...Bernie Madoff: The Makings of a Ponzi Scheme Brent Casebolt Keller Graduate School of Management Abstract This paper explores seven published articles that report on the story of Bernard Madoff. These articles were the results of research conducted on the internet and include well known publications and authors throughout the United States. Some articles paint a picture of the timeline that brought Bernie Madoff to his ultimate demise. From humble beginnings to Federal prisoner in North Carolina, the story is full of interesting facts and unbelievable occurrences. Other articles bring to life the sad story of other players involved in the Ponzi scheme. While others lay out in great detail the failings of our own government to put Bernie Madoff away much sooner than he was. Finally, this paper will explore the role of digital evidence in this Ponzi scheme and the simplicity of computer hardware and software involved. Bernie Madoff: The Makings of a Ponzi Scheme Bernie Madoff has been one of the most interesting and controversial figures in all of American financial industry history. In this paper, I will take you on a journey from his early childhood to his current status as a Federal prisoner in North Carolina. I will discuss all of the major players involved in the Ponzi scheme, the SEC’s failure to catch him on numerous occasions, and the digital evidence that he did or did not leave behind during his life of crime. After examining all of the above, I...
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...12 MADOFF SECURITIES Synopsis A childhood friend summed up the driving force in Bernie Madoff’s life: “Bernie wanted to be rich.” As a youngster growing up in New York City, Bernie realized that Wall Street was the greatest wealth creation machine the world had ever known. So, after graduating from college in 1960, he set his sights on joining the exclusive fraternity that ran Wall Street by organizing his own one-man brokerage firm, Madoff Securities. Madoff was one of the first individuals to recognize that computer technology provided the means to “democratize” Wall Street by establishing a system that made securities trading much more efficient and much cheaper. In the early 1970s, Madoff and several other individuals organized the NASDAQ exchange, which was destined to become the world’s largest electronic stock market. Years later, the NYSE would be forced to follow suit and switch to electronic securities trading. Literally millions of investors have benefitted from the lower transaction costs of electronic securities trading that were in large part a result of the pioneering efforts of Bernie Madoff. Unfortunately, Bernie Madoff will not be remembered as a pioneer of electronic securities trading. Instead, the word “Madoff” will always be associated with the phrase “Ponzi scheme.” Although his stock brokerage firm was extremely lucrative, Madoff eventually established a parallel business, investment advisory services. Over a period of several decades, Madoff became...
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...Cynthia Knox RES/351 July 29, 2013 Ross Jackson Bernard Madoff’s ponzi scheme In this paper I am going to show hoe Bernie Madoff’s scheme people out of thousand and even million’s dollars of money. I will address the unethical behavior the injury that her people by taking their money and trust from them. What Bernie did hurt people not a company by making up fake investment company? How this could have been avoided is that people do research on the companies over even the person that is asking for large sums of money. These are the things that I will be addressing in this paper. Who is Bernie Madoff Bernie Madoff was born on April 29, 1938, in Queens, New York, Bernard was born to polish immigrants, work for many years as a plumber. Bernie married Sylvia his wife they had one daughter, son. Bernie had hard times during the Great depression so in 1950 he got involved in finance. Ponzi scheme The unethical research behavior was involved was the hedge funds scheme were he would have to sell or liquidate holding from one hedge funds to keep down pressure on the stock prices. When doing this it will keep the negative pressure off the stock exchange. Berine had celebrity connections from Kyra Sedwick, Kevin Bacon, Tom hanks, and many more people that invested in the hedge funds at first they were getting returns back at 10% return. The company was growing and he was hiring more family members. The person that was hurt by this scheme was his family...
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...Bernard Madoff Research Paper Bernard (Bernie) Madoff committed this century’s largest Ponzi scheme to date. First we will define Ponzi Scheme – it is a fraudulent pyramid scheme where original investors are paid their gains out of new investors money so it would appear to old investor that the scheme (business) is producing an unusually large return (Albrecht, 2009). The Ponzi scheme that Madoff created and pulled off for years was quite intricate. In a standard pyramid scheme each victim unknowingly brings in more and more victims, where as a Ponzi scheme has a single entity (group or individual) to keep up with and organize the fraud. The operator of the Ponzi scheme then will take new money brought in from recent investors and pay off previous investors. For this to continue on there must be a constant influx of new investors so there must be someone working that angle on a regular basis. Eventually the group of new investors will run out because the funds dry up. In a lot of Ponzi schemes when they begin to run low on victims things seem to fall apart and investors loose it all. In some cases the perpetuator escapes the area with all the money he / she have scammed. When or if they are caught the perpetuator will have to face prosecution and / or repayment of all money to victims and possible jail / prison time or pay restitution to the government. In some cases there are assets seized to reimburse victims and pay restitution (Smith, 2011). Madoff committed...
