It seems that fighting fraud is a hotter field than ever -- membership in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners skyrocketed by 3,000 during the past nine months to a record 31,000 members, the group reported.
The number of people pursuing the Certified Fraud Examiner designation is also on the rise, according to the ACFE. More than 1,600 ACFE members are currently studying for the CFE exam, and roughly 15,000 currently hold the designation.
According to ACFE president and chief executive Toby J.F. Bishop, CFE, CPA, FCA, the increases reflect a growing demand for trained anti-fraud professionals to address continuing concerns about fraud in business and government. "There's a massive need for more CFEs to meet the growing demand. That's unlikely to change anytime soon," said Bishop.
"CFE candidates will be pleased to see that success in studying for the CFE exam is rewarded by average compensation that is significantly higher than for non-CFEs," he added.
Next month, the ACFE will release the results of its first compensation guide, based on the compensation levels of 3,750 U.S.-based anti-fraud professionals who work in fraud-related disciplines, including accounting, auditing, fraud investigation, security/loss prevention, government, health care and law enforcement.
