ACFE SA

02/06/2026

Africa's digital boom is a double-edged sword.

The INTERPOL HQ Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report reveals scam notifications surged up to 3,000% in some countries last year, with South Africa accounting for 40% of ransomware attacks and 65% of digital fraud incidents on the continent.

AI is making it worse. Deepfakes, synthetic voice scams, and mobile money fraud are outpacing law enforcement, fuelled by under-resourced cybersecurity infrastructure and widespread mobile financial transactions.

Businesses can't afford a reactive approach. Proactive fraud prevention isn't optional; it's survival.

Equip yourself. ACFESA is training the professionals who fight back.

View upcoming events: https://acfesa.co.za/events
Full INTERPOL report: https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2025/New-INTERPOL-report-warns-of-sharp-rise-in-cybercrime-in-Compliance Institute Southern Africa

19/05/2026

Deepfakes already fooled one team out of $25M. Is yours next?

Deepfake fraud incidents have seen a significant surge in 2025. According to 'The 2025 Deepfake Threat Report', $1,28B of losses were reported. However, it is difficult to determine the real financial damage due to the unknown number of unreported cases. Furthermore, over $200M was lost in Q1 2025 in North America alone. 1 in 4 executives have already been targeted, and AI fraud is projected to hit $40B by 2027.

Fraudsters clone voices from seconds of audio, generate fake IDs that pass visual inspection, and join live video calls posing as your CFO, pressuring teams into approving transfers on the spot.

The hard truth: humans only detect deepfakes correctly 55-60% of the time. Process has to do the work that instinct can't.

Controls that matter:
- Verify payments on a second channel
- Use only pre-approved callback numbers
- Create executive codewords for high-value transactions
- Follow FinCEN's deepfake fraud guidance.

Modern fraud techniques are strong. Your controls need to be stronger.

Read more in the comment section!

30/04/2026

Cybercrime in the Age of AI - Together, we can move from a reactive to a proactive approach and get ahead of the threat.

Fraudsters are now leveraging AI, automation, and the dark web to industrialise financial crime. The result? Fast, sophisticated attacks that could outpace traditional measures and controls.

We are faced with the reality that fighting cyber-enabled fraud is a collective responsibility:
· Individuals must stay informed and vigilant
· Organisations must invest in modern tech and continuous training
· Governments must secure critical systems and protect economies

If there is one thing that fraudsters do well, it is leveraging networks to their advantage. They transfer, mule and layer illicit funds across jurisdictions and platforms — from local banking systems to global cryptocurrency exchanges. Their reach is borderless, coordinated and sophisticated.

The anti-fraud ecosystem has access to advanced technologies, state-of-the-art software, prevention and detection systems, and well-established institutions worldwide. However, it requires stronger collaboration to maximise its collective impact. Operating in silos limits the effectiveness of the global response to fraud threats.

By establishing a global fraud-fighting network grounded in collaboration and integrity, we can ensure that fraud threats are met with a response that is greater than the threat itself.

To effectively dismantle fraud networks, a united front is essential. We need an equally expansive, coordinated, and resource-rich global response. This is central to ACFE SA’s commitment to professionalisation and strengthened collaboration through strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).

We call on African and international partners to join forces, align efforts, and work together to disrupt and dismantle the global fraud ecosystem.



Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

07/04/2026

ACFE SA members can contact our MoA partner, Gys Pitzer Motoring, today to hear about guaranteed special offers!

24/03/2026

Early-bird Registrations for the 2026 ACFE Africa Anti-Fraud Conference & Exhibition are now open and end on 31 March 2026.

Join the continent’s leading fraud fighters for:
• Cutting-edge insights
• Global and local expertise
• Powerful networking
• Practical tools for immediate workplace implementation

Not convinced? Watch our 2025 Anti-Fraud Conference highlight video below.

Be part of the movement shaping the future of fraud prevention. Register now:
https://acfesa.glueup.com/event/19th-annual-acfe-africa-conference-and-exhibition-154037/



https://youtu.be/TlmUioIURz8

A special thank you to our valued sponsors, exhibitors, and expert speakers. Your support and expertise enabled us to deliver world-class anti-fraud training...

16/03/2026

You may know our email addresses… but do you know the faces behind them?

Here at the ACFE SA, we value our space, our colleagues, our environment, and our purpose.

