Past Calgary Chapter Events

Fraud and Virtual Assets

September 22, 2022

Speaker: Mac Thiele

Mac has worked in virtual asset investigations and compliance for the past four years. Mac is currently an investigator and trainer for a large virtual asset exchange and focuses on investigations relating to fraud, ransomware, and terrorist financing. As a trainer, Mac trains investigators on effective use of open-source intelligence (OSINT) in virtual asset investigations and how to confirm individual identities. Previously, Mac has worked with the Alberta Securities Commission in the Enforcement Division where he focused on OSINT based proactive investigations and enforcement of illegal initial coin offerings (ICOs). Mac’s professional interests relate to the evolving art of OSINT and how DeFi will be regulated in the Canadian environment.

Mac is currently based out of Calgary, AB for a home base, but works as a digital nomad and has visited various countries while working. 

Event Details:

Virtual Assets (AKA Cryptocurrencies) have made their way into our world and there is no sign of them going away. Mac Thiele, a cryptocurrency investigator, will be presenting on how cryptocurrencies are being viewed by governments and how they are being used in the commission of fraud, among other money laundering typologies. Mac will be focusing on the major two cryptocurrencies Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) and the basics of how they work and how they are used in the world of decentralized finance (DeFi); in addition, other common typologies using BTC and ETH will be covered on a non-technical level. This presentation will give viewers a high-level overview on how major cryptocurrencies can be used in the commission of various crimes, including fraud.

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Intro to Biometrics: Applications in fraud prevention, detection, and investigation

April 21, 2022

Speaker: Simon Marchand

Simon has extensive expertise in fraud prevention, detection and management - as well as in authentication and identity - in both the banking and telecom industries, with more than 10 years of experience in the field. Prior to Nuance, Simon held key fraud prevention positions at Montreal-based Laurentian Bank, at Bell Canada, and at Québec’s Order of Chartered Administrators, where he managed its professional inspection program.

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Conducting Virtual Interviews

February 17, 2022

Speaker: Eric Keller

Eric Keller previously practiced corporate securities law.  Ten years ago he started with the Alberta Securities Commission, where he is currently a Senior Investigative Lawyer.  In his time at the ASC, Eric has investigated numerous cases involving fraud and illegal distributions, as well as reviewing more technical requirements of securities regulations as they apply to enforcement matters.

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Wildlife Crimes - Following the Money

September 23, 2021

Speaker: Stephen Scott

Stephen Scott is a former member of the RCMP and current consultant to the UNODC GPML in Southern Africa in the field of facilitating money laundering and asset forfeiture training to seventeen countries. This has included in person mentoring to law enforcement and intelligence officers in Tanzania and online to countries in the Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network of Southern Africa (ARINSA). Stephen worked in the Calgary Integrated Proceeds of Crime AML Team, INSET and the IMET JSIU where he managed and conducted money laundering, asset forfeiture, organized crime and terrorist financing investigations for 24 years. Stephen Scott served on contract as a sworn member of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Bureau of Financial Investigations in 2019 and 2020 before returning to Canada due to the pandemic. As a member of the RCMP IPOC AML Unit Stephen served as the FINTRAC liaison, CBSA contact and the “gatekeeper” to the Alberta Justice Civil Forfeiture program. He was a designer and facilitator on the RCMP Advanced and Basic Proceeds of Crime courses as well as a facilitator at the Canadian Police College for the National Expert Witness training and Drafting Information to Obtain Search warrants courses.