It is important for a business to closely monitor and control its bank reconciliations and other account-related activities to help prevent fraud, according to a noted Philadelphia forensic accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. David Anderson, principal of David Anderson & Associates, a Philadelphia forensic accounting firm that provides a full range of fraud investigation and… Read more »
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Posts Tagged: Certified Fraud Examiner in Philadelphia
Tricks of the Trade – Looking at the Numbers
As part of the normal procedure of analyzing financial and accounting information, a forensic accountant will look closely at the numbers themselves. Such tight scrutiny can help unearth potential fraud or other abuse of financial information, according to David Anderson, a Philadelphia forensic accountant and principal of David Anderson & Associates, a Philadelphia forensic accounting… Read more »
Tricks of the Trade – Dates and Time
In conducting investigations, a forensic accountant often will analyze dates and time to determine if fraud or minority shareholder oppression may be present. Date and time analysis can be used for a variety of purposes, explained David Anderson, a Philadelphia forensic accountant and principal of David Anderson & Associates, a Philadelphia forensic accounting firm that… Read more »
Tricks of the Trade – How A Forensic Accountant Can Use Names, Addresses and Phone Numbers
A forensic accountant can use names, addresses and phone numbers when investigating potential minority shareholder suppression cases and when conducting a fraud investigation. In minority shareholder suppression cases, a forensic accountant will look for employees, subcontractors and vendors having the same last name as that of the majority shareholders, explained David Anderson, a Philadelphia forensic… Read more »
Tricks of the Trade: Benford’s Law Can Serve as Red Flag in Fraud Investigations
The business of forensic accounting is — most of the time — a very precise, highly detailed process. It might surprise you then to learn that one of the tricks of the trade forensic accountants use in fraud investigation stems from the very inexact science of probabilities, specifically, Benford’s Law. “Frank Benford was a physicist… Read more »
The Role of the Forensic Accountant in Fraudulent Conveyance Litigation
Faced with losses that come as a result of foreclosures, divorces and other legal proceedings, less-than-scrupulous business owners sometimes resort to the fraudulent conveyance or transfer of property or other assets to lessen or eliminate their losses essentially by hiding valuable assets. When that happens, it is the role of the forensic accountant to uncover… Read more »
Forensic Accountant Advises Caution in Interpreting Financial Statements
Recipients of company financial statements that are “associated” with Accounting Firms often assume that the financial statements are accurate, fairly presented, have undergone a rigorous examination by the Accounting Firm, and are not subject to fraud or misstatement. While that may be true in some cases, it very often is an inaccurate assumption that can… Read more »
Fraud Investigations Identify Lesser Known Fraud Schemes
Employers generally are savvy about the more common types of fraud that plague businesses and may have enacted fraud controls and fraud deterrence programs to prevent them. But fraud investigations have shown that equally savvy fraudsters know their employers often overlook lesser-known fraud schemes — an oversight that leaves them free to pursue fraudulent activity…. Read more »
Fraud Deterrence Measures Can Lessen Petty Cash Fraud
Petty cash fraud may seem, well, petty. After all, your company keeps only a few dollars in the petty cash fund at any given time and it’s always secured in the company safe or otherwise locked up. It’s hardly worth the effort of enacting fraud deterrence measures to protect petty cash, right? You might be… Read more »
Fraud Investigations Identify Financial Statement Fraud As Costliest
The most expensive frauds in the business world don’t involve the theft of cash or other assets, but rather the falsification of financial statements. Repeated fraud investigations have found that these financial statement frauds usually are perpetrated by or at the direction of senior management. “This is fraud at the very highest levels of a… Read more »
Fraud Deterrence Measures Combat Computer Hackers
Despite heightened awareness about hackers and increased expenditures for cyber security, major businesses and financial institutions continue to fall victim to hackers. Businesses can bolster their fraud deterrence measures in this area by being aware of the non-computer system exploits that allow hackers to successfully attack computer systems and taking steps to prevent them. “Most… Read more »
Tales of Fixed Asset Fraud
Most asset misappropriation frauds are focused on cash, and maybe inventory. However, frauds involving fixed assets, primarily equipment and furniture, are also prevalent. Accordingly, fraud deterrence and prevention programs also should address protecting fixed assets from fraud, said forensic accounting expert David Anderson of David Anderson & Associates, Certified Fraud Examiner in Philadelphia. Some of… Read more »
Fraud Investigations Reveal How to Stem Purchasing Department Fraud
Do you have a purchasing department employee who suddenly started taking expensive vacations, wearing expensive jewelry or driving an expensive new car? There are lots of reasons why an employee might appear to be living beyond their means. Perhaps the employee or their spouse came into an inheritance, won the lottery, received a sizeable insurance… Read more »
