company names mentioned herein are for identification and educational purposes only and are the property of, and may be trademarks of, their respective owners.
Role of Internal Audit in fraud prevention and detectionZeeshan Shahid
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan is running an Internal Audit Masterclass where I was privileged to be invited to share insights on role of Internal Audit in fraud prevention and detection. I put together this slide deck to touch upon key areas of fraud risk management and role of internal audit.
Although internal auditors are not expected to be fraud investigators but as most internal auditors at some point in their career have to handle a complex investigation, I've added slides from the fraud investigation training right in this file for a single source for internal auditors. Hope people find it useful.
The presentation provides overall insight of operational fraud risk management. It explains the operational fraud risk and mitigation strategies. The role of Internal audit and audit committee is further exemplified
Role of Internal Audit in fraud prevention and detectionZeeshan Shahid
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan is running an Internal Audit Masterclass where I was privileged to be invited to share insights on role of Internal Audit in fraud prevention and detection. I put together this slide deck to touch upon key areas of fraud risk management and role of internal audit.
Although internal auditors are not expected to be fraud investigators but as most internal auditors at some point in their career have to handle a complex investigation, I've added slides from the fraud investigation training right in this file for a single source for internal auditors. Hope people find it useful.
The presentation provides overall insight of operational fraud risk management. It explains the operational fraud risk and mitigation strategies. The role of Internal audit and audit committee is further exemplified
The purpose of this study is to analyze empirically by using secondary data on the possibility of corporate fraud by using various fraud theory approach. The research model in this study was tested using the ordinary least square (OLS) analysis method. A total of 310 company data were collected which consisted of financial data and other supporting data published by companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the range of 2012 to 2017. This study provides empirical evidence that all the variant of fraud theory (fraud triangle theory, fraud diamond theory and fraud pentagon theory) can be investigated for its significant effect on corporate fraud by only using secondary data that are available and freely accessed by the public. The empirically tested research model in this study can provide a comprehensive understanding of practitioners, academics, government agencies and the general public in analyzing the topic of corporate fraud.
Ran a Fraud Investigation session online for The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan. These are slides for day 1. They cover introduction and context of fraud, profile of fraudsters, fraud investigations broad appraoch etc.
Auditing for fraud can be very challenging. It has the aura of detective work – finding things people want to keep hidden. However, auditing and fraud examination are not easy. They should only be pursued by persons who have proper training and experience. Thus, fraud awareness for independent auditors and internal auditors is the focus of this PRESENTATION
Ran a Fraud Investigation session online for The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan. These are slides for day 2. Link for session 1 slides at the bottom of the description. These slides cover considerations for fraud interviews, report writing, legal considerations during investigations, roles and responsibilities, some input on understanding fraud prevention and fraud risk management (another link below for a detailed slide deck on this topic), some nuances of modern fraud investigations, and selected specific fraud and corruption scenarios. The last topic was covered in the session for the audiences where I shared some interesting aspects; will probably cover those in a blog post soon for wider sharing.
Links:
Fraud Investigations Session 1 slides: https://www.slideshare.net/ZeeshanShahid1/fraud-investigations-session-1-slides
Fraud Risk Management - High level perspective
https://www.slideshare.net/ZeeshanShahid1/fraud-risk-management-high-level-perspective-for-the-board-of-directors
I hope it will be simplified and powerful presentation for all. Rather than adding large texts, here you can find image and graphical presentation.
Happy Reading
If you would like to have a training session at your business to educate your employees how to identify & prevent occupational fraud please contact me at ann@yeagerboyd.com
The purpose of this study is to analyze empirically by using secondary data on the possibility of corporate fraud by using various fraud theory approach. The research model in this study was tested using the ordinary least square (OLS) analysis method. A total of 310 company data were collected which consisted of financial data and other supporting data published by companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in the range of 2012 to 2017. This study provides empirical evidence that all the variant of fraud theory (fraud triangle theory, fraud diamond theory and fraud pentagon theory) can be investigated for its significant effect on corporate fraud by only using secondary data that are available and freely accessed by the public. The empirically tested research model in this study can provide a comprehensive understanding of practitioners, academics, government agencies and the general public in analyzing the topic of corporate fraud.
Ran a Fraud Investigation session online for The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan. These are slides for day 1. They cover introduction and context of fraud, profile of fraudsters, fraud investigations broad appraoch etc.
Auditing for fraud can be very challenging. It has the aura of detective work – finding things people want to keep hidden. However, auditing and fraud examination are not easy. They should only be pursued by persons who have proper training and experience. Thus, fraud awareness for independent auditors and internal auditors is the focus of this PRESENTATION
Ran a Fraud Investigation session online for The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan. These are slides for day 2. Link for session 1 slides at the bottom of the description. These slides cover considerations for fraud interviews, report writing, legal considerations during investigations, roles and responsibilities, some input on understanding fraud prevention and fraud risk management (another link below for a detailed slide deck on this topic), some nuances of modern fraud investigations, and selected specific fraud and corruption scenarios. The last topic was covered in the session for the audiences where I shared some interesting aspects; will probably cover those in a blog post soon for wider sharing.
