Emily Primeaux, CFE
Emily Primeaux, CFE, is the former associate editor of Fraud Magazine.
Erin Reitz, CFE
Erin Reitz, CFE, knew early on that she wanted to work as an investigator in financial crimes and has worked tirelessly during her career to help people who are unable to help themselves. She’s now a senior fraud risk analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, a job that allows her to work with a team to help protect financial institutions and revenue collection for the U.S. Treasury.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Where heroes unite
More than 3,000 anti-fraud heroes gather at the largest anti-fraud conference in the world to learn new techniques in their fight against fraud.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE, Dick Carozza, CFE
Rick Schumacher, CFE
Rick Schumacher, CFE, says he’s always wanted to achieve a more complex understanding of rationalization. He spent years as a cross-cultural communication specialist in the U.S. military, but says he felt a need to link that knowledge to fraud and misconduct. “I started looking to broaden my exposure at a large, multinational organization with a footprint in international markets,” he explains. Schumacher found that at Nissan Motor Corporation as a senior global compliance investigator.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
The challenge of the chase
The ACFE Board of Regents ponder the exciting, frustrating and exquisite challenges of the fraud examination profession during the 28th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference.
Written By: Dick Carozza, CFE, Emily Primeaux, CFE
The doctor who took on Goliath
Dr. Sam Foote didn’t plan to be a whistleblower. He didn’t even plan on being a doctor, let alone one in the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department (VA) during the height of scandal in Arizona. But the moon landing in 1969 altered the course of his future and potentially the lives of thousands of U.S. veterans.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Wendy Evans, CFE
“It’s fascinating to me how CFEs each have a different ‘investigative fingerprint,’ ” says Wendy Evans, CFE, senior corporate ethics investigator at Lockheed Martin. Evans’ investigative fingerprint first formed when she began her career as a radio reporter. She says she honed her ability to take a broad subject and condense it into concise sets of 30-second sound bites.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Jeanette LeVie, CFE, vice president and chief operating officer, celebrates 25 years at the ACFE
When the ACFE first started, it was called the National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and it didn’t operate globally. In LeVie’s 25 years, she’s seen substantive growth domestically and abroad.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Chris Blunt, CFE
“Strive to be great even when others doubt your capabilities,” says Chris Blunt, CFE, senior fraud investigator at Toyota Financial Services. Blunt has lived by this motto throughout his career, even when an injury on the job became motivation to work his way into the fraud-fighting field. Realizing he could contribute more to the corporate environment, Blunt applied for an entry-level job at Toyota and worked his way to a senior-level position. And he credits obtaining his CFE credential for helping him get there.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Placide Schmidiger, CFE
I see many similarities between ski jumping and being a CFE,” says Placide Schmidiger, CFE, head of corporate special investigations at a global logistics company in Switzerland. He says that both require immense preparation. “When I ski jump, I must be prepared mentally and physically. I also analyze the particularities of the jumping hill, the wind and snow conditions, the condition of my equipment, and so on.”
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Jala Attia, CFE
"I’m passionate about educating people about health care fraud and creating a fire in others that will ultimately fuel the fight for future generations," says Jala Attia, CFE. "Many people don’t realize the extent of the problem we’re facing."
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Cristiane Soares, CFE
“My greatest achievement is my ability to reinvent myself as I encounter different points in my life,” says Cristiane Soares, CFE, senior investigator at TD Bank. Soares reinvented herself when she moved from her home country of Brazil to Canada to study English.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Charles Washington, CFE
Charles Washington, CFE, has learned over his many years in the anti-fraud profession that it takes tenacity, patience and good communication to discover and remediate fraud. As a director – global security, Americas, Washington is responsible for drug diversion and drug discount pricing fraud investigations at Pfizer.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Marcel Simonis, CFE
“Fighting fraud isn’t a career for individualists or opportunists,” said Marcel Simonis, CFE. “Fighting fraud is a team effort that includes a lot of hard work, and involves employees with complementary skill sets who can effectively communicate, listen and share their opinions, and work collaboratively to achieve the best results for the business.”
