Event:
2026 Fraud Summit
Date and Time:
September 09, 2026 (Wednesday) & September 10, 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.
Cost:
ACFE DC Members: $200
Non-ACFE DC Members: $275
All attendees are welcome to join ACFE DC's Q3 happy hour. See https://www.acfedc.org/3Q2026HH for details.
Agenda:
- September 09, 2026 (Wednesday)
Breakfast, Networking and Administration: 0800-0900
Session 1: 0900–1000
Staying Ahead of Fraud: From Reactive to Proactive | Esther Ko (Fairfax County Public Schools)
Session 2: 1000–1100
The AI Quandary: Where, Why, When, and How? | Gerry Zach (Risk-Trek)
Session 3: 1100–1200
Trust, Power, and Fraud: When Confidence Replaces Controls | David Harper (US Capitol Police)
Lunch and Networking: 1200-1230
Session 4: 1230–1330
Stamping Out Fraud, One Battle After Another: Counterfeit Postage and Protecting Postal Revenue | Laura Roberts (USPS), Tasos Kalfas (USPS), Keanu Sy (USPS) & Mary Lloyd (USPS)
Session 5: 1330–1430
Anti-fraud Professionals at International Institutions | Eugenia Pyntikova (World Bank), Michael Jones (IMF), Tadeo Leandro Fernandez (IADB), & Guilherme Donega (PAHO)
Session 6: 1430–1530
Protecting Public Funds: OIG Successes, Emerging Risks, and Lessons for Fraud Examiners | Mark Priebe (US DoED), Jamilla Davis (US DoED) & Keith Cummins (US DoED)
Session 7: 1530–1630
Aligning Risk Controls, Fraud Mitigation, and Regulatory Compliance | Matthew Brawner (Navy Federal), Beverly Spence (Navy Federal), David Baskin (Akela)
- September 10, 2026 (Thursday)
Breakfast, Network and Administration: 0800-0900
Session 1: 0900–1000
Investigating Fraudulent Websites and Social Media Profiles | Dan Greenberg (Greenberg Intel)
Session 2: 1000–1100
Deepfakes and Synthetic Media | Jeff Crume (IBM)
Session 3: 1100–1200
Data Analytics and Fraud | Berivan Demir Neubert (USPS)
Lunch and Networking: 1200-1230
Session 4: 1230–1330
Artificial Intelligence Strengthening Internal Controls to Mitigate Frauds in Digital Financial Transformation | Shahar Yar (University of the Potomac)
Session 5: 1330–1430
Targeting Fraud Risks Through Data-Driven Oversight | Fara Damelin (FCC)
Session 6: 1430–1530
All Green, Still Fraud: Behavior-Based Detection in the Age of AI | Aja Gant (Blacklight Analytics)
Session 7: 1530–1630
Fraud Waste and Abuse Risk Management | Irene Pasternak
Sessions:
Staying Ahead of Fraud: From Reactive to Proactive
Presenter: Esther Ko (Fairfax County Public Schools)
Office of Auditor General reports to the School Board of the Fairfax County Public Schools. The Office is established to check the processes at the organization, to ensure that they run efficiently, effectively and be fully accountable to our community. The presentation will showcase how a small audit team could mobilize an organization with over 20,000 employees, to be aware of fraud, waste and abuse situations, and be the first responders towards proactive fraud prevention.
Learning Objectives:
- Explore how a K12 organization transformed its approach to fraud by shifting from only reactive fraud reviews to proactive fraud risk management and prevention.
- Examine practical strategies, tools and examples that strengthen fraud awareness, internal controls and early detection across the organization.
- Identify actionable practices that participants can adapt within their own organizations.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
The AI Quandary: Where, Why, When, and How?
Presenter: Gerry Zach (Risk Trek)
Anti-fraud professionals are facing the same dilemma that many other professions are facing – to what extent should I utilize artificial intelligence in my efforts? Searching for one single answer is a fruitless exercise. This session will utilize a decision framework for making this decision in the context of preventing, detecting, investigating, and remediating fraud. Further, we’ll also explore the next critical decision – do I buy or build the AI tools that I need to manage fraud risk – and what comes after deployment? This session will be speaker-led but also interactive, allowing attendees to share how they are addressing these issues.
