"I'm grateful she scammed me... at the end of the day I'm better for it"

Can fraud actually lead to positive outcomes? That's the provocative question at the heart of this week's episode, where I sit down with Johnathan Walton – a man who turned his own devastating scam experience into a mission that's helped countless victims reclaim their power.

Johnathan shares the shocking story of how he was manipulated by a con artist posing as an Irish heiress, and the unexpected silver lining that transformed him into one of today's leading experts on scams and the psychology behind them.

We also dive into Johnathan's latest project – the riveting podcast "Cocaine Air" – which chronicles the incredible true story of TJ Dominguez, a former cocaine smuggler who flew $2 billion worth of drugs for Colombia's most notorious cartels.

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN

• Official Website: johnathanwalton.com
• LinkedIn: Johnathan Walton
• Book: Anatomy of a Con Artist
• Podcast: Queen of the Con: The Irish Heiress
• New Podcast: Cocaine Air
• TV Series: Queen of Con: The True Story of the Irish Heires

CONNECT WITH KELLY

• Website: kellypaxton.com
• LinkedIn: Kelly Paxton, CFE, PI

I'm back with renewed Fraudish energy! In this captivating return episode, I welcome Lou Schachter, the investigative mind behind True Crime Road Trip and recent New York Times featured writer. Lou shares his remarkable journey recovering stolen paintings and documenting historical crimes from his home base in Palm Springs.

Don't miss his incredible story of connecting the dots that led to the recovery of two paintings stolen 40 years ago from the Harwood Museum in Taos, New Mexico, a case that garnered national attention in 2025 when the FBI returned the artwork to its rightful home. He also opens up about how his grandfather's unsolved murder sparked his fascination with historical crimes, including his upcoming project "Lust for Power.”

Lou Schachter is a storyteller exploring the intersection of true crime mysteries and travel. His blog features short, real-life stories about curious crimes and odd criminals in intriguing places, with a particular focus on the Desert Southwest. Lou's investigative work recently made headlines when he identified two stolen paintings that had been missing for decades, connecting them to the infamous Alter couple who had previously stolen a $100+ million Willem de Kooning painting.

Lou and his husband have lived in New York, Los Angeles, and now Palm Springs. He's traveled to 70 countries and is the author of two business books. Before pursuing true crime writing, Lou had a successful career in various fields, bringing a unique perspective to his investigations

RESOURCES & LINKS

• Lou Schachter's Medium Blog
• True Crime Road Trip
• The New York Times: Art Recovery Article (July 2025)
• The New York Times: de Kooning Mystery Article (2017)
• The Thief Collector Documentary
• Lust for Power

CONNECT WITH LOU

• Follow Lou on Medium: @louschachter
• True Crime Road Trip publication: medium.com/true-crime-road-trip

CONNECT WITH KELLY

• Website: kellypaxton.com
• Twitter: @pdxcfe
• LinkedIn: Kelly Paxton, CFE, PI

FRAUDISH PODCAST

Fraudish is a podcast helping those working in fraud prevention and investigation. Hosted by Kelly Paxton, Certified Fraud Examiner, Private Investigator, and Pink Collar Crime Expert. Kelly interviews outstanding fraud professionals to help you advance your career through origin stories, tips, and resources.

New episodes every Tuesday!

Scam calls. Scam texts. Scam everything.

This week on Fraudish, I’m talking with Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, and let me tell you—we cover it all. From robocalls to text scams to the rise of "romance baiting" (yes, we’re rebranding “pig butchering”), Alex breaks down what’s really going on behind that unknown number blowing up your phone.

We also dig into:

• Why younger people fall for scams more often than you'd think
• Easy ways to protect your privacy (hint: secondary numbers are your friend)
• How scammers are using tech and emotions to trap people
• And yes—safe words aren’t just for kids anymore

If you think you’re too smart to get scammed, you need to hear this. Stay skeptical, stay protected, and maybe don’t answer that next call from “Scottsdale, AZ.”

