

Bribe, Swindle or Steal
Alexandra Wrage
Alexandra Wrage, president of TRACE, interviews luminaries in the field of financial crime, including bribery, fraud, money-laundering, insider trading and sanctions. Each week, Alexandra and her guests will discuss who commits “white collar crime”, how it works and what is being done to stop it.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 23, 2025 • 27min
Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World
Author, academic and former compliance professional, Alison Taylor joins the podcast to talk about her compelling book, "Higher Ground". She describes the contradictions inherent in companies that talk about “doing well by doing good” and explains why corporate reputation management can’t be an end in itself and how trying to do less can be the best strategy. “You don’t have to join every conversation”. This episode was originally published on 14 February 2024.

Jul 9, 2025 • 20min
Diana Henriques on Reputation Laundering
Diana Henriques, award-winning journalist and author, discusses the traits of fraudsters and the menace of reputation laundering. This episode was originally published on 3 August 2024.

Jun 25, 2025 • 17min
Promoting Facts and Countering Disinformation
Melissa Goldin, news verification reporter, discusses debunking fake news. Topics include motivations for spreading misinformation, challenges of debunking false narratives, and tips for identifying sources of fake news.

Jun 18, 2025 • 25min
Encouraging and Protecting Whistleblowers
This week, we’re listening in on Alexandra Wrage’s keynote presentation at a Whistleblowers and Public Integrity conference hosted by the Vancouver Anti-Corruption Institute (VACI). She addresses the incredible personal price that whistleblowers pay when they’re driven to expose misconduct, explores how we can begin to shift the tone of the discussion around reporting and notes how difficult it is to uncover financial crime without whistleblowers. This episode was originally published on 16 November 2022.

Jun 4, 2025 • 20min
Daphne Caruana Galizia: Her Work, Her Murder and the Chance for Justice
Paul Caruana Galizia, an investigative journalist at the Financial Times and Author of “A Death in Malta”, joins the podcast to talk about the work of his mother, Daphne, the growing danger she perceived as her investigations reached the highest circles of power in Malta, and now the criminal proceedings against the two men who killed her. Paul also discusses the Daphne Foundation and the incredible journalistic community that worked together, again, to prove that killing a journalist won’t kill their story. This episode was originally published on 12 October 2022.

May 28, 2025 • 33min
Collaborative Investigative Journalism Without Borders
At the TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting award ceremony last month, former prosecutor and National Observer columnist Sandy Garossino led a conversation with ICIJ’s Spencer Woodman, Bellingcat’s Aric Toler, and 2022 Prize winners Hans Peterson Hammer of Göteborgs-Posten and Lilia Saúl Rodriguez of the OCCRP. They discuss the evolution, impact and future of cross-border collaborative investigative journalism. This episode was originally published on 20 July 2022.

7 snips
May 14, 2025 • 28min
Maria Ressa on Holding the Line
Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, a renowned journalist and co-founder of Rappler, dives deep into the fight against corruption and disinformation. She shares her personal struggles and insights on confronting authoritarianism, drawing parallels between the political landscape of the Philippines and today’s challenges with social media. Ressa discusses the double-edged sword of social media for journalism, the alarming spread of misinformation, and the critical need for collective action to uphold truth and integrity in the media.

May 7, 2025 • 17min
How Corruption Undermines Elections
Dr. Magnus Ohman of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) joins the podcast to discuss how corruption undermines free and fair elections. He discusses his recent publication "Vote for Free: A Global Guide for Citizen Monitoring of Campaign Finance," which provides an eight-step model for civil society organizations seeking to monitor campaign finance. This episode was originally published on 30 November 2022.

Apr 30, 2025 • 27min
Shattered Families, a Refugee Crisis and the United States’ Diminished Reputation as a Beacon to Newcomers
Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody describe with passion their work with the International Rescue Committee. They tell us what America as a haven means to them and mourn the news that 545 children separated from their parents on the US southern border cannot be restored to their parents. They conclude with a fervent appeal to Americans to turn out to vote in this election. This episode was originally published in October 2020.

Mar 12, 2025 • 25min
A Syrian-Libyan Human Smuggling Scheme
As Syria struggles to get on its feet after decades under the tyrannical father-son Assad regime, we're revisiting a story from 2024 when those desperate to leave Syria were preyed upon by a human smuggling ring. The story was brought to light by Mahmoud Elsobky, one of the two winners of the 2024 TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting. Originally posted on Jul. 10, 2024