to swallow but after reflection the reader will realize that they are on target.Whether exploring human motivations or actual criminal behavior the author leads you through what happened and how we got here.

Another technique Sarna uses is case studies.A case study gives a total view of what goes on when a person is being cheated and how. I particularly like the case study of `Crazy Eddie'.

Other chapters explain the complexities of the stock market.It also explains the difference between what instruments that were used and how they should have been used.The many, many ways they were misused are explored in different chapters.Finally at the end of the book there is an afterword devoted to what is our response has been to these issues.

an important investment lesson brought to the everyday investory - scams have been around for centuries
History of Greed: Financial Fraud from Tulip Mania to Bernie Madoff by David Sarna is a comprehensive history of financial fraud through the centuries and the author aims at teaching the readers lessons on how to spot attempted financial fraud and how to wisely invest, avoiding such fraud.
Madoff, as becomes clear in this book, was not the first financial adviser that used the naivete of investors to defraud them and put more money that most of us can comprehend into his pockets and Madoff will likely not be the last. This book is a series of more than thirty chapters that guide the reader through the history of financial fraud. In between the history lessons, the author includes additional lessons dealing with principles of finance such as insider trading. The reader gets a chance to analyze the various situations and decide how they would act and what is considered legal and when the line is crossed and financial fraud starts.
And while this book is a history of financial fraud, it is firstly intended to be a means to teach the reader the lesson on how to spot financial fraud and to apply the law of investing to situations he may encounter when talking with advisers about investing.
This is an excellent book, both as a history of financial fraud and as a how-to book on aiding the reader in spotting financial fraud.

we should have learned from history, so Madoff did not have to happen
History of Greed: Financial Fraud from Tulip Mania to Bernie Madoff is a tour de force on the history of financial fraud by David Sarna.
The author in brief, on topic and focused chapters lays out the history of financial fraud over the last three centuries.
The author draws heavily in his lessons on his family and culture, but that makes this book highly readible. It is not a dry, overly scientific business treatise. But an easy to read, carefully researched and well organized chronology on how financial fraud did not originate with Madoff, but has a history and successful history at that.
Besides a history lesson, every reader of this outstanding book should in keep in mind the lessons it teaches. Foremost, if it sounds to good to be true, do not invest, but take your money and run. Because of you do not, the so-called financial wizard that promises these sure bet investment will run with your money.
I highly recommend this book to any reader who is planning to invest in the stock market and may play with the idea of seeking advice from third parties on investments. It has been a booming business for three centuries, why should financial fraud stop now. So investor, better watch out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Biz Op book - Dear (Bon Bon)..
Pretty uproarious stuff. I DID lend this book to a friend and never saw it again. I just hope they weren't arrested!!

Informative about scams like "stuffing envelopes" and the like. Ingenious schemes having to do with donating; evil evil book!

Heaven help you if you're renting a PO Box with your own name though!! A lot of this stuff is borderline illegal and verges on mail fraud!

Still a fun read though. VERY entertaining. RIP Loompanics

unusual book
Bruce Easley tells how to run penny-ante scams and cons. This book gives step by step instructions on how to run scams and cons with diagrams and illustrations.

If you think you might be taken by a con artist at some point in your life then read this book soon. Don't be a "bon bon eater."

Don't loan this book to a friend
You will never get it back!!! Excellent book on opportunity scams. Thisbook has been banned since the author was sued by the lighthouse people forwriting it. If you were to take these scams a few steps further they wouldbe actually legal. This book has helped me with my legal marketing. Consultan attorney first before trying any of these methods.

INCREDIBLE SECRETS REVEALED.
This is one of my favorite books ever to be published. I love it so much I now own two copies.

Great book if you can get it!!!
Great book if you can get it!!! The writer got into trouble writing this book from out light house friends. If you can get this book don't loan it out! Your friends will never return it. ... Read more

Product Description
Praise for Fraud in Accounts Payable

"Fraud in Accounts Payable is an insightful book that takes an in-depth look at the three most frequently committed fraudulent cash disbursement schemes directly related to your accounts payable function. Mary provides colorful and poignant stories showing how easy it can be to steal from both within and outside an organization. But the real beauty of this book is that Mary illustrates ways you can immediately begin implementing effective and efficient controls to reduce the opportunities for fraud within your organization."
—Matthew D. Storlie, CFE, Fraud & Forensic Services Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP

"Mary has delivered another book full of specific suggestions for improving accounts payable processes. Fraud in Accounts Payable is an easy-to-read guide that identifies real-world problems and offers practical solutions. Her books and articles have quickly become some of my core resources."
—Stephanie K. O'Cain, Chief Financial Officer Municipal Association of South Carolina

"Fraud could never take place in my accounts payable department."

