From his dysfunctional childhood in rural Oklahoma; his service in the U.S.Navy; a brief stint in public accounting followed by a career in the FBI; and founding the world's largest anti-fraud organization, Wells' colorful life experiences were preparation for his rise to one of the globe's most revered antifraud experts.Written by the preeminent antifraud authority and founder and Chairman of the ACFEOffers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the life of one of the most influential white-collar crime experts of our time

At a period when dishonesty at top U.S. companies is dominating public attention, The Fables and Foibles of a Fraud Fighter is a surprisingly frank and gripping memoir from an unsurprisingly effective fraud fighter.This autobiography forms a full tapestry of a life, displaying wit, intrigue, trepidation, regret, and finally, ultimate victory.Prologue.

Part One: The Apprentice.

Chapter 1: Learning the Ropes.

Chapter 2: My Earliest Years.

Part Two: Journeyman.

Chapter 3: Busting More Crooks in Gotham.

Chapter 4: Jackson, Here I Come!

Part Three: My Own Master.

Chapter 5: A New Start.

Chapter 6: Self-Directed: Wells & Associates.

Part Four: Founding a Profession.

Chapter 7: Vision of a New Breed of Fraud Fighter.

Chapter 8: Looking Back and Looking Ahead.

Part Five: The Global Fight against Fraud.

Chapter 9: Forging Alliances.

Acknowledgments.

Index."Dr. Wells' decisions ultimately led to the founding of an association that has given anti-fraud tools and training to thousands. And he had a lot of fun doing it." (Fraud Magazine, April 2011)Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CPA, CFE, is the founder and Chairman of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and a former adjunct professor of fraud examination at the University of Texas at Austin. He writes, researches, and lectures to business and professional groups on fraud-related issues and is frequently quoted in the media. He has won top writing awards from both Internal Auditor and the Journal of Accountancy magazines, and is a winner of the Innovation in Accounting Education Award presented by the American Accounting Association. For his landmark research in fraud detection and deterrence, Dr. Wells has been inducted into the American Institute of CPAs Business and Industry Hall of Fame and named to Accounting Today's list of top 100 most influential people for nine years in a row.Fraud Fighter My Fables and Foibles

"Everyone lies. Everyone. Fraud, though, is a lie with a special twist—it is committed to deprive an innocent victim of money or property. In the following pages, you will learn how I ended up in the anti-fraud field. And you'll find out that—like with many of you—much of it happened by accident; by fate; perhaps by pre-destiny; and yes, by occasionally being dishonest. This is not a story of someone pure and blameless but of a man who made many mistakes along the way to his calling." — Dr. Joseph Wells, from Fraud Fighter

If you're familiar with the names of WorldCom, Enron, and Madoff, it's thanks to the skilled, vigilant, tireless work of accountants, auditors, and fraud investigators who likely learned their trade at the feet of Joseph Wells. If corporate fraud is more easily discovered before it becomes a train wreck, it is because of the incalculable contribution Dr. Wells has made in educating the public on white-collar crime and promoting fraud prevention and detection.

Joseph Wells has lived a life full of adventure—born and raised in the plains of Oklahoma, seeing the world through his years of service in the U.S. Navy, becoming a "real-life, gun-totin' FBI agent," and eventually going after the bad guys through his own creation, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), which would eventually become the world's largest anti-fraud organization.

In Fraud Fighter: My Fables and Foibles, he shares fascinating stories from his experiences:

Prosecuting former U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell for his involvement in the Watergate break-in

Working with former NYC mayor and former assistant U.S. attorney Rudy Giuliani

His short stint as a music business manager

Meeting Ross Perot—and what he really thinks of the former presidential candidate

Launching an organization that was destined to change the business world

Wells offers his story as an honest account of his life fighting fraudsters—as well as his own demons and missteps along the way. Alternately humorous and heartbreaking, this startlingly frank memoir finds Wells turning the tables on himself, taking inventory of his painful childhood Read Less