Cybersecurity Expert Warns GDPR Could Create New Extortion Opportunities

Cybersecurity Expert Warns GDPR Could Create New Extortion Opportunities

Dr. Jessica Barker addressed hundreds of anti-fraud professionals yesterday at the 2018 ACFE Fraud Conference Europe and told them that a new weak point in organizations’ cybersecurity might stem from an unlikely source — General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance. “One of the speculations about what we will see with GDPR is more extortion around hacks,” she said.

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You Discovered Fraud — Now What?: A #fraudweekchat Recap

GUEST BLOGGER

Courtney Howell
ACFE Community Manager

This year during International Fraud Awareness Week, we hosted our first ever Twitter chat with the topic “You discovered fraud — now what?” Participants shared excellent advice on what to do if you or someone you know discovers a potential fraud. A few discussion contributors even shared real-life experiences they have learned from.

Read on to discover some of the top insights shared during the chat, and be sure to follow us on Twitter!

See all the responses to Q6 here. 

Thank you so much to everyone who participated, liked and shared our #fraudweekchat tweets. If you’re interested in seeing more Twitter chats hosted by the ACFE, please let us know in the comments or, of course, you can always tweet at us.

Resources You May Have Missed During Fraud Week 2017

Shared by KPMG India on Twitter

Shared by KPMG India on Twitter

AUTHOR'S POST

Mandy Moody, CFE
ACFE Content Manager

The ACFE would like to thank all International Fraud Awareness Week Official Supporters, supporting media, bloggers, tweeters and social media posters for their amazing participation in Fraud Week.

We would also like to thank our Fraud Week Ambassadors this year: Abu Dhabi Accountability Authority, Loomis, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Virgin Media, Calpine, Magellan Health, Voya Financial, UAE Banks Federation, Maersk, Kenaga, Mashreq Bank, Oman Insurance Company, Orange, Standard Chartered and Millicom. The success of Fraud Week could not have happened without all of these dedicated people working together around the globe to spread the message that fraud can be prevented and detected.

Even with the many articles and resources shared, you might not have seen all that was done to highlight fraud detection and prevention. Here are some Fraud Week highlights you might have missed:

  • Video - Fraud Week video, Cerebra CPAs and Advisory, Turkey
  • Instagram Graphic - Password Tip Instagram post, 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union, Alberta, Canada
  • Phishing Explainer Photos - Sun Coast Credit Union, Florida, U.S.
  • E-Book - Are your fraud operations ready for digital banking fraud? NetGuardians, Switzerland
  • Article - Best practices for stopping contract and procurement fraud, SAS, U.S.
  • Events - Check out all of the events, from Facebook Live sessions to workouts, that happened all over the world this week, ACFE

Remember, fraud awareness doesn't begin and end with Fraud Week. It is a year-round effort being supported by fraud examiners all over the world. Thank you all again, and we look forward to next year’s event!

CFEs Share Their Most Memorable Fraud Cases

AUTHOR'S POST

Mandy Moody, CFE
ACFE Content Manager

According the the ACFE's latest Benchmarking Report for in-house investigation teams, the majority of fraud investigation teams (60%) take one month to close a case. But, as we all know, each case is different. Some can take six weeks to close and some can take six years. For this year's International Fraud Awareness Week, happening this week, we wanted to share a few of your colleagues most memorable cases. Let us celebrate the hard work and time you put in to each and every case you work on, and hear about why some cases will never be forgotten.

“Usually our audits are done after end of year. There was one occasion, however, where we undertook a real-time audit during a national emergency and exposed high levels of fraud and misappropriation of assets. The report was widely publicized and led to parliamentary scrutiny, which was aired live on national television for the first time in our history. In an unprecedented move, high-ranking public servants were suspended without pay for six months and recoveries of monies lost in taxes and undelivered goods were recovered.”

- Adama Renner, CFE, FCA, Deputy Audit General, Audit Service, Sierra Leone

“I’d say the one that I was most proud of was a simple travel and expense case. The company asked us for help on an investigation into an executive assistant (EA) who was using the bosses’ (there were multiple that this EA worked for) credit cards in a fraudulent manner — purchasing personal items, taking trips with friends, that type of thing. All in all it was a straightforward case, but what I was so proud of was when we finished going through all the supporting documentation, it was handed over to the general counsel, who in turn gave it to the police. When we got an update on what happened, we were told the police thanked them for wrapping it up in a nice little bow because it made the prosecution extremely easy. I guess it’s the simple things in life sometimes!”

- Michael D’Alessandro, CFE, CPA, Corporate Risk and Compliance Manager, Sony Corporation of America  

“After moving to London in 2005, I worked at the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, an intergovernmental organization. It provides technical assistance in the promotion of the rule of law and good governance with a focus on sharing best practices and capacity building. I oversaw the organization of international anti-corruption and counter-terrorism conferences and training sessions in London, Jamaica and Malaysia. This entailed close collaboration with a highly diverse range of subject matter experts, including those at Scotland Yard, as well as government officials, criminal law experts and policy researchers in various nations. We worked towards very tight deadlines across three time zones, two of which were at the opposing ends of the globe. It was equally challenging, thrilling and rewarding. Germany is not a member of the Commonwealth, which meant I could only hold a temporary position (and was the only German), but having the opportunity to work with those high-caliber passionate fraud fighters and senior lawyers was deeply inspiring and presented a lasting influence.”

- Britta Bohlinger, CFE, MA, BSc, Founding Director, RisikoKlár

Find more stories like these, as well as free videos, infographics and more at FraudWeek.com.

5 Ways to Connect with Other Fraud Fighters on Social Media During Fraud Week 2017

GUEST BLOGGER

Sarah Hofmann
ACFE Public Information Officer

One of the great things about International Fraud Awareness Week, beginning next week, is seeing how it brings fraud fighters together as they spread fraud awareness in their communities. In that spirit, we want to connect with each one of you on social media this Fraud Week. Here are some of the ways you can connect with us and your peers during this week of fraud awareness:

  1. Answer new trivia questions every day — We will be posting a new trivia question Monday-Friday on the ACFE’s Facebook page and Instagram account. Challenge your peers and see who can be the first one to comment and guess the correct answer! The answer to each question will be shared later in the day.
  2. Join the ACFE’s first Fraud Week Twitter chatJoin us on Tuesday, November 14, at 11 a.m. CST to participate in our first-ever Fraud Week Twitter chat. Our topic is “You discovered fraud — now what?” and we want to hear your best tips and methods for handling a fraud once it’s discovered. Learn how to participate.
  3. Share the latest resources — We’re adding a new video to our sharable videos library on how fraudsters launder money. This basic primer is perfect to share on your Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts so you can educate your clients, friends and family on how embezzled money is cleaned by fraudsters. We will also share a new podcast on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) and posting a new blog.
  4. Tell your peers what you’re doing in the ACFE’s members-only community — We will be checking in with how your Fraud Week efforts are going all week in the ACFE community. Share tips and ideas for spreading fraud awareness with your ACFE peers. You may even get inspired to adopt a new approach for next year!
  5. Tag all your #fraudweek posts with the official hashtag — We will be retweeting, reposting and sharing everything supporters are doing during the week on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The easiest way for us to find your great posts is for you to add the #fraudweek hashtag or tag the ACFE’s account in your post.

For more ideas on what supporters are doing for Fraud Week, check out the Fraud Week events page. We look forward to seeing and sharing all the great things supporters like you are doing during this week, and encourage you to connect and engage with other anti-fraud professionals!