The Golden Age of Fraud is Upon Us
The Golden Age of Fraud is Upon Us
Posted April 27, 2021 by Ben Carlson
A 30-something low-level actor created a business plan that would buy the rights to cheap movies and turn around and sell those rights to HBO for audiences in Latin America. The investors backing the project were promised returns of 15% in just 6 months. No bad in an era of 0.25% savings account yields. Investors forked over more than $690 million to bankroll the rights to these films.
So what’s the catch? The movie contracts with HBO were fakes, the business plan was a hoax and the entire ordeal was a Ponzi scheme where new money paid off previous investors. The money was used to provide a lavish lifestyle for the architect of the fraud, Zachary Horowitz.1
One investor claimed to have “99% of his and his family’s money” invested in Horowitz’s scheme.
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Thodex is a cryptocurrency trading platform in Turkey. Last week it was reported the 27-year-old founder of the exchange took a flight to Albania.
He took with him $2 billion from more than 30k clients.
Last month the company brought in hoards of new clients by offering free dogecoin to anyone that signed up.
Whoops.
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I don’t know if this SCAMcoin actually happened or if it’s just a social media thing but it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s real: https://twitter.com/i/status/1385365742506364929
If Charles Ponzi were alive today, I have no doubt that he would be able to raise capital from investors, probably in the form of a SPAC. Many investors would laud him for being a genius as he bilked investors out of millions of dollars.
When I was researching the history of financial scams for Don’t Fall For It the one thing that jumped out above all else is how similar financial frauds are across time and place. They typically involve new technologies, people with extraordinary sales skills and the insatiable human desire for get-rich quick schemes.
Despite the fact that people have been getting duped by hucksters and charlatans for centuries, there was one period that kept coming up over and over again in my research — the 1920s.
It was the golden age of financial fraud.
The Roaring 20s had everything a con-artist looking to dupe people out of their money could ask for — innovation, new financial products, a booming economy, rising markets, new and exciting technologies, loose lending standards, new communication tools and people getting rich all over the place.
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2021/04/the-golden-age-of-fraud-is-upon-us/
MilitiaMan & Crew: The 2026 Economic Outlook: What’s Really Happening with the Dinar
9-18-2026
The Crew: Samson, PompeyPeter, Petra, Daytrader, Sunkissed, GIGI and Militia Man
No drama. No intrigue. No songs and dances. Just straight, factual news that I read and interpret to the best of my ability after being an avid Dinar investor and insanely obsessed Dinarian for over 15 years.
Follow MM on X == https://x.com/Slashn
The Dollar Is Besieging The Dinar... Washington Continues To Use Its Tools To Weaken The Iraqi Currency
Information / Report The Iraqi economy has recently been experiencing financial and monetary instability, clearly manifested in the successful surges in the exchange rate of the US dollar against the Iraqi dinar in local markets. This sudden rise was not a coincidence, but rather the result of a complex interplay between external pressures and emergency domestic monetary policies that disrupted the balance of supply and demand.
Good Morning Dinar Recaps,
AI FINANCIAL RESET: IMF WARNS EUROPE'S AI BOOM COULD STRAIN ENERGY, CAPITAL AND ECONOMIC BALANCE
THE IMF SAYS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COULD BOOST EUROPEAN PRODUCTIVITY, BUT RAPID AI EXPANSION COULD ALSO INCREASE PRESSURE ON ENERGY GRIDS, CAPITAL MARKETS, LABOR MARKETS AND EUROPE'S STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY POSITION.
5 Steps To Master Your Money
Simple strategies to help fund your future.
Fidelity Viewpoints
Key takeaways
Define clear goals and make a plan to help guide your financial decisions.
Set up automatic transfers to help boost your savings and keep you on track.
Build up your emergency savings to cover unexpected essential expenses
Friday Night Video
FRANK26….9-18-26….BANKING REFORMS
This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only
Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests
Playback Number: 605-313-5163 PIN: 156996#
Ariel: The September 30th Ignition Sequence
9-18-2026
Sept-30th: The Ignition Sequence (What You Need To Look For)
Post-September 30 Sovereignty Window → 2027 Budget Submission —Ground Assessment
I. WHAT SEPTEMBER 30 ACTUALLY DELIVERS
The Ministry of Finance’s declaration of financial sovereignty is not a ceremonial gesture. It is a legal severance. Specifically, it terminates the artificial program rate the managed peg that has kept IQD suppressed since the reconstruction era. That program rate was never a market rate.
Russia’s Digital Ruble Is Here — The Real Shift Isn’t the Currency, It’s the System Underneath It
Lynette Zang: 9-18-2026
Russia’s digital ruble has moved into a major new phase, with large banks and retailers now required to support the infrastructure while individual use remains voluntary.
Lynette Zang breaks down what changed on September 1, why the central bank account structure matters, and the bigger question investors should be asking: what can this new monetary rail be made to do later?
Cabinet Reviews Fuel Subsidy, Lawmaker Says
2026-09-17 Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraq’s Council of Ministers is reviewing recent decisions to remove fuel subsidies for some sectors amid efforts to address fuel shortages across the country, a member of parliament’s Oil, Gas and Natural Resources Committee said on Thursday.
Bruce’s Big Call Dinar Intel Thursday Night 9-17-26
Transcribed By WiserNow Emailed To Recaps (INTEL ONLY)
Welcome everybody to the big call tonight. It is Thursday, September 17. You're listening to the big call. Thanks for tuning in, everybody all over the globe. Sorry about my voice; it's a little bit lower than normal, but we'll try to work with it and make it through the call.
