Fraud and AI – Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)

Fraud and AI – Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)

This is the second article in the PDA series on Fraud and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this article we will be taking a closer look at Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) which are used to create extremely realistic images using AI, and how this can be used by...
Tackling Economic Crime Awards (TECAs) 2023

Tackling Economic Crime Awards (TECAs) 2023

‘Having attended my first TECA’s on behalf of the Counter Fraud Professional Awards Board (CFPAB) I would like to thank everyone who made the 2023 TECA’s the success it undoubtedly was. The afternoons event included some excellent thought provoking presentations...
Fraud and AI – what is ‘AI’?

Fraud and AI – what is ‘AI’?

This is the first article in a series on the Fraud and AI. In this series we will look at how new technologies such as ChatGPT and other ‘AI’ tools may assist fraudsters, what we can do to mitigate those risks, and break down some of the jargon and myths surrounding...
Counter Fraud Professional Awards Board

Counter Fraud Professional Awards Board

During 2022 the Counter Fraud Professional Accreditation Board approached the Charity Commission seeking charity status.  This was successful with the Charity Commission awarding charity status on 9th December 2022.  However, it required the Counter Fraud Professional...
Tenancy Fraud Forum (TFF) Conference 2023

Tenancy Fraud Forum (TFF) Conference 2023

PDA will once again be attending the Tenancy Fraud Forum (TFF) Conference being held on Thursday 20th April 2023 at the Kensington Conference & Events Centre.  Peter will give a presentation at the conference entitled ‘How to interview a fraudster’. We look...
The Government Approach to Countering Fraud

The Government Approach to Countering Fraud

Much has happened since we last reported on the Governments approach, the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 received Royal Assent on the 15th March 2022. Our Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist (ACFS) Programmes have been updated to take account...
Tenancy Fraud Forum

Tenancy Fraud Forum

PDA has supported the Tenancy Fraud Forum (TFF) through being a regular exhibitor at their conferences since 2017 and also its predecessor the Local Authority Investigation Officers Group (LAIOG).  It is one of the few conferences we attend every year which gives us a...
Our ACFS course

Our ACFS course

The ACFS is the recognised industry standard award for counter fraud professionals working in the UK and has been since its inception in 1998. PDA have fifty years’ experience working in the counter fraud investigation community, including the design, development, and...
Interview with Raj Vine

Interview with Raj Vine

Tell us little bit about your current role and relevant qualifications. I’m a Counter Fraud Specialist for Riverside Housing Association. I passed my accreditation as a Counter Fraud Specialist with Peter Darby Associates in 2017. Riverside have over 56,000 properties...
Interview with Alan Bryce

Interview with Alan Bryce

Tell us a little bit about yourself, the roles you have held in countering fraud and your current position? I am currently a non-executive director of the Tenancy Fraud Forum; a not-for-profit organisation bringing together social housing providers to identify and...
KYC Training: which course is right for you?

KYC Training: which course is right for you?

Know Your Customer (KYC) is the mandatory process of identifying and verifying your customer when they create an account. This usually involves verifying identity documents, checking against watchlists, and sometimes undertaking further due diligence through...
Oxford Investigation Service Annual Fraud Conference

Oxford Investigation Service Annual Fraud Conference

Peter Darby Associates (PDA) is delighted to announce their attendance at this year’s Oxford Investigation Service Annual Fraud Conference, where you will be able to meet Pete, Malcom, and Ian to ask any counter fraud training questions you may have. Best of all, a...
Interview with Laura Weaver

Interview with Laura Weaver

Read our recent interview with Laura Weaver, who currently works as an NHS Counter Fraud Investigator, and learn about what her job entails, why she chose to work in counter fraud and what rewards and challenges she faces within the industry. Tell us about yourself...

Digital Document Fraud, Michael O’Sullivan

Michael O’Sullivan from the TPSO Magazine recently undertook our Online training course in Digital Document Fraud course and this is his review… If you need to check documents and files for evidence of tampering, the Digital Document Fraud course from Peter Darby...
An Insight to Invoice Fraud!

An Insight to Invoice Fraud!

Everyone is at risk of fraud. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated ways to deceive and steal from us and unfortunately no business or person has guaranteed protection.  One methodology used by fraudsters is Invoice Fraud, which is also known as Invoice...
Well done to our ACFS student’s recent success!

Well done to our ACFS student’s recent success!

