The Windy City Beckons: Chicago Hosts 14th Annual Fraud Conference & Exhibition

Come to the splendid city on the Lake Michigan shore to fill your notebook with the best available fraud examination training and network with leading anti-fraud practitioners.

It is the home of Deep Dish Pizza and the Chicago Dog, the Magnificent Mile and Wrigley Field, "All That Jazz" and the House of Blues. The most notorious gangster in history, Al Capone, once ruled the local Mafia here until he was famously jailed by fraudbusters for tax evasion. And it will be the site of the largest confabulation of anti-fraud professionals ever as the ACFE presents the 14th Annual Fraud Conference & Exhibition Aug. 3-8 at the majestic Hilton Chicago & Towers overlooking Lake Michigan.

Leading practitioners in the anti-fraud field will help fine-tune your skills as you learn about new developments in the profession. And this will be the only opportunity this year to join more than 1,000 peers who share a commitment to fighting fraud.

This event is actually three conferences in one; participants can attend any or all segments.

• The four-hour Pre-Conference, "Vendor Fraud Audits," on Sunday, Aug. 3. will teach how to identify vendors who may be defrauding you as well as what to do about it when you have caught one.
• In the 2 1/2-day Main Conference, Aug. 4-6, you will choose breakout sessions from 10 tracks offering new material for everyone and attend several thought-provoking general sessions with high-profile speakers.
• The Post-Conference, Aug. 8-9, is divided into tracks for auditors and investigators, and provides basic-level training in the tools and techniques of fraud examination.

By attending all segments, fraud examination practitioners can earn up to 44 fraud-related continuing professional education (CPE) hours.

The 14th Annual Fraud Conference will also feature a vendor exhibition, beginning on Sunday evening, Aug. 3, and continuing through Tuesday, Aug. 5. The exhibition gives attendees an opportunity to experience first-hand the latest in anti-fraud products on the market. Vendors will showcase their fraud- fighting tools and you will be able to meet with them one-on-one, try out new software, and see for yourself the many fraud prevention resources that are available.

If you would like your company to exhibit its products and services at the Exhibition or become a Conference Sponsor, call Leslie Simpson at the Association or e-mail her at lsimpson@CFEnet.com.
The Association will host two social events: a Welcome Reception on Sunday, Aug. 3 and a party on Tuesday, Aug. 5.

For the latest 14th Annual Conference & Trade Show information visit www.fraudconference.com and take advantage of easy on-line registration. Or call the Association at (800) 245-3321 or +1 (512) 478-9070.

Pre-Conference: Vendor Audit 

"Vendor Audit" on Sunday, Aug. 3, is a four-hour executive roundtable seminar and discussion for exchanging ideas. Participants will work in three 70-minute sessions: Identifying Suspect Vendors, Conducting Vendor Fraud Audits, and Post Audit - What to Do.

After attendees register for the Pre-Conference, they will receive in the mail a 70-page outline and other materials. Those who spend up to four hours of study and preparation before the session will receive four more hours of continuing professional education credit at the session.

The sessions will concentrate on brainstorming new approaches for auditing vendors. During the first 40 minutes of each session, groups will discuss the advance material, and during the remaining 30 minutes, they will present conclusions to the rest of the attendees.

Main Conference 

The Main Conference, Aug. 4-6, consists of three general sessions, two working lunches, and 10 tracks with subject-specific breakout sessions: Current Issues, Investigating by Computer, Embezzlement, Financial Statement Fraud, Fraud in the Public Sector, Internal Auditing, Fraud and the Law, Conducting Inves-
tigations, Health Care/Insurance Fraud, and Fraud Prevention in Businesses.

All breakout sessions will repeat. Participants will receive 20 hours of CPE credit.

During the opening session on Monday, Aug. 4, you will meet your colleagues, Association dignitaries and the members of the Board of Regents. The Cressey Award, the Association's highest honor, will be presented to an individual who has had a lifetime of achievement in the detection and deterrence of fraud. During the working lunch on Aug. 5, you will hear from a high-profile speaker about experiences in fighting fraud and what you can learn from it.

The general session and the working lunch on Tuesday, Aug. 5, will feature additional high-profile speakers. The slate will be confirmed shortly.

During the closing session on Wednesday, Aug. 7, Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, founder and Chairman of the Association, and ACFE President and Chief Executive Officer Toby J.F. Bishop, CFE, CPA, FCA, will discuss the state of the Association, and the future of fraud examination.

