Fraud Hotlines: Don T Miss That Call

Cases of fraud have been increasing over the years, and different agencies and authorities that have the task of subduing fraud have to get involved and put a stop to it. In the instance of which fraud has been uncovered, it is crucial to be aware of the red flags that were present in relation to fraud and associate them to the factors related to the fraud risk assessment. As Troy Gillard states in the Rd news magazine, a man that broke free after being acknowledged as suspicious when he wanted to take a loan out at the Cash Canada using a stolen ID amongst other official documents that had been stolen. It seemed that the ID and the other documents

Embezzlement seems to be a white collar crime that is victimless. However, when monies are embezzled from a non profit it affects all those involved especially those benefitting from the work of the nonprofit organization. I thought of our local community nonprofit arts foundation. They not only produce a full slate of shows each season, but also provide classes in painting, sculpting, drawing, acting, music, and dance. If they were defrauded in the amount of $93,000 it would affect educational programs and community outreach.

Individuals should take the time to carefully review their bank statement in order to help secure their own accounts and the things that banks overlook.

Internal fraud consists in “a type of fraud that is committed by an individual against an organization. [Furthermore], a perpetrator of fraud engages in activities that are designed to defraud, misappropriate property, or circumvent the regulations, law, or policies of a company”[8]. Not only has the incidence of internal fraud increased in frequency because of the availability of sensitive information such as client details or confidential business documents; moreover, this type of fraud is found in various types of organizations, ranging from corporations, public service institutions and financial institutions. Our analysis will concentrate on the most common and prolific types of internal fraud, namely identity theft, insider trading, loan fraud and wire fraud. Interestingly, PriceWaterhouseCooper conducted a survey that revealed that the “demographics of a typical fraudster are as follows: males (85% of cases), 31-50 years (72% of cases), reached high-school level (50%), Bachelor’s or post graduate degree (50%) and middle or senior management (52%)”[9].

According to Harvard Law School’s article, approximately two-thirds of companies in the U.S. are affected by fraud. However, whistleblower Hotline can be as defense against management overrides. The article noted that whistleblower could be more effective if it become as apart of the corporate compliance programs and a reward of any monetary sanctions collected to motivate the employees Also, the article mention that the employees

It is important to first gain an understanding of the various types of fraud, in order to aid understanding in regards to the prevention of fraudulent activity. This paper begins with a review of the definition of financial fraud, and identification of the different fraud types. Further, included is an examination of what motivates individuals to commit fraud, including an identification of some of the method in which people commit fraud. A discussion of the importance of the fraud triangle, and how rationalization contributes to fraud is a key area of focus. Finally, there is an examination of some controls that prevent and detect fraudulent behavior, including the value and importance of understanding the nature of fraud for

The business risks the Red Flags Rules were implemented by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also known as the federal bank regulatory agencies and the National Credit Union Administration. These agencies as well as Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 grant financial institutions and creditors to implement written identity theft programs, (Cleverly, Song, & Cleverly, 2011). Furthermore, the purpose of these programs is to provide identification, detection, and response to patterns, practices, or specific activities known as “red flags” that could potentially indicate identity theft, (Cleverly, Song, & Cleverly, 2003). A subject entity may demonstrate compliance with the Red Flags Rule is since the rule applies to financial institutions

According to Daniel F. Dooley (2008), a member of the Commercial Fraud Taskforce, financial fraud with private middle-market companies is on the rise. In fact, Mr. Dooley believes that he has seen more instances of fraud in the past two years than in the previous ten. He notes seven areas in which financial fraud has increased over the past few years:

The previous organizational structure for payment of services rendered did not allow officials enough time to investigate claims to ensure the claims were legitimate. Perpetrators study the law and use the knowledge to fraud insurance and government agencies. The governance of rules, regulations and laws was not stringent enough to stop perpetrators from frauding the system. New guidelines allow agencies more time to detect suspicious claims, investigate and save the insurance companies millions of dollars. Society does not concentrate on proactive actions to prevent fraud, instead society deals with the problem after the fact. Consumer watch groups do not have tools in place to prevent fraud. Perpetrators rely on the oversites of insurance companies in order to target and fraud insurance companies.

With accurate execution, anti-fraud hotlines can be very helpful in preventing and detecting fraud and removing inadequacies in your business. It prompts your employees that even though management is not everywhere, employees and stakeholders function as the eyes and ears of management, giving your company an added layer of protection.

Being the fastest growing crime of today, it is estimated that every 79 seconds an identity is stolen (Consumer Reports 13). Empty promises made by solicitors in spam e-mail offer a free gift in exchange for personal information. These solicitors have no intention of sending any free gifts, but their scams help them obtain the private information desired. If enough information is given, criminals are able to apply for credit cards, apply for a fraudulent loan under the victim’s name, and make illegal withdrawals from random bank accounts. This is only one of the many ways a person’s identity could be stolen (O’Reilly).

The perfect fraud storm occurred between the years 2000 and 2002 involving two of the largest energy and telecom corporations in the United States: Enron and WorldCom. It was determined that both organizations fraudulently overstated assets, created assets from expenses or overstated revenues, costing investors billions of dollars and resulting in both organizations declaring bankruptcy (Albrecht, Albrecht, Albrecht & Zimbelman, 2012). Nine factors contributed to fraud triangle creating this perfect fraud storm, and assisting management in concealing the fraud until exposed and rectified.

A business can not work out without an account system, which includes internal. Internal controls are used by companies to make sure financial information is accurate and valid. Strong internal controls are signs of a financially healthy company and protect the company’s integrity. Strong internal controls can also increase a company’s profitability. There are several types of internal controls that companies used to protect themselves such as: Segregation of duties, asset purchases, supervisor review, internal audits and adequate documents and records. This paper will discuss several topics from a case study about And the Fraud

The ethic case study was about an anonymous caller who is the controller of a privately-held, small, start-up company. The company was experiencing a severe cash shortage and was required to present the quarterly financial statements to the local bank, in order to begin receiving funds for the line of credit again. She had concerns that the senior executives of the company provided the local bank with misstated financial statements. The caller was later informed that the accounts payable clerk was instructed to record sales transaction generated by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company. As a result, the sales and receivables accounts were overstated in the

To help individuals report, it is suggested the management should start a whistle blowing hotline. Such a hotline can be a critical component of the company’s anti corruption efforts as tips can be a common way of detecting frauds.