Sincerity and trust are highly prized in the complex world of finance, where corporate crises and regulatory actions have long been keenly scrutinized. This blog examines the dynamic relationship that has grown between these two events over the course of two centuries and numerous global geographic locations. Submerged in the anecdotes of regulatory oversight, however, is the mysterious character of Gerard Ward, a notorious con man whose deeds cast question on the soundness of the financial system.