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About the ACFE
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The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
The Association of
Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) is the world's largest anti-fraud
organization and the premier provider of anti-fraud training and
education. Together with more than 50,000 members, the ACFE is reducing
the incidence of fraud and white-collar crime worldwide and inspiring
public confidence in the integrity and objectivity within the
profession.
Founded in 1988 by Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA and former Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) Agent, the ACFE has become the largest
anti-fraud organization in the world. ACFE members in 125 countries
have investigated more than two million cases of suspected criminal and
civil fraud.
Members of the ACFE include CPAs, auditors, lawyers, investigators, law
enforcement officers, security professionals, executives, managers and
anyone whose job involves preventing, detecting or deterring fraud. The
ACFE supports members and the anti-fraud profession by providing
conferences, seminars and other training events year-round, while also
offering self-study and online learning opportunities, manuals,
software and other resources for fighting fraud.
The ACFE established and administers the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
credential. Globally preferred by employers, the CFE credential denotes
proven expertise in fraud prevention, detection, deterrence and
investigation. Members with the CFE credential gain a professional
advantage and quickly position themselves as leaders in the global
anti-fraud community.
The idea that sparked the formation of the Association of Certified
Fraud Examiners (ACFE) occurred in 1985, stemming from a casual
conversation between Joseph Wells, an accountant turned FBI agent, and
the foremost criminologist in the country, Donald Cressey.
At that time, fraud detection and deterrence were handled by two
disparate groups: accountants who didn’t know anything about
investigating fraud, and investigators, who didn’t know anything about
accounting. "What you need to do is combine these disciplines,” Cressey
matter-of-factly suggested. A few years later, Wells did just that.
The culmination of this insight led to the formation of a common body
of knowledge known today as fraud examination and forever bridged a gap.
Anti-fraud professionals continue to emerge as some of the most
important, most highly sought- after individuals working today. In a
recent interview with Chris Swecker, assistant director for the
Criminal Investigative Division (CID) of the FBI, he explained why CFEs
are in high demand. “There is a lot of need for the Certified
Fraud Examiner skill set because it is a sophisticated certification
used to unravel very complex schemes,” he said. “Since the CFE skill
set cuts across all of our disciplines we can place a CFE can in any
area – counter intelligence, cyber financial frauds, terrorism funding
– and be confident they will succeed.”
Many other influential agencies are also seeing value in the CFE. In
April 2006, the U.S. Department of Defense announced they officially
recognize the CFE credential in the Department of Defense Policy. In
February 2006, Gregory Kutz, managing director of the Forensic Audits
and Special Investigations Unit (FSI) for the Government Accountability
Office, announced that everyone in his 50-person FSI unit must obtain
their CFE credential by Sept. 30, 2006.
A recent study by Robert Half International, a leading specialist in
financial staffing, identified the CFE as “in-demand” and listed it as
one of the most marketable credentials today. “The demand for
professionals possessing the CFE designation has risen as the need for
accountants who can help detect and prevent fraud and provide
additional scrutiny has increased,” explains DeLynn Senna, executive
director of Finance & Accounting at Robert Half
International. “Bringing staff with the CFE on board enables
employers to develop a more skilled workforce. Professionals who earn
and maintain this accreditation establish themselves as leaders in
their field and gain insight into industry trends and best practices in
the process,” she adds.
Around the world, CFEs are actively fighting fraud every day, making a
huge impact in business and government. From large corporations and
powerful government agencies to the smallest family- owned companies,
CFEs are working diligently to prevent, detect and investigate fraud.
Not only are CFEs making a difference through their hard work, but also
through their tireless advocacy.
If you would like to know
more about becoming a Certified Fraud Examiner or in how to become an
Associate Member of the ACFE, please click here.
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