As a forensic accountant, many of the financial fraud investigations I’ve worked on were not triggered because someone was actively looking for an embezzling employee. Far from it. Most business owners or stakeholders usually don’t expect to find something amiss in...
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What You Can Do to Spot the Risks and Shield Your Business from Employee Fraud
As a forensic accountant with decades of experience handling financial fraud investigations, I’ve seen firsthand how employee fraud can quietly infiltrate—and wreak havoc upon—a business. An employee who embezzles affects a company’s finances and can curdle the...
A Forensic Accountant’s Take: Desperation Can Tempt Even the Most Trustworthy to Commit Financial Fraud
We often associate financial fraud with shady characters doing deliberately dishonest deals. But as a forensic accountant with long experience conducting financial fraud investigations, it’s clear to me that anyone—no matter how trustworthy they may appear to be—can...
Insider Threats: Identifying Fraud by Trusted Employees
A thriving company with 60 employees, a warehouse buzzing with activity, and a future full of potential. Then, at the hands of a trusted employee turned fraudster, the business is reduced to just five workers and is being run out of a 120-square-foot storage unit....
Why a Badly Integrated Financial Operations Platform Could Be Creating a Major Fraud Risk for Your Company
As a forensic accountant, I've seen firsthand how technology can be both a blessing and a curse for businesses. Many companies are using third-party platforms to perform finance functions, including accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR). These digital...
Safeguarding Your Professional Services Firm from Fraud and Embezzlement
In a striking case that underscores the vulnerabilities many businesses face, a former legal secretary at a Roanoke, Va., law firm was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison for embezzlement, credit card fraud, and forgery. The conviction followed a financial...
Guiding with Integrity: Why Ethical Leadership Is Crucial in Fraud Prevention
Leading a business isn't just about making decisions—it's about setting the tone, inspiring trust, and fostering a culture of integrity. Yet the pressures of achieving financial targets amid complex market dynamics can sometimes overshadow...
Vendor Fraud: Recognizing the Risks and Protecting Your Business
As a business owner, forging relationships with vendors is essential for supporting your operations and fueling growth. What happens, however, when the trust you’ve placed in your external partners is betrayed? Unfortunately, this is a question too often faced...
Unmasking Employee Fraud: Five Red Flags You Can’t Ignore
If you’re running a business, few things can be as devastating as employee fraud. The financial impact can be severe, your company’s reputation might be damaged, and the betrayal of trust may poison the workplace culture. Given the potential damage fraud can inflict,...
How Beneficiaries Can Play a Key Role in Preventing and Detecting Trust and Estate Fraud
More often than not, trustees, executors, and attorneys-in-fact act in good faith and with the best interests of the trust or estate they are managing in mind. Even so, beneficiaries should remain vigilant. Fraud cases involving those entrusted to manage a...
Cultivating an Ethical Culture Can Be a Powerful Tool in Preventing Employee Financial Fraud
Your vigilance against employee financial fraud may be the essential thread holding together the intricate fabric of integrity and trustworthiness in your successful organization. From the pilfering of office supplies to more insidious acts of financial...
Nonprofits Are Prime Targets for Fraud. Here Are the Practical Steps They Can Take to Fight Back.
Consider this scenario: Maria is a volunteer at a nonprofit organization providing educational support to underprivileged children in her community. She has been helping out for years and is a trusted member of the volunteer team—so trusted, in fact, that she is...