"My employees would never steal from me! I trust them too much . . ."

Sound familiar?

The definitive resource for every accounts payable department, Fraud in Accounts Payable affords you a bird's-eye view of what's really going on in your accounts payable department and how you can defend it against every potential type of fraud, including check fraud, payroll fraud, and T&E fraud.

Written by Mary Schaeffer, America's most accomplished accounts payable expert, this thorough and highly readable guide is filled with authoritative tips, techniques, and advice on:

• Uncovering hidden pockets of weakness where your organization is vulnerable

• Getting rid of those bad practices that allow all sorts of frauds to flourish

• Setting up antifraud safeguards

Reminding us to "never say never," Fraud in Accounts Payable explains in plain English how to protect your accounts payable department so it becomes—and stays—financially healthy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Attention small business owenrs! Read it, study, and become expert in its contents. A good defense is a sound offense.

I liked this book. I found it to be well written and well outlined. As a CPA I found it to be sound and an easy read. It is insightful. And it provides an in-depth coverage of how the A/P function in an accounting system should work AND how it can be bent in order to perpetrate a fraud or frauds.

Why is this subject so important? Because accounts payable intimately relates to a company's cash accounts or bank accounts. A/P allows a check writer to send money out of a company bank account and into either a legitimate vendor's or legitimate employee's bank account. But the fraud comes in when the accounting system allows a check writer to send a check to an illegitimate vendor, illegitimate employee, or fake whatever.

This book was not short or lightweight. It really does a thorough job covering its subject matter. I recommend you examine the Search Inside feature Amazon provides for this book in order to take a look at the book's Table of Contents. There are 16 chapters and 4 appendices. If you are a small business owner, or someone involved with a company's accounts payable function, then this book is for you. Read it, study, and become expert in its contents. A good defense is a sound offense. 5 stars!

Excellent - A 'Must Read'
A Must-Read for Every Executive Concerned about the Bottom Line
When it comes to fraud, no company can afford to look the other way. The losses come right out of the bottom line. Unfortunately, before the publication of this book, many people did not know where to start. With the information in this insightful book, business executives everywhere will be able to identify the weak spots in their organizations that might permit fraud to flourish both from internal and external sources. Don't think it could never happen in your shop. As the statistics revealed in this book show - it can happen anywhere, including right under your nose.

... Read more

Product Description
the book describes over 70 different swindles ,each with z story attached to it. each could be the subject of a movie script. the book forewarns its readers and protects them from becoming victims. it is written in a humerous and anecdoatal style with cartoons to highlight some of the scams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Don't waste your time or money buying this book
The book didn't live up to it's expectations. Most of the cons in this book are well known and are out of date. Its a waste of money and I find the irony in buying a book about scams while getting [cheated] for buying the book humurous. Sorry crimminals, you might as well save the money from buying this book and use it for hookers or drugs. ... Read more

Product Description
Since 1998, Andreas Schroeder has been a regular contributor to CBC-Radio’s “Basic Black,” entertaining listeners with outrageous – and always very funny – tales of daring scams and rip-offs. In Scams, Scandals, and Skulduggery he has collected seventeen of the stories that received the greatest listener response when they were broadcast – what he calls a kind of “Best of Basic Black Scams, Volume 1.”

Stories Include:

Running Away with Mona: How a canny forger and his partner pre-sold six copies of the Mona Lisa to wealthy and secretive collectors – and then arranged the theft of the original to cover their tracks.

For Export Only: How an enterprising cattle breeder “exported” ten cows from Southern to Northern Ireland a thousand times.

The Flea That Roared: How the Grand Principality of Outer Baldonia (off the coast of Nova Scotia) declared war on the U.S.S.R.

The Great Purolator Paper Caper: How a “gang that couldn’t shoot straight” nevertheless managed to pull off the largest single heist of cash in American history.

These tales, and many others, told in Andreas Schroeder’s mischievously deadpan and subversively gleeful style, are sure to delight his many fans and make fans of new readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A good read.
It is amazing what some people will try to get away with.Some of them do.My only complaint is that the author adjusted the dollar amounts to 1990 dollars.You never know the actual amount that was stolen.Stillinteresting.