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Joseph B. Wells, CFE
Joseph B. Wells, CFE, not only shares his name with ACFE founder and Chairman, Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, but also experience as FBI special agents.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Inaugural ACFE Middle East Fraud Conference reinforces global fight against fraud
Under the kind patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Financial Audit Department, and hosted by the FAD of Dubai, the inaugural conference brought together more than 400 anti-fraud professionals to learn the latest anti-fraud techniques and tools.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Nicole Biskop, CFE
“Get started on your journey! Don’t wait until the perfect job opportunity comes your way,” says Nicole Biskop, CFE, project officer for the DOJ in Sydney, Australia. “Reflect on your experiences, skills and motivation, and decide on the direction you want to take in your career."
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Daphne's message lives on
For years, journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia probed the activities of Malta’s ruling elite. She shared her findings — drug smuggling, money laundering, government corruption — on her blog, “Running Commentary,” and was regularly intimidated for her work. In 2017, she was murdered in a car bombing in Malta. Thousands have mourned her and demanded justice. Her son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, shares his mother’s story and how he and other investigative journalists worldwide are honoring her legacy.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Coronavirus stimulus check scams, infamous hacker charged and more
Coronavirus stimulus check scam, infamous Russian hacker charged and Georgia man attempts to fraudulently capitalize on pandemic.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Mark Lee Greenblatt, CFE
Mark Lee Greenblatt, CFE, says he’s learned the importance of being fair, independent and objective — as an individual and as a leader within his organization. “In the inspector general community, we have a special responsibility as the independent oversight mechanism within our departments, and I’ve learned that we can be effective only if we operate with integrity,” says Greenblatt, inspector general at the U.S. Department of Interior.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
5 most scandalous fraud cases of 2019
The ACFE believes that large, noteworthy fraud cases like Enron or Bernie Madoff will live on in infamy and provide valuable lessons for fraud fighters and the general public. That is why we, along with input from our members, have selected the following five stories as the most noteworthy frauds of 2019. The stories were chosen based on the amount of money lost, the number of lives impacted and/or the relevance to the anti-fraud profession.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Rachel Jolicoeur, CFE
Trust your instincts, keep digging, look for patterns and know how to navigate technology to find anomalies. These are the skills Rachel Jolicoeur, CFE, has learned over the course of her career.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Tasheika Hinson, CFE
When Tasheika Hinson, CFE, was 8 years old, she made a pact with her childhood friend that they’d grow up to become attorneys. Hinson would go on to become an assistant U.S. attorney at the Department of Justice and now is the head of investigations at The Vanguard Group Inc. where she leads internal investigations and partners with internal teams in its 19 offices around the world.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Fraud in the News
$50 million by age 50 could get lawyer 50 years; he’s just not that into you; not the outcome these execs were hoping for
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Murder, money laundering and the demise of Pablo Escobar
Retired U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents Steve Murphy and Javier Peña — the inspirations behind the hit show “Narcos” on Netflix — tell the tale of their time in Colombia, investigating and capturing notorious narcoterrorist and Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar. Not everything you see on TV is true, but their story comes pretty close.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Navigating a misshapen world
January of this year now seems like a quaint time. Since then, the world has stretched in bizarre ways, and it probably won’t ever resume its previous shape. The Board of Regents want to encourage you as your organizations need your anti-fraud skills more than ever.
Written By: Dick Carozza, CFE, Emily Primeaux, CFE
COVID-19 loan fraud, gaming the system and more
This Lambo loan is a no-no; 6 former NFL players allegedly try to game the system; Czech your investors before you give them cash
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Sudhir Gidwani, CFE
Sudhir Gidwani, CFE, says in 1984 he first found tremendous joy piecing together the jigsaw puzzle of unearthing fraud during his investigation of the collapse of a major local bank in Hong Kong. “As my experience in fraud and corruption investigations developed, I became more passionate about what I was doing,” he says.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Unemployment fraud, another COVID-19 scam out of California and more
Thousands falsely charged with unemployment fraud; another COVID-19 scam out of California; Fraud in the Wake of COVID-19: ACFE Benchmarking Report
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Erik Anderson, CFE
Fighting fraud for Erik Anderson, CFE, is so much more than conducting an examination. “I fight fraud by making sure what we’re doing is right,” says Anderson. “Whether I’m on the front lines of an investigation or using the principles of a fraud examination to better understand the risk to the organization, being a good fraud examiner is about challenging yourself to stand up for what’s right and seeking that out with passion.”
