The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists
ACFCS is a Miami-based professional membership organization offering the CFCS certification and training across 12 financial crime disciplines, serving compliance professionals in 80+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersAlpharetta, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists does
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS) is a Miami-based, for-profit professional membership and certification organization serving financial crime compliance practitioners worldwide. Its flagship offering, the Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS) credential, validates expertise across 12 financial crime disciplines — money laundering, fraud, anti-corruption, human trafficking, cybersecurity, sanctions, and others — through a 135-question scenario-based exam requiring an 88/135 pass score, with a separate Digital Assets Compliance Specialization (DACS) for crypto and blockchain. The technology stack runs on CeriFi's learning management system (on-demand video, practice question banks, podcasts, webinars) with Kryterion handling online proctored exams and Credly issuing verifiable digital badges; ACFCS maintains a content library of 600+ hours and 150+ expert webinars.
The business model combines recurring individual and government memberships ($179–$730 multi-year tiers), one-time certification packages ($1,045–$1,395) and an Accelerator cohort program ($1,640–$2,220), enterprise seat-based memberships with a dedicated success manager, individual training courses ($25–$725), a triennial recertification cycle ($150), and event registrations (FinCrime Virtual Week, Crypto & Web3 Compliance Symposium, regional summits). Distribution is hybrid: self-service e-commerce for individuals, enterprise direct sales for organizations, and event- and community-driven acquisition via four practitioner task forces and member referrals. ACFCS serves a global base spanning 80+ countries, with credential holders at 15 of the world's 20 largest financial institutions, and supports complementary segments including law enforcement, regulators, universities, and high-risk industry corporations.
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists
- Legal name
- Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists
- Website
- https://acfcs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ACFCS is a Miami-based professional membership organization offering the CFCS certification and training across 12 financial crime disciplines, serving compliance professionals in 80+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Certification and Compliance Training
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Crime & Fraud Prevention (Forensics, Investigations) (EDABAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications (EDAAANAD), Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ)
Keywords
Where The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alpharetta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Membership: Annual and multi-year membership subscriptions providing access to webinars, training resources, podcasts, emerging risk e-courses, member-exclusive events, and preferred pricing on certification and training. Tiers include 6-month ($179), 1-year ($325), 3-year ($730) for individuals, and government rates at $245 (1-year), $545 (3-year).
- CFCS Certification Package: One-time certification packages including study manual, video/podcast library, practice question bank, flashcards, and exam attempt. Member price: $1,395 (private sector), $1,045 (government). Includes 1-year membership.
- CFCS Accelerator Program: Structured 9-week virtual classroom program with homework, additional practice questions, and complimentary exam retake. Member: $1,990 (private sector), $1,640 (government). Includes 1-year membership at $2,220/$1,810.
- Training Courses: Individual course purchases including AML 360 ($395 member/$495 non-member), Digital Assets Compliance Specialization ($525 member/$725 non-member), Human Trafficking courses ($225 member/$325 non-member), and various online courses ($25-$150).
- Recertification Fees: Three-year recertification cycle requiring 60 continuing education credits. Fees: $150 (private sector), $115 (government). Late recertification: $200.
- Enterprise Memberships: Custom enterprise solutions for organizations including preferred rates, flexible seat reassignment, monthly engagement reports, enterprise success manager, and customized training options.
- Event Fees: Revenue from virtual events including FinCrime Virtual Week and specialized workshops. Members receive complimentary admission; non-member and sponsor fees apply.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 6-Month Individual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | 1-Year Individual Membership |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 3-Year Individual Membership (Save $245) |
| Subscription | Annual | 1-Year Government Membership |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 3-Year Government Membership (Save $190) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CFCS Certification Package - Private Sector |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CFCS Certification Package - Government |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CFCS + 1-Year Membership Bundle - Private |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CFCS + 1-Year Membership Bundle - Government |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CFCS Accelerator Program - Private Sector |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CFCS Accelerator Program - Government |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CFCS Accelerator + 1-Year Membership - Private |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CFCS Accelerator + 1-Year Membership - Government |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | CFCS Recertification Fee |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | CFCS Recertification Late Fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | AML 360 Certificate Course |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Digital Assets Compliance Specialization (DACS) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Human Trafficking Certificate Course |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ACFCS delivers the Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS) credential, a scenario-based professional certification covering 12 financial crime areas including money laundering, fraud, anti-corruption, human trafficking, cybersecurity, and sanctions. The organization sells individual and enterprise memberships, self-paced and live training courses (e.g., AML 360, Digital Assets Compliance Specialization), recertification cycles, and virtual events, all delivered through a learning management platform and online proctored exams.
Product overview
ACFCS offers a comprehensive professional certification and training ecosystem for financial crime compliance professionals. The core offering is the CFCS (Certified Financial Crime Specialist) certification, which validates expertise across 12 key financial crime areas including money laundering, fraud, anti-corruption, human trafficking, and cybersecurity. Supporting the certification are membership programs (individual, government, enterprise tiers), specialized training courses (DACS for digital assets, AML 360, Anti-Human Trafficking), online self-paced courses, webinars, podcasts, and major annual events (FinCrime Virtual Week, FinCrime Skills Summit, Crypto Compliance Symposium). The organization serves professionals in over 80 countries through a combination of certification, training, community engagement, and industry thought leadership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CFCS (Certified Financial Crime Specialist) Certification
Quantifiable outcome
- Passing rate: 88/135 (approximately 65%)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature4 records
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Fordham Law SchoolcoreUniversity partnership providing students access to CFCS certification and curriculum. Alice Brightsky serves as Senior Director of Compliance Programs. Students can take CFCS exam at reduced cost.