We would like to say a big congratulations to Amy, one of our recent ACFS students, for successfully conducting her first fraud case with conviction which has been reported on by Liverpool Echo.  Amy shared with us that she managed to prosecute the business owner of...
Fundamentals to Countering Fraud; Ransomware

Fundamentals to Countering Fraud; Ransomware

What is Ransomware?  Ransomware is a malicious computer program that encrypts files, preventing access to them. Victims have to pay the ransomware author or group to unlock their files.  Ransomware usually spreads via malicious email attachments or...
Fundamentals to Countering Fraud; Phishing

Fundamentals to Countering Fraud; Phishing

What is Phishing?  Phishing is a broad term for any fraudulent messages that aim to trick its receivers into revealing sensitive info. The attacker usually ‘spoofs’ (alters) their address/number to disguise themselves as someone known to the victim, or someone in a...
Fraud on the Dark Web

Fraud on the Dark Web

PDA have already released numerous reports on the fraud materials market on the Dark Web. This post aims to provide an insight into what the Dark Web is, and why it is important to fraud investigators. What is the Dark Web? A ‘Dark Web’ is a collection of sites which...
CaseNotes

CaseNotes

Read our recent interview with John Douglas, creator of the investigative note taking software CaseNotes, and find out about his background, how his tool works and why it can be beneficial to investigations. Please tell us about yourself and the work that you...
Digital Document Forensics

Digital Document Forensics

What is Digital Document Forensics? Digital Document Forensics (DDF) is the practice of analysing digital images or photos, files and documents for information that has been hidden or manipulated. Why is DDF important? Digital Document Forensics is an important part...
Open-Source Intelligence

Open-Source Intelligence

What is it Open-Source Intelligence? Open-Source Intelligence (also known as OSINT) is intelligence created from publicly available data and information. This is any type of online and offline data that anyone can access, without requiring security clearances or...
Fundamentals to Countering Fraud; ADVOKATE

Fundamentals to Countering Fraud; ADVOKATE

What is ADVOKATE? • Amount of time • Distance • Visibility • Obstruction• Known to the witness• Any reason for remembering• Time • Errors In detail  A – Amount or length of time the witness had the suspect under observation D – Distance between the witness and...
Getting to know Ian

Getting to know Ian

What is your favourite part of the job?My favourite part of the job is interacting with course attendees and delivering what I hope is an enjoyable and informative course. What tasks does your job entail?Delivering a course on Identity document fraud awareness...
Fundamentals to Countering Fraud; The Fraud Act 2006

Fundamentals to Countering Fraud; The Fraud Act 2006

Why the Fraud Act? Updated legislation provides more relevant offences, such as the inclusion of IT and individuals deceiving machines A requirement to shift from assessing whether the victim was deceived, now we target fraudulent behaviour not the consequences of...
Getting to know Malcolm Hollett

Getting to know Malcolm Hollett

What is your favourite part of the job?My favourite part of the job is seeing the delegates response to their learning and witnessing them grasp the importance of the subject matter. What skills (hard or soft) should someone have in your field?In order to succeed in...
ACFS Training – What’s been happening during lockdown?

ACFS Training – What’s been happening during lockdown?

The COVID lockdown has certainly caused some changes to the way we deliver the training. Coupled with this has been the reaccreditation of all our ACFS training materials by our academic institution, the University of Northumbria (Newcastle). If these changes weren’t...
Getting to know Malcolm Taylor

Getting to know Malcolm Taylor

What is your favourite part of the job?I enjoy meeting learners who come from a diverse range of backgrounds and business sectors. What skills (hard or soft) should someone have in your field?To work in the counter fraud field, one must have subject knowledge, the...
Getting to know Peter Darby

Getting to know Peter Darby

As founder of Peter Darby Associates, we were keen to find out more about the man behind PDA Counter Fraud. We asked the newest member of the team, Marketing Assistant Rachel Ewart, to set up a series of ‘getting to know you’ questions for each of the PDA...
Fraud on the Dark Web – February 2021

Fraud on the Dark Web – February 2021

The PDA Fraud on the Dark Web – February 2021 bulletin has been released. This quarterly bulletin looks at how changes in the dark web landscape affects the sale of fraud items and services. This quarter we’ve seen a major market ‘exit scamming’, a flood of...
Thank you, and moving forward with blended learning…