Following are the 10 tracks and the tentative breakout sessions:

Current Issues 

• International Money Laundering
• Corporate Governance and Sarbanes-Oxley: What You Need to Know
• Opportunities in the E-Business Field
• Computers and Internet Fraud

Investigating by Computer 

• Managing Computer Forensics Investigations
• Electronic Investigations: the Internet as an Investigative Tool
• Levering Technology: Using Technology to Lighten the Load
• Software Applications for Finding Fraud

Embezzlement 

• Fraud: 21st Century's Paper Trail
• Interviewing: What You Need to Know
• Case Study: These Weights Didn't Measure Up
• The ABCs of Embezzlement and Internal Fraud

Financial Statement Fraud 

• Anatomy of a Fraud
• How to Forensically Review Tax Returns
• Investing in Super Safe Securities: a Case Study
• When Earnings Management Becomes Fraud: How to Investigate it

Fraud in the Public Sector  

• Fraud and Terrorism in the Banking Industry
• Fraud and the Gaming Industry: It Affects You More Than You Know
• Auditing Public Sector Vendors for Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
• Case Study: It was All Inside the Black Box

Internal Auditing 

• Data Mining for Fraud
• Setting up a Fraud Assessment and Response Plan
• Fraud the Easy Way: Desktop Counterfeiting for Fun and Profit
• What the Internal Auditors Need to Know About Fraud

Fraud and the Law 

• Testifying Doesn't Have to be Terrifying
• Evidence Management in White-collar Investigations
• Practical Fraud Risk Management Model
• Fraud Examinations - Managing the Process

Conducting Investigations 

• Workplace Surveillance: How Covert Methods Can Work for You
• Developing a Structured Approach to Effective Investigations
• Case Study: Silencing this Lamb - Putting the Pieces Together
• Truth or Deception: Analyzing What People Say

Health Care/Insurance Fraud  

• Stopping the Fraud: What Has Worked and What Has Not
• Vendor Audits in the Health Care Industry
• Computer Solutions to Detect Health Care Fraud
• What's New in Health Care Fraud

Fraud Prevention in Businesses  

• Developing a Robust Fraud Prevention Program
• Developing a Fraud Risk Assessment and Response Plan
• Ethical Issues and Leadership Styles
• Opportunities in the E-business Field

Post-Conference 

The two-day Auditors and Investigators Basic Conference, Aug. 7-8, consists of two tracks of introductory fraud examination techniques for the entry-level auditor or investigator. Participants will earn 16 CPE hours.

Auditor sessions include fraud responsibilities for accountants and auditors, fundamental fraud analytical techniques, asset misappropriation schemes, corruption schemes, and fraudulent statement schemes. Investigator sessions include an introduction to occupational fraud schemes, an introduction to confidence schemes, interview techniques, legal issues for investigators, and report writing. Both tracks have general sessions, an introduction to fraud examination, legal elements of fraud, and the summary.

Hotel and Area Information 

The magnificent Hilton Chicago & Towers will place conference attendees in the heart of the downtown's cultural area. Located on Michigan Avenue overlooking Grant Park and Lake Michigan, the hotel is close to all the exciting museums, theaters, and night life.

Built in 1927 as the world's largest hotel, the Hilton Chicago & Towers - totally renovated in 1985 - boasts the grandeur of the Versailles-inspired, Rococo-style Grand Ballroom and Grand Stair Lobby.

The hotel is offering conference attendees a special group rate of $189 for single occupancy and $209 for double occupancy. The cut-off date is July 12. Reservations are subject to availability.

Some of the local attractions include the Sears Tower, Shedd Aquarium, Art Institute, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Museum of Science & Industry, and the "Magnificent Mile."

14th Annual Fraud Conference & Exhibition Pricing 

Entire Conference: $1,425, member; $1,595, non-member
Pre-Conference only: $350, member; $425, non-member
Main Conference only: $895, member; $995, non-member
Post-Conference only: $595, member; $695, non-member
Pre-/Main Conference: $1,095, member; $1,245, non-member
Main/Post-Conference: $1,325, member; $1,495, non-member

Hotel Information 

Hilton Chicago & Towers
720 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
Phone: +1 (312) 922-440
Fax: +1 (312) 922-5240
Cut-off Date for Special Rate: July 12
(Reservations subject to availability.)
Special Group Rate: $189 single
and $209 double