Fraud Talk

What makes fraud awareness efforts stick? In this special International Fraud Awareness Week edition of Fraud Talk, three anti-fraud leaders share creative approaches to engaging their organizations and communities, building stronger fraud awareness cultures and inspiring people to take action.   Hear how the ACFE Philadelphia Chapter brings fraud education to life through interactive events, how Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad has turned its annual Fraud Awareness Games into an international initiative, and how ACFE Regent Emeritus Bethmara Kessler, CFE, is using music to communicate the human impact of fraud. Together, their stories offer fresh ideas for making fraud awareness more engaging, accessible and meaningful.   ——————————   Federal Reserve Financial Services offers unique visibility across the payments ecosystem — delivering actionable intelligence, tools and educational resources that can help financial institutions mitigate fraud more effectively. Learn more at FRBservices.org.   ——————————   Listen to the new EP "True North" on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4thdBCZJGPnWLmgyCyVtrb?si=amvJn9qOSJmJ_8H_f1AOJg

Cryptocurrency gives fraudsters new ways to move money, but the blockchain can also leave investigators with a trail to follow — if you know where to look. In this episode of Fraud Talk, forensic finance expert and professor John M. Griffin discusses how researchers trace illicit transactions and what those financial patterns can reveal about large-scale fraud schemes. Griffin, the James A. Elkins Centennial Chair in Finance at The University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business and CEO/founder of Integra Research Group, explains his research on how funds move through crypto networks and how investigators can use transaction data to identify connections that might otherwise go unseen. The conversation also examines how forensic finance supports the work of fraud examiners and what emerging technology could mean for tracing fraud in the years ahead.   ——————————   Federal Reserve Financial Services offers unique visibility across the payments ecosystem — delivering actionable intelligence, tools and educational resources that can help financial institutions mitigate fraud more effectively. Learn more at FRBservices.org.

The sports betting boom has changed more than how people wager. It has opened new avenues for identity theft, money laundering and other forms of fraud. This episode of Fraud Talk takes a deep dive into a new Fraud Magazine article tracing the schemes taking shape across the industry. Gaming attorney Greg Gemignani joins us to unpack what makes sports betting attractive to fraudsters, where the vulnerabilities lie and what anti-fraud professionals should be watching as the industry continues to grow.   ——————————————   Concentrix: Download the new white paper "Rewriting the Rules: How AI Is Transforming Fraud and Dispute Resolutions" at Concentrix.com/Fraud-Dispute-Whitepaper.

In this episode of Fraud Talk, ACFE Research Director Mason Wilder, CFE, and Training Director Jason Zirkle, CFE, join the show to examine the results of Interpol's Operation First Light 2026, a global enforcement effort involving 97 countries that led to thousands of arrests, the identification of more than 142,000 victims and the interception of nearly $293 million in illicit funds.   The conversation explores what an investigation of this size reveals about the modern fraud landscape, including the growing professionalization of fraud networks and the rise of global criminal enterprises operating like mature businesses. Wilder and Zirkle discuss how fraud schemes have evolved beyond individual bad actors into interconnected ecosystems involving recruiters, money launderers, data brokers and other specialized participants.   This episode also highlights the importance of information sharing, public-private partnerships and cross-border collaboration, offering practical insights for fraud examiners working to identify larger criminal networks hidden behind seemingly isolated cases.

In this episode of Fraud Talk, Ursula Schmidt, Ph.D., CCEP-I, founder of Schmidt Advisory and a former executive vice president of audit and compliance, joins the show to explore how culture, communication and human behavior shape effective fraud risk management.   Drawing on her global experience in internal audit and compliance, Dr. Schmidt explains why fraud is fundamentally a human problem, the importance of clear ownership of fraud risk, and why organizations must move beyond checklists and controls to address trust, transparency and accountability through honest communication and expectations.   Also in this episode, ACFE Chief Training Officer Andi McNeal, CFE, CPA, answers questions about the human element of fraud risk management and the value that tone-at-the-top culture brings to ensure all layers of an organization work together to improve prevention and detection.   Do you have questions about fraud? Reach out to us at [email protected].

