Some fields work in theory but not in practice. Some fields work in practice but not theory.
The uniqueness of economics is that it works in neither theory nor practice.
Our textbook `An Introduction to Ergodicity Economics' has a section called `Fraud detection.'
Ch. 10.3.4, p. 184.
It provides a systematic quantitative method for detecting Madoff-like Ponzi schemes.
This may be of interested to @SECGov, @TheFCA.