Light reading of the highest order
I loved this book. You can read it in a sitting or two, but they are great stories if you like clever and not so clever fraud stories.I would reccomend it highly. Andreas has recently come out with a second book on the same subject. ... Read more

Product Description
How to spot and avoid healthcare scams, medical frauds, and quackery, from the local physician to the major healthcare providers and drug manufacturers. A shocking and unnerving work, MediScams blows the whistle on healthcare professionals hawking scientifically proven treatments that turn out to be fradulent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good intro for the unaware
Chuck Whitlock begins with a horrific tale about John Ronald "Butcher" Brown, whom he dubs "America's worst doctor."Dr. Brown comes to final light in 1998 after butchering an amputation job in a National City, California hotel room.The victim, 79-year-old Philip Bondy, was found dead with blood everywhere and his face "frozen in a twisted mask of pain." (p. 24)Turns out that Bondy was just a stand-in for his Jungian shrink, one Dr. Gregg Furth who first sought the operation for himself.It seems that both he and his patient suffered from "a fetish or paraphilia known as apotemnophilia."Whitlock explains: "The fetish is also referred to as a self-demand amputation, and involves primarily men who wish to have amputation of a lower extremity for psychological and sometimes sexual reasons.Dr. Furth stated he had been aware of wanting his own leg removed since his early childhood." (p. 29)

Whitlock, who has appeared on TV's Oprah, Regis and Kathie Lee, Hard Copy, Extra and Inside Edition, follows this with Chapter 2, "A Brief History of MediScams: From Snake Oil to Cancer Quackery."Then he returns to contemporary times and shares what he has found out about "Dangerous Doctors," managed care, nursing homes, "Dental MediScams," etc.He comes down heavily on incompetent and fake doctors and on the medical profession for not weeding them out.Seems that you have to be a combination of Dr. Dracula and the Son of Sam to get the profession to notice that you've gone astray.He also goes after bogus cures and questions the efficacy of some alternative medical approaches.There's a chapter on the placebo effect including some material about the so-called psychic healers of the Philippines.Chapter 12, which he subtitles, "Buying a Pig in a Poke"is on food supplements.Another chapter is on just how botched things can get in the world of plastic surgery.A chapter on nursing homes is alternately titled, "Warehouses for the Elderly?"

All in all this is a breezy read and a good, if a bit stringent, intro into the dangers that face the unaware in medical land.There is a "resources" appendix with websites and a Bibliography (no index).

Buy this for your medically innocent friends and relatives before they are initiated into the realities of medical science and pseudoscience the hard and expensive way.

Mediscams or medibiases?
Whitlock examines both "traditional" and "alternative" medical practices with results that are hit and miss.He 'hits' the HMO debacle right on the head, and his discussion of his mother's experience with and subsequent death due to HMO 'mangled care' will certainly hit a resonant chord with many.Unfortunately, his bias towards 'traditional' medicine and the medical establishment is obvious in his discussion of everything from chiropractic care to therapeutic touch.Chiropractors are little more than cheats and charletans, according to Whitlock and his proof that therapeutic touch is bogus? - a ninth grade science fair project.I doubt that had a science fair project had positive results, it would have been cited as proof that an alternative modality works. If you are looking for a balanced, unbiased assessment of both traditional and alternative medical practices, this isn't the book for you.

cool book
This book is an unusual combination of amazing stories and very, very practical advice. It is both entertaining while giving excellent warnings and tips on how to avoid being taken advantage of. Some of the information is both shocking and disturbing, but very sound advice. Anyone frustrated with their doctor or an HMO will find it especially enlightening. Some of the examples of quacks literally had me slack-jawed. ... Read more

Product Description
Book Synopsis: When Leon Carey was desperate for money, he turned to a source that seemed legitimate.He didn’t lose or gain any money from the venture, however, when fake checks entered his bank account, he found his account frozen along with his email address.Finally listening to his family’s pleas to cease and desist, he changed his e-mail address so that the scammers could no longer contact him.

Confused and concerned, Leon discovered that the same scammers had been defrauding scores of people of thousands of dollars and he had actually been lucky.

Compiling data from agencies in the US, Canada, the UK, and Interpol, "Scammers Among Us Beware: Scams and Fraud" is an indispensable guide that will help you escape the reach of scammers trying to mine your bank account and teach you the protective measures you need to take to keep you safe forever.

