Events

Business Crime SW Launch on 10 June 2008

Business Crime SW will be launched at Avon & Somerset Constabulary HQ, Valley Road, Portishead, Bristol on Tuesday 10 June 2008. This Government Office SW initiative has involved representation of the SWFF by Vice Chair/Secretary Frank Waghorn on the Project Management Board over the past 18 months.

This is following a successful Consultation Event at Devon & Cornwall Constabulary HQ in January 2008 when Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP'S) throughout the SW region backed the concept of a regional forum on business crime meeting twice a year to address problems in this area.

SWFF members have been invited,subject to seats still available, to attend this event. Please use the Contact page if you are a member and wish to attend.

FRAUD ADVISORY PANEL 10th Anniversary

The 10th anniversary of the Fraud Advisory Panel  is being celebrated on Tuesday 17th June 2008 in London with a conference and gala dinner entitled 'Fraud: Prevention is better than cure'.

Further information:
http://www.fraudadvisorypanel.org/newsite/events.php?id=3

JOINT FRAUD & MONEY LAUNDERING WORKSHOP

The Institute of Credit Management has invited members of the SWFF to join them at the Almondsbury Interchange Hotel near Junction 16 of the M5 at 6.30 pm for 7pm on Thursday 6th March 2008 for a buffet meal and presentation on Fraud and Money Laundering. The key speaker will be the chairman of the South West Fraud Forum - Adrian Maxwell, Barrister and fraud expert. Please use the Contacts page to book your attendance - first come first served as places are limited.

SWFF MONEY LAUNDERING CONFERENCE AND AGM

The SWFF Money Laundering Conference will be held on Thursday 25th October 2007 at The Exchange Conference Theatre, Bridgwater, Somerset commencing at 4.00pm, the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 come into effect on 15th December 2007 with far reaching implications for businesses, particularly lawyers, accountants and estate agents. The Government is implementing the Third European Money Laundering Directive after a long consultation period and details including an information sheet for firms is available on the HM Treasury website viz.

Details of expert speakers will be posted on this page shortly.

The SWFF AGM will be held ahead of the conference starting at 2.30 pm, this will incude an address from the chair of the National Federation of Fraud Fora on the creation of a network of regional fraud fora including the SWFF and benefits transferable between them.

THIS IS A FREE EVENT to MEMBERS, or £25 (plus VAT) per person to non-members. Excellent Buffet Provided at 6.00 pm. 

Please click on the link below to book your place.
 

SPEAKERS AT THE SWFF AUTUMN EVENT

The SWFF is pleased to announce that Rosalind Wright CB, QC, former head of the Serious Fraud Office, current Chair of the Fraud Advisory Panel and Chair of the Supervisory Committee of the EU Anti Fraud Unit - OLAF in Brussels, will give the key-note speech at the forthcoming SWFF Conference on Fraud and Money Laundering after the AGM on the 25th October at The Exchange Conference Centre, Bridgwater.

The Impact of the new Money Laundering Regulations on businesses coming into effect on the 15th December 2007 will be addressed by :

Adrian Maxwell, MA (Oxon), Barrister and Deputy District Judge, Chairman of the SWFF. Adrian has lectured widely on the Third European Directive on Money Laundering which has led to the MLR 2007. 

Detective Sergeant Peter Mcloy of Northumbria Police, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Peter has over 29 years service and leads a team of detectives dedicated to Money Laundering. He regularly gives presentations to financial institutions and accountants on the subject and has also provided training on the Proceeds of Crime Act.

SWFF INTERVIEW SKILLS COURSE 15th June 2007

The next Investigative Interviewing Skills one day course is being held on Friday 15th June 2007 at The Exchange Conference Centre, Bridgwater, Somerset near Junction 23 of the M5.

This tried and tested course is a must for all financial investigators or in-house interviewers gathering information. It is based on the PEACE Model of Conversation Management for use in various types of interview situations. All police and law enforcement agencies in the UK are taught this method as a standard skill.

The North East Fraud Forum have successfully run this course regularly over the past three years.

Book now to reserve your place on this or a future such course held by the SWFF via the Contacts Page.
Cost - £195 plus VAT.

FREE EVENT - SWFF Seminar at Bevan Brittan, Bristol

Bevan Brittan LLP, Solicitors at Kings Orchard, 1 Queen Street, BRISTOL, BS2 0HQ are hosting a Fraud Seminar in conjunction with the SWFF on Thursday 3rd May 2007, 4pm - 5.30 pm, drinks and canapes until 6.30 pm.

