Mr. Frans Roest is a Dutch fraudfighter, who lives In Belgium. He studied among other things Criminology and Criminal Law. Since 2009 he became in the Netherlands and Belgium an expert on investmentfraud and wrote several articles and 2 books about this subject.
The author, Mr. Frans Roest, was born in the Netherlands and studied Dutch law and criminology at the University of Nijmegen from which he graduated in 1983. In April of 1984, he began employment as a Clerk to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Arnhem (NL). In 1985, he transferred to the District Court in Breda, alternating between the positions of Senior District Court Clerk and staff member in the cabinet of the Chief’s Prosecutor Office, also in Breda. As a Senior District Court Clerk, he processed complex files dealing with violent crime, and offenses involving firearms and property.
During his tenure he immersed himself into various criminal phenomena and became a useful expert. As such, he wrote an article in 1987 for the Tijdschrift voor de Politie (Dutch Police Magazine) about keeping public order with the title: “De rechterlijke bevelen tot handhaving van de openbare orden zijn zo gek nog niet” (Judicial rulings upholding Public Order make a lot of sense). In 1989, he produced a study about the complex legislation regarding the possession of firearms in the Netherlands and the lack of enforcement thereof. Roest warned in another article for the same publication called ”Legaal vuurwapenbezit in Nederland” (Lawful possession of firearms in The Netherlands) about abuses and violations with respect to firearm possession within shooting clubs and associations.
In 1991, he published, also in the Dutch Police Magazine, a two-part article about the risks involved when associating with informants and when infiltrating their circles titled: “Het belonen van informanten” (Rewarding informants).
Since 1993, Mr. Roest has been closely associated with the subject of dealing with stripping unlawful gained wealth and asset tracking. In relation to this, his report “Naar een realistisch ontnemings-beleid” (Towards a realistic confiscation policy) appeared and he was recruited as an expert in confiscation legislation at the District Court in Breda.
In the period from 1996 and through 2008, Mr. Roest spent part of his spare time as a secretary of the Geschied- en Heemkundekring Zwalm (Regional geography and history association of Zwalm) and as a chief editor of ‘De Zwalmgalm’ periodical. Applying his keen interest in history and using his experience in criminology, he wrote scores of articles with respect to local history sharing common ground with the Belgian municipality of Zwalm.
In 2003, Mr. Roest transferred to the newly founded ‘Functioneel Parket’ (District Crown Attorney) at the time a complex specialized fraud fighting unit of the Public Prosecutor having national coverage. Since then, his line of work has only been fraud fighting which involved several specialised studies and courses, among which financial investigation at the LSOP and banking at the NIBESVV.
In 2004, Mr. Roest attended a course in Forensic Auditing at the UAMS in Antwerp. As a result, he became a Registered Fraud Auditor member of the Belgian Institute of Fraud Auditors (IFA) since 2008.
When Mr. Roest encountered his first complex investment fraud case in 1999, he immersed himself into the phenomena of investment fraud, was and became a member of various work groups and penned several policy advices on the subject, among which the founding of the Fraud Help Desk (realized in 2010).
After a number of several smaller publications on account of interviews, his book “Beleggen in gebakken lucht”, subtitled: “herkennen, bestrijden en voorkomen van fraude met beleggingsproducten” was published in Dutch in 2009 by Kerckebosch Publishing. Concerning the subject of Administrative Enforcement, he was able to invoke the help of the expert drs. R. Stijnen, MA.
Since 2001, Mr. Roest has been professionally involved with several fraud cases and assists the public prosecutor in these specific matters as well as the general fraud investigative practice. All of his publications, however, are independently written as a private person, including this study about Boiler Rooms.
At the request of criminal investigating agencies and training institutes, Mr. Roest conducts presentations dealing with the approach to and distinguishing characteristics of investment fraud.
From May 18, 2016 till April 30, 2018, Mr. Roest has been assigned to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, State Department RVO-Netherlands, in The Hague. He has been requested, among other things, to tighten up and increase the emphasis of RVO-Netherlands’ fraud policy. Furthermore, furtheron he focused on analysing and reviewing tangible fraud reports.
From May 01, 2018 untill June 2022, mr. Roest was working for the Dutch government at the Ministery of Justice (Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid), as a clerk specialized in fraud fighting.
Mr. Roest retired on June 30, 2022. He currently lives in the countryside near Ghent in Belgium. You can reach him via Facebook “Frans Roest België” and linkedIn: “Mr. F. Roest”