The Grand Scam

From 2005 to 2009, the heir to one of South Africa’s blue-blood families, Barry Tannenbaum, methodically constructed the largest-ever con in South African history. The Grand Scam exposes details about the brazen greed of the scammers, a bank that facilitated the shady dealings rather than alerting the authorities, and the naivety of business people who should have known better. It goes far beyond the original news stories, containing original research and material that, for the first time, answers the central question of why. Barry Tannenbaum, the grandson of the founder of one of the country’s biggest pharmaceutical firms, Adcock Ingram, offered investors stratospheric returns of more than 200 per cent a year by investing in the components used to make AIDS drugs. It was nothing more than a lie, which suckered the country’s business elite, including the former CEO of Pick n Pay, the one-time head of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the ex-boss of OK Bazaars. After the bubble popped in June 2009, finance minister Pravin Gordhan announced that hundreds of investors in South Africa, Australia and Europe had ploughed more than R12.5 billion into Tannenbaum’s scheme, based on the empty promise of immense riches. Dwarfing the Brett Kebble rip-off, Fidentia and the Krion pyramid scheme, it proved to be the most embarrassing financial disaster in the country’s history, and it exposed holes in a banking and financial system billed as one of the safest in the world. For Tannenbaum’s victims, the nightmare continued after the scheme collapsed, as liquidators, tax officials and criminal investigators demanded their pound of flesh. But Tannenbaum, now at large on Australia’s Gold Coast, continues to live as if nothing happened, working for an Australian insurance company. The question that hasn’t been answered until now is, how did Tannenbaum swindle so many people with such ease? And, more crucially, why did he do it? Through extensive interviews with his family, friends and numerous ‘investors’, this book provides the startling answers to those questions. For the first time, the real motivation that fuelled South Africa’s Bernie Madoff is laid bare.

The Canadian edition of The Little Black Book of Scams is a compact and easy to use reference guide filled with information Canadians can use to protect themselves against a variety of common scams. It debunks common myths about scams, provides contact information for reporting a scam to the correct authority, and offers a step-by-step guide for scam victims to reduce their losses and avoid becoming repeat victims. Consumers and businesses can consult The Little Black Book of Scams to avoid falling victim to social media and mobile phone scams, fake charities and lotteries, dating and romance scams, and many other schemes used to defraud Canadians of their money and personal information.

Inside a nondescript cinder-block building in Manhattan, beyond the misleading sign that reads "Global Fish" and the attractive plainclothes FBI employee at the reception desk, Special Agent Nick Vanko is running a surprisingly successful undercover operation. His bosses consider him a hard case and the members of his squad a bunch of self-destructive freaks with disciplinary problems. But despite the regular investigations by internal affairs, the squad is capable of doing real Bureau work. They've been chipping away at the Brooklyn mob, where their prime target, the don's anointed capo, Mike Parisi, is in the middle of a bitter power struggle with underboss Danny DiMiglia. DiMiglia is ruthless and unimaginative, but Parisi is smarter, and when Manny, one of his crew, finds twenty grand and a page from a hand-drawn map in his father's abandoned safe deposit box, Parisi realizes he's got the means to bring DiMiglia down. But first they have to retrieve the other half of the map, and it's in an evidence room at the FBI. While the agents at Global Fish obstruct the FBIHQ inspector who's just arrived, a female agent is assigned to the squad. Sheila's got as many problems as the rest of them, but the most serious is her obsession with a serial murder investigation she's been unable to solve. Vanko is rattled by his attraction to her and diverts the squad to help her find the killer, just as Parisi uses the map in a whopper of a scam to keep DiMiglia in check.

The news business today is much different from those talked about in this book. The old days of knowing the English language and writing good grammatical sentences has gone. As Jean Shelton told me many years ago, “During the Depression, teachers got jobs wherever they could. Ours had a PhD from Berkeley. She drilled all of us boys with good English grammar all through our schooling.” With this in mind, you might understand why the Shelton boys became journalists. Their days in the business carried them in many different directions—some everyday occurrences, others very intriguing such as the Kennedy assignation. This book covers their lives and the news business.

About the Book: When truth becomes a perilous journey, and upholding it might cost you everything – even you and your family's life - would you still stand firm? This narrative is not a work of fiction but chronicles the valiant journey of a real-life hero who dared to bring down the criminal empire of the infamous Abdul Karim Telgi. Amidst looming threats and pervasive deceit, he remains unyielding, exposing those who thrive in secrecy and subterfuge. Amid encroaching dangers and engulfing lies, Jayant remains an immovable pillar, shedding light on those lurking in the shadows of deception. The reward - Upholding the pride of India and uncovering ₹ INR 30,000 Cr scam. Delve into this riveting account that not only exposes the malignancy of corruption eating into society's fabric but also heralds the invincible power of truth and determination. About the Author: Jayant Mukund Tinaikar is a courageous social activist dedicated to exposing corruption within India's government and society. Born at Khanapur, he gained nationwide recognition in 2001 for revealing a massive counterfeit stamp paper scandal, leading to the apprehension of hundreds and the confiscation of over Rs 4,000 crore in property. Despite facing threats and adversity, his unwavering determination and pursuit of justice stand as a testament to the power of individual action for positive change. As a fearless advocate for fairness, Jayant Mukund Tinaikar keeps motivating others to oppose corruption and wrongdoing. His ability to stay strong during tough times and his role in uncovering hidden scandals are a great example of how one person's determination can bring good changes to society.

So-called alternative medicine (SCAM) is popular and therefore important, no matter whether we love or loathe it. Consequently, an impressive number of books about SCAM are already available. Most of them, however, are woefully uncritical, overtly promotional and dangerously misleading. Not so this one! This book was written by someone who received SCAM as a patient, practised SCAM as a doctor, and researched SCAM as a scientist. It provides an insider's perspective by covering aspects of SCAM which most other books avoid, and by questioning the many tacitly accepted assumptions and wild extrapolations that underpin SCAM. The text is factual, occasionally dosed with a touch of humour or satire. The aim is not only to inform but also to entertain. It is written principally for members of the general public who have an interest in healthcare and are tired of the promotional counter-knowledge produced by SCAM enthusiasts. It is an exercise in critical thinking that might prevent you from wasting your money on (or endangering your health with) bogus treatments.