The Seminar is Free of Charge -

'Internal Investigations: The impact of the employment relationship' will consider some of the difficulties employers will encounter with internal investigation into wrong doing (potentially involving fraud) by the employee and how best to deal with these as well as the risks involved if things go wrong.

Speakers

Adrian Maxwell, Chairman of SWFF, Barrister at St Johns Chambers

Tim Woodward, Associate, Bevan Brittan LLP

PLEASE CONTACT - Emily Jones, Bevan Brittan LLP on 0870 194 1001 or events@bevanbrittan.com

SWFF Events in The New Membership Year 2007/08

Over the next 12 months we anticipate providing a mixture of workshops, masterclasses and seminars covering inter alia the following:

i)  December 2007 will see the introduction of new money laundering regulations. These bring in changes to the regulatory regime, which will affect local authorities and estate agents. A number of local authorities and housing associations as quasi estate agents due to their right to buy clauses will be affected by these changes. We would invite members whose activities may be affected by these changes to contact us so that we can design a workshop for your needs;

ii) as one avenue for fraud is closed down another one re-opens. The impact of chip and pin has led to reduced credit card fraud. Fraudsters are reverting to cheque and bankers draft fraud as chip and pin bites. There is now a lack of understanding in the economy generally because of the reduced amount of business conducted by cheque and bankers draft that exist in this area;

iii) there are a number of changes in the policing of fraud that will arise from the Fraud Review. This is a topic that will develop over the next 12 months and will require as one of its key aspects educating the local economic community through fraud forums across the UK;

iv) one of the key objectives is to make the South West a safer place to conduct business in. As part of this the South West Fraud Forum will be looking to liaise with local authorities and government agencies to improve economic security through educating the business community. We are looking to provide this education process by liaising with business organisations through the South West.

SWFF Business Crime Seminar at Taunton

An early evening seminar on cheque fraud against small businesses will be held at the offices of Milsted Langdon at Taunton on Thursday 22nd March 2007 (Location is Winchester House, Deane Gate Avenue, Taunton just off Junction 25 of the M5 - arrival  from 5pm for 5.30 pm start concluding at 6.30 pm.
Detective Inspector Richard Budd,head of the Avon & Somerset Constabulary Fraud and Financial Investigation Unit, will speak about the return of cheque fraud against small businesses in the region since the inception of chip and pin cards.
ATTENDANCE at this seminar is FREE and is aimed at all SWFF Members, together with all Small Businesses in our Awareness of Business Crime Programme.
PLEASE BOOK EARLY using the Contacts Page as places are limited.

Forthcoming SWFF Events for your Diary

1. Bevan Brittan, Solicitors of Bristol will kindly host a Seminar/Workshop in association with the SWFF at their new offices in  Bristol on Thursday 3rd May 2007 on the topic of Internal Investigations. More details to follow.

2. Another SWFF one-day Investigative Interviewing Skills Course will be held on 15th June 2007  at The Exchange Conference Centre, Bridgwater. More details to follow.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EITHER OF THESE EVENTS PLEASE LET US KNOW VIA THE CONTACT PAGE

Early Notice of a SWFF Training Event

It is intended to hold a one-day Investigative Interviewing Skills Training Course for Members of the SWFF on Thursday 25th January 2007 at The Exchange Conference Centre, Bridgwater near Junction 23 of the M5. This event will be identical to the successful course delivered to over 100 NEFF Members over the past three years by Frank Waghorn MA BA Ed (Hons). The course includes relevant law, interview theory and tactics with CCTV linked practical interview exercises (Experiental Learning / Learning By Doing).

This a One -Day Course for up to 12 Delegates.

The Aim of the Course -  is to provide learners with suficient knowledge, ability and understanding to obtain accurate, relevant and complete accounts from interviewees by employing interview methods including the conversation management model of PEACE interviewing.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of the course the learner will be able to:

.   Balance investigative powers with an individual's
    rights

.   Plan and prepare for an investigative interview

.   Use different interviewing techniques

.   Deal effectively with disclosure, evidence, legal
    representatives, silence and selective answering


The course will be offered at a discounted rate to SWFF Members (£195 plus VAT per person). Please contact the Secretary of the SWFF via the Contacts Page ASAP for further details.