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Siddharth Kher, CFE
Siddharth Kher, CFE, first learned about the anti-fraud profession when he was working at Amazon. His curiosity piqued when he searched the internet for anti-fraud specialization courses and discovered the ACFE.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Kendrick Thomas, CFE
As a criminal investigator and training & operations manager at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command in Fort Hood, Texas, Kendrick Thomas, CFE, credits his expanding knowledge of white-collar crime to the connections he’s made as a Certified Fraud Examiner.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
ACFE associate general counsel's motto for traveling light also applies to life
The ACFE, with members around the globe, has contracts, compliance requirements, intellectual property issues and other matters that ACFE Associate General Counsel Jacob Parks, J.D., CFE, happily handles. “Fraud and corruption are the nemeses of a fair society, which was especially clear after the financial crisis of the late 2000s,” he says. “The ACFE’s mission of fighting fraud worldwide was appealing to me after I saw how much harm was due in large part to deceptive practices on a wide scale.”
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Deutsche Bank’s “referral fees,” China’s corruption death sentence and more
Deutsche Bank’s “referral fees,” China’s corruption death sentence and more
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Houston pharmacy owner arrested in $134 million Medicare fraud scheme and more
Houston pharmacy owner arrested in $134 million Medicare fraud scheme and more
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Fraud in the News
Influencer marketing fraud, tax-credit fraud and restaurateur defrauds.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Bernardin Assiene, CFE
Bernardin Assiene, CFE, found his passion for fighting fraud when he was tasked to investigate a financial fraud in the fuel distribution network at a major multinational American oil company in 1998. “The experience I gained and the lessons I learned shaped the rest of my career,” he says.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
A pillar of anti-fraud education says farewell
From its early days as The White Paper to the 72-page bimonthly publication it is now, Fraud Magazine’s continued credibility and necessity to the anti-fraud profession is in part thanks to the leadership of its editor-in-chief, Dick Carozza. After 25 years at the helm, Carozza is stepping back and retiring. Here we take a look at the history of Fraud Magazine and the large role Carozza played in its success.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Tom Golden, CFE, CPA
“I’ve often said in mentoring staff that no matter how smart you are, no one’s successful without someone else giving them a hand up the ladder of success,” says Tom Golden, CFE, CPA. Golden, a professional speaker, author and retired partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), now focuses on speaking engagements and the debut of his new novel but says he owes a debt to all who have helped him during his professional career.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Let's do some brainstorming
What happens when you fill a boardroom with highly intelligent people and ask them a few questions about fraud topics? You yield 90 minutes of insights that can’t be contained in one article. In this article, the Board of Regents discuss new frauds on the horizon, data breaches, new practices and training millennials as practitioners.
Written By: Dick Carozza, CFE, Emily Primeaux, CFE
A passion for fighting corruption
Alexandra Wrage, founder and president of TRACE International and a former member of FIFA’s Independent Governance Committee, shares her thoughts on last year’s FIFA scandals, the recent release of the Panama Papers and the keys to tackling global corruption through anti-bribery and corruption compliance support.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Numbers manipulator describes Enron’s descent
Nearly 15 years ago the actions of Enron’s C-suite executives led to the company’s demise. In this interview with Andrew Fastow, former Enron CFO, read how the toxic corporate culture and his rationalizations behind “finding the loopholes” led to one of the largest and most well-known cases of corporate fraud and corruption.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Female fraud fighters are leading the charge
On March 8 we celebrate International Women’s Day. Since the inception of the ACFE in 1988, female membership has grown tremendously. We can be proud that the anti-fraud profession has become an ideal place for ambitious women fraud fighters who can use their unique qualities.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
2015 ACFE Asia-Pacific Fraud Conference tackles the big fraud questions
“When the ACFE was founded in 1988, the life of the Certified Fraud Examiner was not as complicated as it is today,” said Jim Ratley. “The computer was still in limited use, and we were just beginning to hear a new term: ‘the Internet.’ There was also a new device sitting on people’s desk called the fax machine. Little did we know how technology was about to change our profession.”
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Jadon Fox, CFE
Jadon Fox, CFE, head of fraud control services at Taylor Fry, has analyzed countless transactions using sophisticated technologies and techniques, but he’s most proud of his relentless pursuit of dreams that live outside of the office. “My wife and I’ve always wanted to live overseas,” says Fox. “So, six years ago we sold our dream house, traveled 9,000 miles from home, settled in Australia where we knew no one and I began a job at Commonwealth Bank.”
