News and analysis on the global fight against fraud
This new update to the CFE Exam Prep Course makes studying for your CFE Exam an easier process with integrated lessons and Knowledge Checks to ensure you are gaining the most from your study time.
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GUEST BLOGGERJohn Gill, J.D., CFE
ACFE Vice President of Education
Last week, Bruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, CPA and ACFE Program Director, and I had the great pleasure of flying to Singapore to teach the first CFE Exam Review Course outside the U.S. Although Bruce and I have taught the U.S. version of the course many times, this was the first time we taught the international version for the public.
The reception we received could not have been warmer. Everyone in the class was so nice, and they were so excited that we held the first international class in the Asia-Pacific region. We met people from Singapore, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia and even Kenya! It was really exciting to have such an international crowd.
As I mentioned, I teach about a dozen classes in the U.S. each year, and I travel from Las Vegas to New York City to Los Angeles to teach the Review Course. What struck me the most last week was not how much the Singapore class was different from the courses I teach in the States, but how much it was exactly the same. It really hit home to me that ACFE members have a strong bond that knows no borders. It doesn’t matter where we are located, how much experience we have or even what industry we work in. We all share the same passion: to understand how fraud is committed and do everything we can to find those responsible. The dedication to fighting fraud I saw in each person was very inspiring.
I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to meet them (even though it took me 25 hours to get there!) and I am proud to be a part of such a truly global association.
Pictured: Krishnamah Sanmugam just after she found out she passed the first part of the CFE Exam. View more photos from the event on our Facebook page.
GUEST BLOGGERBruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, CPA
ACFE VP and Program Director
Culturally, we are all very different. But for those of us who wake up every morning determined to decrease fraud worldwide, we are all on the same page. At times, I get so caught up in my own surroundings here in Austin that I forget about the vibrant and complex rest of the world happening just a few plane rides away. Recently, though, I was fortunate enough to lead an ACFE training in Asia, and while I was there I couldn’t help but reflect on the phrase we often toss around here: “Fraud truly knows no boundaries.”
In one particular country I visited, I spoke to one of our members working in the banking industry. He told me of a substantial fraud that took place in one of his company’s branches. Apparently, it was common for fraudsters to bring in “authentic” signatures on lending paperwork and for those documents to be accepted by the branch director without question.
What was unnerving to me was the laissez faire attitude about fraud as it related to those involved in the scheme. It was seen as accepted and part of the daily routine of doing business. Despite the adoption and enforcement of anti-fraud legislation around the globe, it is sad that there are still areas in which fraud is an accepted form of behavior. But, at the same time, it made me proud to be part of a 60,000-member worldwide team dedicated to making a change.
I will be traveling to Asia again next month to help teach our popular CFE Exam Review Course for the first time in Singapore. We are excited to bring this course to the Asia-Pacific area not only to provide training for those seeking to become CFEs, but in a much larger sense, to increase fraud awareness and continue the mission of bringing about a paradigm shift in attitudes towards anti-fraud programs to those who have yet to fully embrace them.
Until next time…
Kevin Taparauskas, CFE
ACFE Director of Marketing and Events
#3: Expand International Growth Efforts to New Regions
The first-ever ACFE Asia-Pacific Fraud Conference, held last October in Singapore, was a great success, with more than 200 attendees representing 23 countries. I had the pleasure of attending this eye-opening event in a part of the world where the ACFE is quickly growing. I knew we had loyal members in the region, but I was honored to witness the enthusiasm of our attendees and their dedication to truly growing the profession. I now understand why we have expanded so rapidly in the region for the last several years.
With members in more than 150 countries, the ACFE is truly an international association. However, certain regions have a much stronger foothold of CFEs and anti-fraud professionals than others. This discrepancy is changing, and the ACFE is committed to building a strong presence throughout the world.
The ACFE intends to fully support and help facilitate ongoing growth. I announced to attendees at the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Conference that the ACFE would hold our first CFE Exam Review Course in Singapore, March 26-29. We are also currently working on a regional call center based in Singapore that will greatly improve support for all of our members in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. In addition, we are committed to returning to the region for additional training seminars and the second ACFE Asia Pacific Conference in late 2012. We hope to emulate this in cities and countries all over the world, and we are excited to take these next steps.
With the global nature of fraud in business today, it is essential for the ACFE to have an international presence in every country in the world. The diverse representation of fraud-fighters we see in membership is also evident in our social media groups. This week, we reached 10,000 members in our LinkedIn discussion group, an invaluable resource for members from all over the globe to connect and learn from one another.
We hope our global network of anti-fraud professionals will benefit you no matter where you live and work, and that our global reach can also be one of the tools you use on your next case.
GUEST BLOGGERBruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, CPA, CVA
ACFE Program Director
Many, if not all, of us have taken a test or two in our lifetime. We go to a class, take notes, mentally prepare, study and ultimately sit down to proclaim to the world what we know about a particular subject. For those who have taken, or are about to take, the CFE Exam, the process is no different.
One of the joys of instructing the CFE Exam Review Course live is having the opportunity to watch the incredible reaction of people when they learn they have passed the CFE Exam and earned their CFE credential. I routinely get a big hug, a high five and even the occasional fist bump from people who have just passed: rewards you can’t quantify.
I was in Orlando recently, and we began a new process of allowing attendees to take single parts of the exam in written format nightly. It was amazing to see how many people took advantage of the opportunity. Being able to piecemeal parts over the week reduced the anxiety of the exam tenfold. The stress load going into what was “exam day” on Thursday is gone. What was once an ecstatic feeling at the end of the week became a nightly occurrence for attendees.
The CFE Exam Review Course, new and improved, gives more than just CPE credit at the end – it opens your eyes to a whole new world of fraud examination.
To find an upcoming CFE Exam Review Course in your area, go here.
Have you attended a Review Course or recently taken the CFE Exam? What was your experience like? Leave us your comments below.
News and analysis on the global fight against fraud.
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