ACFE Wraps Up Seminars in Asia-Pacific Region

AUTHOR'S POST

Mandy Moody, CFE
ACFE Social Media Specialist

Donald Cressey’s Fraud Triangle is not a concept that only applies to one gender, culture or country. Whether you are investigating fraud in Bangkok or Belfast, pressure, opportunity and rationalization are three universal factors that know no regional boundaries. Just as these motives are universal, so are the training and skills needed to fight them.

In April the ACFE was proud to host seminars in Shanghai, Jakarta and Melbourne in an effort to offer more anti-fraud training and education in the Asia-Pacific region. With a diverse group of anti-fraud professionals in attendance at each course, the enthusiasm and need for education regarding internal fraud and investigations, as well as fraud risk management, were apparent.

“The fraud schemes themselves are universal – there seem to be very few differences in the schemes from one part of the world to another,” ACFE Faculty Member Gerry Zack, CFE, CPA, CIA and President of Zack, P.C. said. “When I was asked to teach these courses, I expected to really enjoy meeting anti-fraud professionals from all over the world and hearing their stories. And I was not disappointed.”

Zack traveled first to Shanghai, China, April 15-16 to teach the two-day Auditing for Internal Fraud. The fraud fighters assembled there explored the challenges auditors face when identifying fraud and learned about the common schemes, detection techniques and methods of preventing occupational fraud. He then taught Conducting Internal Investigations in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 18-19 and wrapped up in Melbourne, Australia, April 22-23 with Fraud Risk Management.

Lim Kurniawan, CFE, is the Managing Director at Awesome Consulting in Jakarta. He knew of Zack before attending the Conducting Internal Investigations course because he bought the book, Fair Value Accounting Fraud, written by Zack. In the book, Zack highlights the risks of the International Financial Reporting Standard, a standard that is adopted as a local accounting principle in Indonesia. Kurniawan and Zack not only share the challenges of implementing global standards, but they also experience the same successes and trials during the interviewing process.

Kurniawan plans to use the lessons from a simulation Zack used in the course to help clients interview witnesses. “The skills taught in this course were practical, which I believe to be very applicable,” Kurniawan said. “Gerry offered specific examples from his own life, not fictitious ones. It was such an honor for Indonesia to be visited by an amazing international speaker. I hope in the future such a richly rewarding course could be attended by more people, thus Indonesia could be more blessed in this way.” 

Read more about the seminars in the ACFE's latest Global Spotlight.

Upcoming ACFE Courses in Vancouver, Shanghai, Jakarta and Melbourne

AUTHOR’S POST

Mandy Moody, CFE
ACFE Social Media Specialist

Every country has its Enron. Or, I guess I should say its Olympus, its HSBC, its Caterpillar. The list could go on and on. Financial schemes morph, and the numbers get manipulated this way and that, but a few things remain the same. A fraud is perpetrated. The whole truth isn’t told. And, in the end, money, along with integrity, is lost.

Luckily, just as fraud knows no boundaries or borders, neither do fraud prevention and detection. For every Bernie Madoff, there are a hundred anti-fraud professionals dedicated to stopping fraud before it happens, investigating it to recover losses or helping to serve justice and restore balance. With the task of righting the financial and white-collar wrongs of the world, fraud fighters need a variety of skills. From interviewing to risk management, the tools of a fraud examiner are varied and unique.

With the goal of serving those who fight fraud worldwide, we are excited to announce a few new 2013 locations for some of our most popular courses. Below is a list of where you can find ACFE seminars around the world in the coming months:

Supporting International Chapters

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

James D. Ratley, CFE
ACFE President and CEO

At the end of October and beginning of November, I spent a whirlwind two weeks attending our Asia-Pac Conference in Singapore and meeting with our chapters in Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Mexico City. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know many of you and learning about your unique fraud-related issues.

Everywhere I went I met extremely gracious people who did everything they could for us. My job was to listen carefully to their suggestions for improving our services.

The first stop was to vibrant and beautiful Singapore — my first visit and also the first time the city has hosted our 2011 Asia-Pacific Fraud Conference (formerly known as the ACFE Pacific-Rim Fraud Conference). Nearly 200 attendees networked and attended workshops and panel discussions. 

I enjoyed meeting Gatot Trihargo, CFE, president of the Indonesia Chapter (established in 2002), who provided the same generous hospitality I encountered with other chapters. He was appreciative of the ACFE’s effort to send me there. I presented to nearly 80 members and public- and private-sector guests.

"Chapter activity has become very intense since 2010, by us conducting monthly discussions/workshops for the members and other practitioners," Trihargo said. "The chapter also successfully conducted two annual congresses and seminars in 2010 and 2011, which gathered more than 200 participants for each session, with both domestic and international speakers."

After Jakarta, I jetted off to Hong Kong, with its exotic mix of the old and new. "We’re excited that the ACFE is turning its attention to Asia," said Hong Kong chapter president Penny Sui-Ping Fung, CFE. "Jim’s visit to Hong Kong no doubt has helped to reinforce this message and reminded people of the role of professional fraud examiners in a robust and sustainable economy."

Read the full Letter From the President on Fraud-Magazine.com.