The Western Union Company (WU), a leader in global payment services, is hosting its ninth annual Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Fraud and Compliance Conference this week Englewood, Colo.

One of the largest events of its kind, the conference brings together diverse perspectives from industry experts in anti-money laundering, compliance, fraud and human trafficking to share best practices with some of Western Union’s largest Agents, who offer Western Union services in more than 200 countries and territories.

Western Union CEO and President Hikmet Ersek addressed the more than 300 participants on Wednesday, Sept. 17, with an opening keynote emphasizing the importance of compliance.

“Western Union is committed to helping protect its customers against fraud and other financial crimes,” said Barry Koch, chief compliance officer for Western Union. “It’s the right thing to do for our customers and for our business. We believe the investments we’re making now are the right ones for the long-term health of the company.”

More than 40 experts from several organizations will speak, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S. Postal Inspections Service (USPIS), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and law enforcement from across the U.S.

Discussion topics include trade-based money laundering, consumer protection and how financial professionals can help curb the practice of human trafficking.

Western Union actively educates its customers about fraud and provides them with tips and information they can use to help protect themselves. For more information, visit the company’s online Consumer Protection Center:www.westernunion.com/stopfraud.