Chapter Member Photo: Kari Overson
Private Investigator or Forensic Accountant: Starting your own business
*If you are an annual subscription holder, you will receive an email with the Zoom link automatically. You do not need to register again.
James is the principal manager of Peet & Associates, LLC, a Washington State licensed Private Investigative Agency specializing in financial investigations. He has been a CFE since 2011.
For almost fifteen years, he has investigated fraud for governments, businesses, and individuals as a CFE. During that time, he has also published a dozen articles on fraud in a number of journals, such as Fraud Magazine, PI Magazine, and Pierce County Lawyer. He was the Training Director for the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and has personally provided training to other fraud investigators, accountants, and attorneys. James also developed and taught classes on Organizational and White Collar Crime and Business Crimes Investigations for City University of Seattle.
James is a graduate of two law enforcement academies and served as a federal and local law enforcement officer. He also holds a PhD, M.A., and B.A. in Geography, his first academic love.
In his copious spare time (ha!), he writes Science Fiction and Political/Legal thrillers (available on Amazon), travels, rides his Adventure Motorcycle, and fishes. He's walked the Camino de Santiago and motorcycled the Trans-America Trail.
Digital Deception: Unmasking Modern Fraud Tactics and Defenses
This presentation will equip participants with essential knowledge of digital fraud threats, including identity theft, various types of phishing (email, SMS, voice, and spear phishing), SIM swap scams, and injection attacks such as SQL and code injections. Attendees will learn to recognize these threats, understand how they are executed, and implement effective strategies to prevent, detect, and respond to digital fraud in both personal and professional settings.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Understand Identity Theft: Define identity theft, recognize common methods used by fraudsters to steal personal information, and identify warning signs of potential identity theft incidents.
2. Identify Different Types of Phishing Attacks: Explain the various types of phishing attacks, including email phishing, smishing (SMS phishing), vishing (voice phishing), and spear phishing, and understand how each method is used to exploit victims.
3. Recognize SIM Swap Fraud: Describe the SIM swap attack process, understand how fraudsters gain control of victims’ mobile numbers, and identify key red flags that indicate a potential SIM swap attempt.
4. Analyze Injection Attacks: Define injection attacks such as SQL injection and code injection, understand how they exploit vulnerabilities in digital systems, and identify preventive measures to mitigate these attacks.
5. Implement Prevention and Response Strategies: Develop and implement effective strategies to prevent, detect, and respond to digital fraud threats, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and systems in both personal and professional settings.
This presentation will equip attendees with the knowledge and tools necessary to recognize, prevent, and respond to common digital fraud schemes.
Presenter Bio
John R. Fick III, MLS, CFE, CFCI, CECFE, serves as the Director of Fraud for Northwest Bank, providing over 20 years of comprehensive experience in fraud operations, including fraud detection, investigations, and physical security. Throughout his distinguished career, John has worked with a spectrum of financial institutions, ranging from small regional banks to large national corporations across the United States.
John's expertise lies in the development and strengthening of fraud departments, where he employs a strategic approach and deep comprehension of organizational needs and risk factors. He excels in personnel management, fostering a culture of success, and conducting intricate investigations aimed at mitigating and recovering financial losses.
Recognized for his leadership qualities, John embodies empowerment, effective communication, adaptability, integrity, problem-solving, collaboration, partnership, personnel development, and mentorship. His leadership style is characterized by a commitment to fostering professional growth and facilitating collaborative solutions.
John's dedication to professional development is underscored by his attainment of three esteemed certifications: Certificated Financial Crimes Investigator (CFCI), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Certified Economic Crime Forensic Examiner (CECFE). Furthermore, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Security and Management with honors, along with a Master’s in Legal Studies from Northeastern University School of Law.
With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a demonstrated track record of leadership, John continues to be a driving force in the field of fraud prevention and financial crimes investigation. His multifaceted expertise and dedication to advancing industry standards make him an invaluable asset in safeguarding financial institutions against fraudulent activities.
As of October 1, 2025, our webinars and events are subject to Washington state sales tax. For webinars, this is based on the address in your profile. Please be aware: If our system does not automatically apply sales tax when you register for a webinar, we will initiate a separate charge to your payment method on file for the related sales tax.
Also – if you update your address in your profile, please email info@pnwacfe.org to notify us of the change. We will then update the sales tax location code in your profile accordingly. Thank you for your assistance!
Fraud Program Management
John Snodgrass is the Director of Fraud for WSECU and has been with them just over a year.
Prior to coming to WSECU, John was the Director of Financial Crimes and the BSA/AML Compliance Officer for BECU, where he spent the first 25 years of his career in this field.
He spent 3 years after BECU with the State, serving as the Fraud Chief for Washington State Employment Security Department. But he missed being part of the credit union movement and needed to come back home.
John is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and Certified Chief Executive (CCE) and is the Past President for the Northwest Fraud Investigators Association.
John also graduated from Washington State University with a BA in Communications and Marketing.
Copyright © 2024 Pacific Northwest Chapter, ACFE - All Rights Reserved.
"ACFE Pacific Northwest Chapter" is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Bellevue, WA
Contact Us Online or email at info@pnwacfe.org