 

Programme for SWFF Business Identity Theft Conference

The SWFF Business Identity Theft Conference will commence at 1.30 pm following the first AGM and luncheon on Thursday 26th October 2006 at The Exchange Conference Theatre, Express Park, Bridgwater Somerset, the speakers are as follows:

Sandra Rubidge-Killion, Fraud Liaison Manager for Dun & Bradstreet. Sandra has worked for D&B for 37 years and came straight from school. During this time she worked within various departments of D&B: data & operations, customer services, global sales and finance. For the past 27 years she has been the liaison contact for law enforcement agencies and has held the position of Fraud Liaison Manager for the past 10 years.

Kathleen O'Reilly, Solicitor, Jordans Limited. Kathleen is a Senior Legal Adviser at Jordans Limited. Jordans has been a business since 1863 as a trust and company services provider. It offers a broad range of services ranging from director services, incorporation of UK and offshore companies, company secretarial administration, business information and compliance. Prior to joining Jordans some 7 years ago Kathleen worked in private practice in company and commercial law.

Steve Ivett, HM Revenue and Customs.
Steve is an experienced MTIC fraud investigator based at HMRC Criminal Investigations, Bristol and has been involved in a number of HMRC's largest and high profile investigations.

Detective Inspector Chris Lamsdell, Metropolitan Police. Chris has served as a police officer for 29 years, mostly with the Metropolitan Police. He has been a detective since 1986 working in West London and two postings  to SCD6 Fraud Squad. Prior to his curent role he was responsible for one of the Operational Fraud Teams. He currently runs the SCD6 Sterling Prevention Unit.

Detective Sergeant Howard Shaw, Metroplitan Police.
Howard has served in the Metrpolitan Police for 24 years, the last 10 years at SCD6 working on the Fraud Squad and Legal Mutual Assistance Team. He is currently employed on the Sterling Prevention Unit within SCD6 with the Partnership Development lead.

Agenda for the first Annual General Meeting of the SWFF

AGM AGENDA -

Thursday 26th October 2006 - 11.30 am

The Exchange Conference Centre, Bridgwater, Somerset

1. Opening Address by the Chairman of the SWFF -
    Adrian Maxwell MA (Oxon)
2. Report by the Treasurer of the SWFF -
    Hugh Gregory BA, FCA, MAE
3. Report by the Secretary of the SWFF -
    Frank Waghorn MA, BA Ed (Hons)
4. Address by Vivienne Rayner of the Federation of Small
    Businesses
5. Election of Officers of the South West Fraud Forum
6. Election of Members of the SWFF Steering Group 
7. A.O.B.


Speaker Biog: 
FSB SW Area Policy Development Officer -
Vivienne Rayner 
Vivienne has worked for the FSB for 7 years providing the support, research and co-ordination to ensure the FSB's position is properly represented across the South West.
Describing herself as a 4th generation businesswoman, she has an Economics Degree and was made an honorary Fellow of the Institute of Business Advisors. This was awarded in recognition of her work creating Easton Business Centre - 20,000 sq ft of managed workspace in Bristol's Inner City.
Previously she started her own advertising and employment agencies after working in the Marketing Department of Procter and Gamble.
She has been both a County and District Councillor, stood for election as an MEP and twice for election as an MP.

SWFF Annual General Meeting & Business Identity Theft Conference

The first AGM of the South West Fraud Forum will be held at The Exchange Conference Centre, Bridgwater, Somerset (near Junction 23 M5) at 11.30 am on Thursday 26th October 2006.

The Meeting will include an address by Vivienne Rayner of the Federation of Small Businesses. Lunch will be provided.
 
Following lunch  there will  be a Conference on the topic of Business Identity Theft, a growing problem in the UK.

Expert speakers on the subject include representatives from Jordans, Dun & Bradstreet and Companies House.

Further details of the Programme will follow.

THIS EVENT IS FREE TO PAID UP CORPORATE MEMBERS.

Fraud Seminar - Dealing with perpetrators of fraud

The South West Fraud Forum in conjunction with Bevan Brittan LLP is holding a Fraud Seminar - FREE OF CHARGE at 35, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4TT on Thursday 10 August 2006 4pm-5.30pm, drinks and canapes until 6.30 pm.

Speakers:

'Fraud & Asset Recovery - A Civil Law Perspective'
Ben Daniels, Partner, Bevan Brittan LLP

'Fraud - The Criminal Process'
Richard Budd, Head of Fraud and Financial Investigation, serving Police Detective Inspector, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Bridgwater SWFF Business Crime Seminar

Following the successful SWFF Business Crime Seminar at Alverton Manor, Truro on the 23rd February, the second Business Crime Seminar sponsored by the Government Office For the South West (GOSW) will be held at The Exchange Conference Centre, Express Park, Bridgwater, Somerset on Thursday 30th March 2006 starting at 9.30 am (registration at 9.00 am).

