Invaluable lessons from fraud fighters across the globe

In the days leading up to the 2023 ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific in Singapore, I spent time in the region meeting some important people in the fight against fraud. Perhaps I’m getting more sentimental as I age, but this trip really touched me as to how fortunate the ACFE is to have such a diverse group of members. We all enjoyed sharing our experiences and our perspectives on the issues and challenges we are all facing. If I’ve learned one thing in my career, it’s that fraud knows no geographic boundaries.

Though the ACFE is headquartered in the U.S., it’s invaluable to our leadership team that we visit all corners of the world and meet fraud fighters in every region. As I was landing in Singapore, John Warren, ACFE’s CEO, was returning from Johannesburg, South Africa, where he’d been attending the Annual ACFE Africa Conference and Exposition, which is the largest anti-fraud event on that continent.

In just two weeks, the two of us have circumnavigated the globe sharing insights on how we can work together to solve a global problem.

I made a stop in Malaysia, where the ACFE Malaysian Chapter graciously welcomed me. I met with several key stakeholders in the fight against fraud in the region, including area law enforcement officials and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). The MACC is a government agency that does great work fighting corruption in the area. I was inspired as we shared thoughts and ideas on how we can work towards a future that’s free of fraud and corruption.

I also had the honor of visiting the Royal Malaysian Police Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where I met with the organization’s deputy inspector general and officials of the Commercial Crime Investigations Department. Discussing efforts and sharing ideas on how to combat commercial crime and create fraud awareness in the region was a wonderful experience for both parties.

Once in Singapore, I was honored to kick off the ACFE’s conference there. The Singapore Chapter provided volunteers who gave a hearty welcome to attendees and provided a great experience for all of us. Once again, I was honored to meet members not just from Singapore and Malaysia, but from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Oman, Ghana and Saudi Arabia.

I was particularly excited to listen to several presentations from technology leaders about how fraud fighters are using artificial technology to solve in seconds complex problems that could potentially take a human being days to fathom. We were excited to start brainstorming how our own organizations could use this new advancement to find and detect fraud faster than ever.

Meeting with anti-fraud professionals from different backgrounds provides a platform for thoughtful discussions and opportunities to expand the ACFE’s mission to reduce the incidence of fraud and white-collar crime. It was an honor to meet with so many dedicated professionals from around the world working toward that goal.

John D. Gill, J.D., CFE, is president of the ACFE. Contact him at President@ACFE.com.