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...Abstract This report allows the facts to be known concerning the still mysterious case of Bernard L. Madoff and his longtime investment securities activities, which eventually turned into an enormous fraud of incomparable size. In this report, you will begin to understand how Bernard Madoff was able to execute such an elaborate fraud. The illegal business behavior found in this case is too numerous to count however, quite a few will be identified. In addition, the roles of the perpetrators, accomplices, and their involvement in this scheme will be made known. This fraud had such an enormous impact on the victims, we will examine several implementations that the private investors could have implemented to protect themselves. An assessment of the perpetrators motives and the identity of some internal controls that could have deterred or prevented the fraud from occurring will be explored also. We will discover the action of the SEC and document how the fraud was discovered and investigated, including what should have been identified as “red flags”. And finally, a variety of legal actions arose when the Madoff fraud was uncovered, which is leading to more litigation currently and in the future. The Bernard Madoff’s Fraud Introduction Bernard L. Madoff was the mastermind and the admitted operator of the biggest Ponzi scheme in American History. His Ponzi scheme is considered to be the largest financial fraud in U.S. history. He stole millions maybe billions...
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...Case Study Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme: Reliable Returns from a Trustworthy Financial Adviser By Denis Collins Denis Collins is a professor of management in the School of Business at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. His research interests include business ethics, management, and organizational change. Contact: dcollins@ edgewood.edu A [person] is incapable of comprehending any argument that interferes with his revenue. Rene Descartes Overview This case study is a chronology of the largest Ponzi scheme in history. Bernie Madoff began his brokerage firm in 1960 and grew it into one of the largest on Wall Street. While doing so, he began investing money as a favor to family and friends, though he was not licensed to do so. Over a period of fifty years, these side investments became an investment fund that mushroomed into a $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Bernie1 pled guilty without a trial on March 12, 2009, and was sentenced to 150 years in prison. Thousands of wealthy clients, philanthropic organizations, and middle-class people whose pension funds found their way into Bernie’s investment fund lost their life savings. What to Do? Bernie Madoff, at age 69, owned three very successful financial companies—a brokerage firm, a proprietary trading firm, and an investment advisory firm. On December 10, 2008, the brokerage and proprietary trading firms, managed by his brother and two sons, were performing as well as could be expected in the middle of a deep recession. His investment...
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...of time. These types of financial schemes promise investors large interest returns if they provide money as a loan. As more new investors participate, the money that is contributed by later investors is paid to the initial investors, allegedly at the promised interest on their loans. This method works initially, but will then fold as more investors participate and choose to take withdrawals. Though these types of schemes have happened before, the first of this caliber was documented in the 1920’s by its namesake, Charles Ponzi. In 2008, Bernard “Bernie” Madoff was exposed for running the largest Ponzi scheme to date, conning investors out of over $65 billion over thirty years. INTRODUCTION Bernard Madoff was responsible for the largest reported Ponzi scheme in history. How did this happen? Who else knew about it? Why did it take so long for him to be exposed? This paper will endeavor to answer all of those questions and more. This paper will offer dialogue into how Madoff’s scheme differed from a traditional Ponzi scheme and understand the ethical, emotional and financial fallout to those closest to him. It is also important to understand the psychology involved in those who choose to construct a financial scheme. I will also provide some discussion around the issues concerning the SEC and how they...
