Agenda

ACFE President John Gill, J.D., CFE
State of the ACFE and The Role of Ethics in Fighting Fraud

Learning Objectives:

• Identify common motivations and rationalizations used by fraudsters, based on real-life case studies and interviews with convicted individuals
• Analyze key fraud prevention strategies and their effectiveness in deterring fraudulent behavior within organizations
• Apply insights from fraudsters’ experiences to strengthen internal controls and promote an ethical corporate culture

Break

Michael “Bret” Hood
Detecting Deception: The Body Tells A Story, But The Chances of Reading It Accurately Are Problematic?
Interviewers have been taught for years to rely on non-verbal behaviors to assist in detecting deception when interviewing witnesses and suspects, but what happens if your interpretations of these signals are flawed? In this interactive block of instruction, you will test your ability to detect deception, discuss the latest scientific research concerning the reliability of detecting deception through someone’s non-verbal behaviors, and learn how to apply certain social psychological behaviors that could improve your chances of detecting deception in interviews.

Lunch

Robert Glasser
“Crime Pays”: Navigating and Recovering from an Employee Dishonesty Claim
Discovering employee theft can be emotionally and financially devastating. This session provides a comprehensive roadmap for business owners and managers to respond effectively. From identifying perpetrators to navigating the insurance claims process, attendees will gain practical insights into fraud risk mitigation, documentation requirements, and strategies for overcoming insurer resistance. The goal is to empower organizations to recover losses and strengthen internal safeguards.

Learning Objectives:

• Emotional and operational impact of employee theft
• Common personal traits and behavioral patterns
• Applying the fraud triangle to assess and mitigate risk
• When Suspicions Arise: First Steps & Adjustment Process
• Best practices for documentation and valuation
• Overcoming Insurance pushback
• Notable case studies and lessons learned

Peter Ulrich
Deepfakes and AI auditing
Learning Objectives:

• What are deepfakes and how are they are created?
• AI Risk management frameworks.
• NIST AI RMF and Playbook & SB24-205.
• Practical steps to audit AI for auditors.

Break

Fraud Frontlines: Financial Crimes from the FINRA Trenches – Panel moderated by Colleen Diles
Kathleen Queally, Jeremiah Starsia, and Vanessa Bopp
Behind the regulatory curtain with FINRA’s financial crime specialists for an insider’s view of securities fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, and threats targeting seniors and vulnerable adults that will intrigue investigators from all disciplines. This panel reveals how traditional and emerging fraud schemes are being adapted to exploit broker-dealers, securities markets, and vulnerable populations, offering valuable cross-domain insights for fraud detection professionals. Drawing from real-world cases, the panelists will showcase sophisticated financial crime typologies that often intersect with other criminal activities, from digital fraud tactics to complex money laundering operations disguised as legitimate securities transactions. Panelists will demonstrate investigative techniques applicable across various fraud domains and share resources valuable to all financial crime fighters.  Join us for this candid conversation about the challenges, successes, and lessons learned from this rapidly evolving threat landscape.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify emerging financial crime patterns and schemes currently targeting broker-dealers and their customers
• Discover how securities fraud investigation methodologies can strengthen detection capabilities across diverse financial crime domains
• Access and utilize available FINRA resources to support threat mitigation efforts

Expert Witness Excellence: Building Credibility, Maintaining Relevance – Panel moderated by Colleen Diles
Michael “Bret” Hood, Robert Glasser, Brett Johnson, Robyn Shaw, and Gary Schwartz

