The Fraud Triangle is a triumvirate of factors – Opportunity, Pressure and Rationalization – that must be present in order for a fraud to occur. In previous posts, David Anderson of David Anderson and Associates, a Certified Fraud Examiner offering forensic accounting services in Philadelphia, has mentioned that if at least one of the three… Read more »
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Posts Tagged: fraud deterrence
Revisiting the Fraud Triangle – A Closer Look at Opportunity
The Fraud Triangle is a combination of three factors – Opportunity, Pressure and Rationalization – that must be present in order for a fraud to occur. In previous posts, David Anderson of David Anderson and Associates, a Certified Fraud Examiner offering forensic accounting services in Philadelphia, has mentioned that if at least one of the… Read more »
Regular Review of Financial Statements Can Help in Fraud Deterrence
Financial statements issued by companies, government entities or organizations – when reviewed on a regular basis – can help in fraud deterrence. In many situations, though, executive officers rarely check these statements and, in cases where they do, they often do not understand what they are reading. Knowing your financial statements, and understanding what to… Read more »
The Person at the Top Can Best Stop Fraud
As a smart and competent proprietor of a business who has a number of smart and competent people working in key positions, you probably think you might not need to take steps to deter fraud. Everyone knows stealing is bad, correct? It’s also true, you might believe, that you – as the owner, the man… Read more »
General Observations from Interviews with Fraudsters
A key part of any fraud investigation involves interviewing employees, customers, vendors and others. These interviews, explain a leading Philadelphia forensic accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner, can help provide an understanding of the business, uncover potential fraud, frame the size and scope of the fraud and identify potential fraudsters. However – according to David Anderson,… Read more »
Trusted Employees Often At the Root of Corporate Fraud
Check any online or print news source almost any day; you’ll probably find articles reporting on fraud investigations involving hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars being pilfered from small and large businesses, governmental entities and charity groups. Far too often, the blame falls to the feet of a trusted employee with years of… Read more »
Protecting Charities and Non-Profits from Fraud
Given the nature of their organizations and missions, people would think that houses of worship, charities and other non-profit organizations would be free of financial fraud issues. However, most people – says a noted Philadelphia forensic accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner – would be wrong. According to David Anderson, principal of David Anderson & Associates,… Read more »
Fighting Vendor Billing Fraud
Businesses and other organizations can fall victim to vendor billing fraud perpetrated by outside parties just as easily as they can be by unscrupulous employees or managers, explains a noted Philadelphia forensic accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. An example of this, according to David Anderson, principal of David Anderson & Associates, a Philadelphia forensic accounting… Read more »
Why Bank Reconciliations Are Critical in Protecting Against Fraud
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 »
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 »
