ZZZZ Best
Candlefocus EditorMinkow and Padgett had set up a fake company, Interstate Appraisal, which they used to defraud banks and insurance companies. They also engaged in check kiting, which involved writing and cashing phony checks to manipulate a company's finances. Minkow also forged documents that made ZZZZ Best appear to be more financially sound than it actually was in order to raise millions of dollars in loans and investments.
The fraud was eventually discovered by an eagle-eyed insurance adjuster who noticed an incorrect overcharge of a few hundred dollars. She followed the paper trail, exposing the fraudulent nature of ZZZZ Best. The scandal sent shockwaves through the business world. In 1989, Minkow was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud and other offenses.
After serving 15 years of his sentence, Minkow was released on parole in 1995. He earned a college degree, became a pastor and television celebrity, and volunteered as an FBI consultant. But the police soon caught up with him. In 2011, Minkow was convicted of fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy again and was sentenced to five more years in prison.
As a result of the ZZZZ Best scandal, more stringent regulations have been put in place concerning financial disclosure and audit practices. The scandal also serves as a reminder of the lengths to which some people will go to commit fraud. Because of Minkow's scheme, investors and financial institutions have to be ever-vigilant in order to protect themselves from similar schemes.