Question

Which is the new crime created by Sarbanes-Oxley? a. mail fraud b. obstruction of justice c. certification of false financial statements d. both a and b

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is letter "C": certification of false financial statements.

Explanation:

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) is a statute that aims to increase corporate governance and enhance internal control of companies. SOX's primary purpose is to protect stakeholders from false corporate financial statement representations. Investors must know that the financial information on which they rely is accurate and that their accuracy has been checked by an independent third party.

Altering, destroying, covering-up or falsifying information in the financial statements of a firm is considered a crime since the SOX implementation with a maximum sentence of 20 years.