Audit

Sudhir Gidwani, CFE

Sudhir Gidwani, CFE, says in 1984 he first found tremendous joy piecing together the jigsaw puzzle of unearthing fraud during his investigation of the collapse of a major local bank in Hong Kong. “As my experience in fraud and corruption investigations developed, I became more passionate about what I was doing,” he says.

Meet Taz Kalolwala, CFE

Kalolwala has worked her way up the corporate ladder during the course of her career, but it’s her people skills and team-nurturing abilities that sets her apart. She advises fellow CFEs to remain humble and continuously seek help from other anti-fraud professionals.

Why audits fail

A bond of trust joins auditors with all who depend on the accuracy and completeness of their findings. But venal executives, captured regulators and compromised auditors can subvert that bond, betray confidence and dissipate capital. This article offers key insights and best practices to help CFEs — including those who are auditors — expose and mitigate threats to audit reliability.

The smoke detector

Howard Wilkinson smelled smoke when he was a trader for the Estonian branch of Danske Bank. The fire he discovered is a $230 billion debacle — possibly the largest-ever money-laundering scheme. Wilkinson’s investigative skills could help accelerate European reforms.

Anti-money laundering for registered broker-dealers

The fact that the SEC continues to pursue AML violations, and in one instance sought a $23 million penalty, emphasizes that broker-dealers have a continuing incentive to comply with AML obligations.

Don't take this fraud for granted

The U.S. federal government disburses billions in grants annually to worthy recipients. These awards aim to make life better by promoting research and development, finding new disease treatments plus improving education, infrastructure, housing and much more. Of course, big money attracts fraudsters. Here we examine three main types of schemes and how fraud examiners can prevent and deter grant fraud. We also dissect the government’s latest anti-fraud guidance.

Create your luck to fight fraud

Fraud examiners often stumble upon unsought information. Here’s how to train yourself to find that info so you can detect other potential frauds, obtain evidence, recover fraud-related losses, identify and correct deficiencies, and more.

What is Benford’s Law (Nano Self-Study)

Identifying potential fraud within large data sets can be challenging. In this course, you will learn how to identify anomalies and potential fraud in large data sets using the theory behind Benford’s Law.

How to Prevent Accounting Fraud Using the Pareto Principle

Charging anti-fraud costs to investigated business units might backfire

Consider keeping investigative charges within corporate security and other anti-fraud functions. You might then increase reporting of fraud and other crimes.

Ripple effects of fraud

We often focus on a fraud’s perpetrator, the conditions that allowed the fraud, plus the victim business and its owners. In this case, the authors cover the bases but also discuss the forgotten aspect: how the fraud affects so many more who live in the concentric circles around the fraudster.

Trust us ... we wouldn't lie to you

An accounting firm took on a new client from the advice of a good friend, but it didn’t conduct proper due diligence. Big mistake. During an inventory, the client’s CEO repeatedly lied to the author — a fraud examiner — and the external auditors he worked with. Here’s how to avoid fraudulent clients and keep your sanity.