The Programme is as follows:

9.00 am - Registration and Coffee

9.30 am - Opening of the Seminar and Welcome Address from SWFF Chairman Adrian Maxwell MA (Oxon) - Barrister and Deputy District Judge

 9.45 am - Richard Budd, Detective Inspector of the Serious Crime Group in the  Avon & Somerset Constabulary, he is the head of the Economic Crime Unit which includes a Police High Tech Unit Internet Investigation Team,

10.30 am - Paul Reynolds of Lloyds TSB, a very experienced fraud investigator who managed the Fraud Case Management function with direct control of the largest cases for 7 years, he is currently responsible for the bank's activity in ensuring a high level of industry co-operation to respond to and prevent fraud

11.15 am - Coffee

11.30 am - Andy Stewart from HM Revenue and Customs who will speak on the 'shadow economy' and its effect on business. He is Group Leader, HMRC Criminal Investigations, Complex Business, Bristol. Former Head of VAT Business in the South West.
 
12.15 pm - Andrew Pope a Regional Loss Prevention Manager for the Co-operative Group for the last 5 years. He manages the South West, Wales, Northern Ireland and Manx regions with a team of 8 investigators. An experienced security manager with former employers J. Sainsbury, Andy served for 13 years as a member of the Special Investigations Branch of the Royal Military Police.
 
1.00 pm - Closing remarks by SWFF Chairman followed by lunch.

1.30 pm - Departure

Truro SWFF Business Crime Seminar - Programme

The Programme for the Truro Business Crime Seminar on Thursday 23 February 2006 in the Great Hall at  Alverton Manor, an event free to SWFF Members:

9.30 am - Registration and Coffee

10.00 am - Opening of the Seminar and Welcome Address by Vice Chairman and Treasurer of the SWFF - Hugh Gregory BA, FCA, MAE - Forensic Accountant and Partner in RSM Robson Rhodes LLP

10.15 am - Andy Joyce MSc - An Internet Investigator from Avon &  Somerset Constabulary High Tech Unit - Andy has been a police officer for thirteen years and most of his service is as a detective. In 2001 he was one of the first two officers involved in setting up the Hi - Tech Crime Unit, which is now staffed by six people and recognised nationally as a centre of excellence. Andy has been extensively trained in computer forensics and regularly teaches on the subject in the UK and the USA .He obtained an MSc in Information Security and Computer Crime in 2004
 
10.45 am - Andy Hobbs - A Senior Manager of the Case Management & Investigation Unit of Lloyds TSB Bank - Andy has a wide range of banking experience in a career of over 20 years to date. He has managed complex recovery cases and in 2004 was appointed to lead the Case Management and Investigation Section of the Group Fraud Unit.Responsible for managing the unit and control of the largest cases Andy has direct experience of the impact of fraud and insight into successful prevention activity.

11.15 am - Coffee

11.30 am - Sue Hook - Group HR Manager for the Rowe Group, Cornwall - Sue joined the company in 2001 after a successful career in the Health Service. Since  that time she has developed the Human Resource Function to ensure that the Rowe Group is an employer of choice in the local area. Sue lectures nationally on staff invovement and participation and  is a keen proponent of partnership working. She has a Masters in Human resources and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.

12 noon -  John Needham  - An Internet Fraud Investigator from eBay - former Scotland Yard detective of thirty years service, who served on the Flying Squad, the Serious Crime Squad, the Cheque and Credit Card Fraud Squad and the Extradition Squad (Interpol) - currently Law Enforcement Relations Manager for eBay based in London and adviser to the fraud investigation team in Dublin.

1.00 pm - Closing remarks by Chairman follwed by luncheon

1.30 pm - Departure

SWFF Business Crime Seminars

The SWFF in association with the Government Office For The South West and West Cornwall Business Network. who are kindly sponsoring the events are hosting two seminars on the topic of Business Crime. The seminars will be held before the end of the first year of SWFF's existence and will be free to existing members, new members joining before the event will be given free entry and their membership will run until the end of March 2007.
 
The Seminars will be at the following venues:

Alverton Manor, Truro, Cornwall (Thursday 23 February 2006 - registration at 9.30 am for 10 am start and finishing at 1.30 pm - refreshments and lunch provided.

