Interested in becoming an anti-fraud professional? Here’s how to get started

Nov 19, 2024

Each year during International Fraud Awareness Week, businesses, organizations and governments across the globe come together and pledge to spread fraud awareness. Fraud Week also highlights the importance of anti-fraud professionals. For investigators, accountants, auditors, and compliance and risk management professionals, every week is Fraud Week. These dedicated fraud-fighters provide year-round training and resources, develop fraud-fighting strategies and control systems, perform risk assessments and conduct investigations to keep would-be fraudsters at bay.

The anti-fraud profession is exciting, engaging and makes a positive impact in our communities. In this article, fraud-fighters from the Office of the Washington State Auditor and the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) will share their advice on how to get into this career field.

Katherine Robinson, CFE, CAMS, GRCP is the President of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of ACFE, on the ACFE’s Chapter Leaders Committee, a leading participant in the ACFE’s mentorship program, and a public speaker for several associations. She works full time in risk management for the banking sector and teaches forensic accounting and fraud examination for Everett Community College and Rutgers University-Camden. Katherine also networks, consults and coaches with other bank and credit union teams on their Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) functions, which ultimately fosters an industry cooperative of experienced professionals in integrated GRC.  

Brandi Pritchard, CFE is the Assistant Director of Special Investigations for the State Auditor’s Office. Brandi began her career at the Office in 2003 as an auditor, and in 2018 became an Assistant Director over both local audits and the Office’s Special Investigations team. Pursuing her passion for fighting fraud, Brandi moved into a full-time role with Special Investigations in 2024. She has delivered more than 40 fraud trainings to audiences across the nation and in 2022, wrote an article for Fraud Magazine that received the Hubbard Award from the ACFE.

Read on for Katherine and Brandi's advice on the path to becoming an anti-fraud professional. 

Join the ACFE

The ACFE is the leading anti-fraud organization dedicated to educating fraud-fighting professionals across all industry sectors all over the globe. It provides training and licensure for forensic accounting, fraud examination and forensic accounting disciplines. The ACFE welcomes all generations of professionals to learn how to best prevent, detect and investigate fraud, while reinforcing ethical practices and sound internal controls.

ACFE membership offers opportunities for career growth, global networking and access to exclusive anti-fraud content. ACFE memberships are available for licensed and non-licensed individuals, educators and students. The fees for membership are highly affordable and training is accessible to members and nonmembers.

Join your local ACFE chapter

The ACFE’s PNW Chapter is one of nearly 200 chapters worldwide and consists of highly qualified fraud professionals. Members include accountants, auditors, financial managers, private investigators, educators and anyone simply interested in joining the anti-fraud battle. Our mission is to serve the community by the promotion of improved fraud detection and deterrence, and through expansion of knowledge and the interaction of its members. We provide affordable training to maintain certifications and opportunities to increase outreach and professional networking throughout the year. Additionally, we aim to expand education opportunities for college and university students through sponsoring a student association, scholarships and training. Membership is voluntary, and you can be a member of the chapter without having to be a member of the ACFE. The fees are posted on the website, and range from $26-40 per year.

Become a Certified Fraud Examiner

The road to becoming a Certified Fraud Examiner is one that can reap huge benefits for professionals of all walks of life. As at testament to its benefits, Katherine has had her credential since 2012 and has used it throughout her career, beginning as a forensic accountant for the FBI, then as a regulator for the state of Washington, and now as a risk and compliance professional for the banking sector. There are ample programs available to assist people with obtaining the credential that may provide higher pay and greater exposure to an anti-fraud career.

The basic eligibility standards for becoming a CFE are:

  • Be an associate member of the ACFE in good standing
  • Meet minimum academic and professional requirements
  • Be of high moral character and agree to abide by the bylaws and Code of Professional Ethics of the ACFE 

Explore anti-fraud fields

If you’re new to the anti-fraud profession, you might start by exploring the various career paths available in the anti-fraud profession. Some of the more common paths include:

  • Accounting, including forensic, government and public
  • Auditing, either as an internal or external auditor (such as the State Auditor’s Office)
  • Governance, Risk Management and Compliance, including compliance and risk management professionals
  • Investigation either in the private or public sector (such as the State Auditor’s Office’s Special Investigations)

To learn more about these career paths, visit the ACFE’s website at acfe.com/career/career-paths

Look into courses of study

An exciting benefit to the anti-fraud profession is that you can take many different educational and career paths to become a professional. Most popular are courses of study in accounting and/or forensic accounting, auditing, criminal justice, cybersecurity, business and related fields.

Many colleges and universities provide classes and programs specifically for students pursuing an anti-fraud career, such as these:

Classes:

Programs:

Seek out internships

Not sure if the anti-fraud profession is right for you? Give it a test drive! Many private, public and government organizations offer paid internships, which are a great way for both you and your prospective employer to see if you are a good fit. In many organizations, interns perform the same duties as full-time staff. Internships give people a chance to learn by working alongside a mentor and other anti-fraud professionals, while providing work and support for actual audit clients. As interns grow their skills, they take on assignments with increased complexity and responsibility.

Explore ways you can be a fraud fighter in your organization

You don’t have to be an anti-fraud professional to join the fight. International Fraud Awareness Week is an opportunity to remind everyone that they can make a difference.