Brian Krebs, Leslie Caldwell to Headline ACFE Global Fraud Conference

Cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs, Leslie R. Caldwell, U.S. Department of Justice assistant attorney general, Criminal Division, and other experts will address more than 3,000 anti-fraud professionals gathering here this week for the 26th Annual Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Global Fraud Conference.

Cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs, Leslie R. Caldwell, U.S. Department of Justice assistant attorney general, Criminal Division, and other experts will address more than 3,000 anti-fraud professionals gathering here this week for the 26th Annual Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Global Fraud Conference. 

The conference, which marks the world’s largest gathering of fraud fighters under one roof, begins today at the Baltimore Convention Center and lasts through Friday, June 19. More than 80 educational sessions will be presented by top experts in the anti-fraud field, focusing on subjects including cyberfraud, white-collar crime, risk management, and fraud detection and prevention. 

Krebs, who will speak during the Tuesday morning general session, was the first to break the news of major data breaches at a string of retailers over the past year, including Target Corp., Neiman Marcus, Michaels, Sally Beauty Supply, P.F. Chang’s, Dairy Queen, Jimmy John’s, Goodwill and — most recently — the card breaches at Home Depot and Kmart. He is a former Washington Post journalist who now exposes some of the world’s largest data breaches and the hackers behind them on his blog Krebs on Security. Krebs is also the author of the newly-released book, “Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime.” 

Caldwell oversees nearly 600 attorneys who prosecute federal criminal cases across the U.S., help develop criminal law and formulate criminal enforcement policy. She has dedicated most of her professional career to handling federal criminal cases, both as a prosecutor and as defense counsel. From 2002 to 2004, she served as the director of the justice department’s Enron task force. 

Other keynote speakers include broadcast journalist and co-editor of “60 Minutes,” Lesley Stahl; the Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Social Security Administration, Carolyn Colvin; and author and former FBI profiler James T. Reese. James Holzrichter, a whistleblower responsible for exposing a major defense contractor for overcharging the U.S. government on defense programs, will also speak about his 17-year False Claims Act case. 

Convicted fraudster Nathan Mueller will speak about the $8.5 million embezzlement fraud he committed over four years at a company later bought by ING. Mueller was caught and served 97 months in federal prison. He will speak without receiving compensation from the ACFE. 

ACFE President and CEO James D. Ratley, CFE, said the conference brings a global focus to the complex problem of fraud, with experts from around the world presenting proven solutions in detection and prevention. 

“Fraud is a continuing problem, and today’s fraudsters are skilled at using technology and other means to strike from any location around the world,” Ratley said. “Seeing anti-fraud professionals from more than 60 different nations gather for this unmatched training opportunity is a rare experience that I am proud to be a part of.” 

Contact the ACFE 
For more information, email PR@ACFE.com.