NSB Logo Chris Mathers Chris Mathers

Chris Mathers

Speaker

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Crime and Risk Expert

Chris Mathers spent most of his life working undercover for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, US Drug Enforcement Ad­ministration, and the US Customs Service. Posing as a gang­ster, a drug trafficker, and even as a money launderer, Mathers has seen and done it all. 

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
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A.I. and Fraud: Making Money the Old-Fashioned Way

A.I. is helping the bad guys update some popular fraud schemes and target victims halfway around the world.  What are the most popular frauds and just why are they so successful?

Chris explains how A.I. is helping criminals choose their victims, improve their techniques and hide their profits.

Lies and the People Who Tell Them: The Detection of Deception

The average person tells 4 lies every day. But some people tell a whole lot more.

Chris explains the pathology behind deception and gives you some tips on how to detect it.  Whether it’s through body language or the written word, Chris will teach you how to better identify lies and liars, whether you’re at the office or even at home!

My Life: 20 Years Undercover

“I started out in my 20’s, buying drugs on the street.  10 year later, we took in $37M for the government in one year, pretending to launder gangsters’ money… and then seizing it. I lived a criminal lifestyle – I drove a nice car, I dressed well, and I travelled the world, all the time posing as a gangster.”

In a remarkable story of human resilience, Chris will explain how he pretended to be a criminal for 20 years without losing touch with who he really was; a police officer, a husband and a father.  From his being the target of a murder contract, to living in a safe house for 2 years, to investigating corrupt police officers, Chris’ storytelling style will take you on a journey through a life that often felt like a movie.

Spies and Their Tradecraft: The Reality of Foreign Interference

We hear almost every day about foreign actors, attempting to subvert democracy by changing public opinion. How do spies conduct successful influence operations without being detected? Can they really change the outcome of an election?

In the ultimate risk management story, Chris will, explain just how foreign spies target elected officials, journalists and students and how our intelligence services work tirelessly and secretly to stop them.  Chris will shine a light on the challenges that our spies face, trying to fight an enemy who has no rule book.

Travel, Geopolitics and Situational Awareness

The countries where we travel are not always what they appear to be. Travelers often encounter situations for which they are unprepared. Crime, terrorism, natural disasters, just to name a few.  The environment in a foreign country can change overnight. How do you prepare for the unexpected?

Bombs, gunfire, robbery, hostage taking, corrupt police; all of these things occur regularly in the countries which we visit regularly for business or for pleasure. Chris’s firm has provided situational awareness training to Canadian diplomats, prior to their being deployed in dangerous jurisdictions.  He will describe the most common scenarios which you may encounter overseas, how to avoid trouble and how to stay alive if you can’t.

Future Proof: Privacy, Security, and Crime

We live in a world where every telephone call can be monitored, every email and text message read.  A world where your most personal information is for sale to the highest bidder.

As technology proliferates, what choices should you make?  How much of your privacy will you give up for the sake of security?  Convenience?  Social Interaction?

Chris takes you on a journey, describing how are criminals and foreign governments exploiting this frightening new technology?

Cyber Crime: The Invisible War

Every minute of every day, we are under attack from an invisible enemy. An enemy who is not limited by rules of engagement or ethical boundaries. An enemy whose goal is to develop the capability to disrupt our commerce, our infrastructure and our military.

But it’s is not just companies who are combatants in this invisible war. It’s also you and me. Every day, criminals, spies and vandals attack us online in an attempt to steal our identity and our money.

What can you do to reduce your chances of becoming a victim? Quite a lot actually.

Chris will explain who exactly the bad guys are, what they’re trying to do, and how you can protect yourself and your organization from becoming the next headline.

Do You Really Know Who You're Doing Business With?

The world has changed. We are now doing business with people who we have never met, who may live on the other side of the world.  How can you make sure that you won’t become a victim of fraud, or worse?

Chris conducts foreign background investigations for clients around the world. He will explain how criminals make use of stolen or synthetic identities and exploit privacy laws to conceal their true goals.

This is a no-nonsense explanation on why investigating the background of potential domestic and foreign business partners is important and what can happen when you don’t.  Using real cases, Chris will explain the nuts and bolts of gathering information on individual and corporations around the world.

Audience reviews:

  • Chris' credibility and engaging approach will scare the hell out of you and keep you riveted at the same time. - Ross Shafer, Host of FOX TV’s “The Late Show"
  • A human chameleon. - Former Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Past President of Interpol
  • Chris' presentation was very captivating and left our audience very intrigued and energetic. The feed back received from our dealers was outstanding and they have all requested that we consider bringing him back in a couple years time. Quote on quote, some of the dealers who completed our conference evaluation at the end indicated that this was the, 'best speaker SecurTek has brought in' to 'best speaker and presentation I have ever been a part of'.

    - SecurTek - A SaskTel Company
  • Chris gave us helpful insights into crime and the criminal mind that that we organizers had hoped for and provided a valuable cross section of the world of crime...very confident, knowledgeable and entertaining.

    - Risk & Insurance Management Society
  • Chris' credibility and engaging approach will scare the hell out of you and keep you riveted at the same time.

    - Former Host of FOX TV's, The Late Show
  • Dead smart and tough. He's one of the most dangerous men I know. Thank God he's on the side of the good guys.

    - Director, Canadian Former Security Intelligence Service
  • Chris was really great. Not only was he a very good speaker, he did an excellent job of bringing points back to our profession. The best aspect of Chris though was his flexibility.

    - Canadian Corporate Counsel Association

Speaker Biography

Chris Mathers spent most of his adult life working undercover for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, US Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Customs Service, posing as a gangster, a drug trafficker and a money launderer.  He is the author of the bestseller, CRIME SCHOOL: Money Laundering.

Chris was the senior undercover operator at the RCMP Proceeds of Crime Section where he established and operated a number of “storefront” money laundering businesses in Canada and the US, targeting Colombian, Russian and Asian organized crime groups.  Chris personally infiltrated criminal organizations in North America, the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe.

Chris now operates a successful investigation and consulting firm with offices in the U.S., Canada, and Panama.  His firm’s current focus is asset recovery for victims of large frauds as well as the use of artificial intelligence by criminal organizations.

Known for his unique and engaging style, Chris’ describes the secret underworld of gangsters and spies, explaining the realities of crime and espionage in a candid, no-punches-pulled style.

Chris is a popular media commentator and has served as a consultant on several feature films and documentaries relating to organized crime, espionage and money laundering. He has appeared on BBC, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, all of the Canadian national news networks as well as media outlets in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and the Caribbean.

He is currently involved in developing a Canada- U.K. co-production TV series based on his life undercover.

A sample of Chris’ clients include: Financial Executives International, Gore Mutual Insurance, Scotiabank, Sun Life Assurance, Sigma Loyalty Group, SGI Insurance, Royal Bank of Canada, Manulife, Investment Funds Institute of Canada, and more.