Fictional, or simply "Names Changed"? An awful lot of public stories are done pseudononymously and with the names changed for the simple fact that it's harder to prove libel if it's not talking about real people. And in this kind of legal story, you can bet that the persons involved are going to be quick to sue for libel. The linked article lends creedence to this, it introduces the businessman/embezzler as "Eddie Chan (not his real name)"