The Exchange Conference Theatre, Express Business Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset (Thursday 30 March 2006 - registration at 9.00 am for 9.30 am start and finishing at 1.30 pm) - refreshments and lunch provided.

Event 2 - SWFF Identity Theft Conference

Our topical conference on IdentityTheft will commence at 10 am Wednesday 14th September 2005 - registration at 9.30 am - and will finish at approx 4 pm. at the Rosalind Franklin Room in the @Bristol Complex, Anchor Road, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5DB.

Bookings are still being accepted to afford members and non members this rare opportunity to hear national experts on the subject in the South West.

Cost of attendance including refreshments and lunch will be £100 per head for non-members (to include free membership until April 2006) and £60 to existing Corporate Members.

The recent high profile advertising campaign by Capital One has highlighted the growing problem of Identity Theft.

'Which?' magazine (March 2005) also drew attention to Identity Theft in the article - 'Identity Crisis'  where Ken Farrow, Detective Chief Superintendent of the City Of London Fraud Squad is quoted - 'ID theft is becoming a very prevalent crime, as it's comparatively low risk for criminals. You really need to be on your guard at all times, and certainly don't be complacent that it won't happen to you'.

It was also reported by 'Scotland on Sunday' (10th April 2005) that 'last year there were more than 50,000 reported cases - an increase of 17% on 2003; and it has been variously projected that there will be between 130,00 and 200,000 cases by the end of this year'.

In light of this worrying phenomenon in the area of fraud the Steering Group of the South West Fraud Forum decided that the next conference it hosts will be on the topic of Identity Theft, this will enable Members to listen to the experts and gain valuable insight for the benefit of their organisations, colleagues and customers/service users.

Expert speakers at the Identity Theft Conference include:

Steven Philippsohn
Steven is Senior Partner of Philippsohn Crawfords Berwald, Solicitors of Holborn, London, he is a leading authority on fraud and money laundering internationally as well as in the UK. Steven is an appointed UK representative member of the Fraud Network of the International Chambers of Commerce. Steven regularly speaks at fraud training courses for major international institutions, UK Government departments and other lawyers. He is regularly used as a commentator on fraud matters by the BBC, ITV, Sky TV, CNN and CNBC and also writes papers and has contributed articles on fraud to The Times, The Financial Times and Daily Telegraph including the issue of Identity Theft.

Chris Brogan
Chris has been a corporate fraud investigator for over 25 years. He is a member of the Fraud Advisory Panel and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. His interest in the law relating to privacy goes back to 1986 and since then he has strived to convince fellow fraud investigators and prosecutors of the importance of these issues. Skydiver Chris has a Masters degree in law from Leeds Business School and declares his motto to be: 'Education is a process not an achievement, if you have experienced it share it'. 

Riten Gohil
Riten is a Fraud Management specialist with APACS (Association for Payment Clearing Services) - the UK payments industry, where his current projects include: Combating Identity Fraud and Card Not Present Fraud. He is a member of the Fraud Advisory Panel's Cybercrime Working Group and also sits on various Home Office groups covering cybercrime and identity fraud. Riten is also the chair of the Home Office Identity Fraud Consumer Awareness Group, which runs www.identity-theft.org.uk, a Home Office driven initiative to centralise consumer advice relating to Identity Theft in the UK. He also occasionally writes articles for a number of publications relating to all types of Business Crime. Prior to his current role, Riten worked in fraud prevention and investigation for a number of major organisations including the organised fraud unit of the Dept for Work and Pensions, the Serious Fraud Office and Ernst and Young's Forensic Services Group. He has also worked as a Risk Management advisor for British and French internet start-ups.


Anni Lennox
Anni is ID Issues manager for the Department for Work and Pensions, she has extensive counter-fraud experience and for the last seven years has concentrated on Identity Issues. She is responsible for promoting awareness and understanding around ID issues and considering the impact of identity crime on DWP business and processes. Anni works closely with other government departments including UK Passport Service, HM Revenue and Customs, Police and the Dept of Social Welfare in Ireland.She produces a bi monthly internal magazine on identity issues and  is a member of the National Insurance Number Board. She is currently involved with the Home Office on their ID card project and is a member of the ID Fraud Forum.