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...Unit 3 Research Paper Government Regulation and Corporate America Kaplan University Online All companies in the United States have to abide by many rules and regulations set in place by our government. It seems as if there are so many if you are just learning about them but once you know and understand them, they all make sense and seem logical. If we had less regulation, there would be more people committing fraud and getting away with it. There are plenty of regulations in place right now and no more are needed unless people are continuing to abuse the system and new ones need put into place. As long as everyone continues to do their job properly, there is no need for any more government regulation. Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934 The Securities Acts of 1933 and 1934 ensure that companies are not misleading in their financial statements that investors base their opinions on. If an investor sees any financial statement to a company, and believes they are in good shape and that they should invest in that company, the company is held liable for any loss the incur. The Securities Act of 1933 requires that before selling securities publicly, a company must register them first. Companies must go through the Securities Exchange Commission and file a registration statement. When they file, they must include their audited financial statements (Beatty & Samuelson, 2010). After this is done, a company may offer their securities on a public market for investors which may include...
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...Business ethics 1. Assignment 1: Questions 1) Analyzing the ethical frameworks needed in decision making, which ones best align to the eight ethical principles of the Global Business Standards of Codex. Without doubt, there always exists a dilemma when company decisions are being made. It is for this reason that ethical frameworks are utilized to ensure that appropriate decisions are made in the organization. Ethics.ubc argues that ethical frameworks act like “snake detectors.” They are there to ensure that “snakes” in the organization are easily recognized before they bite. In layman’s language, they offer guidance when making decisions. Some of the ethical frameworks put forward include: * The utilitarian approach * Rights approach * Fairness approach * Common good approach * Virtue approach Utilitarian approach This approach basically focuses on the consequences of a particular action (capsim.com). For example, it considers whether an action will eventually lead to greater good than other related actions. Therefore, the most ethical decision to be made will be that which will offer maximum benefits. Rights approach In this approach, the most ethical decision to be made will have utmost respect and protection for human rights (capism.com). In this case, people have the right to make their own decisions and everyone ought to be respected in the decisions they make. Fairness approach Just as the name suggests, fairness...
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...Bernie Madoff Fraud Case Bernie Madoff Fraud Case Introduction One of the largest fraud cases of all times is that of the “Bernard Madoff Case.” According to Armstrong (2008), “for a number of years Madoff managed to lure billions of dollars away from huge charities, as well as wealthy individuals in both the United States and Europe by getting them to invest in his hedge fund. This he did by offering extraordinary returns to investors, until his scheme eventually reached a staggering $50 billion under “management.” Within this paper, efforts will be made answer a number of questions, including how was this fraud executed; who were the perpetrators, accomplices and victims; how was the fraud discovered; what were some of the possible red flags; and what role did the SEC play in discovering the fraud. In addition to this, mention will be made of how the case was resolved and what are some of the measures that could have deterred or prevented the fraud from occurring in the first place. Given these harsh economic times which we live in, all efforts have to be made to enforce strict rules and regulations within financial institutions – so that investors and other stakeholders’ interests are protected. Had there been closer attention given by the Securities Exchange Commission and other regulators to the ‘red Flags’ associated with Madoff and his firm, then so many persons would not have lost billions. Bernard Madoff Investment Securities (BMIS) Founded in 1960...
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...Ethics from Personal Decisions to Organizational Procedures Class: BUS512 Organizational Behavior 13th edition Authors: D Hellriegel and J W Solcum, Jr 2008 South-Western, Cengage Learning Abstract There are standards people govern themselves by and expect everyone else to live by. Everyone’s everyday decision are not only actions that affect themselves but everyone else around them. These rules, decisions, and behaviors make up a person’s ethics. Ethics are the morals and beliefs that help to tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong. It is comprised of many things but not solely defined by any of them. Ethics can be learned from religion but if ethics was a religious practice it would be reserved for saints but even atheists practice ethics. Some say ethics comes from how you feel but the truth is feelings are always fluctuating and changing. If your feelings change then you are really acting on your feelings and not your ethics. Ethics is independent of feelings yet dependent on thinking if something is right or wrong. All these cover personal ethics that a person has. When stepping into a work environment there are organized ethics that are placed by the company. Organizational ethics help to align everyone’s ethics under a general atmosphere of what is right and what is wrong. These personal ethics and organizational ethics as well as organizational policies are all under constant evaluation as individuals make choices...
