GLOBAL ANTI-FRAUD ASSOCIATION ELECTS EXPERTS TO BOARD; NEW REGENTS REINFORCE THE FIGHT AGAINST CORPORATE FRAUD

Affirming a growing global awareness of fraud, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the worlds largest anti-fraud organization and the voice for 27,000 anti-fraud professionals, today announced the election of two individuals to its Board of Regents with international expertise combating corporate fraud. Michael Hackworth, CFE, CPA, and Marilyn Peterson, CFE, CCA will begin their terms on the ACFE Board of Regents in February.

AUSTIN, Texas, January 10, 2003 - Affirming a growing global awareness of fraud, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the worlds largest anti-fraud organization and the voice for 27,000 anti-fraud professionals, today announced the election of two individuals to its Board of Regents with international expertise combating corporate fraud. Michael Hackworth, CFE, CPA, and Marilyn Peterson, CFE, CCA will begin their terms on the ACFE Board of Regents in February.

Corporate fraud is a global issue and it is clear that todays corporate climate requires a strong anti-fraud agenda," said ACFE President and Chief Executive Officer Toby J.F. Bishop, CFE, CPA, FCA. In Michael Hackworth and Marilyn Peterson, Certified Fraud Examiners have chosen as their representatives two highly qualified individuals with international and intelligence analysis expertise in fighting corporate fraud. These anti-fraud experts will help shape the ACFEs anti-fraud products and services to reduce the impact of fraud worldwide."

Michael Hackworth, CFE, CPA is the Managing Partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Prague, Czech Republic and is a member of the PricewaterhouseCoopers' Central and Eastern Europe Board. He is the Founder and President of the ACFE Czech Republic Chapter. Mr. Hackworth has led more than 300 securities and corporate fraud cases and has performed fraud investigations for public sector and multinational companies focused on financial services, utilities, telecommunications, construction, and consumer goods. He is the author of "Litigation Value in the Bankruptcy Courts: Business Valuation Methodology and Practice."

Marilyn Peterson, CFE, CCA is the Supervising Intelligence Analyst for the New Jersey Attorney General's office. She has more than 22 years of experience in law enforcement, specializing in financial analysis and intelligence. Ms. Peterson is a Fellow of the ACFE, and received the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts Professional Service Award in 1986, 1990, and 1995 for the most significant contribution to the literature of intelligence analysis." President of the ACFEs New Jersey Chapter and a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Associations anti-fraud magazine, The White Paper, Ms. Peterson is also the author of "A Guide to the Financial Analysis of Personal & Corporate Bank Records and A Guide to Understanding & Analyzing BSA Data."

About the ACFE
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is a global, 27,000-member professional association whose members are dedicated to fighting fraud. Since 1988, the Association has been the leading resource for anti-fraud training and educational products. The Certified Fraud Examiner program is an internationally recognized accrediting process for individuals who possess the specialized skills required to prevent and detect fraud. Identified as the premier financial sleuthing organization" by The Wall Street Journal, the Association has been cited for its efforts against fraud by media such as U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Fortune, ABC-TVs Nightline and 20/20, and CBS News 60 Minutes. For more information about the ACFE, visit www.CFEnet.com.

Association Contact:

Kurt Wehrs
Office Phone: (800) 245-3321 or +1 (512) 478-9070
E-mail: kwehrs@CFEnet.com
Web site: www.CFEnet.com