Fraud Professionals Gather in Atlanta for Annual Conference

Sept. 19, 2011 - PRLog -- ATLANTA – Fraud has never posed a more daunting challenge for businesses and individuals, and fraud prevention, detection and investigation services are in high demand. Therefore, forensic accounting, often referred to as the “sexy” side of the business, is one of the fastest growing fields in the accounting profession.  Many experts explain that these two trends are due to the struggling economy, decreased investor confidence and a lack of trust in reported financial results, which has forced many companies to take a much closer look at their financial statements. Additionally, in any economic downturn, motivation to maintain lifestyles and desperation to stay afloat, combined with decreased spending on internal controls, make for the “perfect storm” for fraudulent activity, which increases the demand for fraud prevention and detection services. With advances in technology, increases in white-collar crime are often difficult to detect by more traditional methods like law enforcement. Today, more companies are taking the initiative to ensure their accounts are in order and employees are not “dipping into the pot.”

To educate and inform today’s fraud professionals and forensic accountants, and even those simply interested in learning more about these professions, the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is holding its Annual GACFE Conference October 20th – 21st at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia. Speakers include such notable names as keynote speaker John Schilling, author of How I Went From a Company Man to FBI Spy and Exposed the Worst Healthcare Fraud in History; Beth Messick, forensic computer specialist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, speaking on computer crimes involving child exploitation; as well as other panel discussions, featuring dialog about conducting fraud risk assessments, vendor compliance, risk management and ethics. For a full list of speakers and topics, visit the GACFE Website: http://www.gacfe.org/article.html?aid=161.

This unique training opportunity is a must-attend event for all fraud professionals, and is ideal for accountants, CFOs, controllers, internal audit, investigators, law enforcement and anyone interested in learning more about fraud prevention, detection and investigation.

This conference has sold out in recent years, so make sure you register soon to secure your seat. Early registration fees are $195 for GACFE members and $225 for non-members. There are also a limited number of student seats available at a reduced rate. Qualifying students must be enrolled with at least 12 school credits hours. Attendees can earn up to 14.5 CPE credit hours.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available. The 2011 GACFE Annual Conference offers a unique opportunity for those who would like to reach out to fraud professionals and forensic accountants and promote their companies to some of the biggest movers and shakers in the region. Sponsorship allows participants to gain goodwill by supporting this popular event and to meet potential new clients in these growing and innovative fields. Some sponsorship levels receive complimentary attendance for up to two people. For more information and to receive a sponsor registration form, please contact Kelly Lucas, kelly@bbrmarketing.com.


Dates:       Thursday - Friday, October 20 – 21, 2011
Times:            Thursday - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (registration begins at 7:00am)
              Friday - 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location:            Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia
                       4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30346
Website:           http://www.gacfe.org/article.html?aid=161
Registration:    Until October 7, 2011

                       GACFE Members $195
                       
Non-members   $225
                   Students $90
Late
Registration:   After October 7, 2011
                       GACFE Members $225

                       Non-members   $255
                   Students $110