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Tampa Bay Chapter - ACFE              http://TampaBayCFE.org             January 2010


HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM YOUR CHAPTER PRESIDENT!!!!!

I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday season. Now it is that time again when we close out the old and bring in the New Year.  And there is a lot of work to be done.

Bill Ford, Chairman of Ford Motor Company once said, I think the world is filled with so much hype and PR bull. Frankly, it all comes out in the end. Good or bad, I'd rather just let our accomplishments really speak for themselves. I feel the same way too! Our Chapter accomplishments speak for themselves. Here are a few of the things that we accomplished this past calendar year:

  • The Chapter awarded 4 scholarships ($1,000 each) to local accounting college students.

  • The Chapter awarded 2 scholarships ($500 each) to local criminology college students.

  • The Chapter awarded 4 scholarships ($250 each) to local ethics college students.

  • The Chapter donated $500 to the Pinellas Park Police Explorer Post.

  • The Chapter donated $500 to the Pinellas County Sheriff Police Explorer Troop.

  • The Chapter formed Student Board chapters at three local universities.

  • The Chapter helped sponsor the Tampa Center for Ethics Award Program.

  • The Chapter provided for six CPE hours to be earned during our dinner meetings.

  • The Chapter hosted its 10th Annual Fraud and Computer Crimes seminar providing fourteen hours of CPE credit.

  • Two Chapter members, Consuelo Herrera and Pamela Ranney established a weekly CFE study session that is open to anyone interested in pursuing their certification.

  • A Chapter Director participated as an active advisor for the Pinellas Park Police Explorer Post.

  • Ellen Wilcox presented “Mortage Fraud” to the Financial Institution Security Officers.

  • Katherine Baker presented “Current Issues in Bankruptcy Fraud” to the Tampa Bay CPA Group and the Joint IIA/IMA meeting and co-authored several fraud related articles.

  • Laura Brock presented various fraud topics to fifteen Tampa area professional groups.

  • Ellen Wilcox presented a “Case Study on Mortage Fraud” at the US Attorney’s Conference and the 32nd Annual NACPI Conference.

  • Rande Matteson made four fraud presentations during 2009
       1. Global Ethics at multiple Universities in Ecuador.
       2. Drafting the Effective Cybercrime Statute at the Southern Criminal Justice  Association Conference.
       3.  Understanding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act at Saint Leo University.
       4. Academic Cyberchase at the ICER International Educational Conference, Spain.

  • Rande Matteson co-authored seven fraud articles for scholary publications.

  • Steve Hooper made two fraud presentations for the University of South Florida-Saint Petersburg on “Internal Controls” and “Risk and Control.”

  • George Tselentis made a fraud presentation to the Sarasota YMCA on “How to Avoid Indentity Theft.”

  • Glenda Eichholtz made two Crime Prevention presentations to local groups.

  • Kara Preston made six presentations on Identity Theft to various local professional groups.

  • David Burris volunteered to perform a review of currency controls at the Central Bank of Yemen.

  • Rande Matteson co-developed the Institute for Transformative Justice.

  • Stephen Menge and Sharon Shaw hosted an ACFE Chapter information booth at the CSO Perspectives conference in Clearwater.

Pretty impressive by anyone’s measurement. No wonder we were recognized as the Association’s 2009 Chapter of the Year.  This just proves that we are out, in force, representing the core values established by the Association in serving the community by the promotion of improved fraud detection and deterrence and through expansion of knowledge and the interaction of its Members.

 

I look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year and to work with you to continue this Chapter’s award winning agenda. I hope that more of you will get involved with the tremendous projects we have going on. Be a presenter, a mentor, a writer, or anything else you can be to help the Chapter finish our projects. Help is currently needed in our Study Groups and Student Boards. We also need researchers for items to be published in our newsletter. An unknown person once said, when you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.

 

I hope to see you January 12, 2010 (our next dinner meeting).

 

STEVE HOOPER, CFE, CIA, CGAP, CCSA

PRESIDENT, ACFE Tampa Bay Chapter

5 Steps to help prevent you from becoming a victim of identity theft  

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that around 9 million American’s have their identity stolen each year and this number is will continue to increase in the future.  Identity theft takes many forms and thieves use the stolen information for a variety of reasons, which can affect more than just your credit record.  Individuals as well as organizations are at risk from losing considerable amounts of money and time due to identity theft.   

Unfortunately for most of us, we have to give out our personal information on a regular basis. This cannot be avoided; however we can be more selective and cautious when we give out our personal information, and to whom we supply this information. 