- University of New Hampshire (UNH)coreUniversity partnership through the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences. Dean Mario Gaboury leads partnership initiatives. Students gain access to CFCS certification and training resources.
- BottomlinemajorFinancial technology sponsor specializing in business payments and cash management. Serves nearly one million financial institutions in 92 countries, moving over $16 trillion in payments annually. Provides thought leadership content and sponsors ACFCS events.
- Arctic IntelligenceminorGlobal RegTech partner specializing in financial crime risk management. Offers enterprise-wide ML/TF/PF risk assessments, control effectiveness testing, and regulatory intelligence solutions.
- AbrigominorTechnology sponsor providing financial crime software to 2,400+ U.S. financial institutions. Offers AML software and AI-powered fraud detection solutions including check image analysis.
- SocureminorDigital identity verification and fraud solutions provider. Predictive analytics platform applies AI and machine learning with trusted online/offline data intelligence. Vertically integrated with IAL-2 and FedRAMP Moderate certifications.
- CeriFicoreParent company powering ACFCS learning programs. CeriFi is a market leader in financial services education and training with 240+ years of combined experience. Operates multiple education brands including Dalton Education, Money Education, Pass Perfect, and Bionic Turtle.
- CredlycoreDigital credentialing platform partner for secure, real-time verification of CFCS and DACS credentials. Provides digital badges allowing employers and regulators to instantly validate credential authenticity and status.
- KryterioncoreOnline proctoring (OLP) network partner for CFCS certification exams. Enables candidates to take exams from home with online supervision, providing convenient scheduling options throughout the year.
- Bionic TurtleminorAdvanced designation partner offering FRM (Financial Risk Manager) exam preparation. Listed as partner brand in CeriFi ecosystem.
- Mark MeldrumminorCFA exam preparation partner helping candidates prepare for Levels I, II, and III of the Chartered Financial Analyst exam since 2017.
- Dalton EducationminorIndustry leader in CFP certification education for over 15 years, part of the CeriFi education ecosystem.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- SAS (Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements) / AICPA Forensic Services: AICPA's CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics) credential competes for the forensic accounting and financial crime investigation segment that ACFCS also addresses, particularly in audit and advisory firm channels.
- Association of Financial Professionals (AFP): AFP serves treasury, payments, and financial crime-adjacent professionals with certifications and training, partially overlapping with ACFCS's audience at large corporations and financial institutions.
- Global Financial Crimes Compliance Network (GFCCN): GFCCN offers networking and certification-style programs in financial crimes compliance, with thematic and audience overlap to ACFCS though on a smaller scale.
Others
- ACFCS sibling brands under CeriFi (Dalton Education, Bionic Turtle, Pass Perfect): These CeriFi portfolio brands offer CFP, FRM, and other financial services credentials and share a parent company with ACFCS; they are not direct competitors but represent the broader CeriFi ecosystem in which ACFCS sits.
- National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA): NACVA provides the CFFA and other designations for financial professionals, operating in an adjacent compliance/finance credentialing space with limited direct overlap to ACFCS's AML focus.
Direct peers
- ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners): ACFE administers the globally recognized CFE credential for fraud examiners and serves an overlapping financial crime professional audience with ACFCS, making it a core peer in the certification market.
- International Compliance Association (ICA): ICA offers internationally recognized compliance and AML certifications and is a leading UK-headquartered peer competing for global enterprise training mandates against ACFCS.
- PRMIA (Professional Risk Managers' International Association): PRMIA administers the PRM and other risk and compliance designations and serves a similar practitioner audience in banking and financial services, making it a comparable certification body.
- ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists): ACAMS is the dominant AML-focused certification body offering the CAMS credential. It directly competes with ACFCS for the same compliance professional audience and enterprise training budgets at financial institutions.
- Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI): CISI provides professional certifications in financial crime, compliance, and financial services, operating in overlapping markets with ACFCS, particularly in the UK, EMEA, and global financial centers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists social profiles
Digital presenceThe Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists
What does The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists do?
ACFCS delivers the Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS) credential, a scenario-based professional certification covering 12 financial crime areas including money laundering, fraud, anti-corruption, human trafficking, cybersecurity, and sanctions. The organization sells individual and enterprise memberships, self-paced and live training courses (e.g., AML 360, Digital Assets Compliance Specialization), recertification cycles, and virtual events, all delivered through a learning management platform and online proctored exams.
Is The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists a public or private company?
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists founded?
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists based?
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists is headquartered in Alpharetta, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Individual Membership is the primary driver. The others are CFCS Certification Package, CFCS Accelerator Program, training Courses, recertification Fees, enterprise Memberships and event Fees.
Who are The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are SAS (Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements) / AICPA Forensic Services, Association of Financial Professionals (AFP) and Global Financial Crimes Compliance Network (GFCCN). Others are ACFCS sibling brands under CeriFi (Dalton Education, Bionic Turtle, Pass Perfect) and National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA). Direct peers are ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners), International Compliance Association (ICA), PRMIA (Professional Risk Managers' International Association), ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists) and Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).
Does The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists.
What industry is The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists in?
The Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists's product category is Professional Certification and Compliance Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAJAK, Financial Crime & Fraud Prevention (Forensics, Investigations), with a secondary code of EDAAANAD, Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications.