Hard Economic Times Lead to Increase in Crime

ECI of Utica College Hosts National Conference to Help Business, Law Enforcement Combat Fraud, Corruption

Written By Christine Leogrande

The Economic Crime Institute of Utica College will tackle some of the nation's most pressing economic crime problems at its 20th conference

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Contact

cleogrande@utica.edu

Utica, NY (07/21/2009)

- “Recessions don’t faze fraudsters for a minute,” said Douglas Simpson, president of the Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus. “They look at economic crises the way they look at natural disasters – as opportunities to exploit the weak and the desperate.” As America continues to riposte from one of the worst recessions in years, identity theft experts look to educate businesses and consumers on fraudulent activity.

The Economic Crime Institute of Utica College will hold its 20th national conference, Extraordinary Circumstances: Combating Fraud and Corruption in Hard Times, Oct. 20-22 just outside of D.C. The conference will provide expert tracks on the latest weapons to prevent, detect, prosecute and convict those involved in financial crime. Taking place at the Bolger Center: U.S. Postal Inspection Service Training Academy in Potomac, Maryland, the conference is well attended by government/law enforcement, corporate and academic leaders. 

Cynthia Cooper, CPA, CFE, and Martin T. Biegelman, CFE, CCEP, will present keynotes at the conference.

Cooper, the former vice president for WorldCom, learned in 2002 that her company was involved in the largest accounting fraud in U.S. corporate history. Her strategic whistleblowing and pursuit of suspicious practices led to multiple arrests, along with the bankruptcy of her company. That year Time Magazine chose her as one of the persons of the year. Her recently published book, Extraordinary Circumstances, takes an inside look at the WorldCom deviance, while a portion of the profits are dedicated to education of ethics among high school and college students.
  
Biegelman is the director of the financial integrity unit at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Wash. He has penned a variety of books on identity theft and fraud including Building a World-Class Compliance Program: Best Practices and Strategies for Success and Identity Theft Handbook: Detection, Prevention, and Security. Biegelman has 35 years of experience in fraud, corruption and security investigation and is a former federal law enforcement professional, serving as a United States Postal Inspector. 
  
The conference will also showcase specific case studies faced by anti-fraud professionals; tactics and solutions will be discussed in a variety of breakout sessions. 
  
Each registrant will receive a signed copy of the most recent book from both Cooper and Biegelman, and CPE credits will be awarded. For more information about the conference, visit www.utica.edu/eciconference.

About ECI of Utica College:
The Economic Crime Institute of Utica College drives leading-edge thinking on economic crime issues faced by business and government through educational programs, policy guidance, research and solutions. The Institute fosters a rich learning environment that positions graduates to assume key roles in the fields of economic crime, fraud, and risk management. The Institute is a forum for the exchange of ideas, solutions, and technology for managing the risk of economic crime and fraud.

About Utica College:
Utica College is a comprehensive private institution offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The College, located in Upstate New York, approximately 90 miles west of Albany and 50 miles east of Syracuse, currently enrolls nearly 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students in 37 undergraduate majors, 27 minors, 20 masters and two doctoral degree programs.