Becoming an expert witness is only the beginning — staying credible, current, and in demand requires a strategic blend of technical expertise, testimony experience, and professional reputation management. In this dynamic panel, six distinguished professionals share decades of lessons from the stand and the field. Colleen Diles brings deep regulatory and consulting experience, guiding financial industry clients through complex compliance matters and serving as an expert witness, recognized in Delaware Chancery Court and arbitration. Robert Glasser offers unmatched depth in forensic accounting, insurance claims, and fraud investigations from more than 40 years in practice. Michael “Bret” Hood draws on his 25+ years with the FBI investigating high‑profile financial crimes and shaping leadership programs for law enforcement worldwide. Brett Johnson leads cutting‑edge cryptocurrency tracing investigations and has testified across multiple court systems. Gary Schwartz, current President of the Colorado Chapter of the ACFE, leverages decades in banking, litigation support, and fraud investigation to deliver persuasive, evidence‑based testimony. Robyn Shaw is a forensic accountant recognized as an expert witness in Colorado courts, arbitration, and grand jury proceedings, including testimony to uphold Colorado’s first COCCA retail theft ring conviction before the Colorado Court of Appeals. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to establish themselves as credible experts, maintain their relevance, and adapt to emerging industry trends.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the Core Competencies of an Effective Expert Witness
• Apply Strategies to Maintain Relevance in a Changing Landscape
• Enhance Testimony Presence and Professional Reputation

Break

Michelle Slocum and Lauren Lollini
Healthcare Drug Diversion Cases, Regulations and a Patient’s Perspective
Drug diversion poses significant patient safety risks in healthcare organizations, including inadequate pain management, exposure to contaminated materials, and compromised care from impaired staff. Organizations also face reputational damage, potential multi-million dollar settlements, and legal consequences for non-compliance with regulations.
You’ll hear from Lauren Lollini, a patient that was personally harmed after a routine surgery. She was the victim of a surgical tech who diverted drugs from operating rooms for her own use and spread Hepatitis C to 19 innocent patients. Hear Lauren’s story to get a patient’s perspective on how drug diversion affects more than just the diverter. The session will also focus on the ins and outs or recent drug diversion cases, some resulting in millions of dollars in fines. These actual cases will highlight gaps in controls and ways drugs are being diverted so that healthcare facilities can better protect themselves and more importantly their patients. Lastly will discuss regulations surrounding controlled substances and some of the things your facility must be doing for reporting and record keeping. Non-compliance with these regulations can often represent multi-million dollar fines.

Learning Objectives:

• • • Gain a better understanding of far reaching consequences of drug diversion.
    • Identify control gaps from actual drug diversion cases.
    • Identify controls to detect and prevent drug diversion.
    • Gain a better understanding of the regulations surrounding controlled
      substances.

Lunch

LeAnn Lopez and Karl Mai
Operation Looks Real
Investigator Lopez was contacted by the Colorado Department of Revenue motor vehicle division regarding recovering several false title and temporary license plate documents. After some analysis, it was determined these documents were coming from a company named Prop Doks in Denver. Through the investigation, several agencies in the Denver Metro area reported suspects steal vehicles, re-key them with a key programmer, then order new fraudulent titles on Propdoks.com then sell the vehicles through various websites. The car purchaser then finds out from DMV that the title is false. Several police agencies in Denver attempted to file criminal cases, however, they were only able to charge the people in possession of the forged item. The company advertises it can
provide very specific motor vehicle documents, court documents, such as police reports regarding stolen identification, as well as tax forms, pay stubs, residential documents, etc., for a minimal cost. The company includes a disclaimer in all its purchases of “made for video prop, theatrical, novelty, or educational use only.” See the thousands of dollars this company
made before they were ultimately stopped.

Break

Brett Johnson, CPA/CFF, CFE, CFI
Tracing Crypto Through the Blockchain
People are increasingly using blockchain and cryptocurrency to hide assets and commit fraud. In this session, attendees will be provided with a brief overview of crypto assets and blockchain and its increasing role in society. Learn how to use open-source tools to trace and identify hidden assets. Attendees will also discover tips and tricks commonly used to obtain relevant information pertaining to crypto assets and learn of the challenges that can arise when tracing through the blockchain.

Learning Objectives:

• • • Learn the basics of blockchain and crypto assets
    • Understand the basics when tracing cryptocurrencies
    • Know the challenges one can expect when dealing with crypto assets

Traci Dowd
Stealing Home: The Title Fraud Playbook
This presentation will dive into the world of seller impersonation fraud, resulting in the successful sale of real estate.

Learning Objectives:

• • • Play-by-Play Analysis of Seller Impersonation
    • Civil vs Criminal Elements of Accountability
    • Prevention Techniques and Resources for All Property Owners
    • Law Enforcement’s Role in a Fraudulent Real Estate Transaction
    • Exploitation of the Real Estate Industry