Links:
Fraud Investigations Session 1 slides: https://www.slideshare.net/ZeeshanShahid1/fraud-investigations-session-1-slides
Fraud Risk Management - High level perspective
https://www.slideshare.net/ZeeshanShahid1/fraud-risk-management-high-level-perspective-for-the-board-of-directors
I hope it will be simplified and powerful presentation for all. Rather than adding large texts, here you can find image and graphical presentation.
Happy Reading
If you would like to have a training session at your business to educate your employees how to identify & prevent occupational fraud please contact me at ann@yeagerboyd.com
The following article is related to deterring employee fraud within .docxssuser454af01
The following article is related to deterring employee fraud within organizations and answers some related questions. After reading the case, answer the following questions:
Read the article the following article:
Wells, J. T. (2004, December). Small business, big losses.
Journal of Accountancy,
198
(6), 42-47. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.
Section:FRAUD
Audits and hotlines stack up as the bestcrime busters in a new ACFE study.
Occupational fraud has become--at least so far--the crime of the 21st century. It is a widespread phenomenon that affects practically every organization. The frauds in the 2004 Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, caused over $761 million in total losses, with a disproportionate percentage committed against small businesses--almost half of the frauds in the study took place in businesses with fewer than 100 employees. Not surprisingly such businesses are less likely to be audited or employ antifraud measures than the larger ones.
Several broad conclusions can be drawn from the 2004 report. First, though the losses have been stable over the years, the fact that in one year alone they are approaching $660 billion is cause for concern. Dishonest executives and employees are plying essentially the same schemes with the same results. Second, although large financial statement frauds receive the most attention, they are relatively uncommon compared to asset misappropriations and corruption. Third, small businesses remain the most vulnerable to occupational fraud because of three factors: They are the least likely to have an audit, a hotline or adequate internal controls. Fourth, audits--both internal and external--although excellent prevention devices are not the most effective means of detecting frauds. Fifth, hotlines and other reporting mechanisms are a vital part of any organization's prevention efforts but should go beyond employees to vendors and customers, too. Finally, occupational fraud cannot be eliminated but organizations that use both hotlines and auditors can greatly reduce these costly crimes.
Occupational fraud schemes can be as simple as pilferage of company supplies or as complex as sophisticated financial statement frauds. This article summarizes some of the key findings of certified fraud examiners (CFEs) in cases they investigated. Internal and external auditors and CPAs advising small business clients will learn of the most effective antifraud measures.
MEASURING THE COST OF FRAUD
Determining the true cost of occupational fraud is an impossible task. Because fraud is a crime based on concealment, organizations often do not know when they are being victimized. Many frauds never are detected or are caught only after they have gone on for several years. Many of those are never reported or prosecuted. In fact, there is no agency or organization that is specifically charged with gathering comprehensive fraud-relat.
“Nearly half of all victim organizations do not recover any losses that they suffer due to fraud” according to the 2012 Report to the Nations presented by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Although, there are no statistics that report the total number of entities and the amount defrauded, regardless of size, any organization can become a victim of fraud. Kyle Anne Midkiff’s white paper, Act Now Before it’s Too Late, provides five important steps to help organizations of any size prevent fraud.
This presentation is an overview of Fraud Risk Management in Indian companies and the role of the Board of Directors in the context of the newly enacted Companies Act, 2013.
In Part I of our Three-Part Nonprofit Fraud Seminar, you will learn about: Why you need to be educated about fraud in your organization. A few statistics and facts about fraud and nonprofits. Who commits fraud and why. Common types of fraud in nonprofits. Three case studies involving common nonprofits fraud schemes and Important takeaways!
Protecting Your Organization Against Check and ACH FraudFraudBusters
Webinar series from FraudResourceNet LLC on Preventing and Detecting Fraud in a High Crime Climate. Recordings of these Webinars are available for purchase from our Website
This Webinar focused on the subject in the title
FraudResourceNet (FRN) is the only searchable portal of practical, expert fraud prevention, detection and audit information on the Web.
FRN combines the high quality, authoritative anti-fraud and audit content from the leading providers, AuditNet ® LLC and White-Collar Crime 101 LLC/FraudAware.
The two entities designed FRN as the “go-to”, easy-to-use source of “how-to” fraud prevention, detection, audit and investigation templates, guidelines, policies, training programs (recorded no CPE and live with CPE) and articles from leading subject matter experts.
FRN is a continuously expanding and improving resource, offering auditors, fraud examiners, controllers, investigators and accountants a content-rich source of cutting-edge anti-fraud tools and techniques they will want to refer to again and again.
