Audit

Lourdes C. Miranda, CFE

Throughout her career investigating financial crimes — first in the CIA and FBI and now in the private sector — Lourdes Miranda found that understanding human behavior is instrumental to cracking cases. She now urges fellow CFEs to balance technology with human intelligence in their investigations and learn everything they can about cryptocurrency and blockchain.

Measure and monitor your fraud risk management program success

‘Tis the season to set company goals. As we wrap up 2023 and look to the new year, ponder this: What are some of the key performance indicators (KPIs) companies use to measure the effectiveness of their fraud risk management program? Here, we explore some leading examples of anti-fraud KPIs that drive business value.

Ford on fraud

Joseph L. Ford, CFE, has spent a lifetime fighting fraud, working his way up from file clerk at the FBI to holding the bureau’s No. 3 spot. After leaving the FBI, he served as Bank of the West’s chief security officer and eventually founded his own consulting firm. Here Ford speaks of his experiences investigating both large and small frauds and what we can learn from them.

Nine candidates selected for ACFE Board of Regents’ ballot

Nine candidates have been selected to compete for three positions on the 2024-2025 Board of Regents. Beginning Nov. 1 and ending Nov. 30, CFEs may vote online at ACFE.com/BORvoting for their selections to replace retiring Board of Regents members, Wendy Evans, CFE; Collins Wanderi, CFE; and Chrysti Ziegler, CFE. The newly elected Regents take office in February 2024 and will each serve two-year terms.

A bad return on your money

Investors have been losing their money to scammers since ancient times, but the scale and the cost of investment fraud has only grown in a digital age that has made it easier for fraudsters to steal hard-earned savings. Here we look at some of the different types of investment fraud and the red flags to watch out for.

All hoax and no cattle

Cody Easterday was a Washington state rancher and farmer with a sterling reputation. Then Tyson Foods discovered that for at least four years he sent fake invoices to that company, and another, for $244 million for the care and feeding of 265,000 head of cattle that didn’t exist. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and is serving an 11-year sentence in federal prison. Here’s an analysis of the fraud from a prosecutor, investigators and fraud examiners.

The challenges of change

Members of the ACFE Board of Regents always bring a wealth of experience from their respective sectors. Here they impart their thoughts on an array of topics and the importance of continual learning in the ever-evolving anti-field field.

Don’t allow trusted ‘Radars’ to subvert internal controls

All organizations have employees who are so smart, energetic and indispensable that they can manage integral functions without close supervision. But some of these “Radars” will succumb to their freedom and rob you blind.

Detecting document fraud

Cases of document fraud, including check fraud, have exploded in recent years. The authors explain what’s behind the proliferation of this age-old scam and the modern technology CFEs can employ to stop it in its tracks.

Banks cratering because of poor risk management

Economic shifts, crypto deposits, weak controls and incompetent administration have led many tech-heavy banks to bite the dust this year. But none of the institutions’ C-suiters should’ve been caught flat-footed. Since the Great Depression, risk management has been the mantra of the money world. And we know that complacency and hubris can lead to fraud. Here’s how the bank collapsed and reminders for organizations to get it right.

On the brink of collapse

At 2:07 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, 1963, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) halted trading shortly after news broke that U.S. President John F. Kennedy had been fatally shot. The market had been on a downward slide, losing $11 billion in capitalization in the previous seven minutes. But hours before Kennedy’s assassination, NYSE president G. Keith Funston was doing all he could to prevent a potential market crash as one of the largest futures commodities scandals of the 20th century started to unravel.

ACFE Foundation awards Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship recipients $85,000 in funds for 2023-2024 term

The ACFE Foundation has awarded $85,000 in funds to the recipients of the 2023-2024 Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship. Twenty-three university students from across the U.S., Europe, Asia and Africa received scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 for demonstrating academic achievement in a fraud-related field of study and a desire to pursue a career in fraud examination or similar anti-fraud profession.