Anti-Fraud Conference

Anti-Fraud Conference
A Major Event for Auditors, Fraud Consultants and Industry Professionals

By Marc Engel

A one-time impersonator and con man, whose story inspired the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, will headline the Foundation for Accounting Education’s 2005 Anti-Fraud Conference.

Corporate consultant Frank Abagnale will be the keynote speaker at the June 20 event, to be held at the Crowne Plaza in New York City.

Abagnale cashed $2.5 million in fraudulent checks and successfully posed as an airline pilot, attorney and pediatrician before being caught and sent to prison when he was 21 years old, according to his Web site. Abagnale has since become a consultant for companies trying to protect themselves from fraudsters, and has written The Art of the Steal, a key to understanding criminal thought patterns and finding effective ways of stopping fraud.

Abagnale is one highlight of FAE’s efforts to bring together a group of speakers with a wealth of useful information and powerful techniques for fighting fraud. Conference attendees will be able to use what they learn at the conference to immediately help clients establish effective internal controls to prevent and detect fraud; increase the odds of uncovering any existing fraud; and meet the requirements of SAS 99, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other legal and regulatory requirements.

Another presenter will be Ron Klein, vice president of claims for Camico Mutual Insurance Company, who will give the insurer’s point of view on fraud prevention and detection.

There will also be an update from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s associate chief auditor, critical for those subject to PCAOB, whether in public practice or working for public companies.

The 2005 FAE Anti-Fraud Conference will be a great learning experience about matters that are essential to the accounting profession and business. Don’t let your staff miss out. Your return on investment will be measured in better audit findings and higher client satisfaction.

Marc Engel, CPA, CISA, CBA, holds the position of director in the Audit and Control Department at Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. He is a member of the New York State Society of CPAs’ Litigation Services Committee, which is sponsoring the Anti-Fraud Conference.