White-Collar Criminals Use Bonds of Trust to Prey on Investors

Although this article was written in 2017, it is still relevant today. 

“Financial fraudsters are known to be an unscrupulous lot, but it is particularly loathsome when these white-collar criminals exploit trusting members of their own church or social circle to line their pockets.

Financial crimes based on bonds of trust—known as affinity fraud—occur throughout the United States, but are especially prevalent in Utah, where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints too often are victimized by savvy fraudsters who claim to be just like them.” 

An alleged $500 million Ponzi scheme preyed on Mormons. It ended with FBI gunfire

Another church was targeted proving it can happen to anyone, anywhere. This story is so dramatic, it could be made into a TV movie. 

"The Las Vegas attorney, then 49, had been anticipating this visit for months, he would tell an FBI hostage negotiator. He’d already drafted letters to his wife and four children, explaining what he could and describing how much he loved them.

On this Thursday in March, Beasley knew his time was up. He placed the letters — along with a note addressed to the FBI and a zip drive of computer files — upstairs on the desk in his office. Then, alone in the house, he went to the front door. He paused, the left side of his body obscured by the door frame.“

- Read the whole Washington Post article