• Two Years Later, Dell Stays Mum on Accounting Probe

    USA TODAY By Michelle Kessler SAN FRANCISCO — A Securities and Exchange Commission probe into Dell’s accounting is more than 2 years old — and the PC giant won’t say when it might be over. Dell (DELL) has revealed very […]

  • What Frauds Are Prevalent, And Preventable

    Compliance Week By Jaclyn Jaeger While government officials congratulate themselves for a job well done since establishing the Corporate Fraud Task Force five years ago, experts tell Compliance Week that institutional fraud is still a rampant problem. According to a […]

  • On Making Money As a Fraud Investigator

    The recent publication of a report detailing the results of an investigation of Usana Health Sciences done by Barry Minkow, Fraud Discovery Institue, and other professionals has prompted some criticism. One criticism I’ve seen is the fact that *gasp* the […]

  • The Elusive World of “Nonfinancial” Fraud

    Compliance Week By Tammy Whitehouse Now that Sarbanes-Oxley has made big progress buttoning down internal controls over financial reporting, the next great frontier for potential abuse is emerging: nonfinancial fraud. That’s the lesson, at least, from companies like BP and […]

  • Enron: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    Written by Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, CFF Andrews Litigation Reporter After a trial that lasted almost four months, Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, both former heads of Enron Corp., have been convicted of multiple federal offenses related to the collapse […]

  • The Fraud’s In the Figures: Finding Clues in Financial Documents

    SIU Today By Daniel W. Draz, MS, CFE Many types of insurance policies require that insureds submit financial documentation in support of insurance underwriting applications and claims submitted for payment. While the financial documentation submitted may be totally legitimate, it’s […]

  • Your Number is Up: Recovering From Identity Theft

    Written by Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, CFF Wisconsin Law Journal Reprinted in St. Louis Daily Record Identity theft affects countless consumers and businesses each year, costing millions and maybe even billions of dollars. In 2004, the Federal Trade Commission received […]

  • Museum Forensic Audit Will Reveal Corruption, If There Is Any

    WisOpinion.com By Robert Miranda Supervisor James G. White’s resolution calling for Milwaukee County to hire an independent firm to do a forensic audit of the Milwaukee Public Museum finances has been unanimously approved this week by the Milwaukee County Board.

  • CPA Sleuths: Bringing the Truth to Light

    On Balance – The Magazine for Wisconsin CPAs – January/February 2006 By Colleen Smith Like a Perry Mason movie brought to life is the way some forensic accountants describe their jobs. Investigations and courtrooms are part of their everyday lives, […]

  • Forensic Accounting: A New Twist on Bean Counting

    Written by Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, CFF Wisconsin Law Journal Reprinted in the Kansas City Daily Record Traditional accountants and auditors have long been referred to as “bean counters.” Some may take offense at the phrase, but if they’re being […]