This report solely belongs to Symantec. Credit is due to all original authors and no financial gain was made from the report, Simply sharing for educational purposes,
The FBI is the lead federal agency for investigating malicious cyber activity by criminals, nation-state adversaries, and terrorists. To fulfill this mission, the FBI often develops resources to enhance operations and collaboration. One such resource is the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) which provides the public with a trustworthy and convenient mechanism for reporting information concerning suspected Internet-facilitated criminal activity. At the end of every year, the IC3 collates information collected into an annual report.
Credit is due to all original authors and no financial gain was made from the blog, Simply sharing an interesting story for educational purposes,
This guide aims to help journalists understand their rights at protests and avoid arrest when reporting on these events. It summarizes the legal landscape and provides strategies and tools to help journalists avoid incidents with police and navigate them successfully should they arise. Credit RCFP.Org
Credit is due to all original authors and no financial gain was made from the blog, Simply sharing an interesting story for educational purposes,
Verizon Publishes 2020 Data Breach Investigation Report (DBIR) With Insights From Thousands of Confirmed Breaches. Verizon's 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) is the most extensive yet, with 81 contributing organizations, and more than 32,000 incidents analyzed (of which 3,950 were confirmed breaches). Credit:Verizon
Credit is due to all original authors and no financial gain was made from the report, Simply sharing an interesting story for educational purposes,
A Resource Guide to theU.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Credit is due to all original authors and no financial gain was made from the report, Simply sharing an interesting story for educational purposes,
The FTC takes in reports from consumers about problems they experience in the marketplace. The reportsare stored in the Consumer Sentinel Network (Sentinel), a secure online database available only to lawenforcement. While the FTC does not intervene in individual consumer disputes, its law enforcementpartners – whether they are down the street, across the nation, or around the world – can use informationin the database to spot trends, identify questionable business practices and targets, and enforce the law.
Credit is due to all original authors and no financial gain was made from the report, Simply sharing an interesting story for educational purposes,
Below is a list of consumer reporting companies updated for 2019.1 Consumer reporting companies collect information and provide reports to other companies about you. These companies use these reports to inform decisions about providing you with credit, employment, residential rental housing, insurance, and in other decision making situations. The list below includes the three nationwide consumer reporting companies and several other reporting companies that focus on certain market areas and consumer segments. The list gives you tips so you can determine which of these companies may be important to you. It also makes it easier for you to take advantage of your legal rights to (1) obtain the information in your consumer reports, and (2) dispute suspected inaccuracies in your reports with companies as needed.
Advisory to Financial Institutions on Illicit Financial Schemes and Methods R...- Mark - Fullbright
Transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), foreign fentanyl suppliers, and Internet purchasers located in the United States engage in the trafficking of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids and the subsequent laundering of the proceeds from such illegal sales.
The mission of the IC3 is to provide the public with a reliable and convenient reporting mechanism to submit information to the FBI concerning suspected Internet-facilitated criminal activity, and to develop effective alliances with industry partners. Information is analyzed and disseminated for investigative and intelligence purposes, for law enforcement, and for public awareness.
Credit is due to all original authors and no financial gain was made from the report, Simply sharing an interesting story for educational purposes,
This report is built upon analysis of 41,686 security incidents, of which 2,013 were confirmed data breaches. We will take a look at how results are changing (or not) over the years as well as digging into the overall threat landscape and the actors, actions, and assets that are present in breaches. Windows into the most common pairs of threat actions and affected assets also are provided.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) is an independent U.S. law enforcement agency charged with protecting consumers and enhancing competition across broad sectors of the economy. The FTC’s primary legal authority comes from Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive practices in the marketplace. The FTC also has authority to enforce a variety of sector specific laws, including the Truth in Lending Act, the CAN-SPAM Act, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act. This broad authority allows the Commission
to address a wide array of practices affecting consumers, including those that emerge with the development of new technologies and business models.
Sentinel sorts consumer reports into 29 top categories. Appendices B1 – B3 describe the categories,providing details, and three year figures. To reflect marketplace changes, new categories or subcategories are created or deleted over time.The Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book excludes the National Do Not Call Registry. A separate report about these complaint statistics is available at: https://www.ftc.gov/reports/national-do-not-call-registry-data-book-fiscal-year-2018. The Sentinel Data Book also excludes reports about unsolicited commercial email.Consumers can report as much or as little detail as they wish when they file a report. For the Sentinel Data Book graphics, percentages are based on the total number of Sentinel fraud, identity theft, and other report types in 2018 in which consumers provided the information displayed on each chart.Reports to Sentinel sometimes indicate money was lost, and sometimes indicate no money was lost.Often, people make these reports after they experience something problematic in the marketplace,avoid losing any money, and wish to alert others. Except where otherwise stated, numbers are based on reports both from people who indicated a loss and people who did not.Calculations of dollar amounts lost are based on reports in which consumers indicated they lost between $1 and $999,999. Prior to 2017, reported “amount paid” included values of $0 to $999,999.States and Metropolitan Areas are ranked based on the number of reports per 100,000 population.State rankings are based on 2017 U.S. Census population estimates (Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2017). Metropolitan Area rankings are based on 2016 U.S. Census population estimates (Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016).This Sentinel Data Book identifies Metropolitan Areas (Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas)with a population of 100,000 or more except where otherwise noted. Metropolitan areas are defined by Office of Management and Budget Bulletin No. 15-01, “Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas” (July 15, 2015). Numbers change over time. The Sentinel Data Book sorts consumer reports by year, based on the date of the consumer’s report. Some data contributors transfer their complaints to Sentinel after the end of the calendar year, and new data providers often contribute reports from prior years. As a result, the total number of reports for 2018 will likely change during the next few months, and totals from previous years may differ from prior Consumer Sentinel Network Data Books. The most up to date information can be found online at ftc.gov/data
A credit score is a three -digit number that predicts how likely you are to pay back a loan on time, based on information from your credit reports.
