Judge, Jury & Accountant: The Forensic Accountant as Litigation Support

Michael D. Rockefeller, CPA, Principal

Several of our blog posts in 2010 focused on the business end of forensic accounting, including some of the many things to look for to identify potentially fraudulent activity, or the areas ripe for this to occur.  To this end, a business may be tipped off that a current or former employee may have committed fraud, and the forensic accountant may be brought in to follow the trail of evidence, discover or confirm where specifically […]

Where is Fraud Likely? – Part 13: It’s Not Miscellaneous

Lawrence R. Beebe, CPA, Principal

In this series, we are discussing specific areas where fraud might be likely to occur within an organization and the steps management can take to detect and prevent fraud.

Fraud is Not Likely to be Hidden in Miscellaneous Expense 

The crook knows that the auditor is going to analyze miscellaneous expense looking for any significant or unusual transactions.  Therefore, miscellaneous expense is seldom the dumping ground for the fraudulent transaction.  The more intelligent crook will try to […]

Where is Fraud Likely? – Part 11: Window Dressing

Lawrence R. Beebe, CPA

In this series, we are discussing specific areas where fraud might be likely to occur within an organization and the steps management can take to detect and prevent fraud.

Window Dressing Has Nothing to do With the Drapes in Your House
Window dressing refers to any action taken by an individual or individuals to make the financial statements look better than they actually are at the end of an accounting period by manipulating the numbers.  Suppose that […]

Computer Forensics: An Important Tool for Uncovering Fraud

Alex Helfand, ENCE, Computer Forensic Specialist

In a world so dependent on technology, it is becoming more important than ever for computers to be investigated as part of accounting fraud cases.  It may be obvious to assume that when looking at a hard drive, an investigator will be able to see the files saved on the computer.  However, there is much more value to performing a computer forensic investigation than the aforementioned.

Recover Deleted Files
Someone committing fraud might believe they […]

Where is Fraud Likely? – Part 9: Check Fraud

Lawrence R. Beebe, CPA,

In this series, we are discussing specific areas where fraud might be likely to occur within an organization and the steps management can take to detect and prevent fraud.

Two Signatures on a Check May Be No Better than One

Many entities insist that every check have two signatures.  It is an excellent internal control if it works properly.  Don’t be fooled into thinking, however, that two signatures are always better than one.

Take the following scenario:  a bookkeeper […]

Where is Fraud Likely? – Part 8:Repeat Offenders

Lawrence R. Beebe, CPA, Principal

In this series, we are discussing specific areas where fraud might be likely to occur within an organization and the steps management can take to detect and prevent fraud.

The Petty Thief Always Gets Greedy

A person is caught stealing small amounts from a company.  The perpetrator confesses and asks for another chance at the same job.  The company president feels sorry for the individual and agrees.  Is this a smart move?

There is a chance that the […]