Profiles

Clobbering cyberfraudsters

Rachel Wilson was a cybersecurity expert before the broader world was even aware of such threats. The former head of the U.S. National Security Agency’s cyber exploitation operations now works to protect Morgan Stanley’s wealth management clients and systems. She talks to us about the latest dangers lurking in cyberspace and much more.

Fraudsters, fakes and flaws

Alex Gibney’s documentaries have covered some of the biggest frauds of our times. The award-winning director talks to us about what he’s learned about the psychology of corporate fraud and more. It might not be what you expect.

Julie Aydlott, CFE

While conducting forensic and fraud examinations involving small organizations, Julie Aydlott saw just how devastating fraud could be for businesses with limited resources. Aydlott and a colleague founded Business Fraud Prevention, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing free training and resources to help small business owners implement internal controls and fight fraud.

Golden opportunities

Tom Golden’s latest thriller is not only entertaining but it’s also a handy case study of a fraud investigation. The veteran fraud investigator and forensic accountant talks to us about what he’s learned, how the ACFE made all the difference to his illustrious career and why we need more CFEs.

Michael Pocalyko, CFE

Michael Pocalyko found his passion for fighting fraud when a troubled public company asked him to join its board as a fixer. Since then, the CEO of SI — a Washington D.C.-based intelligence and cyber-sector professional services company — has investigated numerous cases involving governments, corporations, executive misconduct and board-level improprieties. Pocalyko warns that fraudsters are more sophisticated than ever before and to anticipate fraudsters’ creativity.

9 candidates for ACFE Board of Regents and 2021 International Fraud Awareness Week

Timothy Pikas, CFE

Tania Ramirez, CFE

Tania Ramirez started her career as an internal auditor, working at such organizations as Canadian National Railway, McGill University and consultant Protiviti. She soon discovered she had a knack for uncovering dubious transactions. That talent catapulted her into the world of fraud investigations and landed her a dream job at Randstad, a global leader in the human resources services industry, where she now combines both skills to uncover cybercrimes, occupational fraud and other types of fraudulent activity.

New mission, same focus: Interview with Preet Bharara, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York

Preet Bharara speaks about lessons learned, the outlook for new insider trading rules under the Biden administration, the challenges of overseeing COVID-relief funds, the difficulties of investigating Ponzi schemes and much more.

Arpinder Singh, CFE

Arpinder Singh, CFE, got his start investigating fraud when he discovered the field of forensic accountancy just as India’s economy took off following sweeping reforms in the early 1990s. Forensics proved to be an excellent career choice as corporate India increasingly focused on governance issues, including fraud detection and prevention.

Alan E. Small, CFE

Alan Small, CFE, first became acquainted with fraud investigations in 1973 as a member of the Baltimore (Maryland) Police Department. His first assignment was with the criminal investigation division where he reviewed and followed the assignments of experienced detectives engaged in the investigation of high-profile cases, which included fraud.

Time to shake things up

“Ikigai,” the Japanese notion of being truly fulfilled and how a person’s work relates to their purpose, spurred former paralegal Tracy Swaim to seek more. Conversations with a fraud investigator excited her about entering the field. She earned her CFE and now works in a job that checks all the boxes for her: mission, passion, vocation and profession.