Key Takeaways From the 2026 ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific

What does it take to stay ahead of fraud when the technology, tactics and even the people behind a scheme are constantly changing? At the 2026 ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific, anti-fraud experts tackled that question from different angles, from preparing organizations for the next major crisis to combating artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled scams and exposing human trafficking networks behind large-scale operations. Across two days of general sessions and breakout discussions, several key lessons emerged. 

Prepare for “The Day Before” 

Opening keynote speaker Shamane Tan challenged attendees to consider the decisions organizations make before a crisis ever begins. Drawing on lessons from major cyber incidents, Tan examined the assumptions, leadership choices and organizational vulnerabilities that can determine how an organization responds when fraud emerges.  

As AI reshapes the credibility of evidence, Tan also explored a growing challenge for fraud professionals: determining what can be trusted. Her session emphasized the role of leadership, judgment and resilience in preparing organizations for emerging threats rather than waiting until a crisis occurs. 

Fraud Moves Fast, and Collaboration Has to Keep Pace 

Senior Superintendent Fanny Kung of the Hong Kong Police Force joined ACFE Regent Weiyi Tan, CFE, FSIArb, LLM, for a fireside chat on the rapidly evolving scam landscape across the Asia-Pacific region. Drawing on major investigations and Hong Kong’s anti-scam efforts, Kung discussed threats including AI and deepfake scams, account hijacking and virtual asset fraud. 

The conversation highlighted the importance of collaboration among law enforcement, financial regulators, financial institutions and other partners. As fraud schemes become more sophisticated, sharing intelligence and expertise across organizations plays an important role in detecting scams and disrupting the networks behind them. 

Looking Beyond the Scam 

Award-winning investigative journalist Cezary Podkul took attendees inside the world of pig-butchering scams, examining both the psychological tactics used to gain victims’ trust and the human trafficking operations that fuel many of these schemes. 

Drawing from his firsthand reporting, Podkul addressed a complicated reality in which some of the people perpetrating fraud are themselves victims of trafficking and coercion. He also examined key red flags and the role financial institutions can play in identifying these schemes, communicating with customers and preventing losses. 

A Wider View 

Those conversations continued throughout the conference, with breakout sessions examining challenges across the anti-fraud profession. Attendees explored topics ranging from AI washing, digital fraud and cryptocurrency regulation to ethical blind spots, internal audit, procurement schemes, sanctions investigations and remote work scams.  

Other sessions focused on strengthening the systems organizations rely on to prevent and detect fraud, including governance, compliance programs and enterprise fraud risk frameworks. The breadth of the program reflected both the complexity of fraud across the Asia-Pacific region and the increasingly global nature of the schemes anti-fraud professionals encounter. 

By bringing professionals together to exchange regional expertise, investigative approaches and lessons learned, the 2026 ACFE Fraud Conference Asia-Pacific furthered the collective mission of anti-fraud professionals in the region and around the world to reduce fraud and strengthen the systems working to prevent and detect it.