🎧 Tune in wherever you get your podcasts!

🛡️ More from Alex + YouMail:
Alex on LinkedIn
YouMail
Robocall Trends
File a Scam Report – FCC
AARP’s Scam-Fighting Podcasts

This week, I’m joined by my friend and audit pro Elizabeth McCormick.

We chat about her unexpected path into internal audit, starting her own company Audit Forward, and how tools like Power Query and AI are changing the game. Elizabeth also gets real about growing up with congenital hearing loss and how it’s fueled her push for disability inclusion in the profession.

We cover fraud, ethics, embracing failure, and why showing up as your full self matters more than ever.

🔗 Connect with Elizabeth:
LinkedIn
Audit Forward
Meet Audie

You know I love a good career plot twist, and this week’s episode has plenty! I’m joined by Dean Baratta, an intelligence analyst with a background that includes retail banking, WeWork, and more. (Yes, that WeWork.)

We talk about Dean’s unconventional path into the world of intelligence and ethics, what he’s learned about fraud along the way, and how AI is shaking things up faster than you can say “ChatGPT.”

In this episode:

• What his time at WeWork taught him about red flags, ethics, and charisma
• Why AI is rewriting the rules
• The underrated power of soft skills and smart networking
• How to actually use your past experience to land your next big thing

Whether you’re in fraud, ethics, or just figuring out your next move, this one’s got something for you.

Connect with Dean Baratta
Connect with Kelly!

Women can be criminals too! This episode of Fraudish I speak with Angie Gad of GadIntel all about why society are biased again women… in a good way? Or is it bad? Let’s get into it!

Angie shares her journey from growing up in a post-9/11 era as a child of Arab immigrants in New Jersey to her impactful career in intelligence and counter-terrorism. She has a rather unexpected entry into intelligence and our discussion touches on the importance of creativity and critical thinking in intelligence work! The episode also delves into gender biases in criminal and terrorist profiling, alongside resource guides and training methodologies Angie developed to bridge gaps in the industry.

Listen and let me know if you think the bias is a good or a bad one…?

Connect with Angie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-gad-117921149/

GadIntel: https://www.gadintel.com/

In this episode of Fraudish, Kelly sits down with forensic accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner Candy Bellau, whose journey into the world of fraud is anything but typical.

From never picturing herself as a forensic accountant to building a career in the field, Candy brings heart, humor, and a whole lot of real talk. We dive into the personal side of fraud—because let’s face it, there’s always more to the story.

Candy opens up about her own family’s history with fraud (yes, it’s complicated), the mystery of her grandmother’s disappearance, and how those experiences shaped her drive to uncover the truth. We also dig into the three Cs of fraud—culture, controls, and compensation—and why vulnerability might be your most underrated networking skill.

Plus: how she’s navigating life as a firm owner ( Check out Kramerica Solutions ), what she wishes more people knew about forensic accounting, and why ethics, culture, and curiosity matter more than ever.

What we cover:

• How Candy found herself in the fraud world (and stayed!)
• The hidden power of vulnerability in building your network
• The three Cs of fraud and why they’re still relevant
• Candy’s family story—including a mystery that’s yet to be solved
• The realities of running your own firm (and starting a podcast about it)

If you’ve ever felt like the personal and professional are more tangled than we admit—this one’s for you.

Connect with Candy:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicejohnsonkramerica/

https://www.kramericasolutions.com/

Think OSINT is just glorified Googling? Think again. In this episode, I chat with Claudia Tietze, a creative technologist who went from film and theater to fraud-fighting. We dig into how OSINT actually works, why creativity matters in investigations, and how AI and ethics collide in this weird little world. Plus, Claudia shares her take on trend spotting and her work building a better OSINT community with Valor.

Connect with Claudia:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/supersecretsquirrel/

Claudia's Medium: https://medium.com/@farallon

Valinor: https://valinorintelligence.com/