In this episode of Fraud Talk, ACFE CEO John Warren, J.D., CFE, and Chief Training Officer Andi McNeal, CFE, CPA, join the show to explore Occupational Fraud 2026: A Report to the Nations — from its origins to its impact in the anti-fraud profession. The conversation traces the biennial report’s evolution over three decades, beginning with the first edition in 1996 to its role today as a global benchmark built on thousands of detailed case submissions provided by Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs). These conversations reveal how the report is created, from the collection of thousands of survey responses to analyzing and refining the information into meaningful insights. They discuss trends revealed through the data, including the role of tips in detecting fraud and the human element of identifying behavioral red flags, to balancing long-standing findings with new perspectives in each edition. This episode also highlights the collaborative nature of the anti-fraud profession, emphasizing how contributions from CFEs worldwide make the report possible and help organizations better understand and respond to fraud risk. Download Occupational Fraud 2026: A Report to the Nations for free at ACFE.com/RTTN.     ——————————————     Concentrix: Download the new white paper "Rewriting the Rules: How AI Is Transforming Fraud and Dispute Resolutions" at https://www.concentrix.com/insights/thought-leadership/how-ai-is-transforming-fraud-and-dispute-resolutions/.  

In this episode of Fraud Talk, fraud prevention expert and biometrics expert Simon Marchand, CFE, joins the show to explore how voice biometrics and AI-powered identity verification are reshaping the fight against fraud. This conversation follows the evolution of biometric technology from its origins as a customer authentication tool to its current role as a frontline defense against deepfakes, synthetic voices and large-scale orchestrated attacks. Marchand breaks down how fraudsters are leveraging AI to industrialize identity fraud, why language is no longer a barrier for bad actors operating across borders, and what organizations must consider when evaluating biometric solutions for their own risk environments. The discussion also examines the ethical and legal aspects of biometric data — including transparency, consent and governance — and what anti-fraud professionals must know as this technology becomes increasingly used across industries.   ——————————————   Concentrix: Download the new white paper "Rewriting the Rules: How AI Is Transforming Fraud and Dispute Resolutions" at https://www.concentrix.com/insights/thought-leadership/how-ai-is-transforming-fraud-and-dispute-resolutions/

In this episode of Fraud Talk, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala, Director‑General of the World Trade Organization and recipient of the ACFE’s Cressey Award for lifetime achievement, speaks with ACFE Chief Training Officer Andi McNeal, CFE, CPA, in a conversation recorded at the 36th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference. Dr. Okonjo‑Iweala reflects on the critical role transparency, strong institutions and accountability play in preventing fraud and corruption, and where technology can reduce risk alongside the key component of human judgment. She also shares insights on Africa’s future in the global fight against corruption, lessons in building consensus under pressure and advice for women leaders grounded in values, courage and purpose.

In this episode of Fraud Talk, ACFE Communications Director John Duffley welcomes back forensic accountant and consultant Chris Ekimoff, CFE, CPA, for a conversation on career development, personal branding and professional visibility in the anti-fraud field. Drawing on his experience as a practitioner, educator and speaker, Ekimoff shares practical advice on using social media authentically, evaluating opportunities, balancing general expertise with specialization and building meaningful professional relationships both online and in person. Their discussion also explores consulting, managing client expectations, storytelling as a critical skill, and why “dedicate, don’t dabble” is key to long-term growth and impact.

In this episode of Fraud Talk, Fraud Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jen Liebman, CFE, is joined by ACFE President and CEO John Warren, J.D., CFE, to break down the most scandalous frauds of 2025 and what they reveal about today’s global fraud landscape. The discussion explores a series of sprawling international schemes, from what may be the largest Medicare fraud in U.S. history to cyber scam operations tied to human trafficking, pig butchering cryptocurrency scams, government corruption that destabilized a national economy and a state-sponsored crypto hack linked to North Korea. Along the way, they examine the growing scale and sophistication of transnational fraud, the human consequences behind the headlines and the critical role anti-fraud professionals play in confronting increasingly complex financial crime.