Company names mentioned herein are the property of, and may be trademarks of, their respective owners and are for educational purposes only.
Company names mentioned herein are the property of, and may be trademarks of, their respective owners and are for educational purposes only. - Medical identity theft has existed in various forms for decades, but it was in 2006 that World Privacy Forum published the first major report about the crime. The report called for medical data breach notification laws and more research about medical identity theft and its impacts. Since that time, medical data breach notification laws have been enacted, and other progress has been made, particularly in the quality of consumer complaint datasets gathered around identity theft, including medical forms of the crime. This report uses new data arising from consumer medical identity theft complaint reporting and medical data breach reporting to analyze and document the geography of medical identity theft and its growth patterns. The report also discusses new aspects of consumer harm resulting from the crime that the data has brought to light
The FTC takes in reports from consumers about problems they experience in the marketplace. The reports are stored in the Consumer Sentinel Network (Sentinel), a secure online database available only to law enforcement. While the FTC does not intervene in individual consumer disputes, its law enforcement partners – whether they are down the street, across the nation, or around the world – can use information in the database to spot trends, identify questionable business practices and targets, and enforce the law.
Since 1997, Sentinel has collected tens of millions of reports from consumers about fraud, identity theft, and other consumer protection topics. During 2017, Sentinel received nearly 2.7 million consumer reports, which the FTC has sorted into 30 top categories. The 2017 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book (Sentinel Data Book) has a vibrant new look, and a lot more information about what consumers told us last year. You'll know more about how much money people lost in the aggregate, the median amount they paid, and what frauds were most costly. And you'll know much more about complaints of identity theft, fraud, and other types of problems in each state, too. The Sentinel Data Book is based on unverified reports filed by consumers. The data is not based on a consumer survey. Sentinel has a five-year data retention policy, with reports older than five years purged biannually.
This guide addresses the steps to take once a
breach has occured. For advice on implementing a
plan to protect consumers’ personal information, to
prevent breaches and unauthorized access, check
out the FTC’s Protecting Personal Information: A
Guide for Business and Start with Security: A Guide
for Business.
*Company names mentioned herein are the property of, and may be trademarks of, their respective owners and are for educational purposes only.
Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book for January 2016 - December 2016- Mark - Fullbright
FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Law enforcement's source for consumer complaints.
All information, data, and material contained, presented, or provided on is for educational purposes only.
Company names mentioned herein are the property of, and may be trademarks of, their respective owners.
It is not to be construed or intended as providing legal advice.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as “distorted thinking”.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
This is a presentation by Dada Robert in a Your Skill Boost masterclass organised by the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) on Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th of May 2024.
He discussed the concept of quality improvement, emphasizing its applicability to various aspects of life, including personal, project, and program improvements. He defined quality as doing the right thing at the right time in the right way to achieve the best possible results and discussed the concept of the "gap" between what we know and what we do, and how this gap represents the areas we need to improve. He explained the scientific approach to quality improvement, which involves systematic performance analysis, testing and learning, and implementing change ideas. He also highlighted the importance of client focus and a team approach to quality improvement.
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
How to Split Bills in the Odoo 17 POS ModuleCeline George
Bills have a main role in point of sale procedure. It will help to track sales, handling payments and giving receipts to customers. Bill splitting also has an important role in POS. For example, If some friends come together for dinner and if they want to divide the bill then it is possible by POS bill splitting. This slide will show how to split bills in odoo 17 POS.
Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptxEduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher presents at the OECD webinar ‘Digital devices in schools: detrimental distraction or secret to success?’ on 27 May 2024. The presentation was based on findings from PISA 2022 results and the webinar helped launch the PISA in Focus ‘Managing screen time: How to protect and equip students against distraction’ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/managing-screen-time_7c225af4-en and the OECD Education Policy Perspective ‘Students, digital devices and success’ can be found here - https://oe.cd/il/5yV
Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptx
Red Flags Fraud
1. Thomas P. DiNapoli
State of New York
Office of the State Comptroller
Red Flags for Fraud
Steven J. Hancox
Deputy Comptroller
Division of Local Government and
School Accountability
2. Red Flags for Fraud
Introduction
Why didn’t you see it? There was fraud and you missed it. Conducting a “should of” after a fraud
happens may show that red flags were present. If you had only recognized the warning signs, then that
loss may not have occurred or been substantially reduced.
