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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Digital Innovation Expert Asks Fraud Fighters to Plan for the Next 50 Years of Technological Advancements

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Digital Innovation Expert Asks Fraud Fighters to Plan for the Next 50 Years of Technological Advancements

At the 2020 ACFE Fraud Conference Canada last week, Alex Benay, the Former Chief Information Officer of Canada and a Digital Innovation Expert and Partner at Digital Solutions, KMPG, had attendees engage in a thought experiment to imagine the world 50 years from now. According to Benay’s hypothesis, this kind of thinking is necessary for countries and businesses to reimagine themselves in our rapidly changing digital age.

To understand the scale of change we could witness in the future, Benay began by analyzing the past. Benay noted the dramatic shift in the economic production model that we’ve witnessed within the past 50 years. To illustrate this claim, he offered a list of firsts:

  • 50 years ago: the invention of the first 16-bit mini computer

  • 40 years ago: the first cassette player, making portable music a reality

  • 30 years ago: the first case of genetic engineering in humans

  • 20 years ago: the first Blackberry

  • 10 years ago: the first all-electric car

  • 5 years ago: the first bionic eye

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WADA Founder, Former CIO of Canada, Money Laundering Expert and More to Speak at Canadian Anti-Fraud Conference

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WADA Founder, Former CIO of Canada, Money Laundering Expert and More to Speak at Canadian Anti-Fraud Conference

The founder and former president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Dick Pound, has spent decades battling corruption and bribery within the International Olympic Committee. His experiences have made him passionate about rooting out any type of fraud, and he believes there are similarities between the high-stakes world of the Olympics and the international business world. “The win-at-all-costs syndrome produces the same kind of conduct in both scenarios,” he told the ACFE. “When things go international, the clash of cultures can exacerbate opportunities and expectations regarding corruption. International aspects make detection and enforcement more difficult.”

Pound will address more than 200 anti-fraud professionals at the virtual 2020 ACFE Fraud Conference Canada, November 1-4. He will share his stories of fighting bribery relating to cities bidding to host the Olympics, corruption in judging sports and pressure on athletes to dope.

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How to Use Your Own Body Language to Gain Trust and Credibility

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How to Use Your Own Body Language to Gain Trust and Credibility

Not even two minutes after body language expert and author Mark Bowden began his keynote presentation at the ACFE Fraud Conference Canada, he knew that the audience members had already formulated their individual opinions of him. “You have already decided whether you like me or not,” he said. “You have already judged me. You’ve got a little voice in your head who is talking about me right now.”

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The Future of Fraud Investigations in Canada

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The Future of Fraud Investigations in Canada

How do you get a room full of attorneys, accountants and auditors to definitively agree on something? As Henry Tso illustrated at the 2019 ACFE Fraud Conference Canada in Montreal, you ask them if they have ever been a victim of a fraud attempt. Tso, a former RCMP superintendent and officer in charge, asked more than 340 attendees to raise their hands if they had received a call from someone pretending to work for the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) attempting to gain personal information. “I received a call two days ago from the CRA,” he said. “How many people received that call?” A flurry of hands went up without hesitation.

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5 Ways to Promote Honesty in Interviews

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5 Ways to Promote Honesty in Interviews

What lie do you think a fraudster is on by the time you, the fraud examiner, is introduced to him or her? The first? The second? The hundredth? The truth is, no pun intended, by the time you are sitting across the table from them, they have most likely been lying to their friends, family and coworkers for a good amount of time. Unfortunately, for those who have been committing crimes, practice does not make perfect and a fraud examiner has a wealth of tools available to spot signs of deception.

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