Learning Objectives
- Utilize a decision-making framework to help make critical decisions regarding AI use, weighing its benefits against risks
- Explore specific fraud risk management scenarios in which AI can make us more effective
- Determine whether AI uses are best met through purchasing or building a custom application
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Information Technology
Trust, Power, and Fraud: When Confidence Replaces Controls
Presenter: David Harper (US Capitol Police)
Some of the most damaging frauds are not committed by outsiders, but by highly trusted insiders whose reputation and authority shield them from scrutiny. Using two major Air Force case studies—the Darleen Druyun/Boeing procurement scandal and the Tyler Eppes fraud investigation—this session explores how excessive trust can become a critical organizational vulnerability. Participants will gain practical insights into recognizing trusted-insider risks and implementing controls that protect organizations without undermining trust.
Learning Objectives
- Identify organizational and behavioral indicators that may signal elevated fraud risk associated with highly trusted insiders.
- Analyze how excessive reliance on an individual's reputation, authority, or expertise can weaken internal controls and create opportunities for fraud, abuse, and misconduct.3.
- Evaluate governance, oversight, and internal control practices that organizations can implement to mitigate trusted-insider risks while maintaining an effective culture of trust and accountability.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Behavioral Ethics
Stamping Out Fraud, One Battle After Another: Counterfeit Postage and Protecting Postal Revenue
Panelist: Melissa Prunchak, Mary Lloyd, Laura Roberts, Tasos Kalfas, and Keanu Sy (US Postal Service),
The U.S. Postal Service is facing significant financial pressure, making the fight against counterfeit postage a critical priority for protecting billions in revenue. In 2026, USPS leadership emphasized to Congress that the organization urgently needs a course correction, with fraud prevention identified as a central component of that effort. This panel will explore how counterfeit postage schemes continue to evolve and why staying ahead of emerging fraud tactics is essential for safeguarding postal operations. Panelists from the USPS Office of Inspector General will share insights from recent audit work, including challenges encountered, successes achieved and the financial consequences of counterfeit labels. The discussion will also highlight the objectives of a newly established fraud team tasked with monitoring ongoing schemes, identifying emerging threats and strengthening the USPS response to fraud.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the methodologies employed by auditors to evaluate programs, internal controls, and both preventive and detective mechanisms for fraud mitigation.
- Apply data-driven practices into the audit approach to improve outcomes and uncover and evaluate potential fraud.
- Describe data analytic techniques used to evaluate the scope and consequences of fraudulent activities.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
Anti-fraud Professionals at International Institutions
Panelists: Eugenia Pyntikova (World Bank), Michael Jones (IMF)
This session will discuss essential skills and career tracks for certified fraud examiners (CFEs) at international and intergovernmental organizations. Panelists include attorneys and investigators currently serving international organizations based in Washington, D.C., and abroad. During the discussion, attendees will explore the complex anti-fraud architectures of these global institutions, focusing on their specific integrity safeguards and target areas for active monitoring. By analyzing real-world enforcement mechanisms, participants will gain actionable insights into how cross-border fraud risk management impacts both organizational governance and individual career trajectories.
Learning Objectives:
- Contrast anti-fraud frameworks and investigative practices used in national jurisdictions with the unique governance structures of global contexts.
- Identify the primary internal and external fraud risks faced by international organizations, including procurement fraud and misappropriation of development funds.
- Determine specific enhancements needed in personal investigative skill sets to effectively transition into or support global anti-fraud operations.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
Protecting Public Funds: OIG Successes, Emerging Risks, and Lessons for Fraud Examiners
Panel: Mark Priebe (US DoED), Jamilla Davis (US DoED) & Keith Cummins (US DoED)
The Office of Inspector General occupies a pivotal position in federal governance, translating legislative mandates into the complex operational workflows required to secure vast and diverse program portfolios. By exploring the intersection of investigative authority and internal oversight, we will analyze the methodologies used to detect vulnerabilities before they escalate into significant fiscal losses. The discussion will delve into the logistical and structural realities of managing large-scale oversight, focusing on how resource allocation and interagency collaboration drive sustained audit success. This session offers a comprehensive look at the behind-the-scenes mechanics that sustain program integrity, demonstrating the balance between maintaining operational agility and ensuring rigorous compliance in an evolving regulatory landscape.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the operational impact of emerging fraud trends on federal program integrity to better prioritize high-risk areas for oversight.
