Event:
2026 ACFE DC Data, InfoSec & Ethics
Date and Time:
March 11, 2026 (Wednesday) & March 12, 2025 (Thursday)
Breakfast and lunch provided
Location:
1801 K St NW Washington, DC 20036 (KPMG Conference Rooms)
Doors open at 8:00AM. Arriving early may entail waiting in the building lobby.
Price:
ACFE DC Members: $200
Non-ACFE DC Members: $275
Free happy hour registration at https://www.acfedc.org/Q1HappyHour
Agenda:
March 11 (Wednesday)
- 0800-0900: Breakfast, Networking and Administration
- 0900-1000: Strengthening Oversight Through Effective Use of Data
- 1000-1100: Cyber Clues to Courtroom Proof: Investigating and Presenting Complex Crimes in a Military Environment
- 1100-1200: Internal Controls and Data
- 1200-1230: Lunch and Networking
- 1230-1330: Scam Center Strike Force
- 1330-1430: Combating Fraud: Approaches to Evaluate Effectiveness and Demonstrate Integrity
- 1430-1530: Ethics, Impartiality and Upholding Credibility
- 1530-1630: Ethics at the Edge of Analytics
March 12 (Thursday)
- 0800-0900: Breakfast, Networking and Administration
- 0900-1000: Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity
- 1000-1100: How We Built 30 AI Applications in 30 Days
- 1100-1200: AI Is Changing Home Buying and Renting—But Not Always for the Better
- 1200-1230: Lunch and Networking
- 1230-1330: Inside Integrity and Ethics at Inter-American Development Bank
- 1330-1430: Inside a Modern Cyber Attack: Where Fraud Really Begins
- 1430-1530: The Human Side of Fraud: Cognitive Bias & Social Engineering
- 1530-1630: Restoring Transparency in Higher Education: Detecting and Investigating Foreign Influence and Disclosure Fraud
Strengthening Oversight Through Effective Use of Data
Mark Priebe (ED OIG), Jason Williams (ED OIG) and Theresa Perolini (ED OIG)
- March 11 (Wednesday), 0900-1000; Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
Data supports ED OIG oversight by strengthening transparency, accountability, and informed risk management across federal education programs. Enterprise-level data governance and performance analytics contribute to strategic planning, internal quality activities, and the consistent communication of information used in organizational decision making. Investigative data, supported by digital forensic capabilities and analytical methods, helps identify potential indicators of fraud, misuse, or emerging cyber risks within program operations and funding mechanisms. Integrated data analysis enables forward-looking risk evaluation and evidence-based investigative work that promotes effective stewardship of federal resources and supports public confidence in oversight processes.
Learning Objectives
- Describe how enterprise data and analytics are used to enhance oversight, risk management, and internal performance within an IG organization.
- Identify techniques for using investigative and analytical tools to detect and assess potential fraud, waste, and abuse in federal education programs.
- Apply principles of data-driven decision-making to support transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in program oversight.
Cyber Clues to Courtroom Proof: Investigating and Presenting Complex Crimes in a Military Environment
Bryce Wolford (United States Army Criminal Investigations Division)
- March 11 (Wednesday), 1000-1100; Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
Drawing on extensive experience with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, this session will explore how complex cyber, economic, and general crimes are investigated from initial intelligence through prosecution. The presenter will walk attendees through real-world investigative workflows, including evidence collection, intelligence analysis, interviews, and coordination with prosecutors and command leadership. Emphasis will be placed on cyber-enabled offenses, cross-border investigations, and the challenges of operating in both CONUS and OCONUS environments.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key investigative steps and controls used in cyber and criminal investigations within a military and law enforcement context.
- Analyze how intelligence analysis, evidence management, and investigative documentation support successful prosecutorial outcomes.
- Evaluate best practices for coordinating investigations with prosecutors, command authorities, and interagency partners to mitigate risk and ensure evidentiary integrity.
Internal Controls and Data
Caitlin Holmes (FTI Consulting) and Dana Twomey (FTI Consulting)
- March 11 (Wednesday), 1100-1200; Field of Study: Management Services (Risk Management)
Organizations can design and operate internal controls that are driven by data rather than static checklists. This session will highlight practical ways analytics can identify control gaps, detect anomalies, and strengthen monitoring across financial and operational processes. This presentation will also elaborate how well-designed internal controls improve data accuracy, completeness, and reliability at the source. Attendees will gain insight into aligning control frameworks with data governance to support better decision-making and risk management.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key elements of data-driven internal controls and explain how they support effective risk management.