The Identity Theft Assistance Center suggests we treat personal information in the same manner in which we treat cash.  Personal information includes Social Security number, PIN, account numbers, passwords, date of birth and anything else that is non-public information, which could be used to identify us.  Be selective to whom you give this information and ask questions about why they need it. Is there another form of information they could use instead? 

Installing virus protection, anti spy ware and firewalls on your computer system is great in helping avoid identity theft but it is not enough.  You need to make sure you periodically update these packages with the latest versions from the manufacturer.  You can have the best system in the world, but if you do not use it correctly it will provide you little protection. 

We rely on technology every day to complete many tasks and in some cases these actions require no human interaction at all.  We have got used to emailing and chatting to get the job done quickly and efficiently.  Social engineering is one of the oldest forms of trickery and it is unlikely to go away any time soon; so in order to avoid becoming a victim on-line you need to recognize when all may not be as it seems.  Walter Mossberg’s article How to Avoid Cons That Can Lead to Identity Theft has essential information to help you recognize potential Social Engineering attacks. 

Would you like to buy some magic beans?  We say it over and over again “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.”  Most scams prey on those who are vulnerable and think that just maybe this will be their lucky break.  An example is employment scams, which have become popular recently with the downturn in the economy.  Jobs that don’t exist are posted requesting that you send your resume for further review.  Victims then receive a reply email requesting more personal information to enable the employer to do a background check before interviewing the applicant.  The job does not exist and the scammer now has all of your personal information, which can be used in any manner they choose.  Be cautious when applying for jobs and do not hand over any personal information until you have met with someone from the company and feel comfortable that they are legitimate.  Always stop and think before sending any personal information in reply to a request online or via email; do some additional checks before letting go of your personal information it may just save you from becoming a victim of online identity theft. 

Check your bank account and other account statements monthly to ensure there are no transactions that do not belong to you.  You should also pull your credit report periodically to ensure there is no activity on there, which does not belong to you.  Early detection is key when dealing with identity theft.  Medical identity theft is also becoming more common, so you should thoroughly review statements from your insurance carrier to ensure all of the services billed to your account were actually received by you or someone who is entitled to them.  

To combat identity theft we have to change the way we view our personal information and the risks posed by its disclosure.  Through being selective about what we give out and to whom we give it, we can help reduce the risk of identity theft.  Think twice about doing business with companies who have a poor track record of keeping client information confidential.  All organizations are vulnerable to having their client’s information stolen, despite them taking all precautions possible, however if it happens continually they may not be taking adequate steps to prevent reoccurrence. 

The Identity Theft Assistance center provides information for consumers, law enforcement and organizations on how to prevent and detect identity theft.  Click here to view their website.

Author:
Sharon M. Shaw, CFE
Director, Tampa Bay Chapter ACFE

Sources
ITAC - Identity Theft Assistance Center ~ helping victims and sharing knowledge with consumers and law enforcement to protect from identity theft.
Deter. Detect. Defend. Avoid ID Theft

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Tampa Bay Chapter

Dinner Meeting January 12, 2010- Identity Theft Strike Force- Detective R. Barnes & Detective M. Bell

Dinner Meeting February 9, 2010- Ethics - Behavior (Un)becoming of a Department Manager -

Dinner Meeting March 9, 2010- Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay - Debbie Carter

 Dinner Meeting April 20, 2010- Arson Fraud - Lt. Eric Saccasyn

11th Annual Fraud & Computer Crimes Seminar

May 11-12, 2010
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Clearwater, Florida
1111 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL 33759

Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Professional Interviewing Skills
Tampa, FL
February 25-26, 2010

2009 - 2010
OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT
Steve Hooper, CIA, CFE, CCSA, CGAP
Clerk of the Circuit Court Hillsborough County, FL
(813) 276-2029 x3703

VICE PRESIDENT
 Christine Dever, CPA/CFF, CFE
City of Tampa
(813) 274-7166

SECRETARY
 Ellen Wilcox, CFE
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(727) 298-2482

TREASURER
Laura Krueger Brock, CPA/CFF, CFE, CVA
Kirkland, Russ, Murphy & Tapp, P.A.
(727) 572-1400

DIRECTOR
 Mark Dubina, CFE
Tampa Port Authority
(813) 241-1893

DIRECTOR
 Sharon M. Shaw, CFE
Tel: (727) 674-8399

DIRECTOR
Debbie Venanzio, CFE
Branch Banking & Trust Co.
Tel: (727) 302-5498

DIRECTOR
Bill Miles, CFE
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Tel: (863) 701-1474

DIRECTOR
Gary Chapman, CIA, CGAP, CFE
City of Tampa
Tel: (813) 274-7163

CHAPTER TRAINING
Wayne Boytim, CFE
Retired
(813) 274-7167

Identity Theft Trends in 2010

The Identity Theft Assistance Center, ITAC has released their Identity Theft Outlook for 2010, which identifies the following six new trends in identity theft that are anticipated in 2010. 