- Evaluate the methodologies behind past OIG oversight successes to determine how those strategies can be adapted to mitigate current audit challenges.
- Design actionable fraud prevention frameworks that integrate interagency collaboration and rigorous accountability standards into existing program workflows.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
Aligning Risk Controls, Fraud Mitigation, and Regulatory Compliance
Panel: Matthew Brawner (Navy Federal), Beverly Spence (Navy Federal) & David Baskin (Akela)
As financial institutions navigate increasingly sophisticated synthetic identity and transaction fraud schemes, frontline risk operations must evolve to detect and neutralize threats without disrupting legitimate member experiences. Simultaneously, supervisory authorities like the NCUA, CFPB, and FinCEN are heightening expectations around data privacy, fair lending algorithms, and suspicious activity reporting. Bridging this divide requires an integrated operational framework where real-time fraud mitigation strategies directly inform internal control workflows and compliance testing. This panel examines how risk leaders can align automated operational controls with regulatory mandates to build an agile, defensible financial crimes defense.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze the operational impact of emerging synthetic and transactional fraud schemes on frontline internal control environments within depository financial institutions.
- Evaluate methodologies for integrating real-time fraud monitoring technologies into first- and second-line risk operations while maintaining compliance with supervisory expectations.
- Formulate defensible risk governance and regulatory reporting workflows that align board-approved risk appetite with day-to-day loss mitigation strategies.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Regulatory Ethics
Investigating Fraudulent Websites and Social Media Profiles
Presenter: Daniel Greenberg (Greenberg Intel)
This session is meant to help anti-fraud professionals identify telltale signs of fraudulent or phony websites, photos, and social media accounts, using a combination of critical thinking, understanding the modus operandi of sophisticated fraud, and open-source intelligence techniques. The goal is to pull back the curtain on how these fraudsters use different platforms to impersonate others or convince victims to give up information, access, or money.
Learning Objectives:
- Investigate suspicious or fraudulent websites and social media accounts in a more informed and critical manner, differentiating between real claims and falsehoods.
- Use specialized tools to conduct anti-fraud research and document key findings in a secure and defensible manner.
- Provide written summaries of fraud-related findings that adhere to CFE standards of precision and impartiality.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Information Technology
Deepfakes and Synthetic Media
Presenter: Jeff Crume (IBM)
Deepfakes and synthetic media have quickly shifted from emerging concepts to active threats that influence how information is shared and trusted. This presentation will discuss the rapid advancement of AI-driven media generation, including fabricated videos, voice cloning and highly realistic imagery. It will explore how these tools can be used for both beneficial and harmful purposes. The session will also highlight the societal, ethical and organizational risks associated with deepfakes, including misinformation, privacy violations and reputational damage. It will provide overview of current and developing defensive strategies that can help organizations strengthen their resilience against synthetic media risks.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the foundational AI and machine learning technologies that enable deepfakes and synthetic media.
- Analyze the ethical, societal and organizational risks due to deepfakes, including misinformation and privacy concerns.
- Evaluate defensive strategies that organizations can use to mitigate deepfake-related threats.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Information Technology
Data Analytics and Fraud
Presenter: Berivan Demir Neubert (US Postal Service)
Federal agencies face increasingly complex fraud risks that require stronger data governance foundations to support advanced analytics and investigative insight. In this session, Berivan Demir Neubert will explain how disciplined data management practices, including metadata rigor, controlled access, and curated pipelines, create the conditions necessary for effective fraud detection across large operational environments. Participants will learn how intentional data strategy choices allow organizations to modernize responsibly while improving the accuracy and speed of fraud-related decision making. This session will provide a practical roadmap for evolving from fragmented data provisioning to a mature analytic posture that reduces vulnerabilities and strengthens enterprise integrity.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the essential elements of a data governance framework that improves fraud detection and reduces organizational risk.
- Explain how structured data management practices influence the quality and reliability of fraud analytics within federal operations.
