International Fraud Awareness Week kicks off Nov. 12, 2023 worldwide
As a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Law Enforcement and Government Alliance Program, I am honored to be one of the Fraud Week Ambassadors for this year’s International Fraud Awareness Week from November 12-18, 2023. The ACFE, the world’s largest anti-fraud organization and premier provider of anti-fraud training and education, sponsors this annual effort to encourage community education and initiatives to raise awareness of fraud. My staff and I regularly speak to individuals and organizations to increase fraud awareness in the community. We introduce the tools available to them to combat fraud and make them aware of initiatives as a 2023 Fraud Week Awareness Ambassador.
Organizations and individuals lose trillions of dollars every year to various forms of fraud, primarily because they may not be educated on fraudsters’ tactics, or they don’t set the necessary measures in place to safeguard themselves against scams. One such safeguard provided by our office is the free Risk Alert notification.
According to the FBI, property fraud is one of the fastest growing white-collar crimes. Criminals file fake deeds or other land records to appear as if they own property that is not actually theirs, and then they deceive people into giving them money to buy or rent those homes. When it comes to occupational fraud, an estimated five percent of annual business revenues is wasted because of fraud, according to a study conducted by the ACFE.
Fraudsters often target the elderly population, hoping to access seniors’ hard-earned money. The video advises how they can gain the valuable tools they need to fight fraud, and it provides tips for loved ones to help keep their elderly family and friends safe from becoming victims.
In conjunction with the ACFE, we issued a primer on occupational fraud, entitled “How to be a Fraud Fighter.” The Office of Inspector General includes a Certified Fraud Examiner to fight occupational fraud which targets the County coffers. The CFE designation is awarded by the ACFE to trained professionals who possess diverse skills in preventing, detecting and investigating fraud, such as:
- Knowledge of complex financial transactions
- Understanding of investigative techniques and legal issues
- Ability to resolve allegations of fraud
- Design of effective anti-fraud programs.
For more information about increasing awareness and reducing the risk of fraud during International Fraud Awareness Week, visit FraudWeek.com.