Are you using online resources in your internal and external investigations to your best advantage? Presented in non-technical terms, Investigating on the Internet: Research Tools for Fraud Examiners will teach you how to use the Internet to find and follow leads and make your fraud examinations more effective.
With a better understanding of the information available online, you can increase the efficiency and success of your fraud examinations. In this seminar, you will learn how to locate evidence online using search engines, commercial databases and social-networking sites. This seminar will also discuss methods for researching foreign corporate records and various techniques for optimizing online searches, including advanced search functions and alternative search engines with unique features that might improve search quality.
Please note, all attendees should bring a laptop or tablet to use in class.
Upcoming Courses
Los Angeles, CA | November 15-16, 2018
New York, NY | March 19-20, 2019
You Will Learn How To:
Conduct fraud examinations using the Internet efficiently and legally
Create advanced searches on popular search engines
Search public record sources and commercial databases online
Obtain information from foreign corporate records
Mine social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn for data in your investigation
Analyze the evidence you have found and close the investigation
Who Should Attend:
Experienced fraud examiners seeking to complement their practical experience with the knowledge of leading anti-fraud experts
Attorneys, legal professionals and law enforcement personnel
Controllers and corporate managers
Detectives and private investigators
Forensic and management accountants, accounts payable and financial analysts
Governance, risk management and compliance officers
Government employees
Internal and external auditors, CPAs and CAs
Loss prevention and security professionals
Business professionals, educators and students interested in the anti-fraud field
Certified Fraud Examiners and other anti-fraud professionals
Fees
Members: $795
Non-Members: $995
CPE Credit
16
Field of Study
Information Technology
Course Level
Overview
Prerequisite
None
Advanced Preparation
None
Delivery Method
Group-Live
Full Course Outline
Investigating on the Internet
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DAY ONE
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DAY TWO
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| 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. |
Registration - Breakfast Pastries |
Breakfast Pastries |
| 8:00 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. |
Introduction to Internet Tools and Legal Issues
Today, a wealth of information is easily accessible to the fraud examiner online. Many of us are aware of the major search methods and websites, but there are more advanced methods and websites that specialize in areas most of us have never heard of. However, before beginning an investigation, investigators should be aware of the legal issues that can affect or restrict investigations. This opening session looks at various investigative scenarios and discusses some legal issues that examiners face.
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Researching Foreign Corporate Records Fraud has become borderless and it can originate anywhere. An integral skill for modern fraud examiners is the ability to effortlessly cross international borders while tracking down essential information. The Internet can help in many ways. With specialized search sites, obtaining information about foreign corporations is not as problematic as it once was. In this session, you will see what information is available and how to access it for your needs.
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| 9:20 a.m. - 9:35 a.m. |
Break |
Break |
| 9:35 a.m. - 10:55 a.m. |
Beginning an Internet Investigation
Start your investigation using the broadest and most accessible Internet search tools, such as Google and Bing. This block will teach you how to take elemental searches to the next level and get a higher-quality results. Learn about proximity searches, customized alerts, search operators and other features most users never employ.
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Taking the Internet as a Resource to the Next Level
The Internet is no longer a collection of individual websites — it has evolved. Learn how Web 2.0 is changing online experiences with the rise of blogs, social networks, web applications and more. In this block, participants will explore Web 2.0 developments and learn just how much individuals are revealing about themselves online. This can significantly aid an investigation if the examiner knows where and how to look. Hear about real cases where these sites have provided significant leads.
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| 10:55 a.m. - 11:10 a.m. |
Break |
Break |
| 11:10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
Maximizing the Search, Minimizing the Time
Investigations need to move along effectively and efficiently and conclude within a reasonable amount of time. New search tools specifically designed to retrieve particular information can now be brought to bear. For example, searching eBay, Craigslist and other websites requires a new level of Internet investigative acumen.
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Investigating the Social-Network Environment
What you do not know about social networks can hurt you (and possibly your friends and family). Fraud examiners can uncover many aspects of a case with a good working knowledge of how these websites encourage sharing of personal information. Websites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and many more can be sources of investigative data to the fraud examiner who knows how to mine them for data.
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| 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. |
Group Lunch |
Lunch on Own |
| 1:30 p.m. - 2:50 p.m. |
Public Record Searches and Computer Databases
Today, everything is kept as an electronic record. Most of what a fraud examiner is looking for in public records can be accessed online—no more weary days in the depths of city hall or some courthouse. But how do you find what you are looking for? What can you expect to find? This block outlines what is available and where. The limitations of these records are also discussed.
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Emerging Trends in Internet Investigations
This session takes all the websites you have seen and pulls out the key “first places to look.” These Internet investigation tools are the starting point for any and every fraud examination. If you want to make sure you cover the bases, these sites are the places you start.
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| 2:50 p.m. - 3:05 p.m. |
Break |
Break |
| 3:05 p.m. - 4:25 p.m. |
How to Handle Evidence from Online Sources
Handling evidence properly is a common challenge for fraud examiners, and it becomes more difficult when the evidence is electronic. In this session, you will learn how to capture, organize and preserve electronic evidence in an investigation so that it is usable for law enforcement and prosecutors.
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Putting It to Good Use: Practical Exercises In this session, you will begin to put what you have learned to work in a case study developed specifically for this course. You will begin to look into and analyze the activities of suspects by searching for hints and clues they have posted on the Internet. If you have brought your laptop, then you can work alongside the instructor and take a hands-on approach to the practical problem.
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Event Details
Event Cancellation Policy
Our
cancellation policy is intended to keep costs low for attendees. Due to financial obligations incurred by ACFE, Inc. you must cancel your registration prior to the start of the event. Cancellations received less than 14 calendar days prior to an event start date are subject to a $100 administrative fee. No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received on or after the start date of the event. Those who do not cancel and do not attend are responsible for the full registration fee. Should an event be cancelled or postponed by the ACFE due to
unforeseen circumstances, ACFE will process a full refund of registration fees
within 30 days of such circumstances becoming known. ACFE will attempt to
notify affected customers by phone and email after it determines cancellation
is necessary.
Satisfaction Guarantee
ACFE seminars are unmatched in scope and effectiveness and backed by our unconditional satisfaction guarantee. If you attend an ACFE event and are not completely satisfied, please contact an ACFE Member Services Representative at
MemberServices@ACFE.com or call (800) 245-3321 / +1 (512) 478-9000.
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website:
www.nasbaregistry.org.
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