Raiffeisen
Bank International AG (RBI), a leading European universal banking group, has
announced a partnership with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
(ACFE) to increase anti-fraud knowledge and certification among its employees.
In
partnering with the ACFE, the world’s largest provider of anti-fraud training
and education, Vienna-based RBI becomes the newest member of the ACFE Corporate
Alliance.
Introduced
in 2011, the Corporate Alliance program has quickly grown to include partners
from around the globe, including numerous Fortune 500 organisations. The
program supports the implementation of anti-fraud best practices in organisations
by providing access to exclusive training opportunities and resources.
ACFE
President and CEO James D. Ratley, CFE, said RBI’s decision to join the
Corporate Alliance “denotes a strong commitment to the fight against fraud.”
“Leading
by example, RBI is setting a high standard for training its staff to identify
the red flags of fraud,” Ratley said. “Participation in the Corporate Alliance
sends a clear statement to employees, clients and shareholders that financial
crime will not be tolerated on any level.”
Organisations
worldwide lose an estimated 5 percent of their revenues each year to fraud,
according to the ACFE’s 2012 Report to
the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, and it takes them an average
of 18 months to discover a fraud after it occurs. By joining the ACFE Corporate
Alliance, RBI is signaling a proactive approach to the prevention, detection
and deterrence of fraud.
”Fraud
can destroy a company, and this is why Fraud Risk Management plays a vital role
in the RBI Group”, says RBI’s Chief Risk Officer Johann Strobl, “By entering
this strategic alliance with the world’s leading anti-fraud organization, we
expect to build and maintain a solid foundation of anti-fraud knowledge, stay
up-to-date with new developments including emerging fraud patterns, and learn
new strategies, techniques and best practices when it comes to fraud
prevention. The ultimate objective in our Fraud Risk Management activities,
however, is to protect the assets of our Group, customers, and shareholders
from any fraudulent behaviour.”
About
the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
Founded
in 1988, the ACFE is celebrating its 25th anniversary as the world's
largest anti-fraud organization and premier provider of anti-fraud training and
education. Together with more than 65,000 members, the ACFE is reducing
business fraud worldwide and inspiring public confidence in the integrity and
objectivity within the profession. For more information, visit ACFE.com.
About RBI
Raiffeisen Bank International AG regards both Austria,
where it is a leading corporate and investment bank, and Central and Eastern
Europe (CEE) as its home market. In CEE, RBI operates an extensive network of
subsidiary banks, leasing companies and a range of other specialised financial
service providers in 17 markets. RBI is the only Austrian bank with a presence
in both the world's financial centres and in Asia, the group's further
geographical area of focus.
In total, about 59,000 employees serve over 14.3 million
customers through more than 3,000 business outlets, the great majority of which
are located in CEE. RBI's shares are listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange.
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