It is sometimes possible to get a refund from the USPTO where it collects fees for services that are eventually not required or not performed. Unfortunately this does not seem to include refunds of International Search fees for PCT applications.
Anyway, a Ms Karen L. Parish succeeded in diverting these refunds into her personal bank accounts in a way that the USPTO thought they were refunded to customers.
She apparently succeeded in pocketing over half a million dollars over a 15 year period before getting caught.
For more details see: http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/woman_sentenced_for_embezzlement/47485/