Behind every event, initiative and agreement is a team of dedicated staff who are not only skilled at what we do — we truly believe in the work we do.

Many of you might already have our email addresses saved or the ACFE SA phone line on speed dial. So we thought it was time to introduce the faces — and the hearts — behind the people who make it all happen.

Thank you for giving us a reason to keep fighting the good fight.

Watch the video below to meet the team.

The Team Behind the MissionIn this video, we introduce the passionate professionals who work behind the scenes to make our initiatives, events, and programme...

13/03/2026

“Curiouser and Curiouser”
Last week, fraud-fighting women stepped down the rabbit hole to explore the future of fraud . . .

The ACFE SA Women’s Day event, themed 'The future of Fraud: Curiouser and Curiouser', was inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Each woman who joined us for our Mad Hatter tea party reminded us how powerful it is when women in the forensic and fraud-fighting community come together.

Our speakers shared valuable insights into fraud investigations, integrity, and the strength it takes to remain both powerful and graceful in the rooms we enter. But the true inspiration came from every skilled, bold and curious woman who attended.

In our profession, curiosity is powerful. It drives us to ask the hard questions, challenge the status quo, and follow the truth — even down the rabbit hole.

Just as the vorpal sword is used to slay the Jabberwocky, integrity, grace and ethics can be wielded to overcome fraud and corruption. Let us all be reminded that integrity is not a weakness, but a weapon.

We salute the brave, bold, curious - and just a little mad - fraud-fighting women!

A special thank you to our speakers; Roxane Ferreira; Mandy Wiener; Annemari Krugel; Felicity Ncube; Jennifer Reddy; Annien Colyn and Mosima Tambani, as well as our sponsors Morar Incorporated and Africa Training Academy. And the beautiful Toadbury Hall Country Hotel for hosting us.

17/02/2026

According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), organisations worldwide lose an estimated 5% of their annual revenue to fraud.

To put that into perspective, that’s not just a minor operational leak, it is a significant financial drain that directly impacts profitability, growth, employee morale, and stakeholder trust.

Fraud doesn’t only affect the bottom line. It damages reputation, weakens internal culture, and can take years to recover from. And in many cases, fraud goes undetected for months - or even years - before action is taken.

However, the good news is that fraud is preventable. Strong internal controls, regular risk assessments, leadership accountability, whistleblower mechanisms, employee training, and a culture of transparency are powerful tools in reducing exposure.

Prevention is not an expense - it is a strategic investment in sustainability, resilience, and long-term success.

22/01/2026

We are proud to share that Adv. Andy Mothibi, ACFE SA Board Member and former Head and Chief Executive of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), has been appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa as the new National Director of Public Prosecutions.

Having worked closely with Adv. Mothibi over many years, ACFE SA has seen firsthand his principled leadership and unwavering commitment to ethical governance.

As the National Prosecuting Authority faces significant challenges in a period of heightened public scrutiny, we are confident that Adv. Mothibi’s experience, integrity, and dedication will serve the institution — and South Africa — well.

Congratulations and best wishes as you take on this important mandate.

28/11/2025

Happy shopping day!

As you hunt for the best Christmas deals, remember: fraudsters are shopping too. Keep a close eye on your banking apps, emails and notifications to make sure every transaction is truly yours. If anything seems suspicious, report it to your bank immediately to stop any unauthorised activity.

Here are a few popular scams to look our for:

Delivery Scams / Package Theft
Fake delivery messages to steal info. Example: “Your package is held — click to pay R20.”

Fake Competitions
Pretend prizes to capture details or fees. Example: “You’ve won a holiday! Pay to claim.”

Counterfeit Products
Fake goods sold as real. Example: Designer shoes online that arrive as cheap knock-offs.

Phishing & Vishing
Emails/SMS/calls asking for sensitive info. Example: “Bank alert: confirm your PIN now.”

Identity Fraud
Stolen personal details used to impersonate you. Example: Opening accounts in your name.

ATM Scams
Tampered machines or distractions. Example: Someone “assisting” you while swapping your card.

Fake Online Stores
Scam websites that take payment and deliver nothing. Example: Unrealistically cheap electronics.

Account Verification Scams
Pretending to be a service asking you to “verify.” Example: “Your account will close — send your login.”

Fake Sales / Inflated Prices
Deals that are fake or overpriced. Example: A “Flash Sale” with marked-up items.