Forensic services & fraud news and resources

TOPICS

March 30, 2016

Anti-fraud controls cut significantly into losses, new report finds

Fraud costs the typical organization about 5% of revenues in a given year, according to a study released by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

November 13, 2015

Tax ID theft victims may obtain copies of fraudulent returns

In a change of policy, the IRS announced procedures for victims of tax ID theft or their authorized representative to request copies of bogus returns filed by identity thieves.

November 1, 2015

Highlights of fraud research

This review of recent fraud research covers such topics as auditor skepticism toward earnings reports, the effect of lawsuits on audit quality, the influence of incentives on whistleblowing, and more.

October 1, 2015

CPAs: Criminal-pursuing agents

For most CPAs, a lunch with clients is hardly a life-threatening experience. It’s different when you’re an undercover FBI agent posing as an accountant whose clients are mob bosses.

September 14, 2015

Pay attention to nonfinancial measures when performing audits

Nonfinancial data can be just as important as dollars and cents when detecting fraud.

August 1, 2015

Forensic interviews: Plan to succeed

Knowing whom to question and how to go about it in a fraud investigation can save money and time. This article shows how to make the most of interviewing in fraud engagements.

August 1, 2015

TIGTA: More identity-theft returns stopped, filters still need refinement

In the 2013 filing season, the IRS identified 4.1 million fraudulent returns involving identity theft.

July 16, 2015

Majority of CPAs polled had clients victimized by tax ID theft this year

Many reported it was difficult or very difficult to resolve the issue with the IRS, echoing recent findings by the Taxpayer Advocate Service.

July 15, 2015

National taxpayer advocate: IRS falling down on the job of helping identity theft victims

Fewer than 10% of callers to the IRS’s phone line for victims of identity theft got through to an IRS assistor during some of the busiest weeks of tax season.

April 13, 2015

Monitoring fraud risks in the supply chain

Mark Pearson, who works in supply chain forensics for Deloitte, explains how companies can probe one of the top risks—third-party expense categories—and avoid overpaying.

April 13, 2015

What’s your fraud IQ?

Organizations seeking to prevent and detect fraud can greatly boost their chances of success by instituting a strong ethics program. How can you develop and deploy a good ethics program? What are the characteristics of an ethical work environment? Test your knowledge in this month’s Fraud IQ quiz.

February 1, 2015

Fraud

There is no way to guarantee that an organization will not experience financial reporting fraud. But research shows that fraud-resistant organizations share three traits: A tone at the top that encourages an ethical culture. The presence of skepticism. Engagement of all participants in the financial reporting supply chain. That’s according

February 1, 2015

What’s your fraud IQ?

How well do you know how to prevent, detect, and respond to data breaches? Find out in this month’s Fraud IQ quiz.

February 1, 2015

Tips for conducting a forensic interview

A properly conducted forensic interview turns a potentially reluctant subject into an information-providing source.

January 14, 2015

Viewing cybersecurity through a COSO lens

The principles outlined in a popular internal control framework can help organizations manage their cybersecurity.

January 1, 2015

Fraud

With the help of new investigative approaches—and data and analytical tools—the SEC filed a record 755 enforcement actions totaling $4.16 billion in disgorgement and penalties in fiscal year 2014, the securities regulator announced.

December 1, 2014

Fraud

Corporate board members of U.S. public companies are keenly focused on risk, but many are uncomfortable with their understanding of which risks the companies are willing to take, according to PwC survey results.

December 1, 2014

Are organizations hindering employee whistleblowing?

Some measures organizations undertake to promote fraud reporting sometimes have the opposite effect. What can management do to encourage whistleblowing? This article offers a series of suggestions.

December 1, 2014

Tax phishing goes global with FATCA

Scam artists impersonating the IRS have been requesting foreign financial account holders’ personal and account information, the IRS warned in a news release.

November 17, 2014

Defining roles in prevention of financial reporting fraud

FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Flip out with the latest Tech Q&A

The September Technology Q&A column shows how to create dynamic to-do lists with Excel's checkboxes and also how to set up multifactor authentication texts that don't rely on phones. Flip through both items and view a video walkthrough in our digital format.