A thorough fraud examination often falls to forensic accounting experts, as they have the experience necessary to sift through, sometimes seemingly, endless documents and data—and they know what to look for in an investigative process.
A certified fraud examiner is a financial investigator who will look for evidence, obtain information from involved parties and write reports on their findings. Most fraud examiners have experience not only in accounting, but also in auditing, law, investigation and even criminology.
Because fraudsters are often clever, and fraud, by its very nature is hidden, a typical audit may not uncover instances of fraud. A certified fraud examiner has a larger scope and, while he or she will examine financial statements for fraud, there are other methods used to find evidence, including interviewing outside sources, performing computerized searches of accounting data and payroll records and using expert document examiners.
Fraud is often defined as an act of intentional deception through either commission or omission that leaves its victims with an economic loss while the perpetrator has an economic gain. In the business world, there are three general types of fraud that an examiner may look for during an examination:
It’s an unfortunate truth that most organizations will face some level of fraud at one point or another. Knowing when to reach out for help is essential. If you have received an anonymous tip from someone within your company or received an inquiry from the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), it is time to investigate. A certified fraud examiner can do the difficult work so that you can continue conducting business as usual, as much as possible. Not only can a thorough examination find instances of fraud, but an examiner can testify in court on your behalf to aid you in the process of recovering lost assets.
