In the field of fraud examination, we probably lack one thing more than any other: extensive research. The ACFE publishes the groundbreaking Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud & Abuse, and several companies produce fine studies. However, many higher-education academics want to gather and analyze even more diverse data so fraud examiners will have more effective tools. But anti-fraud researchers need more grant money. The Institute for Fraud Prevention (IFP) wants to help.
Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, founder and Chairman of the ACFE, began the IFP as a means to help raise funds to conduct meaningful research. Timothy Pearson, Ph.D., CPA, executive director of the IFP, said that the institute’s primary goal is to “develop the understanding of the causes and effects of fraud by serving as a catalyst for the exchange of ideas among top anti-fraud practitioners, government officials, and academics.”