An emerging breed of cyber bank robber. The use of official-looking emails to acquire personal information, called phishing, is a familiar threat. But security experts have identified a disturbing new twist – criminals use malware to steal usernames and passwords and recruit accomplices as “money mules” to open phony accounts and transfer funds.  

Fewer silos and more collaboration on cyber security. The Obama administration will continue to break down silos within the government and collaborate more with industry as they develop and implement cyber security policy. The administration is expected to announce the appointment of a cyber security czar whose job will entail orchestrating and integrating all cyber security policies for the government.

Expanded use of identity management solutions to address identity theft, data breaches, and cyber crime. Digital identities are still less secure than physical ones, but progress is being made toward understanding how to integrate the disparate elements of identity in the digital age. The use of identity management solutions to combat identity theft, data breaches and cyber crime is essential but difficult to implement ubiquitously. “The Center for Applied IdentityManagement is creating a knowledge base to provide researchers, practitioners, and policy makers with an integrated data set of threats, solutions, and needed capabilities. The analysis of this information will lead to applied research projects that will provide new and innovative solutions to challenges created by a growing digital world,” according to Executive Director Gary R. Gordon.

A bumpy start for “Red Flag” rules. The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) requires all businesses and organizations that handle sensitive consumer data to establish an Identity Theft Prevention Program that detects activity that could indicate identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has delayed enforcement of the rules until June 2010 to give companies time to prepare. The American Bar Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants are taking legal actions to exempt lawyers and CPAs from the rules. Consumers will face questions about address changes and other behavior – such as missed payments, changes in spending patterns and cellular call patterns – from more businesses than ever before. The changes could be met with annoyance until customers become accustomed to new levels of scrutiny.

Stiffer sentences for identity theft. Courts are imposing stiffer sentences on identity theft criminals. The law requires a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors are pursuing additional jail time for related felonies, such as wire fraud and use of unauthorized access devices (credit cards). In late 2008, the leader of an identity theft ring in Southern California was convicted on 60 identity theft- related charges and sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.

Possible federal regulation of breaches of consumer data. Two Senate measures that would regulate how both public and private sector organizations protect personal information have cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee, and have been placed on the calendar for consideration by the full Senate. The full impact of any federal legislation will depend on whether the measures would preempt existing state laws.

Sources

http://identitytheftassistance.org//uploaded_files/fck/file/20091210OutlookITAC.pdf
http://www.identitytheftassistance.org/

News from the ACFE

ACFE "Professional Interviewing Skills" seminar coming to Tampa Bay in 2010

Professional Interviewing Skills seminar on February 25-26, 2010 at the Doubletree Guest Suites in Tampa. 

This two-day, interactive course will teach you how to be more effective in asking direct and follow-up questions, while evaluating both verbal and non-verbal responses, so you can be a better listener and observer during subject interviews.

For more information about the seminar and how to register click here.

 Free Archived Webinars and CPE For Members
  
As part of the ACFE's 20th Anniversary, they have provided free webinars exclusively for ACFE members:

ACFE members can log into the ACFE website and find the webinars under announcements.  Each webinar is worth one hour of CPE credit for members.

Check out the Fraud Tools FROM THE ACFE

The fraud tools section can be found in the fraud resources section of the members ACFE webiste.  There are helpful videos to download, sample documents and the Fraud Prevention Check Up.  These are excellent resources for us all.

CHAPTER NEWS

Our next Dinner Meeting is scheduled for January 12th, 2010

Identity Theft Strike Force

Our next dinner meeting will be on January 12, 2010 at the Westshore Hotel, 1200 N. Westshore Blvd.  Registration and social Begin at 6:00pm, followed by the buffet dinner at 6:30, and presentation at 7:00.

Click here to book now using our online registration form or email Gary Chapman with any questions you may have.

Detective Michael Bell & Detective Rebecca Barnes, Polk County Sheriff’s Office will give a presentation about the work of the Identity Theft Strike Force.