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
‘Massive’ Ponzi scheme, Jordan Belfort sues and bettor makes bad gamble
‘Massive’ Ponzi scheme, Jordan Belfort sues and bettor makes bad gamble
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Meet Taz Kalolwala, CFE
Taz Kalolwala has worked her way up the corporate ladder during the course of her career, but it’s her people skills and team-nurturing abilities that sets her apart. She advises fellow CFEs to remain humble and continuously seek help from other anti-fraud professionals.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Revelatory robots
Data analytics has been helping organizations detect fraud for years. But the future of fraud prevention and detection is looking toward new technologies, like artificial intelligence and machine learning, to stop fraudulent behavior before it costs companies millions.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Johanna Duenser-Mardook, CFE
Johanna Duenser-Mardook, CFE, who’s always loved solving puzzles, says the fight against fraud is a never-ending puzzle to identify missing pieces in cases or internal controls. As the vice president, business initiative fraud policy manager at Citi, Duenser-Mardook says she thrives on closing loopholes that help prevent serious damage to a person or business, financially or otherwise.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Deshietha Partee-Grier, CFE
Deshietha Partee-Grier, CFE, says she lives by an Eleanor Roosevelt quote: “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” Deshietha loves discussing ideas and the interplay among her colleagues as they fight money laundering and other types of financial crime. But work isn’t sufficient for her. She mentors high school girls when she’s not nurturing her five children with her husband and working on an MBA.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Whistleblower helped dismantle biotech juggernaut Theranos in his 'zero-strategy' defense
Tyler Shultz, Theranos whistleblower and ACFE Sentinel Award Winner, explains where things went wrong at the infamous blood-testing company and why he couldn’t sit back silently — even at the potential expense of his relationship with his grandfather, George Shultz, and facing the prospect of likely litigation.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Fraud in the News
Dating app maker sued for fraud, three parents sentenced in college admissions scandal and drugmaker targets dementia patients.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Nigel Palmer, CFE
Nigel Palmer, CFE, might be a native of Wales (and a dedicated rugby player), but he’s quite comfortable in the Middle East and Africa. As a former Royal Marines Commando, he learned strategies that he still applies to challenging fraud battles as security director at Mars, Inc.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Journalist finds strength in numbers to keep truth alive
Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Bastian Obermayer isn’t afraid of investigating the global elite. He’s spent his career digging into the uncomfortable truths of Nazi war criminals, abusive Catholic priests and crooked politicians. Obermayer set into motion the largest collaborative event in the history of journalism when he initiated the Panama Papers. He’ll receive the ACFE’s Guardian Award and speak at the 30th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in Austin, Texas, June 23-28.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
ACFE research director finds inspiration from passionate CFEs
When Andi McNeal, CFE, CPA, was in graduate school finishing up her master’s and researching doctorate programs, she read an article written by Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, founder and Chairman of the ACFE, in the Journal of Accountancy that mentioned the fraud examination course he was teaching at the University of Texas at the time. “I was trying to find a path to focus my doctoral studies on fraud — the intersection of accounting and human behavior has always fascinated me — and I ended up emailing Dr. Wells to find out if he had any suggestions or guidance about where I could find a Ph.D. program in white-collar crime,” she says.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
Fraud fighters power up at the 29th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference
More than 3,000 anti-fraud professionals gather at the largest anti-fraud conference in the world to power up their knowledge, networks and careers.
Written By: ACFE Staff, Emily Primeaux, CFE
Dave Cotton, CFE
The ACFE presented Dave Cotton, CFE, the Certified Fraud Examiner of the Year award at the 29th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in June. Cotton, who’s the chairman at Cotton & Company, LLP, has played a significant role in developing best practices in anti-fraud controls.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
They empathize because they do what you do
The ACFE Board of Regents offer their counsel and ruminate on the dynamic anti-fraud profession during the 29th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference.
Written By: Dick Carozza, CFE, Emily Primeaux, CFE
Pablo Santamaría Cisneros
Pablo Santamaría Cisneros, CFE, believes that a deep digital transformation is happening in the anti-fraud profession. “New cybersecurity and fraud threats are coming,” he says. As global anti-fraud senior manager at BBVA in Madrid, Spain, Santamaría is tackling these new threats by using data-driven business models and advanced analytics while adapting BBVA’s strategies to work with professionals, tools, methodologies and knowledge in the global community.
Written By: Emily Primeaux, CFE
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