Attorneys general for 17 states have urged New York State’s highest court to reject an appeal by Donald Trump of a civil case in which he and several co-defendants were found liable for inflating the values of his Mar-a-Lago property and Trump Tower penthouse to obtain better terms on loans and insurance rates.
The attorneys general argue that throwing out the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James in 2022 could weaken the ability of states to hold businesses and individuals accountable for fraud. The case was brought under New York’s business fraud state known as the Executive Law.
In a September 2023 ruling by Justice Arthur Engoron in Manhattan, Trump, his sons and other co-defendants were found liable for fraud for exaggerating his net worth by billions of dollars a year on financial records…
THE BHI TRUST PONZI SCHEME (SOUTH AFRICA)
Date: Ongoing updates through February 2026 Perpetrator: Craig Warriner (Principal), with alleged co-conspirators
Case Description: The BHI Trust scandal remains one of South Africa’s most devastating financial crimes, involving the loss of between R1.9 billion and R3 billion. Craig Warriner, the “genius trader” behind the trust, turned himself in during late 2023, but the legal and recovery battles reached a fever pitch in 2025 and 2026. Warriner operated the trust as a textbook Ponzi scheme, utilizing “Old Boy” networks and high-profile brokers to lure in pensioners and high-net-worth individuals with promises of 20% annual returns.
In early 2025, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) faced heavy criticism for “provisionally withdrawing” charges against alleged co-conspirators Michael Haldane and Sona Pillay. However, civil recovery efforts by joint trustees have continued into 2026, aiming to claw back hundreds of millions in “fictitious profits” from early investors to redistribute to those who lost everything. The case is a masterclass in the failure of fiduciary duty; the FSCA eventually banned several advisors for up to 30 years for peddling the unlicensed scheme despite clear red flags, such as the lack of a website, the absence of regulated financial reports, and a fee structure that was triple the industry average.
Link to Original: Moneyweb – BHI Trust Scandal Deep Dive