Investigation

Great transformations

Fraud Magazine has always been in a state of transformation, from its start as a simple newsletter to a glossy magazine reaching more than 90,000 fraud fighters across the globe. Now, the magazine is making another big change as a digital-only publication. Here we look back at Fraud Magazine’s evolution over the years and look forward to our all-digital future.

In pursuit of justice

In the Justice for Fraud Victims Project, college students obtain valuable real-world experience in the field of forensic accounting while aiding victims of fraud. Members of law enforcement and academia collaborate with Certified Fraud Examiners to get justice for victims of suspected financial fraud. In this article, the authors provide a real-world example of how the project has helped fraud victims while detailing the benefits and challenges associated with adopting the JFVP at U.S. colleges and universities.

Gabriella Marshall, CFE

A Houston native, Gabriella Marshall, CFE, investigates insurance fraud and works with attorneys to mitigate fraudulent losses. She’s conducted investigations internationally and inspires family and community members to value justice as both a parent and special education advocate.

Corporate teamwork’s impact on collective fraud participation

In any organization, tone at the top matters. Leaders who emphasize teamwork without building a strong ethical foundation risk creating an environment prone to collusive fraud. The author offers advice for mitigating collective rationalization and reducing the risk of collusive fraud within a corporation.

Behavioral analytics could’ve detected and prevented Evergrande fraud

The Evergrande Group, one of China’s largest property developers, recently went bankrupt and was liquidated because of excessive borrowing, mismanagement and alleged financial misreporting. In this column, the author conjectures that behavioral and data analytics could’ve gone a long way in detecting and preventing this scandal.

COVID test kits scam, hurricane recovery and charity scams, and AI email security gaps

U.S. citizens can receive free COVID tests again; beware of scammers who want to charge you. Fake charities are following the recent hurricane disasters. And fraudsters are using artificial intelligence to gain the upper hand to invade inboxes with sophisticated malicious emails.

Getting the words right

For people who stammer — or stutter, if you’re in the U.S. — passing any business’s identity verification process can be frustrating. Customers with speech disorders like stammering may fail fraud detection controls because many of the tactics they use to manage or hide their speech impairment conflict with those controls.

Cracking the center

According to the United Nations, an estimated 200,000 people have been trafficked into cyber scam centers where they’re forced to commit fraud schemes, causing billions of dollars in losses worldwide. Fraud Magazine talks to experts fighting on the frontlines against forced criminality about what it will take to disrupt these cyber scam operations and what fraud examiners can do to help.

A case of workplace misconduct

In this case study — the first in a series covering compliance and investigation issues across the globe — the author, a veteran ethics and compliance professional, details a workplace misconduct investigation involving a senior business leader at a large organization in India. The inquiry, which began with harassment allegations, revealed other questionable activities the senior leader was engaged in.

Taking trauma into account

Interviews are essential to gathering detailed information during a fraud examination. But some interviews require special care, especially when it comes to victims of fraud. Trauma-informed interviewing practices take into account the emotional upheaval that fraud victims often face. In this article, the author explains why trauma-informed interviews are important and how their principles can be incorporated into interviewing practices.

Outsmarting fraud in the hospitality industry

With more people traveling and spending money on leisure following the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudsters are once again turning their attention to the hospitality industry. Here we look at the variety of fraud taking place in this sector and how best to prevent it.

Identity thieves steal PII with fake Google Authenticator ads, WhatsApp job scams and phony airline customer service reps

Identity thieves continue their quest for consumers’ personally identifiable information with three new scams. Beware fraudsters posing as airline customer service representatives on social media, mystery companies targeting job seekers on the WhatsApp instant messaging service and fake Google Authenticator ads masquerading as malware.