Detective Michael Bell has been employed with the Polk County Sheriff's Office for 18 years. He worked undercover as a narcotics detective for 8 years and the last 5 with the Identity Theft Strike Force. He is an Associate CFE and will be completing his CFE certification over the next few months.

Detective Rebecca Barnes has been employed with the Polk Co. Sheriff's Office for 10 years and has been a fraud detective with the Identity Theft Strike Force for the last 4 years. She too worked in the undercover unit.

Both have participated in federal undercover drug arrests valued at more than a million dollars. As part of their Identity Theft Strike Force duties, they investigate Exploitation of the Elderly cases, Nigerian scams, Embezzlement schemes, check and credit card fraud, Forgeries, and ID Theft cases.

2010 Pricing

Please note our pricing is as follows for one hour of continuing professional education and the dinner buffet.

Chapter Members and their Guests        $25
Non-Chapter Members                            $35
Student Members                                    $20
Student Non-Members                            $30

Revised "No Show" Policy

The subject of “no shows” (that is making a reservation but failing to attend) at dinner meetings has been discussed previously in CFE NEWS. On the Friday prior to the meeting, we make our best guess as to the number attending. With that said, the Board implemented the following policy:

"No Show" is defined as not attending a meeting after making a reservation and not canceling the reservation by noon on the day of the dinner meeting. The first "no show" will be considered as a “grace” miss and will not be billed. Upon a subsequent "no show" the Chapter will bill $32.00 (actual cost to the Chapter) for both missed meetings and for any meetings missed after that.

2010 Chapter Two Day Seminar Dates Changed

The dates for our annual Chapter seminar have been changed to May 11th & 12th.  More information on this outstanding event will be coming soon.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND USEFUL RESOURCES

Criminal Gangs Use PIN Terminals to Capture Credit Card Information - Criminals are tampering with PIN entry terminals to enable them to capture card and PIN information.  Criminals posing as engineers take terminals away claiming they need repairs and then return doctored machines, which capture card information.

RSA Fraud Report December 2009 - US gains first position for hosting phishing attacks. Interesting report about recent trends in on-line attacks.  Protecting more than 300 organizations against online attacks, the RSA Anti-Fraud Command Center has shut down more than 250,000 phishing attacks to date and is a key industry source for intelligence on new and emerging online threats.

Australia Plan to Use Virtual ID Cards to Prevent Medical Fraud - The Australian Government plan to crack down on welfare and healthcare fraud with the use of virtual ID's  The plan will allow agencies to cross check claims and prevent fraud and the practice of "doctor shopping".

China Finds Huge Fraud by Officials - More than 1,000 officials facing prosecution or disciplinary action.

iInvestigate.net - A wealth of investigative resources.

Investor.gov - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's information website for investors.  A comprehensive resource with information about investing and how to keep your money safe.

“Top Ten Tips” for Avoiding Fraud When Investing

In addition to more generalized advice on getting smart and avoiding fraud, here are some “Top Ten Tips” for ensuring that you or your loved ones do not fall victim to fraud.

FINRA’s BrokerCheck Program

Information on brokerage firms. FINRA’s BrokerCheck Program provides the following information on brokerage firms: the firm’s address, legal status, types of businesses, and direct and indirect owners and officers; felony charges and convictions, and investment-related misdemeanor charges and convictions, for the past 10 years; disciplinary actions and proceedings initiated by regulators; investment-related civil court actions and proceedings for the past 10 years; bankruptcy proceedings; unsatisfied judgments or liens; summary information on arbitration awards; and (for former FINRA firms-registered firms) the date that the firm ceased doing business, and, as appropriate, certain information regarding funds owed to customers or other firms.

Information on individual brokers. BrokerCheck provides the following information on individual brokers: current employer; employment history for the past 10 years; other businesses outside of employment with the brokerage firm; approved licenses and registrations and qualification exams passed; criminal felony charges and convictions; investment-related misdemeanor charges and convictions; disciplinary actions and investigations by regulators; investment-related civil court actions and proceedings; consumer-initiated complaints, arbitration proceedings and civil law suits; unsatisfied judgments and liens, and bankruptcy proceedings; and employment terminations following alleged misconduct or failure to supervise subordinates.

Read more helpful information about protecting yourself when investing your hard earned money at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Investor website at Investor.gov 

Source:

Investor.gov

 

© 2010 Tampa Bay Chapter - Association of Certified Fraud Examiners