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“What is fraud?  How do you recognize, prevent, and protect against fraud?  This seminar will introduce and equip County Managers with the tools and guidance to recognize risks, prevent fraud, and protect public trust.  Managers will learn about common fraud schemes, risk factors, warning signs (red flags), what role internal controls play in preventing fraud, and what emerging threats, including AI-enabled fraud, exist that managers should be aware of to prevent fraud.

The Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller will present the training, sharing their expertise and insights on fraud trends, prevention strategies, and emerging threats affecting today’s public sector.  

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Participants will:

• Understand – your role and responsibility in preventing fraud.
• Recognize – potential red flags and know when further review may be needed.
• Apply – established procedures and verification practices to help reduce fraud risk.
• Respond – appropriately and promptly when suspected fraud is identified.
• Protect – public resources and maintain public trust through fraud awareness and prevention.

We look forward to your participation in this critical discussion!

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Presenters: 

   Kenneth Diaz

   Program Specialist III

   Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller

  Kenneth Diaz is a Supervising Investigator with the Auditor-Controller’s Office of County Investigations.  For over 14 years, Kenneth has specialized in fraud investigations and law enforcement performance audits.  Kenneth has successfully investigated allegations of government fraud and corruption, including multi-million-dollar embezzlement schemes, conflicts of interest, large-scale public benefits fraud, and bribery. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara earning a BA in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting.  In addition to spending quality time with his family, Kenneth enjoys playing the guitar, cycling, and going to LAFC matches.

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   Graciela Soto

   Program Specialist III

   Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller

  Graciela Soto is a Supervising Investigator with the Auditor-Controller’s Office of County Investigations and     currently serves as the Los Angeles County Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline (Hotline) Manager overseeing the day-    to-day operations of the Hotline.  Graciela began her County career in 2014 and has more than 10 years of   experience conducting administrative and criminal investigations involving fraud, embezzlement and account-takeover schemes, conflicts of interest, theft, and bribery.  Her experience includes assessing allegations, identifying indicators of fraud and misconduct, and developing investigative strategies to address reported allegations.  Her experience includes assessing allegations, identifying indicators of fraud and misconduct, and developing investigative strategies to address reported allegations.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills.  Outside of work, Graciela enjoys spending quality time with her family, exploring creative hobbies like crafting, relaxing at the beach, and snowboarding.