Review: Spam Nation Provides Detailed, Practical Workings of Cyberfrauds

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Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cyber Crime

The ACFE Bookstore offers hundreds of resources including books and manuals, self-study CPE courses, the CFE Exam Prep Course, merchandise and more. In this interview, Dick Carozza, CFE, editor-in-chief of Fraud Magazine, offers his suggestion on one must-have resource to help you in your fight against fraud.

What is your professional background and current role at the ACFE?
My background is in journalism. I’ve worked as an editor and writer for several newspapers and magazines. I’ve been editor-in-chief of the ACFE publication, Fraud Magazine, since we developed it into a four-color magazine in 1995.

Why would CFEs be interested in the new book, Spam Nation?
Brian Krebs, the author of KrebsOnSecurity.com, is a noted cybersecurity expert and a former Washington Post reporter. (He’ll be a keynoter at the upcoming 26th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference and will receive the ACFE’s Guardian Award.) He broke the story that credit and debit card accounts stolen in a massive data breach at Target had been flooding underground black markets. Krebs also discovered breaches at Home Depot, Neiman Marcus and others. Because of his deep contacts in the financial sector and the shadowy cybercrime world, he’s able to provide detailed, practical workings of some of the largest global cyberfrauds. Early detection equals prevention. (Read the cover article for the March/April 2015 issue of Fraud Magazine.)

How is the information in this product useful for CFEs in their professional roles?
CFE’s clients, employers, family members and friends look to them to help deter fraud in their lives and organizations. The detailed information Krebs provides — including the prevention tips — will help us keep our personally identifiable information intact and prevent organizational data breaches. And the book is a great read. Krebs writes about the machinations of cybercrime rings and his travels to Russia to interview some of the colorful, complex fraudsters who spew spam around the world that enables identity theft. Edge-of-your seat copy!

Order your copy of Spam Nation today on ACFE.com.