Big Data is becoming a resource in the fraud fighter’s arsenal as more companies are using data analytic software to look for anomalous patterns in internal data. This method has helped some companies monitor more data sources, cutting the time for detection and reducing the costs of fraud.
A recent post by Peter Goldmann of ACFE reports on the rate of adoption of data analytic technology, finding that the largest group is companies that have no data analysis program at all (almost 30%–see the bar graph). … Continue reading
Despite the wealth of well-publicized information about the high prevalence of organizational fraud and the high costs of fraud, it is always surprising to learn that so many companies operate without systematic fraud prevention programs, or fail to review their programs on a regular basis.
In fact, there are very important reasons fraud prevention is worth the effort. Here are some of them: … Continue reading
Occupational fraud is a huge drain on organizations’ resources, costing an estimated global loss of $3.7 trillion dollars annually. And according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiner’s (ACFE) 2014 study, just 14% of defrauded organizations are able to fully recover their losses.
Fraud is a very real threat to the bottom line of almost every organization in our economy. But it can be prevented, or at least mitigated.
There are 3 steps in setting up a fraud prevention program in your organization:
Understand what fraud is and how it is likely to emerge.
Identify potential sources of fraud in your organizations.
Take steps to prevent fraud through processes or controls.
Ultimately, a healthy anti-fraud corporate culture that permeates from the top down will make your organization more crime resistant. This will take time to nurture, and it will take continuous effort to sustain, but in the end you can make occupational fraud an extinct disease in your workplace.
What do NSA and Target Corporation have in common? They both have enormous databases of sensitive information about individuals that have been penetrated by the likes of Snowden, Wikileaks, and worse criminal conspiracies. According to James D. Ratley, President and CEO of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, cybercrime is one of the biggest emerging fraud threats in 2014.
Ratley mentions hacking schemes like the one that shocked Target, as well as other malicious activities like malware and phishing schemes. He rightly says that these schemes can be foisted on individuals, small or large businesses, or any type of organization.
But we think there is a very good reason why cybercrime could be the biggest emerging fraud threat for years to come. It is rooted in the fact that organizations will not forego the tremendous power of networked computers and huge databases, and these are rapidly evolving. Every innovation in automated business processes creates new opportunities for hackers. The prize at stake is huge. … Continue reading
Most crimes of occupational fraud are motivated, at least in part, by some kind of financial pressure. And while committing a fraud, the perpetrator will frequently display certain behavioral traits associated with the stress or fear of being caught.
These “red flags” are behavioral and system-based clues that can be picked up by attentive managers, colleagues, internal auditors, or subordinates. In turn, these clues can put an organization “on notice” that a trusted individual may be engaging in some form of improper or fraudulent conduct.
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) in its 2012 Report to the Nations pinpointed the most common behavioral red flags associated with occupational fraud. The ACFE examined the frequency with which certain behavioral red flags were identified during a fraudulent scheme. … Continue reading
