Gogi Overhoff, CFE

Long before she became a fraud examiner, Gogi Overhoff, CFE, had her sights set on becoming an actress. But instead of a life on stage, she shines a spotlight on licensed accountants accused of defrauding their clients in her role as an investigator for the California Board of Accountancy.

I was born in Vienna, Austria, but grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, spending most holidays and summers in Europe. Being at home in the U.S. was just like being in Austria — the culture, decorations, food — even speaking German. 

My favorite activities growing up included bicycling, acting and dancing. I took tap, ballet and jazz classes and was in school plays.

Until the age of 22, I was on my way to becoming an actress. Many people advised against it, and I’m glad I followed their advice. Accounting is much more fun, and forensic accounting is the best. Many acting skills, such as keeping an audience’s attention and making them “believe” are useful in fraud examinations.

I’m an investigative Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who specializes in audit work for the California Board of Accountancy (CBA). The CBA’s mission is to protect consumers by ensuring that licensed accountants adhere to standards. I evaluate complaints from individuals or agencies about CPAs to determine if a case is within our jurisdiction and then gather evidence from licensees, complainants and third parties. Extra research on my part is needed if the case involves a particular specialization. If the violations are severe enough, I summarize my findings in a report and recommend the case for prosecution. If the case requires disciplinary action, I confirm and document the chain of custody. My favorite part of the job is testifying as a fact and expert witness. 

Typical cases entail gross or repeated negligent acts by CPAs. Cases where a CPA is accused of misleading or defrauding someone are challenging and often require a bit of ingenuity to investigate and successfully prosecute.

My parents ran a small business building and selling gamma radiation detectors for submarines and paper mills. My mother always emphasized the importance of protecting the business so my father could focus on his passion for engineering and inventing patentable devices. Before I became a fraud examiner, I followed my mother’s example of protecting small businesses by helping owners with separation of duties and implementing checks and balances.

Early in my career, I thought CPAs’ main job was finding fraud but learned otherwise after attending a presentation featuring CPA Paul Regan. He presented a whole new world: a career dedicated to fraud prevention and detection without having to balance the books. After the presentation, I gathered the courage to speak to him, and he told me about the ACFE and different career options. I was blown away. I promptly attended a local ACFE chapter meeting, petrified beyond belief by all these cool people.

I encourage everyone to attend ACFE conferences and get involved in their local chapter. The support, camaraderie and opportunities to “geek out” are second to none.

You can’t quantify the knowledge and benefits you gain from being a CFE. While the credential certainly gave me an advantage in the job market, it’s the intangible benefits that make all the difference as a fraud examiner. The ACFE provides its members with cutting-edge knowledge and tools they can apply on the job. For example, I once attended an ACFE chapter presentation on personally identifiable information (PII), long before it was common knowledge. Because of that presentation, I was able to use it in a case involving a CPA who, among other things, had thrown tax documents and unopened letters from taxing authorities into a dumpster. I found a California statute related to PII and incorporated it into my report. It was an uphill battle convincing my supervisor we could successfully use the statute in the case, although it’s a no-brainer to cite it today. (The CPA’s license was revoked.)

Take advantage of mentoring offers. Those offers are not given lightly, and they help immensely. I’m thankful for the ways I’ve grown, the mountains I’ve climbed and the people who’ve helped me as I’ve gone from a political science major and awestruck auditor afraid of public speaking to a CFE who enjoys public speaking.

I like to mentor up-and-coming CPAs. It’s a great way to give back. Recently, I helped a fellow CPA obtain her attest license. [Attestation refers to the process by which a CPA reviews and validates a company’s financial information.] I also guided her through the process of obtaining a new position.

I recharge every week as a volunteer scuba diver at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. I feed the fish, clean the tanks and sometimes catch marine life for their veterinarian visits. I interact with small children on the other side of the glass who are often surprised to see a human swimming among the fish. I learned scuba diving in Australia and have dived in Indonesia, Singapore, Central America and the Caribbean. Diving in Fiji and Madagascar are on my bucket list.

Jennifer Liebman is assistant editor of Fraud Magazine. Contact her at jliebman@ACFE.com.