About Us
ACFE New Jersey 9, IncORPORATeD
The New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (NJ ACFE) was charted by the national ACFE office on December 2, 1989. Since then, we have proudly served as a leading resource for professionals dedicated to preventing and detecting fraud. In 2024, we celebrated our 35th anniversary, marking over three decades of supporting fraud examiners, providing education, and fostering a network of professionals committed to integrity and excellence in the fight against fraud.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ACFE
The conversation that sparked the formation of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) occurred in 1985 on an office porch in downtown Austin, Texas. During a casual exchange between ACFE founder and Chairman Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, an accountant turned FBI agent, and the foremost criminologist in the country, Dr. Donald Cressey, the ACFE began to take shape.
At that time, fraud detection and deterrence were handled by two different groups: accountants who weren't experts in investigating fraud and investigators who weren't skilled in accounting. "What you need to do is combine these disciplines," Cressey suggested matter-of-factly. A few years later, Wells did just that. The culmination of these insights led to the formation of a common body of knowledge known today as fraud examination and has since bridged a gap in disciplines.
Still based out of its original headquarters in Austin, Texas, the ACFE supports more than 95,000 members in over 180 countries. Members include CPAs, auditors, lawyers, investigators, law enforcement officers, security professionals, executives, managers and anyone whose job involves preventing, detecting, or deterring fraud.
You can find more information about the ACFE by visiting their website at www.acfe.com .
ACFE New Jersey 9, Incorporated is an IRS approved 501(c)(3), Public Charity Status: 509(a)(2)
EIN: 93-4789911 Effective Date of Exemption: January 10, 2024
NASBA Sponsor# 167311
The ACFE Mission
The mission of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is to reduce the incidence of fraud and white-collar crime and to assist the Membership in fraud detection and deterrence. To accomplish our mission, the ACFE:
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Provides bona fide qualifications for Certified Fraud Examiners through administration of the CFE Examination
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Sets high standards for admission, including demonstrated competence through mandatory continuing professional education
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Requires Certified Fraud Examiners to adhere to a strict code of professional conduct and ethics
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Serves as the international representative for Certified Fraud Examiners to business, government and academic institutions
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Provides leadership to inspire public confidence in the integrity, objectivity, and professionalism of Certified Fraud Examiners
ACFE RULES OF CONDUCT & DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
Our first priority is to ensure the anti-fraud profession maintains its reputation as ethical, highly professional and guided by integrity. That’s why we maintain and enforce our rules of conduct for Certified Fraud Examiners. The ACFE Board of Regents Presents Proposed Amendments to Disciplinary Procedures and ACFE Bylaws. One of the duties of the ACFE Board of Regents is to ensure that the rules of conduct governing members are relevant, fair and in accordance with the expectations of the professional anti-fraud community. In 2023, the Board established an advisory working group of CFEs to advise it on possible revisions to the ACFE rules. The members who contributed to this working group were Patrick Chylinski, CFE, MBA – Partner, Armanino, LLP, Tiffany Couch, CFE, CPA – Founder and CEO, Acuity Forensics, Tasheika Hinson, J.D., CFE – Associate General Counsel, Leader, Edward Jones, Jerami Michalak, CFE, CIA – Head of Internal Audit, Qatar Airways, James Rumph, CFE, CPA – Enterprise Anti-Fraud Leader, Nationwide Insurance, Viktorija Smatko-Abaza, CFE – Principal Advisor, European Commission, and Robert Smolich, CFE – Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of State.
The working group developed a list of recommendations and supporting arguments for the Board to consider. After careful review of the recommendations, the Board is formally proposing several amendments to the ACFE Disciplinary Procedures and the ACFE Bylaws. For the purposes of transparency and obtaining a wide range of perspectives, the Board is calling for member comments on these amendments. The comment period for all ACFE members in good standing is open until March 31, 2024. Below is a summary of the proposed changes:
Disciplinary Procedures
- Addition of a videoconference hearing for members accused of violations of the ACFE rules of conduct, with the following features:
- It is designed to be a non-adversarial process for members to explain their position and the ACFE Board of Review to ask questions.
- Hearing is to be optional for members.
- Only the member (plus legal representative and translator) may be present.
- The hearing process does not include the right of the complainant to join, though the Board of Review may separately interview the complainant.
- The hearing includes an introductory statement by ACFE, a thirty-minute statement by a member, a question period from the ACFE and Board of Review, and a short closing statement from the member.
- Executive session of Board of Review after the hearing.
- Reduction in the time period for members to respond to a complaint (from sixty days to thirty days), with an additional provision for extension of the response period by twenty days.
- New provision for conflicts of interest involving a member of the Board of Regents and reorganization of conflict of interest provisions into a new section
- Improving clarity in the Disciplinary Procedures (e.g., creation of a definitions section, consistent capitalization of key terms, specifying language of hearings, etc.).
The New Jersey Chapter of the 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