Simon Fitzgerald
Simon is the fraud investigations and police liaison point of contact within CIFAS - The UK's Fraud Prevention Service. Although relatively new to the role, he is heavily involved in the work to make best use of the unique position of CIFAS within the areas of fraud prevention and awareness. A key part of this is the identification of organised fraud rings operating across the CIFAS Membership, with the intent of succesful police involvement. Prior to his current role, Simon worked in the retail and personal finance sectors with all aspects of fraud.


Anti-Terrorism Branch Officer
An officer from SO13 - Specialist Operations - Anti-Terrorism Branch, New Scotland Yard will link the issue of Identity Theft to the very current fight against terrorism.

NEFF Fraud Conference on Identity Fraud

The North East Fraud Forum are holding an Identity Fraud Conference on Monday 5th September 2005 in Newcastle upon Tyne - for more details or application to attend please visit http://www.northeastfraudforum.co.uk/conferences.asp

Event 1 - SWFF Launch Conference

The Forum is intended to be a year-long series of events, opening with a Launch Conference at the Somerset County Cricket Club Pavilion in Taunton on Friday 22nd April 2005 commencing at 11 a.m. (registration and reception).

The programme is as follows:

11.30 am
- Opening of the Conference and Welcome Address by the Chairman of the SWFF
- Address by Chairman of the North East Fraud Forum
- Address by Senior Executive of Lloyds TSB (see biog below)
- Address by Head of City of London Fraud Squad (see biog)
- Address by Assistant Attache of the US Embassy (see biog)

12.30 pm (approx)
- Lunch

2.00 pm
- Presentation by RSM Robson Rhodes
- 'Coca Cola and Computers
- Case Studies in Laundering and Corruption' (see biogs)

2.30 pm (approx)
- Presentation by the National Criminal Intelligence Service
- 'The Work of the Terrorist Finance Team' (see biog)


Biographies of the Speakers:

Neil Bartholomew is Head of Risk - Branch Network for Lloyds TSB

Detective Chief Superintendent Ken Farrow is the head of the City of London Police Fraud Squad and the Economic Crime Unit, which includes the Financial Investigation and Cheque and Credit Card Unit. He has over 30 years police experience, mainly with the City of London Police, but also overseas in New Zealand and the Caribbean. Between 1992 - 1994, he investigated the collapse of the Maxwell group of companies for the Serious Fraud Office. He is a government advisor on fraud issues and for the past 5 years he has chaired the Association of Chief Police Officers National Working Group on Fraud.

Martina Zimmerman, a graduate of Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg,Virginia, is an Assistant Attache for the US Deprtment of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), at the American Embassy in London. Tina joined the US Customs Service in 1990 and served at their Office of International Affairs in Washington D.C. She later became a Special Agent for the US Customs Service and worked at JFK International Airport. She subsequently worked on a task force in New York investigating money laundering. Ms Zimmerman is the current focal point for joint investigations between ICE and law enforcement agencies within the UK regarding money laundering and immigration investigations.

Bill Cleghorn, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner, is a partner in the firm of RSM Robson Rhodes, which is a member firm of RSM International, the sixth largest accounting and business advisory firm in the world. Based in London, Bill has responsibility for developing international forensic investigations throughout the RSM International network. Bill joined RSM Robson Rhodes in 2001 having specialised as a partner in Corporate Recovery and Forensic Investigations for a 'big 4 firm'. Bill was involved in the administration of Polly Peck plc, making several court appearances in Northern Cyprus seeking the assets of Asil Nadir. Bill has had a long career investigating a number of high profile cases of fraud, money laundering and corruption around the world, including a lengthy period in Albania. He has also specialised in charity frauds in Scotland and has vast experience as an expert witness in both civil and criminal cases. He also writes articles and lectures around the world on fraud issues as far away as South America.

Emma Porter also works for RSM Robson Rhodes and has been involved in a range of forensic work including investigating auditors of a major life insurance company on behalf of the Joint Disciplinary Scheme. She has considerable experience in managing money laundering investigations, including periods in the Caribbean. Emma works closely with a combined Police/Customs Financial Investigation Unit in an offshore jurisdiction. She has lectured widely to police fraud squads and other agencies on recent legislation,accounting issues and interpretation of financial statements.

Graeme Ford is currently seconded to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) Terrorist Finance Team (TFT) from the Financial Services Authority (FSA). He worked on a number of the FSA's money laundering risk projects involving IFA's, on-line brokers and spread betting firms. Prior to joining the FSA, Graeme worked in fund management with Schroder Investment Management specialising in the emerging markets sector.