Haima Marlier spoke with Barron’s about the SEC’s shifting enforcement priorities, as the agency focuses more heavily on financial fraud and individual accountability. Following significant staff reductions and a sharp decline in enforcement actions, the SEC is increasing activity in areas including accounting and disclosure fraud, private fund abuses, cross-border misconduct, and retail investor fraud. Haima noted that year-end enforcement figures remain uncertain, saying, “The last month of each fiscal year tends to see a rush of cases filed.”
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Insurance fraud involves making false or exaggerated claims to an insurance provider.
- Hard Fraud: Someone deliberately causes a loss (e.g., setting fire to a warehouse or staging a car accident) specifically to collect a payout.
- Soft Fraud: More common and often viewed as “victimless” by the perpetrator. It involves exaggerating a legitimate claim, such as overstating the value of stolen items in a home burglary to cover the deductible.