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• Unfolding the Journey: From Wall Street to Wisdom

  • When
    17 Sep 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
  • Location
    Webinar (Online)

  Register

  Date: September 17, 2026

  Time: 12:00 - 1:30 ET
  Type: Virtual (Zoom link will be sent before the event)

  Topic: Fraud Prevention - White Collar Crime 

  Speaker: Mark Varacchi, Former Hedge Fund CEO/COO/CCO Keynote Speaker on Financial Fraud, Compliance and Ethics

  Event Summary: Mark Varacchi pled Guilty to Securities and Wire Fraud in February of 2017 and was sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison. 

  As a seasoned Hedge Fund CCO/COO/CEO, Mark spent his career meticulously creating, evaluating, and identifying flaws in systems, processes, and software. His unique perspective comes from hands-on experience in circumventing numerous trading, risk, margin, operations, and compliance processes at Prime Brokers, Banks, Broker Dealers, AML/KYC processes, soft-dollars and Investor Reporting. This journey allowed him to master both the construction and exploitation of financial systems.

  Here’s the reality: Despite the sophistication of modern financial systems, vulnerabilities remain. Shockingly, no "official authority" has ever delved into understanding how he kept his operations under the radar for so long, nor have they sought to learn how to prevent future occurrences.

  Your Opportunity: Learn from someone who has been on both sides of the table. With over 20 years of in-depth experience and an unparalleled track record, Mark is uniquely positioned to share real-world insights and actionable strategies to help you safeguard your organization against fraud.

  CPE : Professional Development Event - 1 Ethics CPE

  Cost : FREE for ACFE Ottawa Chapter Members; $50 for non members 

  Note : Links to connect to the session(s) will be sent to you prior to the meeting.

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• Terrorist Financing in Online Gaming Platforms

  • When
    19 Nov 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
  • Location
    Webinar (Online)

  Register

  
  

  Date: November 19, 2026

  Time: 12:00 - 1:30 ET
  Type: Virtual (Zoom link will be sent before the event)

  Topic: Money Laundering through Online Gaming Platforms

  Event Summary:

  Multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) such as Fortnite, World of Warcraft, and Roblox are extremely popular online games with an extensive in-game international economy. Rare items can go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. These items are purchased by first buying virtual in-game currency. The online video game economy provides a fast, simple and easy way to launder money or finance terrorism. It is also not regularly investigated by police and online games are not suspicious to law enforcement. Gamers also use specific cultural and sub-cultural language and acronyms when communicating which are sometimes hard for a casual observer to understand, further obstructing their illicit activities. This session will explore indicators of money laundering and terrorist financing through MMORPGS, explain gamer subculture in plain language, and provide general guidance to fraud examiners to identify this method of laundering.

  Speaker: Kayla Cooper

  Kayla Cooper has 11 years of experience in criminal intelligence, dealing with organized crime, serious fraud, crimes against children, and counter-terrorism. Her focus is internet-facilitated crime, particularly in niche online subcultures. She holds a Master of Science in International Criminal Justice and Intelligence from the University of Portsmouth, an undergraduate in political science from Queen’s University, as well as certificates from the Canadian Police College in strategic intelligence analysis, tactical intelligence analysis, open-source intelligence, and advanced open-source intelligence.
  

  CPE : Professional Development Event - 1 CPE

  Cost : FREE for ACFE Ottawa Chapter Members; $50 for non members 

  Note : Links to connect to the session(s) will be sent to you prior to the meeting.

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