Thank you, and moving forward with blended learning…

We would like to thank all our customers for their continued patience and understanding during what has been a very difficult period for us all. We very quickly heeded Her Majesties Government’s advice and suspended all our training leaving some students halfway...
Fraud on the Dark Web – June 2020

Fraud on the Dark Web – June 2020

This is the first Bulletin in an occasional series identifying and highlighting the fraud typology taking place on the Dark Web  Key points and developments:  There were roughly 14,000 adverts for fraud related items available in June 2020.  The three...
Thank you…

Thank you…

We would like to thank all our customers for all their help and understanding during this difficult period. As a responsible business we have listened to and taken the advice coming from Her Majesties Government and have postponed all our current classroom training...
Royal Panda, Malta

Royal Panda, Malta

Happy students from Royal Panda, Malta following  successful completion of their PDA Counter Fraud Investigation Course – well done all
Counter Fraud Profession Accreditation Board (CFPAB)

Counter Fraud Profession Accreditation Board (CFPAB)

Peter writes “For some months now the University of Portsmouth have been considering their position with regard to the provision of the secretariat function to the CFPAB.  They have now made their decision to completely withdraw from the CFPAB and in September...
Oxford Investigation Service Fourth Annual Fraud Conference

Oxford Investigation Service Fourth Annual Fraud Conference

PDA attended the Oxford Investigation Service Fourth Annual Fraud Conference on Thursday 26th September 2019 and would like to give a big thank you to all the Oxford team who made our day not only run smoothly but enjoyable and worthwhile. We know how much work and...
Government Counter Fraud Profession launch

Government Counter Fraud Profession launch

Peter will be attending the launch of the ‘Government Counter Fraud Profession’ in London on 9th October, this event is the culmination of three years’ work by the GCFP Team at the Cabinet Office. The launch is being held over two venues, the second event being in...
Oxford City Council Fraud Conference

Oxford City Council Fraud Conference

Peter and Malcolm attended the third Oxford City Council Fraud Conference on Thursday 20th September and would like to thank the Oxford team for making our day enjoyable and productive, with special mention to Mick Hopkins, Nathalia and Aleksi. Thank you to all our...
The Government Counter Fraud Profession

The Government Counter Fraud Profession

As many of you will know, especially those of you who have attended our training courses, staff at the Cabinet Office Counter Fraud & Error Reduction Unit have been working with counter fraud professionals to create the Government Counter Fraud Profession. The...
Digital Document Forensics

Digital Document Forensics

Our Digital Document Forensics course is now available as both classroom and online training. This training will provide students with the skills required to inspect digital documents (like PDF files or word documents) and digital images for tampering which could...
Identity Document Fraud Training – CIFAS

Identity Document Fraud Training – CIFAS

“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and all of the relevant, interesting stories/examples that Ian used throughout the day. His humour made the course more engaging and light hearted yet the importance of the course was still delivered. Also, I appreciate being able to...
Accredited Counter Fraud Technician (ACFTech) Course

Accredited Counter Fraud Technician (ACFTech) Course

We are pleased to announce our next ACFTech course commencing on 25th June 2018 The cost per student is £745 plus VAT and we believe this represents the best value ACFTech course on the current market. The price includes the cost of the certificate issued by the...
News Page

News Page

Those of you who are regular visitors to our site will have noticed that our ‘News Page’ has undergone some changes. We hope you like the new layout and find it easier to find details of courses, news items and the latest frauds.
Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist (ACFS Foundation) Course

Accredited Security Management Specialist (ASMS) Course

There are still places available on our ASMS course commencing on 19th March 2018. The cost per student is £1,950 plus VAT and we believe this represents the best value course on the current market. The price includes the cost of the certificate issued by the Security...
Accredited Counter Fraud Technician (ACFTech) Course

Accredited Security Management Specialist (ASMS) Course

Our Security Management Specialist, Malcolm Taylor, has reviewed and amended the training material, and our next ASMS course commences on 19th March The cost per student is £1,950 plus VAT and we believe this represents the best value course on the current...
Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist (ACFS) Courses

Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist (ACFS) Courses

Due to high demand, in addition to our ACFS course commencing on 23rd April … we also have an extra ACFS course commencing in April Please note that if you are a manager who is seeking the ACFS qualification for a minimum of six students, then we will come to you to...
Counter fraud training in the United Arab Emirates

Counter fraud training in the United Arab Emirates

image: Peter and some of the students from the course   Earlier this year PDA were approached to provide training in the UAE, and in November Peter travelled to Dubai.   The training was extremely well received, as can be seen by some of the comments on our...
Tenancy Fraud Forum Conference 2017

Tenancy Fraud Forum Conference 2017

image: The conference keynote speaker, Richard Harrington MP – creator of the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013 – addressing the conference   A big thank you to all our existing and new customers who visited our stand at the Conference in London on Thursday...