Based on a recent survey by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), occupational fraud
substantially increases organizational costs. It is a myth that fraud is a big scheme that should have been
uncovered sooner and easy to detect. Fraud starts small and just gets bigger and bigger, until
something becomes noticeably different or unusual.
What is Fraud?
Occupational Fraud is defined by the ACFE as:
“The use of one’s occupation for personal enrichment through the deliberate misuse or
misapplication of the employing organization’s resources or assets.”
Fraud encompasses an array of irregularities and illegal acts characterized by intentional deception. The
five elements of fraud are:
• A representation about a material fact, which is false,
• And made intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly,
• Which is believed,
• And acted upon by the victim,
• To the victim’s damage.
Fraud, like other crime, can best be explained by three factors:
1) A supply of motivated offenders;
2) The availability of suitable targets;
3) The absence of capable guardians or a control system to “mind the store.”1
There are four elements that must be present for a person or employee to commit fraud:
• Opportunity
• Low chance of getting caught
• Rationalization in the fraudsters mind, and
• Justification that results from the rationalization.
Facts about Fraud
According to the ACFE Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, U.S. businesses will lose
an estimated $652 billion in 2006 due to fraud. The average organization loses 5 percent of revenue to
fraud and abuse. In addition, based on the ACFE’s survey of more than 1,100 occupational fraud cases,
approximately 24 percent of these cases resulted in losses of $1 million or more.
1 Cohen and Felson 1979
1
3. Red Flags for Fraud
The Fraud Triangle
The classic model for fraudsters continues to be Other People’s Money: A Study in the Social Psychology
of Embezzlement. The Fraud Triangle is a term, which is used to describe and explain the nature of fraud.
“I want something I don’t have the money for”
While the specific components of each fraud may differ, the fraud triangle may be defined as this:
Opportunity
Pressure
Rationalization
Opportunity is an open door for solving a non-shareable problem in secret by violating a trust.
Opportunity is generally provided through weaknesses in the internal controls. Some examples
include inadequate or no:
•
Supervision and review
•
Separation of duties
•
Management approval
•
System controls
The opportunity to commit and conceal the fraud is the only element over which
the local government has significant control.
Pressure may be anything from unrealistic deadlines and performance goals to personal vices such
as gambling or drugs.
2
4. Red Flags for Fraud
Rationalization is a crucial component of most frauds because most people need to reconcile their
behavior with the commonly accepted notions of decency and trust. Some examples include:
•
“I really need this money and I’ll put it back when I get my paycheck”
•
“I’d rather have the company on my back than the IRS”
•
“I just can’t afford to lose everything – my home, car, everything”
Factors Contributing to Fraud
Factors contributing to fraud include the following:
Poor internal controls
Management override of internal controls
Collusion between employees
Collusion between employees and third parties
How is Fraud Discovered?
Occupational fraud can be detected through a number of different methods. The ACFE’s 2006 Survey
disclosed that 34.2 percent of frauds were detected through tips, 25.4 percent by accident, and 20.2 percent
through internal audits.
What is a Red Flag?
A red flag is a set of circumstances that are unusual in nature or vary from the normal activity. It is a
signal that something is out of the ordinary and may need to be investigated further. Remember that red
flags do not indicate guilt or innocence but merely provide possible warning signs of fraud.
Why are Red Flags important?
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants has issued a Statement on Auditing Standards
(SAS) No. 99 - Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit - that highlights the importance of
fraud detection. This statement requires the auditor to specifically assess the risk of material misstatement
due to fraud and it provides auditors with operational guidance on considering fraud when conducting a
financial statement audit. SAS 99’s approach is also valuable for other types of audits.
Being able to recognize red flags is necessary not only for public accountants but also for any auditor
working in the public sector where the potential for fraud to occur exists.
3
5. Red Flags for Fraud
Just keep in mind:
Do not ignore a red flag
Studies of fraud cases consistently show that red flags were present, but were either not recognized
or were recognized but not acted upon by anyone. Once a red flag has been noted, someone should
take action to investigate the situation and determine if a fraud as been committed.
Sometimes an error is just an error
Red flags should lead to some kind of appropriate action, however, sometimes an error is just an
error and no fraud has occurred. You need to be able to recognize the difference and remember
that responsibility for follow-up investigation of a red flag should be placed in the hands of a
measured and responsible person.
Types of Red Flags and Fraud
Now that we have discussed what red flags and fraud are, it is time to talk about the types of red flags and
fraud that, unfortunately, are common in the workplace today.
General Red Flags
What are the red flags that are common to most types of fraudulent activity?
