forensic accounting
Fraud detection specialty
Forensic accounting applies accounting skills to legal matters—investigating fraud, embezzlement, or financial disputes.
Forensic accountants trace hidden assets, analyze records for evidence of manipulation, and present findings in court.
The forensic comes from legal proceedings, not crime scenes: The forensic accountant uncovered years of falsified expense reports.
Professional providing specialized testimony
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- discoveryAct of finding something
- subpoenaWrit requiring testimony
affidavit · exhibit · admissible · probative · chain of custody · cross-examination · valuation · bankruptcy
Copying by following lines
- asset recoveryRetrieving misappropriated or hidden wealth
- whistleblowerInsider who reports misconduct
- due diligencePre-transaction reasonable care
- red flagsIndicators something's wrong
investigator · probe · examination · surveillance · undercover · informant · anonymous tip · digital forensics
Written proof or instructions
- audit trailChronological record of transactions
- paper trailDocumentary evidence chain
- corroborationEvidence confirming another account
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
reconstruction · reconciliation · substantiation · vouching · tracing · bank statements · invoices · receipts
Fraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- money launderingDisguising criminal proceeds' origins
- ponzi schemeSwindle paying old with new
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
securities fraud · skimming · falsification · misrepresentation · insider trading · corruption · forgery · shell company
Organizational oversight procedures
- GAAPFinancial reporting conventions
- Sarbanes-OxleyCorporate governance reform law
- regulatoryInvolving official oversight
- SECStock market regulator
risk assessment · audit committee · ethics hotline · corporate governance · fiduciary duty · materiality · disclosure · remediation
expert witness
Professional providing specialized testimony
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- discoveryAct of finding something
subpoena · affidavit · exhibit · admissible · probative · chain of custody · cross-examination · valuation · bankruptcy · plaintiff
tracing
Copying by following lines
- asset recoveryRetrieving misappropriated or hidden wealth
- whistleblowerInsider who reports misconduct
- due diligencePre-transaction reasonable care
red flags · investigator · probe · examination · surveillance · undercover · informant · anonymous tip · digital forensics · interview
documentation
Written proof or instructions
- audit trailChronological record of transactions
- paper trailDocumentary evidence chain
- corroborationEvidence confirming another account
authentication · reconstruction · reconciliation · substantiation · vouching · tracing · bank statements · invoices · receipts · contracts
embezzlement
Fraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- money launderingDisguising criminal proceeds' origins
- ponzi schemeSwindle paying old with new
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
bribery · securities fraud · skimming · falsification · misrepresentation · insider trading · corruption · forgery · shell company · round-tripping
internal controls
Organizational oversight procedures
- GAAPFinancial reporting conventions
- Sarbanes-OxleyCorporate governance reform law
- regulatoryInvolving official oversight
SEC · risk assessment · audit committee · ethics hotline · corporate governance · fiduciary duty · materiality · disclosure · remediation
- criminal investigationsinvestigations, crime scene, crime scenes, crime scene investigation, crime scene analysis
- investigationinvestigation, detective, evidence, clue, case
- forensicsDNA, DNA analysis, fingerprints, forensics, criminalistics
- financial controlsinternal controls, auditing, internal audit, financial oversight, checks and balances
- professional servicesconsultant, law firm, consulting, consulting firm, firm
- fraud investigationfraud detection, financial fraud, fraudulent schemes, embezzler, evidence collection
forensic accountingtax preparation
Readying income documents for government
payroll processing · accounts receivable · accounts payable · financial reporting
forensic accountingcreative accounting
Misleading financial reporting
cooking the books · money laundering · financial fraud · embezzlement · accounting fraud
accountant, accounting, forensic, accountants, accountancy, forensically