Internet Fraud Casebook

Chapter 11. Double Play

DELENA D. SPANN

Mollie Garrett was a talent in the corporate banking sector of one of the largest financial institutions in the nation. She'd moved up the ranks in Buck's Bank much faster than many of her peers. She was the consummate professional — dependable and well educated in her field — and she was considered the creme de la creme of the industry.

I met Mollie during the fall at a quarterly meeting attended by law enforcement and financial industry employees. As soon as we were introduced, I knew Mollie wasn't average — she was a graduate of one of the most prestigious universities in the state of Illinois and every detail of her demeanor expressed that she was accomplished and talented. A group of us sat at a table prior to the meeting and shared our work experience and our alma maters. I distinctly remembered Mollie, who said that she had received a bachelor's of science degree in accounting and minored in finance.

The group at the table engaged in friendly conversation. We were a diverse mix but we had one thing in common — we had come to share our expertise and experience in the area of fraud. We discussed the common features of some of our most recent investigations, new trends that had been discovered and the growing pains we faced in attempting to stay at least two steps ahead of the fraudsters. It was an insightful meeting.

As our discussion came to a close, Mollie approached me privately and said she wanted to help me with investing opportunities ...