- Evaluate how internal controls influence data quality, including accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
- Apply analytics-based techniques to assess and improve the design and monitoring of internal controls.
Scam Center Strike Force
Jeffrey Pearson (Federal Bureau of Investigations)
- March 11 (Wednesday), 1230-1330; Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is part of the Justice Department's the new Scam Center Strike Force to combat large-scale cryptocurrency investment fraud targeting U.S. victims. Working closely with prosecutors and other law enforcement partners, the Washington Field Office help identifying scam networks, tracing illicit financial flows, and dismantling the infrastructure that enables these schemes. The initiative underscores the FBI’s expanding role in addressing complex, cross-border financial fraud and protecting individuals from sophisticated crypto-related scams.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify common characteristics and operational patterns of large-scale cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, including how victims are solicited and funds are moved.
- Describe the roles of multi-agency coordination, financial institutions, and private-sector partners in detecting, reporting, and disrupting complex financial fraud activities.
- Evaluate the implications of emerging crypto-related fraud risks for accounting, auditing, compliance, and advisory professionals, including considerations for fraud prevention and client education.
Combating Fraud: Approaches to Evaluate Effectiveness and Demonstrate Integrity
Lisa Fisher (US Government Accountability Office), Samantha Sloate (US Government Accountability Office) and Nicholas Weeks (US Government Accountability Office)
- March 11 (Wednesday), 1330-1430; Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
GAO has recently published a supplement to its 2015 Fraud Risk Framework. The new report will help federal program managers evaluate how well their fraud risk management efforts are working and make improvements over time. It explains practical ways to assess the results of anti fraud activities, from reviewing performance data to gathering employee feedback, so agencies can better protect taxpayer dollars. The publication highlights common challenges agencies face, such as gaps in regular monitoring and using evaluation results to make changes, and offers examples of approaches that have been used successfully. Overall, the guidance is intended to strengthen integrity, transparency, and accountability in federal programs by making fraud risk evaluations more systematic and impactful.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe key approaches that federal program managers can use to evaluate the effectiveness of fraud risk management activities.
- Explain how regular evaluation and feedback contribute to stronger fraud risk management and improved use of public resources.
- Identify common challenges agencies face in implementing fraud risk evaluations and recommend practical strategies to address those challenges.
-Better understand how fraud risk evaluations can help program managers demonstrate the value of their counter fraud efforts
Ethics for Anti-Fraud Professionals
Eugenia Pyntikova (World Bank)
- March 11 (Wednesday), 1430-1530; Field of Study: Regulatory Ethics
Ethical conduct and impartiality are fundamental to the credibility, effectiveness, and legitimacy of any investigation. This presentation focuses on how anti-fraud professionals can maintain and demonstrate impartiality when their objectivity is questioned, grounding these practices in ethical standards and professional responsibility. It explains how clear rules of engagement, defined work plans, and established procedures communicate fairness and independence from the outset. The session also addresses how to respond to allegations of bias through appropriate review processes and transparency measures, offering practical guidance for protecting investigative credibility and ethical integrity.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how investigative frameworks, rules of engagement, and work plans support and demonstrate ethical impartiality.
- Distinguish between internal review mechanisms and transparency measures used to address complaints of bias.
- Apply practical techniques to respond to challenges to impartiality while preserving investigative integrity and public trust.
Ethics at the Edge of Analytics: Balancing Privacy, Access, and Risk in Fraud Investigations
Angela Kroboth (Next Step Data Insights)
- March 11 (Wednesday), 1530-1630; Field of Study: Behavioral Ethics
As organizations increasingly rely on analytics to identify fraud and misconduct, they face difficult choices about how employee data is accessed, protected, and used. This session examines the ethical, legal, and practical tensions between effective investigations and the obligation to protect individual privacy. Participants will explore whether identifiable data is necessary for reliable detection, how tokenization and de-identification really work in practice, and where data handling failures most often occur. Through real-world scenarios and governance-focused discussion, attendees will gain a clearer framework for making defensible, risk-aware decisions in analytics-driven investigations.
Learning Objectives
- Evaluate the tradeoffs between using identifiable employee data and anonymized data when designing analytics to detect fraud and misconduct.
- Assess the effectiveness and limitations of tokenization, de-identification, and access controls as privacy safeguards during investigations.
- Identify data storage and transfer practices that reduce the risk of data leakage while supporting investigative and compliance objectives.
Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity
Ken Nozka (Internal Revenue Service), Kyle Thomas (Conference of State Bank Supervisors), Michael Tzitzikalakis (Department of Homeland Security HSI), Lisa Arquette (Secura/Isaac Group) & Paul Tatton (Guidehouse)
- March 12 (Thursday), 0900-1000; Field of Study: Information Technology
Cyber risks are evolving rapidly, making it more difficult for organizations to secure sensitive financial systems from intrusion. This panel will explore how integrating artificial intelligence into an organization's security program creates a powerful, proactive defense, spotting trouble before it escalates into financial loss. We will discuss practical applications, such as how AI can analyze network behavior, automatically triage security alerts, and shut down threats that could lead to data breaches or transactional fraud.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify specific behavioral anomalies and predictive indicators that AI monitoring tools can flag to stop unauthorized data exfiltration or internal system abuse.
- Develop a strategy for integrating AI-powered vulnerability assessment into the overall fraud risk management framework to prioritize patching efforts and enhance compliance
- Evaluate the critical data privacy and ethical governance controls necessary when deploying machine learning models for internal employee monitoring, investigation support, and fraud detection.
How We Built 30 AI Applications in 30 Days: Why the Soft Skills Are Now the Hardest Skills in AI Development
Ted Kaouk (Generative Work)
- March 12 (Thursday), 1000-1100; Field of Study: Information Technology
In one month, two people designed and built more than thirty working AI applications spanning education, government, design, productivity, research, simulation, games, and creative arts. The project functioned as a live experiment in Generative Work, a way of building with AI that blends human intention, structured guidance, and machine-driven exploration to produce novel and useful systems.
Generative AI is changing how knowledge work happens across writing, research, planning, design, and decision-making. Used well, it becomes a collaborative system that expands human thinking, accelerates learning, and enables people to produce work of higher quality and originality.
This session introduces Generative Work, a disciplined, human-led approach to building with AI. Participants learn how to guide, shape, and refine AI outputs so that technology supports human goals, standards, and judgment. The talk demonstrates with key principles and live demos how AI can assist with exploration, drafting, synthesis, and iteration while people remain responsible for meaning, quality, and direction.
The result is a way of working in which AI serves as a cognitive partner, helping professionals focus their time and attention on insight, creativity, and strategic thinking.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to structure human–AI collaboration to improve thinking quality, learning speed, and the originality of outcomes.
- Use practical workflows for writing, research, analysis, planning, and creative projects that keep human intent and voice at the center.
- Create a repeatable way to integrate AI into daily work so that quality, accountability, and ethical use are embedded in how work gets done.
AI Is Changing Home Buying and Renting—But Not Always for the Better
Heather Chartier (Government Accountability Office) and Brandon Jones (Government Accountability Office)
- March 12 (Thursday), 1100-1200; Field of Study: Information Technology
Artificial intelligence is increasingly embedded in how homes are searched for, priced, financed, and rented, promising faster decisions and greater efficiency for consumers and industry professionals. While these tools can streamline transactions, they may also produce uneven results, limit transparency, and rely on data or assumptions that are not always well understood by users. The use of automated systems in areas such as tenant screening, mortgage evaluations, and rental pricing raises important questions about accuracy, accountability, and consumer awareness.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how artificial intelligence is being applied across the home buying, mortgage lending, and rental housing processes.
- Evaluate potential operational, regulatory, and consumer-impact considerations associated with the use of automated decision-making tools in housing markets.
- Analyze emerging oversight and governance challenges related to AI-driven housing technologies and their implications for professionals and policymakers.
Inside Integrity and Ethics at Inter-American Development Bank: Using Data to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Misconduct
Andrea Osorio Rincon (IDB Office of Ethics), Rocio Riesco (IDB Office of Ethics), and Tadeo Leandro Fernandez (IDB Office of Institutional Integrity).
- March 12 (Thursday), 1230-1330; Field of Study:Regulatory Ethics
This panel brings together representatives from the Office of Institutional Integrity (OII) and the Office of Ethics at the Inter-American Development Bank Group to showcase how integrity and ethics functions operate within a multilateral development bank. Panelists will outline each office’s mandate, their investigative and advisory roles, and how data drives prevention, detection, and enforcement activities.
The session will explore how these offices leverage data from diverse sources to identify trends and areas of concern, share insights from annual public reports, and discuss the types of misconduct data collected and analyzed. It will also highlight how ethics and integrity functions use information to identify risk patterns, strengthen controls, and enhance organizational accountability.
Attendees will gain practical takeaways for fraud examiners, compliance professionals, and ethics practitioners working in complex institutions.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the distinct mandates, roles, and responsibilities of institutional integrity and ethics functions within a multilateral development bank, including their investigative, advisory, and enforcement activities.
