RECAP: Fraud Week's Top Free Resources

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AUTHOR'S POST

Mandy Moody
ACFE Content Manager

I can't even begin to describe the amount of International Fraud Awareness Week activity we have seen on social media this year. I guess that was my way of beginning to describe the amount of activity we saw. With more than 10 million impressions on Twitter and numerous infographics and blog posts, this year's reach has surpassed previous years by millions. 

So, I am left with two tiny words to express the overwhelming sense of support you have all spread over the last five days. Thank you. Thank you to the individuals creating one-page documents. Thank you to the organizations officially supporting the cause. And, thank you to the many people who came together from different industries to host events. 

Here are just a few of the resources I caught this week that I hope you can use in your own efforts moving forward:

Again, thank you to everyone that participated in Fraud Week this year. There are so many more resources than the ones I highlighted above, so take some time and search for #FraudWeek on Twitter and Facebook. We will meet again in 2017!

Where Will Data Analytics Take Us Next?

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GUEST BLOGGER

Gerry Zack, ACFE Regent, CFE, CIA, CPA, CCEP
Zack, P.C.
Rockville, Md.

It seems like only yesterday that searching for dupes was considered to be sophisticated data mining! Oh, how the times have changed, and continue to change. Data analytics to detect fraud is an exciting field and one that is developing rapidly. (We even added an entire Data Analytics track at the upcoming 25th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 15-20, 2014). According to a recent EY survey, 72 percent of executives surveyed believe big data can play a key role in fraud detection and prevention, but only 26 percent said their organization deploy forensic analytics, despite their interest in doing so. Those numbers show a big gap fraud fighters are hoping to close in the coming years. I am excited to have the opportunity to help close this gap by moderating a panel, “Where Will Data Analytics Take Us Next?” at the ACFE Global Fraud Conference. 

In addition to fielding questions from the audience, I hope to explore several issues with our panel of experts, such as:

  • What are some recent data analytic developments that are particularly useful to fraud detection that many of us might not be aware of?
  • What are some of the most helpful software solutions currently in development that we can expect to see available in the near future?
  • What future data analysis capability are you most interested to see a solution developed to address?
  • Big data doesn’t necessarily mean good or useful data. With so much potential data to mine and analyze, where should an organization begin the process of deciding what and where to mine without getting lost in forest of big data?
  • What are the most common mistakes that are made when an organization first embarks on a data analytics strategy?
  • How does one best address the issue of data ownership in an organization, such as when one department or group closely guards information they have developed?
  • How do data analytics needs and applications for fraud investigators differ from those of people who mine for signs of red flags on a regular basis?

These are just a few areas I’d like to see covered, but I’m sure you will have many other great questions to pose to our panel. This promises to be a fast-paced and exciting session that will be a great culmination to the conference, providing you with that one final opportunity for valuable take-aways. I also encourage you to stop by the conference's first-ever Data Analytics Showcase to meet with some of the industry's leading data analytics software providers.

I look forward to seeing you in San Antonio.