Investigating on the Internet

Registration & Fees

Registration Fee:

ACFE Members: $655

Non-Members: $755

Course Outline

Day 1

• 10:00 – 11:20 a.m. Introduction and Important Considerations

  Today, a wealth of online information is easily accessible to the fraud examiner. However, before beginning an investigation, investigators should be aware of legal issues and other considerations that can affect or restrict investigations. This opening session discusses issues that examiners face and strategies to address them.

• 11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. Beginning Internet Investigations

  Start your investigation using the broadest and most accessible internet search tools, such as Google and Bing. This session will teach you how to take advantage of the features and capabilities of search engines. Learn about proximity searches, customized alerts, search operators and other features most users never employ.

• 12:50 – 1:20 p.m. Lunch Break

  Lunch

• 1:20 – 2:40 p.m. Getting the Most Out of the Basics

  In this session, participants will explore a number of tools and resources that can significantly aid an investigation if the examiner knows where and how to look. Learn how to fully utilize images and maps, search online marketplaces, inspect a website’s history and aggregate the information sources that you use every day.

• 2:50 – 4:10 p.m. Making Connections Using Technical Information

  Every computer or device connected to the internet and every website has identifying information assigned to them that allows the internet to function and route traffic. Most of this information is easily accessible and can be used for several valuable purposes related to fraud investigation. This session covers this information, how to find it and what you might uncover along the way.

Day 2

• 10:00 – 11:20 a.m. Public Records and Commercial Databases

  Today, practically every official document is kept as an electronic record. Most of what a fraud examiner is looking for in public records can be accessed online—no more weary days in the depths of city hall or some courthouse. But how do you find what you are looking for? What can you expect to find? This session outlines what is available and where, as well as the limitations of these records.

• 11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. Investigating Social Media

  Fraud examiners can uncover many aspects of a case with a good working knowledge of how social media websites encourage the sharing of personal information. While platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn continue to be sources of investigative data, it’s important to understand recent trends in social media and investigative implications.

• 1:00 – 2:20 p.m. International Due Diligence

  Fraud has become borderless, and it can originate from anywhere. An integral skill for modern fraud examiners is the ability to effortlessly cross international borders while tracking down essential information. The internet can help with this in many ways. With specialized search sites, obtaining information about foreign organizations or individuals is not as problematic as it once was. In this session, you will see what information is available and how to access it for your needs.

Day 3

• 10:00 – 11:20 a.m. Emerging Trends in Internet Investigations

  As cryptocurrencies and the dark web become more significant facilitators of fraud and other crimes, fraud examiners need to understand how they work, how to access them and how to potentially leverage them in an investigation. This session covers cryptocurrencies, the dark web and the internet of things from the perspective of their relation to fraud and investigations.

• 11:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. Putting the Pieces Together

  This session takes all the tools, resources and concepts discussed in the seminar and illustrates how effective they can be when they all come together in a fraud investigation context. First, steps of the fraud examination methodology are discussed in the context of these tools and resources. Then, case studies demonstrate the application of strategies from the seminar to determine the credibility of a serious allegation and the identification of a suspect in a crime.

• 1:00 – 2:20 p.m. Putting It to Good Use: Practical Exercises

  In this session, the audience follows the instructor, walking through several prompts developed specifically for this course. These prompts will ask attendees to examine and analyze the activities of suspects by searching for hints and clues from information on the internet. Audience members are encouraged to take a hands-on approach to the practical problems, uncovering additional information to share.

Presenter

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