RECAP: 2015 ACFE Canadian Fraud Conference

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GUEST BLOGGER

Allan Bachman, CFE
ACFE Education Manager

Upon arriving for the first time in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, I was enchanted by the friendly and walkable city, as well as the pleasant weather. The 2015 ACFE Canadian Fraud Conference kicked off Sunday, August 30, with a Pre-Conference session led by ACFE faculty member Bethmara Kessler, CFE, CISA. The well-received session on building a culture of fraud prevention and detection discussed how companies can imbed anti-fraud approaches into the very culture of their organization, including approaches as to how to achieve that goal.

ACFE President and CEO Jim Ratley played to his strengths in Monday’s opening General Session and discussed aspects of interviewing techniques backed by video examples of how to interview witnesses and suspects in a fraud examination. Lynn Danis from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre discussed her organization and how they work with their call center and law enforcement throughout Canada to assist those in need of help with suspected fraud.

Tuesday morning was kicked off by best-selling author and editor Diane Francis, who holds dual citizenship in both Canada and the U.S. Francis was outspoken about her journalistic fraud experiences in both countries and shared the clear and present dangers facing fraud examiners in the world today. Deloitte’s Philip Fodchuk spoke during lunch on the current cyberthreats facing organizations, where they are coming and what can be done to prepare for them. He focused on developing an internal mechanism whereby companies can react quickly when a breach occurs and respond. A large part of his message was that it was too late for prevention.

Wednesday’s half-day session kicked off with keynote Paul Garside, CFE,  former RCMP officer, who spoke on investigations and financial crimes and Michel Juneau-Katsuya. Juneau-Katsuya gave an engaging and lively analysis of the current state of corporate espionage, which was very enlightening.

Among the new group breakout speakers who stood out this year were Simon Padgett’s “Profiling the Fraudster,” Brigeeta Richdale’s presentation on ethics and Keith Elliott’s session on using social media for surveillance. 

How Will You Get Involved in International Fraud Awareness Week?

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GUEST BLOGGER

Scott Patterson
ACFE Public Relations Specialist

Years ago, the ACFE’s grassroots fraud awareness campaign, International Fraud Awareness Week, was held during our Annual Fraud Conference and Exhibition. In 2006, I remember seeing hundreds of conference attendees sporting “I’m a Fraud Fighter!” stickers and grabbing literature to take back to their companies, clients and chapters to help spread the word. Over time, though, we realized that Fraud Week (for short) deserved its own spotlight. The next year, Fraud Week was moved to November, and the movement really took off, with hundreds of organizations partnering with the ACFE to support the effort.

Since then, Wal-Mart, USAA, Coca-Cola and Deloitte are just a few of the businesses that have signed on as official partners for this important campaign, in addition to government agencies including the Secret Service, U.S. Dept. of Justice and the U.S. Dept. of Labor. The best thing about International Fraud Awareness Week, though, is that any organization can get involved – it doesn’t cost anything to sign up, and the ACFE shares resources with all of the official supporters to help them in their anti-fraud activities. Every year on FraudWeek.com we post downloadable resources, including the Fraud Prevention Check-up, Fraud IQ Quiz and educational presentations focused on fraud prevention and detection.

This year, International Fraud Awareness Week is Nov. 6-12. I encourage you to get your company involved, and take the initiative to make an impact during the week, whether by hosting fraud awareness training for your employees and/or the community, conducting employee surveys to assess levels of fraud awareness within your organization, posting articles on your website and newsletters and/or teaming with local media to highlight the problem of fraud.

The problem is an urgent one, as fraud schemes are extremely costly:

  • The median loss caused by the occupational fraud cases studied in the ACFE’s 2010 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse.
  • Schemes can continue for months or even years before they are detected, lasting a median of 18 months before being caught.
  • Small businesses are especially vulnerable to occupational fraud. These organizations are typically lacking in anti-fraud controls compared to their larger counterparts.
  • Occupational frauds are much more likely to be detected by tips than by any other means. This finding reinforces the need for promoting awareness to foster an informed workforce.

Check out FraudWeek.com to learn more.

ACFE Kicks Off Weeklong Campaign to Promote Fraud Awareness

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The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, along with supporters like The Boeing Company, Deloitte and Dollar General, has officially kicked off International Fraud Awareness Week. Join the growing list of companies, organizations and individuals who have donated their time and resources to fighting fraud.

Still looking for a way to promote awareness this week? Download these ACFE resources to share with employees, colleagues, clients and the public:

Be sure to visit ACFE Insights tomorrow for more fraud resources!