- Apply best practices for metadata management, access controls, and curated data pipelines to strengthen fraud prevention capabilities.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Information Technology
Artificial Intelligence Strengthening Internal Controls to Mitigate Frauds in Digital Financial Transformation
Presenter: Shahar Yar (University of the Potomac)
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the landscape of digital finance, prompting organizations to rethink how they safeguard their systems against increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. This panel will explore how emerging technologies are influencing the design and effectiveness of internal controls, especially as financial processes become more automated and interconnected. Speakers will discuss trends in digital transformation that are creating new vulnerabilities, along with the practical challenges fraud examiners face when evaluating technology-driven risks. The session will also highlight how organizations are adapting their control environments to keep pace with rapid innovation while maintaining trust, transparency and operational resilience.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key digital control measures that help prevent fraud in financial systems.
- Analyze real-world case studies to understand the application of internal controls in digital finance.
- Develop strategies for integrating AI into fraud mitigation frameworks.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Information Technology
Targeting Fraud Risks Through Data-Driven Oversight
Presenter: Fara Damelin (Federal Communications Commission)
This session will examine how oversight organizations can use data analytics, risk modeling, and interagency collaboration to direct limited resources toward the highest-impact fraud risks. The speaker will share practical examples of identifying red flags and internal control gaps, developing actionable recommendations, and communicating results through agile products such as advisories and lessons-learned reports to strengthen prevention, transparency, and deterrence.
Learning Objectives
- Identify data-driven approaches for prioritizing high-risk programs, transactions, and oversight activities.
- Explain how data analytics, risk modeling, and interagency partnerships can support proactive fraud prevention and detection.
- Evaluate how red flags, control gaps, and agile communication products can be translated into actionable recommendations that improve transparency and deterrence.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
All Green, Still Fraud: Behavior-Based Detection in the Age of AI
Presenter: Aja Gant (Blacklight Analytics)
As artificial intelligence makes fraud more scalable, convincing, and difficult to detect, many schemes now appear legitimate at the point of transaction, login, or approval. This interactive session explores why traditional rule-based and point-in-time controls often fail to identify modern fraud and how behavior-based detection helps examiners recognize anomalies across users, vendors, payments, and channels. Through short scenario-based exercises, guided red-flag analysis, and a practical framework walkthrough, attendees will apply a structured approach for identifying suspicious behavior even when everything appears “all green.“
Learning Objectives:
- Identify indicators of AI-enabled deception and other fraud patterns that can bypass traditional point-in-time controls while appearing legitimate during routine review.
- Differentiate between static control results and behavior-based fraud indicators by analyzing red flags related to timing, device use, workflow activity, vendor behavior, and transaction anomalies.
- Apply a behavior-based fraud detection framework to short case scenarios in order to assess suspicious activity patterns and determine appropriate investigative or control responses.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Information Technology
Fraud Waste and Abuse Risk Management
Presenter: Irene Pasternak
This course draws on practical fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) experience across federally funded public benefit and grant programs to help participants strengthen prevention, detection, response, and remediation capabilities. Participants will explore how risk-based governance, fraud risk assessments, internal control design, documentation review, analytics, escalation protocols, and corrective action planning work together to protect public funds and improve program integrity. The session emphasizes how to identify fraud indicators, assess control gaps, prioritize risks, and translate findings into practical policies, procedures, monitoring tools, and training. Participants will also consider how data analytics, risk scoring, anomaly detection, and machine learning can support earlier detection while preserving operational efficiency and customer or beneficiary experience. By the end of the course, participants will be better prepared to design and implement sustainable FWA controls that align with program objectives, regulatory expectations, and real-world operating constraints.
Learning Objectives
- Assess fraud, waste, and abuse risks by identifying relevant fraud risk indicators, control gaps, and process vulnerabilities within public-sector programs.
- Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of preventive, detective, and corrective controls used to mitigate FWA risks.
- Develop risk-based recommendations, monitoring practices, and training approaches that strengthen FWA prevention, detection, escalation, and remediation.
NASBA Field of Study: 1.0 CPE, Specialized Knowledge (Fraud Related)
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.
For instructions on group registrations, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9fJkkgcOF0
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.