The Supreme Court Ruling and Ghosh

As many of you will know on 25th October 2017, the Supreme Court gave their judgment in the case of Ivey v Genting Casinos (UK) Limited. As a result of this judgment, “The second leg of the test propounded in Ghosh does not correctly represent the law and directions...

Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist (ACFS) Courses

During the last quarter we have received a number of requests to run ACFS and ACFTech courses as ‘closed’ courses for specific customers. This has resulted in less ‘open’ courses being advertised. We are pleased to announce that our next ACFS ‘open’ course commences...

Counter Fraud Training – November 2017

Excellent training and immense knowledge gained. Once in a lifetime opportunity and I am glad I attended. A Suri – UAE I would like to thank Peter for this great learning opportunity and experience sharing. The overall material and lecture were very interesting and...

Tenancy Fraud Forum Conference 2017

We are pleased to announce that we shall be attending the above conference in London on Thursday 26th October 2017.  We hope to see our existing customers, please come along and say hello.New customers, please come along and find out about our training.

Fraud, Bribery and Corruption – the fifth case in our regular update

Here is the fifth instalment in our fraud of the month series “You couldn’t make it up”“A London businessman has been found guilty of conspiring to defraud customers by adding horsemeat to batches of beef and re-labelling them as pure beef” For more details go to:...

Cifas Annual Conference 2017

Peter and Ian attended the conference on 13th June and would like to thank everyone at Cifas for making the day an enjoyable and productive experience.  Paul Lewis, the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Money Box programme, visited the PDA stand and was keen to know more...

Fraud, Bribery and Corruption – the third case in our regular update

Here is the third installment in our fraud of the month series “You couldn’t make it up” “A solicitor who stole £4m from client accounts, including from the estates of dead people and the Church of England, has been jailed for seven years” For more details go to:...

Counter Fraud and Forensic Accounting Conference 2017

We shall, once again, be attending the above conference which this year is being held on Wednesday 7th June in Portsmouth. We welcome all existing and new customers to visit us on our stand. For further information please click here

Our Next ACFTech Course Commences in May 2017

If you are looking for a career in fraud or have recently transferred to counter fraud investigation support duties, then our Accredited Counter Fraud Technician (ACFTech) course will provide you with a recognised counter fraud qualification and the knowledge and...

Our latest ACFS Courses for 2017

If you are working in a counter fraud investigation environment and looking for a professional qualification or thinking of changing career then please come along and join like-minded professionals who are undertaking the PDA ACFS training. The ACFS qualification is...

Our Next ACFTech Course Commences in January 2017

If you are looking for a career in fraud or have recently transferred to counter fraud investigation support duties, then our Accredited Counter Fraud Technician (ACFTech) course will provide you with a recognised counter fraud qualification and the knowledge and...

Our latest ‘Open’ ACFS Course in 2017

Due to an overwhelming demand our ACFS course commencing on 23rd January 2017 is now full so we are running a second ACFS course commencing in January.  If you are working in a counter fraud investigation environment and looking for a professional qualification or...

The National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN) Summit 2016

PDA exhibited at the summit held in York on 30th November 2016.  We would like to thank all of you who took the time to visit our stand making our day both enjoyable and successful. We would also like to say a big thank you to all the team from NAFN whose help and...

CIFAS Identity Document Training

“Very well presented by both trainers” “An excellent overview of identity document fraud, with practical advice which can be used in my role.  Highly recommended!” “Good informative training” “I really enjoyed the course.  Trainers were very knowledgeable and I feel...

Our first ‘Open’ ACFS Course in 2017

Are you working in a counter fraud investigation environment and looking for a professional qualification? Are you thinking of changing career and want to become a professional counter fraud investigator? If the answer to either is yes then come and join like-minded...

Statement & Interviewing Skills Course

“The statement writing was relevant and useful to me as I am taking my first formal statement next week.Going over the PEACE model has re-enforced my understanding of the steps involved in planning / undertaking / IUCI found the breakdown of ‘Cognitive Interviewing’...