- Analyze how ethics and integrity offices collect and use misconduct and operational data from multiple sources to detect trends, assess risk patterns, and inform prevention and enforcement strategies.
- Apply data-driven practices and insights from public reporting and institutional controls to strengthen fraud prevention, compliance, and ethical accountability in complex organizational environments.
Inside a Modern Cyber Attack: Where Fraud Really Begins
Nguyen Nguyen (CyberArmor)
- March 12 (Thursday), 1330-1430; Field of Study: Information Technology
Modern cyber attacks are the starting point of today’s financial fraud. This session demonstrates how phishing and infostealer malware lead to credential compromise, account takeover, and ultimately business email and payment fraud. Using real threat data and a live phishing simulation, attendees will see how quickly attackers move from intrusion to monetization.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the progression of a cyber incident from initial compromise to financial exploitation, including how attackers leverage access to conduct fraudulent transactions or payment redirection.
- Evaluate indicators that suggest a potential credential compromise or account takeover within an organization’s communication or financial systems.
- Demonstrate the ability to recognize characteristics of phishing attempts through participation in a simulated attack scenario.
The Human Side of Fraud: Cognitive Bias & Social Engineering
Brittany Ganesan (Cyber Shepherd)
- March 12 (Thursday), 1430-1530; Field of Study: Behavioral Ethics
Most fraud succeeds by exploiting human behavior rather than technical weaknesses. This session examines the cognitive biases and social engineering tactics attackers use under real-world decision pressure. Participants will learn practical ways to strengthen organizational culture, training, and judgment to reduce fraud risk.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify common cognitive biases and psychological triggers used in fraud and social engineering schemes.
- Analyze how time pressure, authority cues, and workplace culture increase susceptibility to fraud.
- Apply behavioral-based strategies to improve training, decision-making, and fraud prevention controls
Restoring Transparency in Higher Education: Detecting and Investigating Foreign Influence and Disclosure Fraud
Dexter Wells (Liberty University)
- March 12 (Thursday), 1530-1630; Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
Executive Order 14282 requires renewed enforcement of Section 117 to address widespread failures in reporting foreign gifts and contracts by U.S. universities, following the identification of $6.5 billion in previously undisclosed funding. This session examines how these requirements intersect with FOCI obligations under 32 CFR 117.11 and the investigative responsibilities of Certified Fraud Examiners working in higher education and research settings. Participants will explore practical methods for identifying foreign influence risks, including disclosure analysis, beneficial ownership mapping, and anomaly detection across universities, UARCs, and FFRDCs. The program concludes with guidance on enforcement and recovery actions, including OIG referrals, FOCI mitigation measures, and restitution strategies designed to protect grant integrity and national security.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify indicators of foreign influence, disclosure fraud, and related misconduct within higher education and federally funded research environments.
- Apply investigative techniques to detect and assess FOCI-related fraud, including analysis of reporting systems and ownership structures.
- Evaluate appropriate remediation, recovery, and enforcement actions when foreign influence or disclosure violations are identified.
Field of Study: 14 CPEs (See above for fields of study)
Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation: None
Program Level: Basic
Delivery Method: Group Live
For attendees eligible for NASBA CPEs, CPE certificates will be administered by ACFE DC.
Who Should Attend?
Fraud, financial and risk management professionals including accountants, attorneys, auditors, and fraud examiners.
NASBA Group Live CPEs:
Attendees must be registered prior to the event. Attendees not registered may not be eligible for NASBA CPEs.
Attendees must sign the sign-in sheet when distributed after the session. Attendees that do not sign may not be eligible for NASBA CPEs.
Thank you for your understanding and participation so ACFE DC community members can continue to receive NASBA-eligible CPEs on ACFE DC group internet-based training.
Cancelation Policy:
Full refunds are available anytime when requested prior to 3 days of the event. No refunds will be made for “No Shows” (a “No Show” is a person who registers for a program but who does not cancel registration or attend the program). A registered person may elect to transfer the registration to another person at any time. Cancellations can be made only by email at chapter@acfedc.org. Payments can be electronically made any time prior to the event starts. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate "pay at the door" or payment by checks or cash.
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) is the world's largest anti-fraud organization with nearly 85,000 members with the mission of reducing the incidence of fraud and white-collar crime. The ACFE Washington Metropolitan Chapter aims to promote fraud detection and deterrence through educational training programs in the National Capital Region.
For additional information regarding Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), please visit http://www.acfe.com.
The Washington Metropolitan Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.