The Fraud Examiner

From New Scotland Yard to the Private Sector, CFE Tracks Fraudsters

December 2013 

ACFE Member Profile 

Simon Markham, CFE, is a fraud investigator for UK-based mobile phone operator EE, Ltd. in Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Markham has extensive experience in fighting fraud, including 13 years of work at the Metropolitan Police as a higher intelligence analyst. In this interview he discusses the various approaches needed to protect the organization from fraud. 

Q. What are your essential responsibilities at your job? 

A. I’m a fraud investigator at EE, which is the mobile phone operator that runs the T-Mobile, Orange and EE brands. We recently launched the only 4G network in the UK, and we supply some pretty high-end handsets and very desirable mobile and data services. As such we are the target of fraud from both inside and outside the company. My role is mainly to conduct investigations into criminal acts (mostly fraud) carried out against the company from outside. These are usually organized attacks by groups who commit large-scale fraud to obtain high-value mobile equipment. 

I work closely with the police and business partners to identify and frustrate the fraudsters by having them arrested or tightening our processes so the opportunity to commit fraud is removed. I can be involved in everything from carrying out surveillance, taking witness statements or conducting interviews, to having meetings to discuss control improvements when a weakness has been identified. I also get involved if the fraud is carried out by internal staff, but only if the nature of it is serious or shows signs of collusion.