Red flags that are common to most types of fraudulent activity can be categorized as employee and
management red flags. Before we give you examples of employee and management red flags, it is
important to understand more about employee and organizational profiles of fraud perpetrators. According
to the 2006 ACFE survey of more than 1,100 occupational fraud cases, perpetrators have the following
characteristics:
Fraud Perpetrator Profile:
The majority of occupational fraud cases (41.2 percent) are committed by employees.
However, the median loss for fraud committed by managers was $218,000, which is almost
three times greater than the loss resulting from an employee scheme.
Approximately 61 percent of the fraud cases were committed by men. The median loss
resulting from fraud by males was $250,000, which is more than twice the median loss
attributable to women.
Most fraud perpetrators (87.9 percent) have never been charged or convicted of a crime. This
supports previous research which has found that those who commit occupational fraud are not
career criminals.
Nearly 40 percent of all fraud cases are committed by two or more individuals. The median
loss in these cases is $485,000, which is almost five times greater than the median loss in fraud
cases involving one person.
4
6. Red Flags for Fraud
The median loss attributable to fraud by older employees is greater than that of their younger
counterparts. The median loss by employees over the age of 60 was $713,000. However, for
employees 25 or younger, the median loss was $25,000.
Organizational Profile:
Most costly abuses occur within organizations with less than 100 employees.
Government and Not-for-Profit organizations have experienced the lowest median losses.
Management ignores irregularities.
High turnover with low morale.
Staff lacks training.
Employee Red Flags
Employee lifestyle changes: expensive cars, jewelry, homes, clothes
Significant personal debt and credit problems
Behavioral changes: these may be an indication of drugs, alcohol, gambling, or just fear of losing
the job
High employee turnover, especially in those areas which are more vulnerable to fraud
Refusal to take vacation or sick leave
Lack of segregation of duties in the vulnerable area
Management Red Flags
Reluctance to provide information to auditors
Managers engage in frequent disputes with auditors
Management decisions are dominated by an individual or small group
Managers display significant disrespect for regulatory bodies
There is a weak internal control environment
Accounting personnel are lax or inexperienced in their duties
Decentralization without adequate monitoring
Excessive number of checking accounts
Frequent changes in banking accounts
Frequent changes in external auditors
Company assets sold under market value
Significant downsizing in a healthy market
Continuous rollover of loans
5
7. Red Flags for Fraud
Excessive number of year end transactions
High employee turnover rate
Unexpected overdrafts or declines in cash balances
Refusal by company or division to use serial numbered documents (receipts)
Compensation program that is out of proportion
Any financial transaction that doesn’t make sense - either common or business
Service Contracts result in no product
Photocopied or missing documents
Changes in Behavior “Red Flags”
The following behavior changes can be “Red Flags” for Embezzlement:
•
Borrowing money from co-workers
•
Creditors or collectors appearing at the workplace
•
Gambling beyond the ability to stand the loss
•
Excessive drinking or other personal habits
•
Easily annoyed at reasonable questioning
•
Providing unreasonable responses to questions
•
Refusing vacations or promotions for fear of detection
•
Bragging about significant new purchases
•
Carrying unusually large sums of money
•
Rewriting records under the guise of neatness in presentation
Red Flags in Cash/Accounts Receivable
Since cash is the asset most often misappropriated, local government officials and auditors should pay
close attention to any of these warning signs.
Excessive number of voids, discounts and returns
Unauthorized bank accounts
Sudden activity in a dormant banking accounts
Taxpayer complaints that they are receiving non-payment notices
Discrepancies between bank deposits and posting
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8. Red Flags for Fraud
Abnormal number of expense items, supplies, or reimbursement to the employee
Presence of employee checks in the petty cash for the employee in charge of petty cash
Excessive or unjustified cash transactions
Large number of write-offs of accounts
Bank accounts that are not reconciled on a timely basis
Red Flags in Payroll
Red flags that show up in payroll are generally worthy of looking into. Although payroll is usually an
automated function, it is a vulnerable area, especially if collusion is involved.
Inconsistent overtime hours for a cost center
Overtime charged during a slack period
Overtime charged for employees who normally would not have overtime wages
Budget variations for payroll by cost center
Employees with duplicate Social Security numbers, names, and addresses
Employees with few or no payroll deductions
Red Flags in Purchasing/Inventory
Increasing number of complaints about products or service
Increase in purchasing inventory but no increase in sales
Abnormal inventory shrinkage
Lack of physical security over assets/inventory
Charges without shipping documents
Payments to vendors who aren’t on an approved vendor list
High volume of purchases from new vendors
Purchases that bypass the normal procedures
Vendors without physical addresses
Vendor addresses matching employee addresses
Excess inventory and inventory that is slow to turnover
Purchasing agents that pick up vendor payments rather than have it mailed
General Types of Fraud
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9. Red Flags for Fraud
Lifestyle Fraud is often committed by trusted employees whom management know well, so it is
important to be on the look out for employee lifestyle issues that may be “red flags” indicating a
fraud risk.
