Sheffield Lawyer Gains International Fraud Examiner Qualification

21st July 2015

- Sarah Smith Earns CFE Credential The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the world's largest anti-fraud organisation and leading provider of anti-fraud training and education, has awarded its globally preferred Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential to Sarah Smith of Irwin Mitchell's Sheffield office.

In order to become a CFE, Sarah has met a stringent set of criteria and passed a rigorous exam administered by the ACFE. She successfully met the ACFE's character, experience and education requirements for the CFE credential, and has demonstrated knowledge in four areas critical to the fight against fraud: Fraudulent Financial Transactions, Fraud Prevention and Deterrence, Legal Elements of Fraud and Fraud Investigation. Sarah, who is an Associate Solicitor at Irwin Mitchell in Sheffield, joins the ranks of business and government professionals worldwide who have also earned the CFE certification. Paul Haycock, Partner and Head of Irwin Mitchell's Regulatory & Criminal Investigations Group in the North, said: -Sarah's achievement is a significant credit to her, the team and the firm as a whole. It has recognised the extensive knowledge and experience which she has in this area and enables our experienced team to continue to offer a premium service to our clients. This award highlights our ability to offer a complete service to our clients, from the initial investigation stage, through to a private prosecution in the Crown Court, or a civil claim in the High Court. We remain committed developing our skills and services in relation to our Business Legal Services team, and this confirms our pledge. CFEs have the ability to examine data and records to detect and trace fraudulent transactions; interview suspects to obtain information and confessions; write investigation reports; advise clients as to their findings; testify at trial; understand the law as it relates to fraud and fraud investigations; and identify the underlying factors that motivate individuals to commit fraud. CFEs on six continents have investigated more than 1 million suspected cases of civil and criminal fraud.