"Billion-Dollar Whale" Author Recounts the Collapse of 1MDB

"Billion-Dollar Whale" Author Recounts the Collapse of 1MDB

Best-selling author Tom Wright’s address at the 2019 ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific began and ended with one central figure in the 1MDB corruption scandal: Paris Hilton. I kid. But, Hilton’s name did come up several times while Wright recounted the events that led to the ousting of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and the exposure of a billion-dollar corruption scheme known as 1MDB.

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National Security and Corporate Risk Expert Says “We’re Not Winning” the War Against Digital Threats

National Security and Corporate Risk Expert Says “We’re Not Winning” the War Against Digital Threats

Large-scale data breaches are now regular fixtures in the headlines, and as cybercriminals become more sophisticated, corporations and governments are rushing to keep up. “In almost four decades of security work, I have never witnessed a threat environment that has this type of volume, velocity and variety,” security expert Ray Boisvert told the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). “The myriad of threat actors, now spanning an entire globe with increasingly sharp capabilities to strike remotely, has now completely redefined for us what security parameters look like.” 

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Best-Selling Author of "Billion-Dollar Whale" Says It Is “Unlikely” That Singapore and Hong Kong Will Take Meaningful Action Against Fraud

Best-Selling Author of "Billion-Dollar Whale" Says It Is “Unlikely” That Singapore and Hong Kong Will Take Meaningful Action Against Fraud

Although the 1MDB scandal first came to light in 2015, the effects are still being felt in the Asia-Pacific region today. “It’s become clear that banks and other financial firms in Singapore and Hong Kong are facilitators of fraud,” said best-selling author Tom Wright. “Singapore took action to jail some bankers, but Hong Kong has yet to act. Both places will have to take further action to ensure bad actors don’t continue to operate on their soil, but this is unlikely.”

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Can You Teach Ethical Behavior?

Can You Teach Ethical Behavior?

Ethics training is hardly a foreign concept to fraud examiners. Most organizations have some form of mandatory ethics training as a part of their compliance programs. But can you actually teach people to make ethical decisions? Or are these trainings only a formality?

 Mary Breslin, founder of Verracy Training and Consulting, explored this topic with attendees at the 30th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference on Tuesday. “How do we teach ethics in a way that people actualyl learn ethical decision-making skills?” she asked.

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How A Fraudster's First Stolen Dollar Turned Into Much More

How A Fraudster's First Stolen Dollar Turned Into Much More

“I was desperately in love with the things of the world,” said convicted fraudster* Tom Hughes at the closing session of the 30th Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference. “I had to have stuff that would never love me back. Whether it was electronics in the house, or a new camera, or a new guitar or a weekend in Bermuda with my wife, I had to have stuff.”

During a Q&A interview with John Gill, J.D., CFE, ACFE Vice President – Education, Hughes detailed his motivations behind his crimes (like greed) and why he began stealing from the bank in the first place. 

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The Truth About the Dark Web Fraud Trade

The Truth About the Dark Web Fraud Trade

The dark web is kind of like the last season of Game of Thrones; it’s not all good, but it’s not all bad either. In her session today, Emily Wilson, CFE, VP of Research at Terbium Labs, discussed the dark web fraud economy thriving just below the accessible search engines we visit every day.

According to Wilson, the dark web is not found through a Google search and it requires special technology called TOR for access. The technology is used to encrypt a user’s IP address and browsing history to give you an anonymous presence while you search. The dark web lives below the clear web and the deep web, and is booming with activity.

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