• Some embezzlers are secretive. They don’t want to be caught and will “stash” stolen funds
and be extremely careful with their spending.
• Other “aspiring” embezzlers want to use, enjoy, share, and show off their fraudulently
gained money. Explanations of “new found” wealth may include:
“My husband/wife just got a great promotion.”
“I have a few little investments that have been doing really, REALLY well.”
“Great Aunt Ethel passed away and I was totally surprised – she left us quite a nice
little nest egg.”
“I finally decided to get rid of some property that’s been in the family for years.”
Fact: In many cases of fraud, perpetrators openly live beyond their means.
Lifestyle Problem Fraud deals with addictions. Someone who is dependent on drugs, alcohol,
gambling or other addictions typically experience a slow tightening noose of financial pressures.
Desperation fuels monetary needs and, therefore, the need arises to “borrow” funds to ease the
financial dilemma. Employees with addiction problems may be tough to spot. Many people with
addictions can function at fairly high or normal levels of behavior during work hours. Presented
are a few patterns to look for:
• Absenteeism
• Regular ill health or “shaky” appearance
• Easily making and breaking promises and commitments
• Series of creative “explanations”
• High level of self absorption
• Inconsistent or illogical behavior
• Forgetfulness or memory loss
• Family problems
• Evidence of deceit (small or large)
Financial Pressures are faced by everyone at some period of time. For a number of reasons,
perhaps beyond their control, employees may find themselves in financially stressful situations
due to a variety of factors. These may include:
• Medical bills
• Family responsibilities
• A spouse losing a job
• Divorce
• Debt requirements
• Maintaining a current lifestyle
• Car repairs
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10. Red Flags for Fraud
Obviously not everyone who faces undue pressure commits fraud, but the higher the stress level,
the more distracted and desperate an employee may become.
Fact: Researchers conclude that the most common reason employees commit fraud has to do with
motivation – the more dissatisfied the employee, the more likely he or she will engage in criminal
behavior.2
Costly Types of Fraud
Some of the more costly types of fraud include but are not limited to:
Financial Statement Fraud
Check Forgery
Credit Card Fraud
Medical/Insurance Claim Fraud
Other Common Types of Fraud include but are not limited to:
•
Falsifying timesheets for a higher amount of pay
•
Pilfering stamps
•
Stealing of any kind (e.g., cash, petty cash, supplies, equipment, tools, data, records, etc.)
•
Forgery (not just check forgery, e.g. forging department head signatures on purchase orders)
•
Lapping collections on customers’ accounts (definition is on page 13 of the handout)
•
Check Kiting (definition is on page 13 of the handout)
•
Pocketing payments on customers’ accounts, issuing receipts on self-designed receipt books
•
Not depositing all cash receipts (deposits are not “intact”)
•
Creating fictitious employees and collecting the paychecks (impersonation)
•
Failing to end personnel assignments for terminated employees and collecting the paychecks
•
Paying for personal expenses with business funds
•
Increasing vendor invoices through collusion
•
Billing for services not rendered and collecting the cash
•
Seizing checks payable to vendors
•
Recording fictitious transactions on the books to cover up theft
2 Journal of Accountancy February 2001
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11. Red Flags for Fraud
•
Conflicts of Interest
•
Nepotism
•
Breach of Duty
•
Favoritism
Common Types of Fraud in School Districts
•
Unreimbursed personal calls
•
Personal purchases on the procurement card
•
Inappropriate charges to a travel or account payable voucher
•
Theft of inventory items
•
Theft of cash from deposits
•
Falsifying time card with time not worked
Other Fraud Danger Signals
•
No supporting documentation for adjusting entries
•
Incomplete or untimely bank reconciliations
•
Increased customer complaints
•
Write-offs of inventory or cash shortages with no attempt to determine the cause
•
Unrealistic performance expectations
•
Rumors of conflicts of interest
•
Using duplicate invoices to pay vendors
•
Frequent use of sole-source procurement contracts
Next Steps
Being aware of red flags is only step one and is usually not enough for the local government. Once a red
flag is identified, you must take action to determine its effect. Evaluating the red flag may be
accomplished by financial analysis, observation or by any other technique that tests an apparent
weakness. Once the analysis is complete it’s time to move on to correct the situation.
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12. Red Flags for Fraud
What is the effect on the business at hand? Sometimes red flags that have no financial impact may not
require a change in procedure. Remember though, that a red flag is a warning that something is or could
be wrong. If you discover fraud, then an investigation is usually the next step. If it is just an error, then
steps should be taken to correct the error and a procedure or follow up should be initiated to prevent it
from occurring again.
Financial analysis has several applications when red flags are present. The most common is to determine
what effect it has on the conduct of the local government. For example, what is the potential as well as the
historical loss as the result of the red flag? What is the cost to prevent a potential loss from occurring and
what will it cost to recoup the identified loss?
