Organizations of all kinds and sizes are increasingly threatened by fraud. Embezzlement, kickbacks, check fraud, financial statement fraud and vendor billing schemes are just a few of the countless economic crimes committed by employees and outsiders.

This two day interactive in-person seminar will provide auditors and other financial professionals with a strong foundation of practical knowledge about how common frauds are committed using a combination of lecture, exercise and group breakout sessions.

Learning Objectives:-

• Understanding the fraud problem
• Identify the red flags of fraud
• How to detect and investigate fraud
• Building an anti-fraud control environment
• Internal and external cybercrime threat and latest preventive measures

Agenda:-

DAY 01(11:30 AM - 7:30 PM)

• SECTION 1: THE FRAUD PROBLEM

• Part 1: Introduction
  • External versus Internal Fraud—short overview (Fraud Matrix) information security theft and fraud
  • Who commits fraud -- The Fraud Triangle (Graphic scenario of presence of all three components)
  • Lessons from Fraudsters: (Examples of real-life frauds that can and do affect large not-for-profits (NFP)
• Part 2: Common Types of External and Internal Fraud Today
• External Fraud:
  • Vendor fraud (Case studies that show new ways vendor fraud can be committed)
  • Check fraud (illustrations of forged/altered checks)
  • The growing threat of cyber-crime (hacking/information theft, system sabotage, viruses, etc)
  • Social engineering (Phishing, pretexting, smishing, spear phishing)
    Q&A and Interactive Discussion
    Note:Each category of fraud will be illustrated by real-life recent fraud scenarios/case studies
• Internal Fraud:
  • Embezzlement (General definition; 2-3 case studies)
  • Cash theft (Skimming, lapping)
  • T&E fraud/Misuse of company credit card or P-card
  • Collusion w/ domestic or international vendors (kickbacks, bribery)
  • Identity fraud (Graphic description of ways internal ID theft/fraud is committed pretexting, using co-worker’s credentials to commit fraud, theft of customer ID)
  • Theft/falsification of confidential information (donor personal information, employee data, etc)
  • Theft of assets (laptops, physical equipment, software piracy)
  • Payroll Fraud (Manipulating payroll systems; ghost employees)
  • Procure-to-Pay fraud (Procurement — Receiving—Accounts Payable Cycle)
  • Financial reporting fraud
  • Counterfeiting and piracy
  • Internet/cyber-fraud

• SECTION 2: THE ALL-IMPORTANT RED FLAGS OF FRAUD

• Part 3: Conducting a Fraud Risk Assessment and Recognizing the Red Flags of Internal Fraud
  • Fraud Risk Mitigation Cycle - Implementing a Company-Wide System for Detecting, Preventing and Investigating Fraud
  • Steps to Conducting a Successful Fraud Risk Assessment
  • Embezzlement red flags (Behavioral changes, accounting anomalies)
  • Cash theft red flags (anomalies in daily reconciliations, check-for-cash indicators, etc)
  • T&E fraud red flags (Unusually high expense claims; photocopies of receipts, etc) frequent switches in vendors; vendor address is a P.O. box)
  • Collusion/kickback/bribery red flags (long-time vendor suddenly replaced, pricing anomalies, etc)
  • Identity fraud red flags (internal) (Employees complain of ID theft problems, customer complaints)
  • Theft of confidential information (Example: Scientific fraud/fraudulent scientific research)
  • Theft of assets/industrial equipment (laptops, software piracy, construction materials, equipment, gasoline, confidential/proprietary information)
  • Payroll fraud (terminated employees still receiving checks; payroll amounts fluctuate)
  • P2P fraud red flags (Suddenly higher costs of supplies or services; low quality of delivered merchandise)
  • Financial reporting fraud (Unusually high revenues, odd patterns in receivables, etc)
  • Counterfeiting and piracy (Graphic samples of red flags)
  • Internet/cyber-fraud

DAY 02(11:30 AM - 7:30 PM)

• SECTION 3: FRAUD DETECTION AND INVESTIGATION

• Part 4: Fraud Detection

  Red Flags are the Key to Fraud Detection and Prevention. Once you know what red flags to look for you can implement effective detection, investigative and forensic accounting techniques.

  Introduction: How Frauds Are Most Often Detected (General ways: ACFE Chart)

  Additional General Detection Methods:

  • Whistleblower hotlines: How to set them up and manage them (detailed discussion of do’s and don’ts). Detailed instruction on best practices and mistakes to avoid 
    Other important fraud detection procedures:
  • Monitor Employee Email, other activities
  • Surprise Internal Audit
  • Regular internal audits, incorporating fraud audit testing
  • Ratio analysis
  • Physical inspection of inventory
  • Manual review of all vendors (to ensure absence of sham vendors)
  • Manual review/assessment of payroll sample data (to ensure absence of ghosts)
  • Data Analytics (is both detective and investigative. IA can use D-M to screen for red flags) Instruction on basic steps and techniques and how to gather required data.
  • Examples of Fraud Audit Measures at Work
    • Accounts Payable Fraud Auditing (List of fraud-audit/detection measures)
    • Payroll Fraud Auditing (List of fraud-audit/detection measures)
• Part 5: Investigation Techniques
• Forensic Accounting Investigation - What it Is
  • Different from Internal Audit/ When to Call in Forensic Accountant/Auditor/CFE
  • Forensic accounting/auditing techniques: Data Mining and Analytics (most powerful forensic accounting investigative tool); ratio analysis;
  • Gathering evidence – Document retention, chain of custody, preservation, mistakes to avoid
  • Securing crime scene
  • Interviewing/interrogating suspects – Detailed steps with examples
  • Documenting findings

• SECTION 4: ANTI-FRAUD CONTROLS

• Part 6: Internal Controls and Other Fraud Prevention Measures:
  • Who Should Manage Anti Fraud Activities
  • Internal Controls: Do’s and Don’t’s
  • Best Practices in Anti-Fraud Controls.
    • General controls: Segregation of Duties, Delegation of Authority, Background investigation
    • Specific operations-level controls for each fraud category.

Who will Benefit:-

• Internal and external audit professionals
• Internal control professionals
• Finance and accounting management
• Compliance professionals
• Loss prevention and risk specialists
• Security professionals
• Fraud examiners
• Procurement/purchasing and Payables Specialists