INVESTIGATION AND EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY

INVESTIGATION AND EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY PRE-READING NOTE A fraud investigation can cover a wide variety of issues and actions. Fraud investigations and forensic enquires may not involve actual fraud or corrupt behavior but may instead be concerned with a breach of company policy, a problem with health and safety, harassment, or an investigation into security. Fraud itself is defined as a misrepresentation that is intended to deceive a person or business. Companies can be accused of fraud if they make claims about a product they sell that are untrue or made up only in order to make a profit. Fraud investigations are carried out to determine whether fraud has taken place or whether there is evidence of the fraud. Fraud can cause serious problems not only concerning loss of money but physical harm to people and harm to reputations. Fraudulent behavior or unethical actions can impact strongly on a business. Unethical behavior can bring emotional as well as financial trauma from which a business may take years to recover.  Fraud investigations occur when fraud is suspected, and the fraud investigator meets with the client to find out what is alleged to have happened. When fraudulent behavior is known to have taken place, the investigator focuses on why and how it occurred and what can be done to prevent it happening again in the future. Fraud investigations cover a number of procedures, including the thorough analysis of electronic data. Computer forensics is vitally important when dealing with fraudulent or unethical actions in businesses today. It can reveal evidence that would otherwise never have come to light — evidence can be hidden within mountains of electronic data, and only professional computer forensic investigators will be able to uncover it. Computer forensics is one of the first procedures to be carried out in a fraud investigation — making sure that dates and time stamps on files are not changed, and that critical information is not overwritten. A fraud investigation should always be carried out from an objective position and supported by documented evidence. The investigation should be carried out by a neutral professional, so that the company can ensure it is seen to be complying with a commitment to objectivity. The practices used within a fraud investigation should be consistent and thorough.

INVESTIGATION AND EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY

Forensic Accountants are often called upon to initiate a fraud investigation for the primary purpose of determining whether a fraud has occurred. Other reasons for initiating a fraud investigation include the following: a tip or concern received (from an employee, a vendor, a customer, or other source), an accidental discovery, fraud uncovered as a result of an audit, or a concern from the business as to the adequacy of their internal controls system.

 Fraud Investigation

A fraud investigation is the systematic examination to obtain the truth as to:

1. Whether a fraud has occurred

2. Who is involved

3. How it was perpetrated

4. How much is involved

 Fraud Investigation Versus Accounting Audit

ASK FOR THE REST OF THIS PAPER: +2348033467639