Computer programs have been developed that identify a red flag and can even quantify it. Computer red
flags that have been used include:
Listing that compares actual vs. budgeted expenditures for employee reimbursements to determine
unusual patterns
Duplicate or non existent Social Security numbers for employees or vendors
Taxpayer complaints
Unusual patterns of overtime payments
Direct observation is the method of choice to determine the effect a red flag has on an organization. For
example, if analysis of overtime for an area suggests that one person is falsifying time cards, observing the
person’s start and stop times is important.
Observation is also useful when employee lifestyle changes are noted, or to get an understanding of how
an area works. Does the employee in fact drive a new Jaguar on a salary that clearly wouldn’t support it?
Whether it is fraud or an error, action should be taken to prevent the act from occurring again.
Reporting Fraud
In today’s environment, it is essential that local governments have policies and procedures in place for
reporting irregularities and/or suspected fraud. These policies and procedures need to be clearly
communicated to all employees and reviewed periodically to ensure that they still make sense.
In addition to having policies and procedures in place, employees should be able to communicate red flags
with the appropriate personnel without being concerned for their jobs or some type of retaliation. If
possible, some type of anonymous form should be developed for employees to fill out. Just remember, the
ACFE’s 2006 Survey disclosed that approximately 34.2 percent of frauds were detected through tips.
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13. Red Flags for Fraud
Conclusion
Red flags are warnings that something could be or is wrong.
Auditors, employees, and management need to be aware of red flags in order to monitor the
situation and then take corrective action as needed.
Employees who notice that red flags are ignored may mistakenly believe that it is okay to
game the system or that they won’t get caught.
A little fraud soon becomes a large one if left to grow.
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14. Red Flags for Fraud
Definitions Related to Fraud3
Check Kiting - In a kiting scheme, multiple bank accounts are opened and money is “deposited” from
account to account, although the money never exists. Floating makes this possible. Floating is the
additional value of funds generated in the process of collection and arises because the current holder of
funds has been given credit for the funds before it clears the financial institution upon which it is drawn.
Defalcation is another name for employee fraud and embezzlement.
Direct effect illegal acts are violations of laws or government regulations by the company or its
management or employees that produce direct and material effects on dollar amounts in financial
statements.
Embezzlement is a type of fraud involving employees’ or non employees’ wrongfully taking money or
property entrusted to their care, custody, and control, often accompanied by false accounting entries and
other forms of lying and cover up.
Employee Fraud is the use of fraudulent means to take money or other property from an employer. It
consists of three phrases: (1) the fraudulent act, (2) the conversion of the money or property to the
fraudster’s use and (3) the cover up.
Errors are unintentional misstatements or omissions of amounts or disclosures in financial statements.
“Illegal Acts” (far removed) are violations of laws and regulations that are far removed from financial
statement effects (for example, violations relating to insider securities trading, occupational health and
safety, food and drug administrations, environmental protection, and equal employment opportunity).
Incentive/pressure is a motive a person experiences and believes is non-shareable with friends and
confidants.
1. Psychotic: “habitual criminal” who steals for the sake of stealing.
2. Egocentric: Personal prestige, goal achievement.
3. Ideological: Cause is morally superior, justified in making other victims.
4. Economic: Desperate need for money, greed, economic achievement.
Irregularities are misstatements or omissions of amounts or disclosures in financial statements that are
NOT unintentional.
Lapping is stealing one customer’s payment and crediting the customer’s account with the payment by
another customer. The second customer’s account is later credited by yet a third customer.
Larceny is simple theft of an employer’s property that is not entrusted to an employee’s care, custody or
control.
3 Auditing and Assurance Services, Tenth Edition, Jack C. Robertson and Timothy J. Louwers.
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15. Red Flags for Fraud
Definitions Related to Fraud (cont’d)
Management Fraud is intentional misstatements or omissions of amounts or disclosures in financial
statements.
Opportunity is an open door for solving the non-shareable problem in secret by violating a trust.
1. Weak internal controls
2. Circumvention of internal controls
3. The greater the position, the greater the trust and exposure to unprotected assets.
Predication is any information that gives a fraud examiner (or another person who informs the fraud
examiner) a reason to believe a fraud occurred, may have occurred, or may be presently occurring. The
information may come from an anonymous tip, from an employee noticing something wrong, or from an
auditor noticing something suspiciously wrong.
Unimpeachable integrity is the ability to act in accordance with the highest moral and ethical values all
the time. This is practically impossible, so fraudsters will rationalize:
1. I need it more than the other person.
2. I’m borrowing and will pay it back later.
3. Everybody does it.
4. The company is big enough that it won’t miss it.
5. Nobody will get hurt.
6. I deserve it.
7. It’s for the greater good.
White Collar Crime is fraud perpetrated by people who work in offices and steal with a pencil or a
computer terminal. The contrast is violent street crime.
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