The Houston ACFE invites you to join us for our Monthly virtual training!  As usual, it will be on the last Tuesday of the month.

Speaker:  Fred L. Abrams, ESQ; Founder of The Law Office of Fred L. Abrams

Title: Where the Money Hides: How Fraudsters, Shell Companies, and Offshore Accounts Conceal Assets

Description: This presentation explores how significant assets are concealed by individuals ranging from high‑net‑worth divorcing spouses to sophisticated criminal and terrorist financiers. Using real‑world examples from his case files, Fred Abrams explains common concealment techniques and how beneficial owners hide assets through offshore accounts, shell companies, nominees, and trusts as part of broader money‑laundering structures.

Attendees will learn how to follow money trails, spot red flags of asset concealment, and collect intelligence from tipsters and whistleblowers. The program also addresses key legal and investigative risks, including potential criminal violations, pitfalls of illegal asset searches, effective use of private investigators, available legal tools for asset detection and recovery, and the challenges posed by competing claimants.

Bio: Fred L. Abrams is an attorney and asset recovery expert specializing in financial intelligence, fraud investigations, and forced collection proceedings. A member of the New York Bar since 1990, Mr. Abrams has handled complex matters involving hidden assets in cases such as RICO, money laundering, identity theft, and tax fraud.

His litigation experience includes federal court cases against major international and domestic entities, including Casio Computer Co., Ltd., General Motors Corporation, Detroit Diesel Corporation, and Lloyd’s of London.

Mr. Abrams has successfully located tens of millions of dollars concealed in offshore tax havens and pursued cross‑border discovery by initiating legal proceedings in Zurich, Geneva, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, and Puerto Rico. He is the publisher of www.assetsearchblog.com, a widely read resource covering bank account searches, use of private investigators, illegal asset searches, money laundering, tax fraud, and high‑net‑worth divorce asset tracing.

He has been cited by Reuters, Forbes, The New York Times, and MoneyLaundering.com, and has appeared on Fox Business News.

Since 2007, Mr. Abrams has delivered more than 20 presentations on domestic and international asset concealment, speaking in locations including the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Florida, Massachusetts, Louisiana, and New York.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify common asset‑concealment methods and beneficial‑ownership structures used to hide assets domestically and internationally.
• Analyze money‑laundering circuits by tracing money trails and recognizing key red flags associated with hidden assets.
• Apply lawful investigative and legal tools to asset searches while distinguishing appropriate techniques from illegal or high‑risk methods.

Prerequisites: Not Applicable

Agenda:

11:50 am ZOOM OPENS

11:55 am - ACFE BOARD REMARKS AND INTRODUCTION

12:00 - 1:00 PRESENTATION BEGINS

Recommended CPE hours: 1.0 credits

Event Policies

In order to receive CPE credit for this presentation, the attendee must attend for 50 minutes and answer three poll questions randomly presented during the event.

Program Cancellation Policy

If you have registered and/or paid for an event and you need to cancel, you MUST cancel online through your account no later than 5 days prior to the event, unless otherwise indicated in specific event policies, to request a refund and/or cancel your registration. The Chapter must confirm event registrations with the venue prior to the event and any changes after this time period can become a financial cost to the Chapter. The Chapter reserves the right to make the final determination on what percentage charge/refund will be returned for cancellations made after the cutoff. The default condition is that cancellations made after cutoff will be charged at 100% and/or no refunds will be allowed. In the event the Chapter determines that partial charges or refunds will be allowed, they will be made on a case by case basis.

In the event of having to cancel one of the events,  the Chapter would immediately send an email blast to all registrants with the emails they used for registration.  The Chapter media relations officer would post on all social media platforms notifying members of the cancellation, and the Chapter webmaster would also post cancellation on the Chapter website.

In the event an attendee does not show up to the event, the registration cost will be forfeited. If payment at the door was the selected method, then the attendee will be billed for the full cost of the event. The Chapter reserves the right to bar future registrations for any attendees who routinely register and fail to pay and/or attend the event.  If you have any questions you may email events@houstonacfe.org."

For more information regarding refund, complaint and/or program cancellation policies, please visit the Terms & Conditions section of the website, or email us at events@houstonacfe.org.  

Additional Information:

Delivery Method:  Group Internet Based

NASBA Sponsor No.  125230

The Houston Area Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors.  State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit.  Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org

For concerns regarding course offerings, certifications or complaints, please contact Sasha Gartman, Training Director, Houston ACFE at events@houstonacfe.org.