This story is a good reminder that fraud can occur in unlikely and unexpected circumstances.
Even with my background as a Certified Fraud Examiner, I am still surprised by the wide variety of fraud cases and different techniques used by fraudsters.
Fortunately, the expertise exists to uncover many frauds. Great job by the University of Utah's use of forensics to detect this fraud!
Every year, the calm waters of Lake Powell, teeming with bass, catfish and walleye in Southern Utah, draw dozens of anglers who try their hand at fishing contests awarding thousands of dollars. But for almost two years, scandal disturbed the peace. In October 2018, at least two suspicious fish caught the attention of the state, leading to a lengthy investigation, analysis by a university lab and, finally, felony charges against two fishermen accused of trying to cheat their way to first place. The wildlife resources division had the bass tested at a University of Utah lab. Researchers were able to determine where the fish had originated by comparing the amount of strontium isotopes found naturally in the lakes to the strontium isotopes in an otolith, a particular part of a fish’s ear.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/sports/bass-fishing-cheating.html?searchResultPosition=1
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