Evidence over outrage
Every named entity is backed by primary documents — filings, receipts, screenshots, domain records, and on-the-record interviews. Our editorial standard is courtroom-grade, not click-driven.
Investigating fraud, one case file at a time.
We are an independent consumer-protection desk that documents scams, traces fraudulent operators, and publishes evidence-based case files so that consumers can recognize red flags before they become victims.
Our Origin
Founded in a public records room, not a boardroom.
Du Deceptions began in 2021 as a personal log of consumer complaints that nobody else seemed to be connecting. A retired forensic accountant and a cybercrime journalist pooled a decade of notes, court filings, and pattern data on fraudulent online retailers, investment schemes, and impersonation scams. The first case file — a multi-vendor gift card laundering ring — attracted more than 40,000 readers in its first week.
Today, the project is a small, fully independent desk. We do not accept paid placements, sponsored content, or takedown fees. Every case file is verified against primary sources: court records, WHOIS history, business filings, payment-processor complaints, and victim testimony. When we name a company or individual, we publish the evidence behind that name.
Mission & Values
Three commitments behind every case file we publish.
Fraud thrives in silence. Our role is to translate scattered complaints and technical evidence into a single, readable record that consumers, journalists, and regulators can actually use.
Independent by structure
We accept no payment from the operators we investigate, no referral fees from law firms, and no sponsored editorial. Operating costs are covered by reader memberships and grants.
Plain language, always
Fraudsters rely on jargon and confusion. We translate technical evidence into language a first-time reader can act on, in under five minutes, before they click "send."
Methodology
How a tip becomes a published case file.
Our four-stage review process is built to slow us down, not speed us up. A case file only goes live when it has cleared every gate.
STAGE 01
Intake & triage
Reader submissions, regulator feeds, and our own monitoring pool into a private tracker. A lead editor triages within 72 hours and assigns a confidence score.
STAGE 02
Source verification
We cross-check WHOIS, business filings, payment-processor complaints, court records, and at least two independent victim testimonies before drafting.
STAGE 03
Right of reply
Named parties receive a written summary of our findings and a 14-day window to respond. Their reply is published alongside the case file, in full.
STAGE 04
Public record & update
Case files are versioned, dated, and never silently edited. Corrections and new evidence are appended with a visible change log, so the record stays honest over time.
By the Numbers
Four years of independent investigation.
218
Published case files on active and closed investigations.
$42.6M
In documented consumer losses traced to verified schemes.
14,300+
Reader-submitted tips reviewed by our triage desk.
37
Enforcement actions cited from our case files since 2022.
The Desk
Investigators behind the case files.
A small core desk, supported by a rotating bench of forensic specialists, former prosecutors, and academic researchers. Biographies are kept current on each contributor's byline.
Mara Reinholt
Editor-in-Chief
Former cybercrime desk at a national daily. 14 years covering consumer fraud, with a focus on cross-border e-commerce schemes and payment-processor abuse.
CFAInvestigative Reporters & Editors
Daniel Okafor-Calhoun
Forensic Accountant
Retired forensic accountant with a 22-year career tracing shell-company structures, crypto on-ramps, and the financial plumbing behind consumer-facing scams.
CPACFEACFCS
Priya Tavaria
Legal Research Lead
Former assistant state attorney specializing in financial-crime prosecution. Leads our right-of-review process and coordinates with regulators on enforcement referrals.
JDFormer Prosecutor
Jonas Lindqvist
OSINT & Data Analyst
Builds the open-source tooling that powers our domain, hosting, and ad-network pattern detection. Publishes methodology notes alongside each technical case file.
MSc CybersecurityGOSINT
Reach the Desk
How to contact the editorial and research team.
We respond to every verified reporter, researcher, and consumer submission. For active scams in progress, contact your local consumer protection agency or law enforcement first.
Editorial & Tip Lines
General Inquiries
Submit a Tip
[email protected] · PGP key on the resources page
Press & Media
Office & Operations
Mailing Address
Du Deceptions Editorial Desk
PO Box 4187 · Public Records Wing
Cincinnati, OH 45202 · United States
PO Box 4187 · Public Records Wing
Cincinnati, OH 45202 · United States
Response Times
Tips: within 72 hours · Press: within 1 business day · Corrections: same-day acknowledgment
Standards & Ethics
Read our editorial standards and correction policy before submitting sensitive material.
Read the latest scam alerts before the next wave hits.
Our scam alerts desk publishes short, evidence-backed warnings on newly observed fraud patterns. No hype, no referral links — just the operational details consumers need to stay ahead of the next scheme.
Open Scam Alerts