The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and Grant Thornton Advisors LLC have jointly introduced the Anti-Fraud Blueprint to help organizations design, evaluate, and strengthen their fraud risk management (FRM) programs. This new guidance delivers practical, real-world recommendations based on the Fraud Risk Management Guide, Second Edition, which the ACFE published in 2023 together with the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
As fraud threats grow more complex, organizations must shift from reactive controls to proactive risk strategies. Therefore, the Anti-Fraud Blueprint focuses on helping businesses create customized FRM programs that align with their structure, operations, and risk exposure. A well-designed FRM framework acts as a protective layer that prepares organizations before fraud incidents occur. Moreover, strong fraud risk programs help reduce financial losses, protect brand reputation, and maintain stakeholder confidence.
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“Organizations today are facing increasingly complex and fastmoving fraud risks, and many are looking for a practical way to move from awareness to action,” said Priya Sarjoo, national managing partner of Cyber & Risk Advisory at Grant Thornton. “The Anti-Fraud Blueprint helps organizations assess where they are on their fraud risk management journey and provides a clear, structured path to strengthen governance, embed accountability and mature their anti-fraud capabilities over time.”
Furthermore, the Blueprint defines an FRM program as the combined use of people, processes, and technology to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud risks. Together, these elements create a unified defense system that protects customers, assets, and organizational reputation. Without such a framework, companies face higher risks of regulatory penalties, operational disruption, and long-term reputational damage.
“Fraud impacts organizations of all sizes every day, which sets off a chain reaction that impacts finances, stakeholders and employees,” said John Gill, President of ACFE. “By giving organizational leadership and anti-fraud experts a clear plan of action, we hope the Anti-Fraud Blueprint becomes the centerpiece around which organizations protect themselves from the potential dangers of fraud today and for years to come.”
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In addition, the Blueprint addresses the growing influence of artificial intelligence and machine learning on fraud risk. While AI accelerates digital transformation, it also creates new attack surfaces. However, organizations can also use AI to strengthen fraud detection, enhance monitoring, and respond to threats faster. For example, advanced analytics can identify suspicious patterns in real time, allowing companies to stop fraudulent activity earlier.
“As AI continues to reshape the way organizations operate, it is also redefining how fraud risks emerge and evolve,” said Zach Snickles, partner in Risk Advisory for Grant Thornton. “The same technologies that introduce new risks can also be leveraged to strengthen controls, improve detection and stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats.”
Additionally, the Anti-Fraud Blueprint organizes guidance across key FRM pillars, including governance, risk assessment, control activities, investigation, corrective action, and ongoing monitoring. Each section includes points of focus, key evaluation questions, and structured checklists. Consequently, organizations can implement anti-fraud strategies in a consistent and measurable way.
The Blueprint also introduces an updated Enterprise Anti-Fraud Maturity Assessment Model. This model helps organizations evaluate their current anti-fraud capabilities and define a future-state roadmap. It outlines five maturity stages, starting from reactive, ad-hoc processes and progressing toward fully optimized, proactive fraud risk programs embedded across enterprise operations.
Overall, the Anti-Fraud Blueprint provides organizations with a structured roadmap to strengthen fraud defenses, improve governance, and build long-term resilience against evolving financial crime threats.
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