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...Grand Canyon BUS 340 All Modules 1- 8 Assignment (2014) BUS 340 Module 1 Assignment Problems: Chapters 1, 2, and 4 Details: Using the Module 1 readings, course website links, the GCU Library, the Internet, and/or other sources of literature as needed, complete the following problems: Chapter 1 – Online Research: Common Law Chapter 2 – Problems and Problem Cases: Problem 6 Chapter 4 – Problems and Problem Cases: Problems 4 and 7 Responses should not typically exceed 200 words for each problem and should contain citations from relevant sources if applicable. Complete the problems for each chapter first by stating the question(s) you are addressing, then by stating your responses. All problems and answers should be turned in on the same page/document. Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the GCU APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. BUS 340 Module 2 Assignment Problems: Chapters 5 and 6 Details: Using the Module 2 readings, course website links, the GCU Library, the Internet, and/or other sources of literature as needed, complete the following problems: Chapter 5 – Problems and Problem Cases: Problem 13 Chapter 6 – Problems and Problem Cases: Problem 11 Responses should not typically exceed 200 words for each problem and should contain citations from relevant sources if applicable. Complete the problems for each chapter first by stating the question(s) you are addressing...
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...Grand Canyon BUS 340 All Modules 1- 8 Assignment (2014) BUS 340 Module 1 Assignment Problems: Chapters 1, 2, and 4 Details: Using the Module 1 readings, course website links, the GCU Library, the Internet, and/or other sources of literature as needed, complete the following problems: Chapter 1 – Online Research: Common Law Chapter 2 – Problems and Problem Cases: Problem 6 Chapter 4 – Problems and Problem Cases: Problems 4 and 7 Responses should not typically exceed 200 words for each problem and should contain citations from relevant sources if applicable. Complete the problems for each chapter first by stating the question(s) you are addressing, then by stating your responses. All problems and answers should be turned in on the same page/document. Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the GCU APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. BUS 340 Module 2 Assignment Problems: Chapters 5 and 6 Details: Using the Module 2 readings, course website links, the GCU Library, the Internet, and/or other sources of literature as needed, complete the following problems: Chapter 5 – Problems and Problem Cases: Problem 13 Chapter 6 – Problems and Problem Cases: Problem 11 Responses should not typically exceed 200 words for each problem and should contain citations from relevant sources if applicable. Complete the problems for each chapter first by stating the question(s) you are addressing...
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...University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Honors Theses Student Scholarship Fall 2012 An Analysis of Fraud: Causes, Prevention, and Notable Cases Kristin A. Kennedy University of New Hampshire - Main Campus, kaj79@wildcats.unh.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.unh.edu/honors Part of the Accounting Commons Recommended Citation Kennedy, Kristin A., "An Analysis of Fraud: Causes, Prevention, and Notable Cases" (2012). Honors Theses. Paper 100. This Senior Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact scholarly.communication@unh.edu. An Analysis of Fraud: Causes, Prevention, and Notable Cases University of New Hampshire Honors Thesis in Accounting Kristin Kennedy ADMN 799 Professor Le (Emily) Xu Fall 2012 Table of Contents I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. Background……………………………………………………………........1 a. What is accounting and what role does financial reporting serve?..........1 b. History of accounting standards………………………………………..2 c. Role of auditing………………………………………………………...5 Fraud……………………………………………………………………….6 a. Two types of fraud……………………………………………………..6 i. Misappropriation of Assets…………………………………….7 ii. Misrepresentation of Financial Statements…………………….7 b. Fraud...
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...(Online) Table of Contents ABSTRACT 3 INTRODUCTION 4 Introduction to the Problem 4 Background of the Study 4 Statement of the Problem 4 Purpose of the Research 5 Research Questions 5 Significance of the Research 5 LITERATURE REVIEW 7 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 19 ABSTRACT This paper investigates White Collar Crime (“WCC) in society and the affects it has on businesses in today’s society, the cost and statistics involved with white collar crime and the difference in how white collar crime and street crimes are dealt with. While white collar crime has existed for many decades, I have conducted research regarding the definition of white collar crime, the history of white collar crime, the different types of white collar crime that affect businesses directly and indirectly, goals of white collar crime, fraud statistics and the cost factors related to white collar crime. White collar crimes and business ethics play hand in hand with one another and often cross the line with one another into criminal behavior. White collar crimes have played a very instrumental part in our downward economy over the past five years, and the level of trust given by society to corporations and employers entrusted with their life earnings has changed dramatically. My research will include factors that contribute to this problem and how white collar crime affects the management and operations of business organizations; what part modern technology plays...
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