ACFE continues to grow and thrive

The ACFE, the world’s largest anti-fraud community, continues to thrive in an increasingly challenging environment, growing its membership, expanding its presence across the globe and becoming more diverse and inclusive. That’s the message from the most recent ACFE Report to Members.

ACFE membership exceeded 91,000 in 2022, a year that saw 5,023 associate members become Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs), according to the report. That’s good news as more professionals equipped to fight fraud allows for better protected organizations and motivates excellence in the workplace.

“As the number of ACFE members and CFEs increases throughout the globe, I know that means there are more qualified, educated and passionate anti-fraud professionals dedicated to protecting their organizations and communities,” says ACFE’s Vice President of Membership Ross Pry, CFE.

“And the fact that there are more people out there protecting the general public not only fills me with pride but also motivates me to work hard to provide those professionals with tools and resources to do their jobs.”

Last year, the ACFE also welcomed the return of in-person events that enabled the anti-fraud community to meet old friends and network in New York, Toronto, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Nashville.

“When speaking with members,” says Pry, “I am often told how impactful a member’s professional network is in their ability to do their job and navigate the anti-fraud profession, which is why it is great to see the return to in-person events, because they are such a unique way for professionals to grow their network.”

Members can also still log into events from their homes or offices, providing greater flexibility and drawing bigger crowds to ACFE’s conferences. Between virtual and in-person participants, last year’s 33rd Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, saw a record 5,371 attendees, who combined earned more than 98,000 CPE hours. And this year’s 34th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, to be held in Seattle, Washington, June 11-16, is expected to meet with similar success.

“It was wonderful to see so many members in-person last year at the conference, but we’ll also continue to provide an exemplary digital version for those who cannot make it,” says President and CEO Bruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, CPA.

The ACFE believes diversity makes the anti-fraud profession stronger, and it continues to expand its offering of webinars and conference sessions to empower members and ensure an equitable and inclusive environment. The online space for Women in the Anti-Fraud Profession, open to all members, has grown into a global online network for sharing resources and support with over 1,200 members.

“The ACFE proudly represents a growing and diverse membership across the world,” says Pry. “And it is critical to combating fraud for those talented professionals to lend their voice, expertise and insight.”

ACFE and IIA make progress in new collaboration projects

The ACFE and The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) have been making strides in joint education initiatives that will benefit members from both organizations as they seek to learn from each other and combat fraud in an increasingly complex world.

The partnership, which was launched last year, has already started its first series of “Fraud Perspectives” webcasts, which feature a CIA-credentialed fraud auditor and a CFE-credentialed fraud investigator offering their unique perspectives on timely, relevant topics.

Topics already covered this year include blockchain, crypto and know-your-customer, as well as fraud related to remote work. The next webcast on May 10 will focus on nonfungible tokens, better-known as NFTs. Later in the year, hosts will turn their attention to deepfakes, the metaverse and regulatory reporting around environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

The idea behind the initiative is to leverage the strengths of each organization and have them work together to accomplish common goals and cover new ground in terms of fraud prevention.

“The main goal of the ACFE partnership with the IIA is to encourage and enhance collaboration between auditors and fraud examiners, which we are confident will strengthen their organizations’ anti-fraud programs,” says ACFE Research Manager Mason Wilder, CFE.

“Anti-fraud programs often include contributions from roles that aren’t traditionally responsible for preventing, detecting or investigating fraud, so increasing awareness of the wide-ranging fraud risks facing all organizations is a sort of rising tide that can lift all boats. The more professionals who solidify their expertise on fraud by obtaining the CFE credential, the better positioned the organizations they work for or with will be to reduce the impact of fraud, which can be significant and extend far beyond simply monetary losses.”

The ACFE and IIA partnership will enable growth and add to the resources available to those dedicated to preventing fraud. “Fraud auditors and fraud investigators have a natural synergy as they work to prevent, identify and investigate fraud,” says IIA’s Executive Vice President of Membership Competency & Learning Brad J. Monterio.

“This synergy is something the IIA and the ACFE recognize and is a primary reason we’re collaborating on professional education as well as industry research to benefit both of our memberships. Together we can enhance their competencies to help organizations win the war on fraud.”

Nominations open for 2024-2025 Board of Regents

Nominations will open on June 1 for three positions on the ACFE’s 2024-2025 Board of Regents.

“To be elected by the ACFE members to the Board of Regents is an amazing honor, and I can’t begin to explain the gratitude I have to the membership for this opportunity,” says Chrysti Ziegler, CFE, chair of the Board of Regents.

“To others in our CFE community that may be considering a leadership role within the ACFE, take the challenge now and join the ACFE leadership. Whether in your local chapter, ACFE committee, or as a Regent, your leadership will make a difference and take the ACFE forward.”

The Nominations Committee will select nine ballot candidates for this year’s election. Beginning Nov. 1 and ending Nov. 30, certified members of the ACFE will vote for their selections for the three new board members. The new Regents, who’ll be installed in February 2024, will each serve two-year terms.

Key dates in the Regent election process:

June 1: Nominations open.

July 31: Nominations close.

Sept. 1: Nominations Committee elects final candidates.

Nov. 1: Voting opens.

Nov. 30: Voting closes.

Feb. 2024: New Board of Regents sworn in.

To participate in the nominations process, complete the online application.

ACFE Board of Regents expels members for obtaining improper assistance on the CFE Exam

The ACFE Board of Regents voted to revoke the CFE credential of Olajide Akinola, of Houston, Texas, and to permanently expel him from the ACFE. The Board found that Mr. Akinola engaged a proxy test-taker to obtain improper assistance on the CFE Exam and improperly shared CFE Exam materials.

The ACFE Board of Regents voted to revoke the CFE credential of Mohd Bilal Azmi, of Delhi, India, and to permanently expel him from the ACFE. The Board found that Mr. Azmi engaged a proxy test-taker to obtain improper assistance on the CFE Exam and improperly shared CFE Exam materials.

Reporting disciplinary cases

If you believe an ACFE member has committed a violation of the ACFE rules of conduct, you can report directly to the ACFE Legal Department, Legal@ACFE.com. The ACFE also maintains an anonymous hotline. For more information, visit ACFE Rules of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.

Anna Brahce is an editorial assistant at Fraud Magazine. Contact her at ABrahce@ACFE.com.