Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook - Hardcover

by Charles E. Piper (Author)

Get federal investigative insight and guidance on conducting thorough investigations and case-building

The ability to conduct thorough and effective investigations is a skill that has become increasingly in-demand across many industries. At the same time, investigative resources are dwindling as markets recede. Regulation and financial hurdles impede traditional investigation processes. Even seasoned professionals are finding themselves overtasked or lacking the experience to pursue the types of cases that are accumulating.

In Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook: Operation War Stories, author Charles E. Piper, CFE provides insight and guidance on how to conduct thorough and complete investigations while juggling a caseload. Piper served over 30 years in law enforcement-including 20 as an award-winning Federal Special Agent-Criminal Investigator. His wide array of experience allows him to lend a high-level perspective to the art and science of professional investigations of criminal, civil, and administrative cases. In the book, Piper provides guidance on conducting thorough and complete investigations (even with fewer resources) and spotting red flags that often indicate big-picture problems. Piper also shows how to:

• Identify the suspect's other wrongful acts (similar and otherwise)
• Identify similar wrongful acts committed by others, and predict future occurrences
• Identify systemic weaknesses, waste, and abuse
• Identify changes and corrections necessary to prevent future occurrences

The book includes Piper's real-life investigative examples to illustrate important concepts. Whether the matter is public, private, or military, the same basic investigative principles apply. Things that may seem totally unrelated may hold the keys that crack the cases. The Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook: Operation War Stories provides the acumen and judgment required to pick up on these clues and successfully conclude investigations.

Front Jacket

Praise for Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook: Operation War Stories

"Experience is the best teacher. And Charles Piper has it in spades. Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook: Operation War Stories shows the good, the bad and the ugly -- from the trenches. Yes, fighting fraud is a war. This book belongs in the investigator's stockpile of weapons."
--Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, Founder and Chairman, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

"Charles Piper is one of the most experienced investigators I know. But like most good investigators, he learned more from his mistakes than he did from his successes. This book walks you through his amazing career and allows the reader to learn some of the lessons Charles learned the hard way. His stories are entertaining and informative. Investigators of all levels will improve their skills by following his lessons."
--James D. Ratley, CFE, President & CEO, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

"I worked with Chuck Piper when I was a federal prosecutor. He was one of the smartest, hardest-working and tenacious federal investigators I ever met. Chuck has the ability to think outside-the-box which is an important quality because fraud schemes are constantly evolving in both creativity and complexity. Chuck is, without doubt, one of the best!"
--Paul S. Padda, Partner, Cohen & Padda, LLP, Las Vegas, Nevada

"This book is must reading for all those who want investigations to be thorough and complete. Charles Piper has a rare combination of investigative know how and street smarts. His unique shared approach to investigating combined with his own investigative 'War Stories' will help investigators and fraud fighters worldwide solve more cases, catch more criminals and better combat fraud, waste, and abuse."
--Bruce Durbin, Senior Special Agent, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Retired)

Back Jacket

Conducting an effective fraud investigation is an invaluable, in-demand skill that is useful across a wide range of industries. In Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook: Operation War Stories, Retired Special Agent Charles E. Piper takes readers on a journey to becoming a successful investigator through engaging storytelling and proven investigative techniques. Based on 35 years of experience in law enforcement and criminal investigations, Piper frames his methodologies using a collection of "war stories" that detail on-the-job successes and failures ranging from serious to sarcastic to downright humorous.

The Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook provides current and future investigators, auditors, and fraud fighters with an insider's view of the profession from an award-winning investigator who lived it himself. Learning from the experiences of others, Piper says, is the best way to approach a new skill. The book's pages are wrought with professional insight gained from decades of experience that includes the author's work as a Federal Special Agent focusing on fraud investigations, a city police officer responding to dangerous felony offenses, a U.S. Army investigator, a supervisory detective and as a private investigator. His war stories bring to life his detailed descriptions of investigative practices, methodologies, techniques, and approaches and help readers see practical applications of these skills in the real world.

Piper's goal is to help new and veteran investigators expand their entire investigative efforts through smart techniques and to carry those skills with them as they move forward in their careers. His "Piper Method" for conducting investigations teaches investigators how to solve more cases than ever before, even when fewer resources are available. Covering a wide range of investigations, from criminal to civil to everything in between, the Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook is the perfect reference guide for investigators and fraud fighters across the globe to help them learn to conduct more thorough and complete investigations in every functional area and industry.

Author Biography

CHARLES E. PIPER, CFE, CRT is the owner of Charles Piper's Professional Services located in West Tennessee. He's had a distinguished 30-year career in law enforcement including 20 years as a Special Agent-Criminal Investigator with the Department of Defense (DoD) where he received numerous awards and recognition. Piper has provided training to law enforcement officers, investigators, fraud fighters, businesses, and others. He's also written feature anti-fraud and investigative articles for the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners' "Fraud Magazine." Currently serving as a private investigator, consultant, and trainer, Piper also enjoys helping others fight against fraud while sharing his personal and unique investigative war stories.