Published: Aug. 29, 2012
Words: 50,377 (approximate)
Language: Australian English
ISBN: 9780646578842

Short description

A real life story, told in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. The author transforms from an office-bound bean counter to self employed private investigator. In his journey he deals with high octane entrepreneurs, hapless politicians, tricky and dangerous situations and possible terrorists. Fraud detection is his passion and his story exposes some slickly worded travel insurance contracts.

Extended description

Several years ago, lacking empathy for ego-driven bosses, I decided I would be best off self employed. I thought long and hard about what a qualified CPA might do in a world that didn't involve bean counting. After due consideration I concluded that the only thing with growth potential was 'white collar crime'. I felt suitably qualified to deal with this, having worked for many years in an industry where almost everyone was one sort of crook or another.
So, to begin my makeover and after limited market research, I opened a small office. At the same time, despite lacking the financial resources to toss in my day job, I put an advertisement in the yellow pages offering myself as a private investigator.
Regular checks of my answering machine gave me nothing. After a few weeks, a strapping Scot named Gordon volunteered to be my first employee. Amazingly he found me a client, begining my investigative efforts with a whimper. From then, he maintained my business with his stalward efforts.
.. (Read more) Several years ago, lacking empathy for ego-driven bosses, I decided I would be best off self employed. I thought long and hard about what a qualified CPA might do in a world that didn't involve bean counting. After due consideration I concluded that the only thing with growth potential was 'white collar crime'. I felt suitably qualified to deal with this, having worked for many years in an industry where almost everyone was one sort of crook or another.
So, to begin my makeover and after limited market research, I opened a small office. At the same time, despite lacking the financial resources to toss in my day job, I put an advertisement in the yellow pages offering myself as a private investigator.
Regular checks of my answering machine gave me nothing. After a few weeks, a strapping Scot named Gordon volunteered to be my first employee. Amazingly he found me a client, begining my investigative efforts with a whimper. From then, he maintained my business with his stalward efforts.
My next breakthrough, a change to the world of travel insurance fraud, was driven by my desperate need to escape corporate life. My searches for petty criminals, scammers and con artists inspired me to write about these shady characters who thought they could pull off the perfect crime. Some did, most didn't.
Along the way I discovered that half a million Aussies leave our shores each month, taking with them a complete ignorance of travel insurance. After investigating hundreds of claims I estimate that less than five percent were totally free of fraud, one quarter were totally fraudulent, half were severely padded and the remainder were only slightly exaggerated. Some defences of these claims may be useful to a reader planning a scam. Most stories are humorous.
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Tags

crime, travel, insurance, fraud, humour, terrorists, investigations, fun read, policies, detection, travellers, crooks, travelling, dangerous, expose, luggage, investigator claims, travel insured

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Reviews

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Review by: Leah Jeffries on Feb. 19, 2013 :
Very enjoyable read. I call it a cross between a Bill Bryson and a crime novel, only neither. If you like a good yarn and a good laugh then you'll like this.
(reviewed long after purchase)

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