In a secret federal law enforcement warehouse in Southern California, dozens of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and stacks of coveted sports memorabilia – like Mickey Mantle rookie cards and game-worn Kobe Bryant sneakers – offer a modest testament to the mountains of taxpayer money being illegally diverted through fraud, law enforcement officials told CBS News.
By some government estimates, at least $500 billion is lost to fraud schemes each year, though other sources, including those who consult with the government to track fraudulently obtained funds, said the real figure is over $1 trillion. As the Trump administration has launched a crackdown on those cheating federal programs like Medicare, food assistance and hospice care, it is difficult to claw back the stolen funds, said Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.
“It should offend every American taxpayer that these…
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