A series of high-profile incidents like data thefts, losses or compromises at major corporations, has led to calls for legislative action. In February, ChoicePoint disclosed that criminals had improperly accessed personal information on 145,000 consumers. Since the fraud incident, ChoicePoint has initiated a number of significant and specific changes including creating an Office of Credentialing, Compliance and Privacy, which DiBattiste leads. "Changes in business practices are needed in virtually every business and government department in order to better protect consumers from identity theft and organizations from liability risk," explains Toby Bishop, CFE, CPA, FCA, President and CEO of the ACFE. "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act has shown that well-intended legislation enacted in haste can have significant adverse consequences. Consumers will pay for additional procedures one way or another so legislation should address the problem of identity theft economically as well as effectively. The ACFE welcomes the opportunity to host a discussion of this important issue and to encourage the implementation of best practices for fraud prevention in this area."
Broder and DiBattiste will be speaking at the ACFE's annual fraud conference this year to address the rapidly growing problem of identity theft facilitated by theft or improper accessing of personal data that many corporations and government organizations hold. "Data security and privacy are 'hot topics' in the House and Senate," said Bishop. "This issue will impact virtually every business and government department so we need smart solutions that can be implemented cost-effectively to better protect all consumers."
The 16th Annual ACFE Fraud Conference & Exhibition, held in Washington, D.C. July 10-15th also features keynoters James B. Comey, Chair of the Corporate Fraud Task Force and U.S. Deputy Attorney General, and Brian Lamkin, Chief of the Financial Crimes Section at the FBI. For the sixth consecutive year, the ACFE's annual conference will serve as the kick-off event for National Fraud Awareness Week, a week dedicated to increasing fraud awareness and promoting the global fight against fraud. Over 1,500 anti-fraud professionals from more than 40 countries are expected to attend.
