Who we are, how to join, and ways to get involved with the community.
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS) provides modern certification and training in financial crime prevention. Learn more about who we are.
ACFCS offers several membership options. Visit the Membership page for pricing and to join.
Membership works for individuals and teams. Speak with a sales specialist about team options.
Tell us about your expertise and the topics you'd like to present.
See the Sponsors page for opportunities, or fill out the sponsor contact form to get in touch.
If you've worked on a financial crime case that has been adjudicated and is ready to be discussed publicly, we want to hear from you, whether you're in the public or private sector.
The Certified Financial Crime Specialist credential: its value, cost, exam format, and how to keep it current.
Financial institutions, government agencies, and law enforcement are moving away from a siloed approach and toward shared tools and expertise across financial crime disciplines. Employers increasingly need professionals with a unified understanding of financial crime, not only fraud, money laundering, or corruption in isolation.
The CFCS credential verifies knowledge and skills across the full financial crime spectrum, preparing you for this emerging best practice.
CFCS holders serve the world's largest financial institutions, government agencies, law enforcement organizations, and service providers in more than 80 countries.
For individuals, the credential shows you're prepared to address a wide range of financial crime threats. For organizations, it signals a commitment to a higher standard of detection and prevention.
Most credentials focus on a single area. The CFCS covers 12 key topics across the financial crime field, so certified specialists can confront a variety of risks, move more flexibly between career paths, and help organizations respond to emerging threats.
Many specialized certifications focus on one discipline, such as anti-money laundering or fraud. Because the CFCS spans 12 topics across the financial crime spectrum, it complements a specialized credential by validating the broader, cross-disciplinary knowledge employers increasingly look for.
The CFCS is based on international best practices and designed for both the public and private sectors. Professionals at 15 of the world's 20 largest financial institutions hold it, along with staff at regulatory agencies, law enforcement, and non-financial corporations, across more than 80 countries and jurisdictions.
It's a particularly strong fit for roles that need a broad view of financial crime, such as analysts, investigators, and financial intelligence unit staff.
The package includes study materials, online training, and your exam.
See Certification Pricing for full details.
Yes. Your initial CFCS package includes one year of ACFCS membership. Once certified, you must keep your membership active to maintain your CFCS certification.
The exam is offered on an ongoing basis through the Kryterion testing network. You can take it from home with online proctoring or at a Kryterion test center near you.
See Exam Preparation for study resources.
You can retake the exam after a 60-day waiting period. The retake fee is $225.
Every three years, you'll need to earn 60 continuing education credits, keep your ACFCS membership active, and pay the recertification fee.
Credits come from a range of activities during your three-year cycle, including:
Credit values and limits are listed in the Recertification Activity Matrix on page 29 of the CFCS Handbook.
Yes, up to three months after your recertification deadline. Email completed forms to the Certification Department at certification@acfcs.org.
The late fee is $200, payable online or through an ACFCS account representative. Questions? Call 1 (866) 518-1618.
Recertification is denied if you miss the application deadline or don't keep an active ACFCS membership throughout your certification cycle.
Exceptions are made for loss of employment, illness of the applicant or an immediate family member, or active-duty military deployment. If one of these applies, contact certification@acfcs.org to discuss an extension. Approved extensions include a 12-month grace period.
Registering for, joining, and getting the most out of our live virtual workshops.
Registration closes two days before the workshop. Registering earlier gives you time to complete any pre-work and receive your Zoom link.
Yes. For groups of 10 or more, contact us about group rates.
E-learning services are intangible goods and can't be returned once accessed, so purchases are non-refundable. Refunds are issued only if we're unable to provide the package you purchased. See our Terms and Conditions for details.
Content and examples focus primarily on US standards and best practices, but many of the core principles and strategies apply across international contexts.
Workshops are hosted on Zoom. When you register with ACFCS, we register you on Zoom, and Zoom emails you a confirmation with your unique join link and a calendar invitation.
On the day, use the link in the calendar invitation or confirmation email to join. If you can't find the email, check your spam or "other" folder.
Email customerservice@acfcs.org and we'll resend your Zoom confirmation with your unique link.
Yes. Workshops are interactive, so come prepared to participate on camera and mic. You're welcome to turn your camera off when needed. You'll need:
Email our support team at customerservice@acfcs.org.
SAR workshops are not recorded, to support open and candid discussion. Other workshops may be recorded and made available to members on demand for a limited time.
Certificates are emailed to you after you complete the workshop.
No. You can join from your browser. If you prefer the Zoom app, before the workshop:
Registering for, joining, and earning credit at our free virtual event for ACFCS members.
The event is free for ACFCS members.
Yes. For groups of 10 or more, contact us about group rates.
For the smoothest experience, register at least two business days before the event starts.
Purchasing a membership gives you immediate access to all sessions, but you must register for each session individually through the member portal.
Session lobbies open 15 minutes before each scheduled start time. Recordings are available on demand in the learning portal within 1–3 business days after each session.
You can earn up to 13.5 credits by attending the full event.
No. You can join from your browser without downloading anything.
No. Attendees can’t share audio or video during this event. Closed captioning is available for all sessions.
Submit your questions through the Q&A box on screen during the live session.
Try these steps:
Still stuck? Email eventsupport@acfcs.org.
On-demand recordings are available in the member portal within 1–3 business days.
Some sessions aren’t recorded because of the sensitive information shared. These sessions are held under the Chatham House Rule and are marked “Live Only” in the agenda.
Under the Chatham House Rule, you’re free to use the information you receive, but you may not reveal the identity or affiliation of anyone who shared it. In practice:
Certificates are available in the webinar platform and the member portal for each session where you viewed at least 80 minutes. In the member portal, go to My Activities & Credits on the homepage.
Your certificates will be in the member portal 1–3 days after the event, under My Activities & Credits on the homepage.
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