Thank you, Bob, for that. Appreciate that. Everybody can get on the site, put an order together. If they have any questions or any problem they've got, they can go ahead and call customer support. Excellent. Thank you, Bob. Okay, guys, I'm going to try to make it through the Intel segment with you.
Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,
EU BANKING RESET: EUROPE PUSHES FOR DEEPER CAPITAL MARKETS AND STRONGER CROSS-BORDER BANKING
EUROPEAN OFFICIALS ARE CALLING FOR A MORE INTEGRATED BANKING AND CAPITAL-MARKET SYSTEM, WITH GREATER CROSS-BORDER SCALE AND INVESTMENT CAPACITY TO HELP EUROPE COMPETE IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM
Clarity Act Fallout, CBDC Ban & Iraq RV — How Close Are We? | Rob Cunningham
Jon Dowling and Chris Real World: 9-17-2026
In a recent episode of the Jon Dowling podcast, host Jon Dowling sat down with Rob Cunningham, a retired Air Force captain and prominent crypto financial analyst, to unpack these complex dynamics.
The wide-ranging discussion centered on the legislative inertia in Washington, particularly the recent failure of the U.S. Clarity Act to pass, and what this means for the future of digital assets, international monetary sovereignty, and the legacy global banking system.
Coffee with MarkZ, joined by Mr. Cottrell. 09/18/202
Some highlights by PDK-Not verbatim
MarkZ Disclaimer: Please consider everything on this call as my opinion. People who take notes do not catch everything and its best to watch the video so that you get everything in context. Be sure to consult a professional for any financial decisions
MZ: Progress continues and rumors fly. We will see what Mr. Cottrell has to bring to the table this morning.
MZ: I’m pretty giddy. Iraq is even announcing that Sept 30th is “Financial Sovereignty Day” along with removal of troops….. We hope this means Change the dinar value day. Many things are screaming “This is our month”
Ariel: IQD Update from the Horse’s Mouth
9-18-2026
What more do you need to see?
The SEC’s September 17, 2026 Innovation Exemption removes regulatory barriers, enabling the DTCC to initiate asset tokenization on Ripple (XRP Ledger) in October. This aligns with the Central Bank of Iraq’s (CBI) digital Dinar (dIQD) framework, which enforces 1:1 parity with physical IQD through a permissioned ledger governed by the Trade Bank of Iraq, Rafidain, and Rasheed Banks.
Emailed to Recaps~ Thank you David
Reset Intelligence: A Sovereign IQD.
By Reset Intelligence | @EXIT_FIAT
Everyone has read September 30 as the day the troops leave Iraq. On Thursday, Iraq's Ministry of Finance read it differently.
The ministry posted on its own account: "Sovereignty in money... that the financial decision be Iraqi." Dated September 30.
Good Morning Dinar Recaps,
GLOBAL BOND RESET: RISING RATES AND $100 OIL PUT GOVERNMENT DEBT UNDER NEW PRESSURE
RISING ENERGY COSTS AND A NEW WAVE OF CENTRAL-BANK TIGHTENING ARE PUSHING GOVERNMENT BOND MARKETS INTO A MORE DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT, RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT DEBT COSTS, INFLATION AND THE FUTURE STRUCTURE OF GLOBAL FINANCE.
Debt management: How To Avoid Common, But Costly, Money Mistakes
May 27, 2026 Malena de la Fuente and Aaron Goodman
Americans are carrying more debt than ever before. Total household balances now approach $19 trillion, reflecting a steady increase over the past decade.1 In 2025, millennials in their mid-30s held roughly twice as much nonhousing debt—including student loans, auto loans, and credit card debt—as baby boomers did at a similar age.2
Slemani Summit: Iraq’s President Urges Economic Diversification
2026-09-17 / 02:40 Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah Iraqi President Nizar Amedi on Thursday called for economic diversification, greater investment and stronger action against corruption, saying Iraq must improve its investment climate to attract capital and support sustainable growth.
The Next Financial Crisis Is Coming... And This One Has No Bailout
Peter Schiff: 9-18-2026
Following the Federal Reserve's unanimous 12-0 vote to raise its policy rate 25 basis points, Fox Business host Liz Claman brings together BNY Investments chief economist Vincent Reinhart and Euro Pacific Asset Management's Peter Schiff to break down new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's first rate decision.
Schiff argues the hike is too small and too late to contain inflation, noting the Fed was backed into a corner after months of hawkish signaling and that a single 25 basis point move will not derail rising prices.
Ariel: We have a Triple Header for Today
9-18-2026
The News Just Keeps Compounding
The Central Bank of Iraq publicly stated two weeks ago that the “next step will be joining the international financial market” — meaning full forex integration. That statement was not aspirational. That was a declaration of operational readiness. CBI does not broadcast next steps unless the infrastructure is already in place.
TNT:
Tishwash: Urgent | In response to the rising dollar exchange rate, the Central Bank of Iraq reassures the local market: Starting Sunday, several measures will be implemented to meet foreign currency needs.
An informed source stated on Thursday that the Central Bank of Iraq will begin, starting next Sunday, to expand the scope of import financing and increase the support provided to banks, in line with actual commercial needs.
The source said the move aims to facilitate financing for necessary imports and accommodate a wider range of commercial goods, noting that the central bank continues to monitor market developments and take the necessary measures to ensure the smooth flow of foreign trade financing and meet the legitimate demand for foreign currency