Question

A client heard through its hotline that John, the purchases journal clerk, periodically enters fictitious acquisitions. After John creates a fictitious purchase, he notifies Alice, the accounts payable ledger clerk, so she can enter them in her ledger. When the payables are processed, the payment is mailed to the nonexistent supplier’s address, a post office box rented by John. John deposits the check in an account he opened in the nonexistent supplier’s name.
Required
a. Define fraud, fraud deterrence, fraud detection, and fraud investigation.
b. List four personal (as opposed to organizational) fraud symptoms, or red flags, that indicate the possibility of fraud. Do not confine your answer to this example.
c. List two procedures you could follow to uncover John’s fraudulent behavior. (CIA Examination, adapted)

Answer 1

Answer: See explanation

Explanation:

a. Fraud is a criminal deception by someone which is done for either personal or financial gain.

Fraud deterrence is when the likely causes of fraud are identified and removed so as to prevent fraud from occuring.

Fraud detection are the activities that are done so as to prevent money or any other thing from being gotten by false pretenses.

Fraud investigation has to do with using investigative skills and accountability in order to know if fraud has taken place.

b. Fraud symptoms that indicate the possibility of fraud include:

1. Accounting and analytical anomalies

2. Tips and complaint

3. Extravagant lifestyle

4. Unusual behavior

c. The procedures that could be done to uncover John’s fraudulent behavior are:

• Stock reconciliation: This will help show the fictitious acquisitions. Since no receipt are given for the goods, this will help in the detection of the fraud.

• Alice should verify the details such as the address, phone number and name attached to the purchase and find a way of tracking it.