Author Bio: Author Leon Carey lives in Oxford, Indiana.It is his hope to help rescue others who have fallen victim to con artists.He is grateful for the support of his family in all his endeavors.Scams and Fraud is his first book
... Read more

Product Description
Did you know that the odds in favor of your becoming a victim of fraud are higher than those of becoming a victim of a violent crime? It's not so surprising if you consider that a mugger can only mug one person at a time, while a con artist can easily swindle hundreds of people at once.

But life is about to become harder for these swindlers--because FRAUD! provides you with the weapons you need to defend yourself against economic crime of all kinds, from "ponzi" and "pyramid" schemes to telemarketing and credit card fraud. Using enlightening examples, compelling stories of real-life scams, and candid interviews with state and federal regulators, victims of fraud, and actual con artists themselves, FRAUD! gives you the low-down on the low-lifes behind this shady billion dollar business. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Protecting Yourself or Someone You Love
Fraud! How to Protect Yourself From Schemes, Scams, and Swindles by Marsha Bertrand is a book that should be on the shelf of anyone and everyone who buys stock, is seeking to become a business owner, or has any money andwants to invest in something to make that money grow.Ms. Bertrandexpresses in everyday language what can happen if your money or the moneyof someone you love (parents, sibblings, grandparents or friends) is givento the wrong person for investing. She details how easy it is to get caughtup in the web of con artists.Everyone thinks this only happens to"other people" until you or someone you love loses everything. It's also a great reference book for authors looking for details in thisarea. ... Read more

Product Description
Book for the Kindle: Internet Scams: Detect and Avoid Online Fraud

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Product Description
This digital document is an article from The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, published by Blackwell Publishers Ltd. on January 1, 2010. The length of the article is 3978 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Appendix II: syllabus on scams and frauds in business, Fall 2006.
Author: Unavailable
Publication: The American Journal of Economics and Sociology (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2010
Publisher: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Volume: 69Issue: 1Page: 642(12)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management, published by The National Underwriter Company on August 30, 1993. The length of the article is 966 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: One hundred and seven people are being investigated for participating in the filing of fraudulent bus accident claims as a result of a three-year sting operation established by the New Jersey Dept of Insurance. The department staged faked bus accidents, with the cooperation of Continental Insurance and ONE bus company, and video-taped people who jumped on the bus after the accident and filed fraudulent claims. Attorneys, doctors, solicitors and police officers who assisted in the fraud, which accounts for hundreds of millions of dollars annually, are also scheduled for indictment.

Citation Details
Title: Sting catches N.J. frauds in bus scam. (investigation of New Jersey bus accident fraud)
Author: Evelyn Gilbert
Publication: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 30, 1993
Publisher: The National Underwriter Company
Issue: n35Page: p4(2)

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Product Description
A clear, comprehensive andconcise consumer information guide that will help hard working individuals to avoid rip-offs, scams and fraudulent practices. Enjoy and always proceed with caution. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Security Management, published by American Society for Industrial Security on September 1, 2000. The length of the article is 794 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Two Books: inside the World of Investment Fraud, Scams and Deceptive Practices; and Mastering the World of Investment Fraud, Scams and Deceptive Practices.(Review) (book review)
Author: Ronald Mendell
Publication: Security Management (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2000
Publisher: American Society for Industrial Security
Volume: 44Issue: 9Page: 236

Article Type: Book Review

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Product Description
This digital document is an article from National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management, published by The National Underwriter Company on September 11, 1995. The length of the article is 1765 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The Federal Bureau of Investigation in May 1995 reported over 400 arrests and indictments resulting from undercover auto insurance fraud investigations in 31 states than began in Nov 1993. The FBI's "Operation Sudden Impact" targeted criminals involved in "swoop and squat" and other forms of auto insurance fraud. Typical crime situations are described.

Citation Details
Title: FBI probe has 'sudden impact' on insurance scams.(Insurance Fraud Review)
Author: Susanne Sclafane
Publication: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 11, 1995
Publisher: The National Underwriter Company
Issue: n37Page: p15(3)

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Product Description
This digital document is an article from National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management, published by The National Underwriter Company on April 18, 1994. The length of the article is 568 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: The Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos Islands charged Gerald Eugene Thornton with selling about $1.6 million in worthless property and liability insurance policies for motor vehicles. Thornton successfully used an undersea tour business called the Mid-Atlantic Representative Association Ltd as a front until policyholders complained about not being compensated. Thornton was fined $7,000 and sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Citation Details
Title: Yellow submarine fraud scam sunk. (motor vehicle insurance fraud)
Author: Christopher Dauer
Publication: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 18, 1994
Publisher: The National Underwriter Company
Issue: n16Page: p4(2)

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