International Association for Financial Crimes Investigators - International Conference

The International Association for Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI) is putting on its annual international conference in Phoenix, Arizona August 31 through September 1 of this year. The IAFCI is an international organization of members of law enforcement agencies, banks, and anyone associated with loss prevention. They are the most useful resourse that I have found for investigators.

Their annual conference features speakers and subjects from all over the world. They cover every type of fraud and crime imaginable including types of check fraud, credit card fraud, loan fraud, human trafficking, drugs, and gangs. Vendors come out to demonstrate all of the new investigative tools and toys on the market. Investigators get a real taste for technology advances from year to year. This is key in many management and loss prevention roles. The networking events are absolutely fabulous. They usually feature at least 2 nights of networking where everyone can let their hair down and meet people on a personal level. It helps everyone understand who to call for what.

The conference is geared toward all experience levels. Seasoned investigators are able to network and keep up ties with industry specialists and members of every law enforcement agency while newcomers get a taste of all types of criminal activity and make their own valuable contacts. In the changing economic times, contacts are everything. Everyone knows it is who you know, not necessarily what you know when looking for a job. The IAFCI is a valuable tool when job searching.

As an investigator, the IAFCI has been the single most valuable resource for training and contacts. Without this organization, I would not be where I am today. If you would like to learn more about the IAFCI, you can visit their website at www.iafci.org.