With Examples From Asset Misappropriation to Financial Statement Fraud (Part II of II) This two-part article (Read Part I here) focuses on the two significant, but different, roles forensic accountants play in quantifying employee losses and how—in the normal course of the analysis—they may find instances of fraud that require further investigation. The authors first provide detailed guidance for forensic a ...

With Examples From Asset Misappropriation to Financial Statement Fraud (Part I of II) This two-part article focuses on the two significant, but different, roles forensic accountants play in quantifying employee losses and how—in the normal course of the analysis—they may find instances of fraud that require further investigation. The authors first provide detailed guidance for forensic accountants in how to ...

in Inventory Loss Claims Insurance claims for loss of inventory are generally examined by insurance carriers. The carrier will retain a forensic accountant who has the ability to quantify out of sight inventory losses. Out of sight inventory losses occur when the accountant is not able to physically count the damaged inventory. These types of inventory losses include, but are not limited to, damage from fir ...

in Detecting Fraud in Business Interruption Claims (Part I of II) Business interruption claims are generally closely scrutinized by insurance carriers and can range from thousands of dollars to claims exceeding $100 million. Insurance carriers often seek the assistance of either internal or external forensic accountants to analyze such claims. During their analysis, forensic accountants often detect the pos ...

A Guide for Forensic Analysts As cryptocurrencies become more mainstream, it is vital for forensic analysts to understand and analyze digital currency data. Forensic analysts are increasingly being brought in to trace and help recover crypto assets in criminal matters, such as money laundering and other fraud prosecutions. There is also a noticeable increase in the use of forensic analysts in civil litigati ...

Signs of Ethical Deterioration The 21st century has brought not only the worst pandemic in over 100 years, but also an alarming deterioration in ethical culture. We see examples of this in the types of fraud being perpetrated, as well as in the behavior of elected officials, athletes, business owners, and wealthy parents of students. Where is this trend headed, and can it be reversed? In this article, the a ...

Fraud Issues in the Hospitality Industry Post-COVID-19 Pandemic The hospitality industry is already experiencing an increase in fraud, and everyone associated with the business—including operators, owners, managers, employees, and even guests—is at risk of being affected. In this article, the author identifies areas of fraud and provides recommendations to mitigate risk.  As a self-proclaimed foodie, I am e ...

Risks in a Post Pandemic Environment The pandemic placed many individuals into an environment where they had to rely on technology to conduct daily life and the financial transactions associated with it. This was a major change; especially for a generation that was accustomed to handling their banking and financial transactions face to face. Forcing a generation to begin to conduct banking and purchasing on ...

Spotting Internal Fraud Schemes To identify whether an organization is vulnerable or has been a victim of fraudulent behavior, it is critical to spot common warning signs of internal fraud schemes. The first step is knowing where to look. The company’s general ledger (GL) is a good place to start. It is a book that can tell stories of fraud, manipulation, and betrayal. Unfortunately, few know how to read th ...

in the Cryptocurrency Economy Although cryptocurrency and blockchain technology create an environment that can help combat fraud within their systems, their introduction into the global economy has opened numerous doors for nefarious activity. This article provides an overview of what is cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and the rise of threats to digital assets. Fraud used to be much simpler for the f ...

Firms are spending plenty on tech but are skimping when it comes to training their people to recognize an incoming attack. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: The Cybersecurity Defense Advisors Forget. ...

A Forensic Accountant’s Process The purpose of this article is to explain how forensic accountants look at the big picture, both financially and by understanding past behaviors, to uncover items that may help you or your client. The author shares that some of his biggest “wins” in fraud investigations started with broad allegations; however, the techniques used to identify and quantify these allegations wer ...

Private Equity’s Fast and Furious Entry into Healthcare (Part III of III) The third of this three-part series examines why private equity and venture capital firms are targeting the healthcare industry and the issues that they encounter managing their healthcare portfolio. Private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) firms are attracted by the potential for growth that exists in the healthcare industry; how ...

The number of reports of financial fraud against older adults has quadrupled since 2013, with 63,500 filed reports describing more than $1.7 billion in actual losses or attempted thefts in 2017, according to a report released by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. To read the full article in McKnight’s Senior Living, click: Financial Elder Fraud Reports Quadruple; Amount Reaches $1.7 Billion. ...

When an NFL-athlete client heard about the alleged fraud of star quarterback Vince Young in 2012, former advisor Kenneth Ray Cleveland used it to his advantage.  “Saw that, but it is like I said this morning in my text message, you get the credit for your financial success,” Cleveland wrote in a 2012 e-mail to former Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Cory Redding.  “Dare I say Vince Young is every bit as ...

Since enacting the Securities Exchange Act in 1934, Congress has repeatedly expanded the arsenal of the SEC to protect investors through enforcement actions.  As a result, the SEC has steadily increased the number of enforcement actions.  The author's analysis of 1,563 accounting and auditing enforcement cases from 2008 to 2014 shows the most frequent securities law violations adjudicated by the SEC, the pe ...

I have a number of elderly clients.  It’s difficult for them to come in and sign documents, and if I overnight it to them, they often come back signed in the wrong place or otherwise incorrectly filled out.  To make life easier for my clients I’ve had them sign blank forms, and then I’ll fill them in as needed.  I’ve never used those forms improperly, but I’ve heard that if my firm finds out I can be in big ...

A financial planner who admitted to defrauding his client out of nearly $1 million through a signature-forging scheme received a prison sentence of four-and-a-half years.  William P. Carlson Jr. pleaded guilty to mail fraud in the U.S. District Court in Chicago and agreed to pay restitution of $911,000 in connection with the five-year scam. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: Advisor Gets ...

Quantifying the Risk Adjustment Depending on the valuation assignment facts and circumstances, the valuation analyst (analyst) may encounter a unique valuation problem: a problem that is well outside the ordinary scope of typical valuation issues. Unique problems provide the analyst an opportunity to develop thought leadership solutions in a manner that (1) provides value to the client and (2) assists the r ...

Don’t be a Victim of Fraud Fraud can affect virtually any organization and fraud costs can be far more than just monetary losses. The author discusses the recent Wells Fargo fraud investigation and shares her views regarding what makes for an effective risk identification program. The effects of fraud can go beyond simple dollar losses and include harm to the organization’s reputation, employee morale, lega ...