Cifas strengthens training capabilities with appointment of Head of Learning and Counter Fraud Studies

• Mike Betts joins Cifas after 35 year police career developing national response to countering financial crime

Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service, has appointed Mike Betts as Head of Learning and Counter Fraud Studies.

Mike is an experienced counter fraud training specialist with 35 years’ experience in the police force, most recently with City of London Police. He has extensive knowledge of the UK Bribery Act having developed the National Bribery Investigation programme in support of the UK’s Anti-Corruption Strategy. He co-authored the new Cabinet Office’s Counter Bribery and Corruption Standards which are an integral part of the new HMG Counter Fraud Profession, and recently gave evidence to the House of Lords committee reviewing the Bribery Act.

Mike’s professional interests include the history of corruption with particular focus on the impact on procurement and people, and was integral to the development of the Fraud Investigation Model which has been embedded throughout policing and beyond.

He has delivered financial crime learning programmes and undertaken learning needs analysis in many countries including Colombia, Belize, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Kenya and the Ukraine.

Mike Betts said ‘This is an incredibly exciting role with the ambition to provide a cohesive learning pathway for counter fraud and financial crime specialists which formally recognises their specialist skills and dedication.’

Mark Courtney, Chief Product Officer for Cifas, said: ‘It is crucial that our learning solutions recognise our increasingly diverse and growing membership, and that we help organisations develop standards that will enable them to become leaders in their field.

‘Mike’s extensive experience and successful track record in fraud prevention and wider financial crime expertise will help us to further strengthen our existing training offerings, and ensure that our learning solutions continue to address the ever changing threat of fraud.’

Notes to editors:

More details of Cifas’ training packages are available here.

For more information contact:

Corinne Gladstone
Head of Communications
Cifas
T: +44 (0)203 004 3654
E: corinne.gladstone@cifas.org.uk

About Cifas

Cifas exists to prevent fraud and financial crime. We are an independent, not-for-profit membership organisation that protects businesses and individuals through effective and secure data and intelligence sharing between the private, public and third sectors. In 2017, Cifas member organisations prevented over £1.3 billion of fraud losses.

Cifas data is included in the Office of National Statistics England and Wales Crime Statistics of police recorded crime and works alongside law enforcement agencies in tackling fraud. Cifas also offers Protective Registration for individuals whose identities are at risk of being used fraudulently, for instance after a burglary. We also run a scheme called Protecting the Vulnerable, offered free of charge to local authorities to protect those under the care of Court Deputies who are unable to access financial products and whose identities may be at risk.

Contact us at press@cifas.org.uk