Our Next ACFTech Course Commences in October 2016

If you are looking for a career in fraud or have recently transferred to counter fraud investigation support duties, then our Accredited Counter Fraud Technician (ACFTech) course will provide you with a recognised counter fraud qualification and the knowledge and...

PDA ACFS training – A Counter Fraud Managers Viewpoint

“Both of my officers enjoyed their courses that culminated in them both achieving Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist status. I can see that their confidence has grown and this is being reflected in their day-to-day work, which in turn adds value to our partnership...

Our Next ‘Open’ ACFS Course Commences in October 2016

Are you working in a counter fraud investigation environment and looking for a professional qualification? Are you thinking of changing career and want to become a professional counter fraud investigator?  If the answer to either is yes then come and join like-minded...

HM Government Counter Fraud Standards

Following the publication of the Government Counter Fraud Investigation Standards, PDA have reviewed their training products and are pleased to inform their customers that PDA’s ACFS and ACFTech syllabuses meet the requirements and outcomes of the Standards at...

Our Next ACFTech Course Commences in June 2016

If you are looking for a career in fraud or have recently transferred to counter fraud investigation support duties, then our Accredited Counter Fraud Technician (ACFTech) course will provide you with a recognised counter fraud qualification and the knowledge and...

Cyber Crime Training

We are pleased to welcome Benjamin Whiteley to our team of Associates. Benjamin specialises in Cyber Crime training. To find out more about Benjamin’s background please go to ‘About Us – The Team’.  We will publish details of our Cyber Crime training shortly so watch...

Our Next ACFS Course Commences in July 2016

Are you working in a counter fraud investigation environment and looking for a professional qualification? Are you thinking of changing career and want to become a counter fraud investigator? If the answer to either is yes then come and join like-minded professionals...

Training Costs Held at 2014 Prices

Following a review of prices in March 2016, we are pleased to announce that the costs of our Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist (ACFS) and Accredited Counter Fraud Technician  (ACFTech) courses will remain at their 2014 prices of £1,800 per student and £645 per...

Our Next ACFS Course

Are you working in a fraud investigation environment and need a qualification? Are you thinking of changing career and want to become a counter fraud investigator? If the answer is yes then come and join like-minded professionals who are undertaking the ACFS...

Document Examination Training in Malta

Betfair, the UK’s largest online gambling company, asked PDA to develop a document examination and investigative interviewing course. Peter and Ian are seen with a group of Betfair students who successfully passed the four day course

Statements and Cross Examination Training

Many cases end at court without the need to attend as a witness. Often counter fraud investigators have received training in this area but have not had to put it into practice. This course is aimed at counter fraud investigators who want to refresh their knowledge and...

Where there’s an asset there’s a fraud!!

Watch out for ticket fraud – 533 reports already taken by Action Fraud this monthOf the 533 reports, 228 mentioned a company called Circle Tickets which has recently ceased trading online. Circle Tickets was advertising tickets for Taylor Swift, Fleetwood Mac and Ed...

Fraud crime doesn’t pay!

City banker jailed after defrauding friends and colleagues in fake race horse trading scamStewart Jones, 35, boasted he made huge profits by selling on race horses he bought direct from breeders … read the full story here

PDA Trains in Kuala Lumpur!

Students from the Carigali Hess Operating Company in Kuala Lumpur celebrate after having successfully completed PDA’s ‘Procurement Fraud – A Comprehensive Strategy’ training course.

ACFTech Course, M.Richards

“A fab course delivered to a very high standard – everything was explained in an understanding manner – I’m not left feeling I do not understand anything. Handout was very good – thank you Peter” M Richards

ACFTech Course, R.Faytaren

“Brilliant course! For 5 days I was engaged on various subject matters. The course content was informative and explained clearly. The quiz daily was a nice touch to recall the learning from the previous day. Final day was very good – learnt more about interviewing” R...

ACFS Training, I.Rodway

“A refreshing change to the usual ’powerpoint’ based training. Trainer’s knowledge and wealth of experience made all the difference. Very satisfied that it has been so interactive and comments have been welcomed at all times. Overall the course has been a pleasure to...

ACFS Training, D.Mulhall

“I attended an ACFS course instructed by Peter. Although I had been working in fraud prevention since 2007 I took a great deal of information away with me from Peter’s lessons. His overall knowledge of fraud prevention, financial crime and investigation techniques was...