What an FBI Section Chief Has Learned Investigating Virtual Currencies

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What an FBI Section Chief Has Learned Investigating Virtual Currencies

At this year’s virtual 2021 ACFE Government Anti-Fraud Summit, attendees walked away with a wealth of knowledge on fighting fraud in law enforcement and government agencies. The opening keynote address was given by Aaron Tapp, section chief of the financial crimes section of the FBI. Tapp’s position grants him the unique ability to oversee all of the FBI’s financial crimes programs — and his past experience as a special agent connected him with agents around the globe to detect, disrupt and prosecute those who fund terrorism.

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Experts to Discuss Emerging Technology, Ethical Decision Making, Burnout and More at Canadian Anti-Fraud Conference

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Experts to Discuss Emerging Technology, Ethical Decision Making, Burnout and More at Canadian Anti-Fraud Conference

Hundreds of anti-fraud professionals will hear from director and CEO of FINTRAC Sarah Paquet, tech journalist Takara Small, Gold AE whistleblower Andre Gauthier and more at the virtual 2021 ACFE Fraud Conference Canada, November 7-10.

One of the speakers, Garth Sheriff, CPA, CA, CIA, will discuss the pivotal role psychological safety plays in preventing fraud in organizations. Sheriff, the founder of Sheriff Consulting, told the ACFE that employees need to have psychological safety in order to maintain an ethical culture. “Psychological safety is a shared belief that a team and organization are safe for interpersonal risk-taking,” Sheriff said. “There are numerous examples … in which pervasive low psychological safety within an organization can cause an individual's ethical decision-making system, or that provided by their profession, to retreat in fear.”

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What We Can Learn From the Wirecard Whistleblower

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What We Can Learn From the Wirecard Whistleblower

The Wirecard scandal was one of Germany’s biggest accounting frauds, and many anti-fraud professionals followed the saga of its crash with baited breath. It makes sense, then, that virtual attendees of the ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific eagerly attended the conversation between Pav Gill, a lawyer best known as the Wirecard whistleblower, and Stefania Palma, a Financial Times Singapore correspondent who helped Gill break the story.

Wirecard, a German payment processor and financial services provider, crashed in 2020 after admitting to a €1.9 billion misrepresentation of funds. While the fraud rocked the fintech world at large, it also forever altered the life of Gill and his former colleagues. Given his significant role in the company’s downfall, Gill offered valuable insight during his conversation with Palma, which offered a platform for him to share his story and to address the lessons learned.

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An Introduction Into Australian Standard 8001:2021

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An Introduction Into Australian Standard 8001:2021

Roger Darvall-Stevens took the virtual stage at this year’s ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific in late September to discuss Australia’s recent updates to their fraud and corruption control standards. As the national head of fraud & forensic services for RSM Australia, Darvall-Stevens provided an elucidating introduction to Australian Standard 8001:2021, which provides a foundation for fraud and corruption control, prevention, detection and response.

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Wirecard Whistleblower Encourages Governments to Create Independent Whistleblowing Bodies

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Wirecard Whistleblower Encourages Governments to Create Independent Whistleblowing Bodies

Pav Gill, a former Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance lawyer, is best known for being the whistleblower who exposed Wirecard — one of Europe's greatest financial scandals. He will join other whistleblowers and leaders in the anti-fraud field as a keynote speaker for the virtual 2021 ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific, 22-24 September.

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Beyond Picture Perfect Diversity: How to Create a Sense of Inclusion

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Beyond Picture Perfect Diversity: How to Create a Sense of Inclusion

Dima Ghawi began her session at the 32nd Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference with a question for virtual attendees: “Why do you believe talking about DEI is important?” While she waited for responses to filter through the chat, she shared a story about her friend whose personal and professional life suffered when he felt like he had to hide part of his identity. Afraid to inform his workplace of his sexual orientation because he felt the community would no longer accept him, Ghawi’s friend started drinking heavily as a coping mechanism, which affected the way he performed at work. To summarize her story, Ghawi stated, “It affects all of us when we are being discriminated…emotionally, physically and at a genetic level.” Therein lies the answer to her opening question.

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Advice From the C-Suite — “Stay Skeptical”

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Advice From the C-Suite — “Stay Skeptical”

Fraud examiners understand that investing in fraud prevention and deterrence, along with resources to help investigate fraud, is pivotal for organizations of any size. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, fraudsters pounced on new opportunities created by the changing economic and working environment. However, along with an increase in fraud, many anti-fraud professionals saw their organizations cutting back on budget during this time due to the shifting economy. If convincing their C-suite to invest in anti-fraud resources was difficult before, the pandemic likely made that task even more challenging.

So what trends and areas of concern are executive-level anti-fraud professionals seeing today? In the panel discussion, “The C-Suite's View on Fraud,” at the 32nd Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, the participants offered a glimpse into their day-to-day lives as they balanced larger organizational business objectives during a time of international crisis while keeping an eye to the future for preventing fraud.

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