Fraud & Investigations

FRAUD. A five-letter word with consequential effects on individuals, organizations, and the economy as a whole. Fraud can be defined as an intentional act of deception in order to acquire something of value, whether it be a personal or financial...

Picture this, you, CFO, are sitting at your desk when an anonymous letter arrives alleging that employee X has been committing fraud against your company.  Your first thoughts might be disbelief, anger and betrayal.  You may question your relationship with...

While I consider myself a pacifist, as a forensic accountant, I have been occasionally referred to as a fraud “fighter”. So, in the spirit of International Fraud Awareness Week (November 13 to 19, 2022), I would like to share some...

Bitcoin. Ethereum. Litecoin. Dogecoin. NFTs. While they may seem like buzzwords or fads, cryptocurrencies or digital assets are experiencing a similar adoption pattern to the internet in the 1990s. In 1995, 14% of U.S. adults had internet access; by 2000,...

COVID-19 has sent shockwaves throughout much of the insurance world. Insurance company stocks have been some of the worst performing since the virus went, well… viral, in anticipation of declines in profits due in part to COVID-related claims. Much of...

As the markets react to each update on COVID-19, a quote from Warren Buffet has seen increased circulation: “Only when the tide goes out do you see who’s been swimming naked”. The current environment has seen increasing news of corporate...

A growing area of concern for corporates is the proportion of fraud committed by “frenemies”, an encompassing term for the third parties a company works with on a day-to-day basis. This includes suppliers, agents and consumers: entities with which a...

Last week, the Auditor General of Toronto issued a report estimating that in 2018 alone, the TTC lost $61 million due to fare evasion. As both a frequent rider of the TTC and a forensic accountant specializing in fraud investigations, I...

The Fraud Triangle: Rationalisation, Opportunity and Pressure Any elementary student of fraud will be aware of the “Fraud Triangle”, a theory developed by Edwin Sutherland and Donald Cressey. This theory posits three elements of fraud: Rationalisation (the ability of the...

A fraudster’s gain is someone else’s pain – or loss; but is the corporate fraudster’s gain always the same as the insured’s financial loss? Are the financial implications of the fraud always the same as the actual loss to an...

The most common response I hear from business owners who are victims of employee fraud is “I never thought this would happen to me”. Employee theft, especially in the automotive industry, is common, because small businesses such as car dealerships...

While we’re thinking about turkey and cranberry, an important business holiday will come and go – not with the same fanfare as Thanksgiving perhaps but with significant potential for preserving the business future for those who take note. During International...

Mining companies should take note of Canada’s stricter penalties and more aggressive enforcement of anti-corruption laws and make sure their anti-bribery compliance procedures are up to speed, lawyers, forensic accountants and mining executives warned at a recent conference in Toronto....

When a business falls victim to cheque fraud, it may look to its bank for recovery for allowing the fraudulent cheques to be cashed.  In some recent cases, banks have been found liable and have been required to make whole...

It is alleged that your client had financial motive to commit a very serious crime.  Forensic accountants are often utilized to analyze the defendant’s financial records, and provide an opinion on the existence of financial circumstances that assist in assessing...

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that occupational fraud costs U.S. businesses over $50 billion annually and that one-third of business failures are directly related to employee theft. The Chamber also estimates that 75% of all employees have stolen from...

Usually when you tell people that you’re a forensic accountant, you’re met with the same predictable and equally awful response: “So, you count dead peoples’ money?” Well, not exactly. It’s generally followed by something like, “You must be really good...

It is becoming increasingly important for attorneys to understand financial statements and their relevance to various types of business and legal situations. The non-accountant attorney will greatly benefit from a basic understanding of the key principles of accounting. Equally important...

Discovery is under-way. The records are starting to flow. As you leaf through a box of documents just delivered, you pull out a stack of financial statements and, like so many other attorneys, you cringe. As you scan through the...

Are you concerned about how your employees can get around your accounting policies or what unintended impact they might have? Here are two areas where accounting policies may pose a risk. Revenue Recognition Revenue recognition is always on the mind...

Fidelity losses are difficult to investigate because frauds can be complex and hard to detect.  Here are 5 steps to keep in mind when assessing fidelity claims. Understand business and accounting system Identify who performs the accounting duties and the documents generated...

Corporate fraud, insider trading, 9/11, intellectual property infringement the list goes on as to instances where parties have committed acts resulting in financial losses. The legal challenge in proving financial wrongdoing is a minefield in itself, but what steps need...