NCJ Number
207293
Journal
Journal of Financial Crime Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: August 2004 Pages: 88-95
Date Published
August 2004
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Using data from 663 occupational fraud cases in 4 United States organizational settings, this study assessed whether internal control mechanisms reduce organizations' median dollar losses from fraud.
Abstract
The four organizational settings considered in this study are government agencies, nonprofit agencies, private businesses, and publicly traded companies. The data used were collected by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), a professional organization committed to the prevention of white-collar crime, specifically occupational fraud. The ACFE uses information from criminology and ethics, financial transactions, fraud investigations, and legal elements of fraud to train and assist members worldwide. The sample for the current study was drawn from occupational fraud cases that were investigated by certified fraud examiners who responded to a 2001-02 survey. Respondents reported on the type and number of control mechanisms used to detect and/or prevent fraud. The options included anonymous reporting (hotlines), background checks, internal audit departments, and external audits. Of the fraud victims, 24.7 percent were government agencies, 13.4 percent were nonprofit agencies, 31.9 percent were private businesses, and 30 percent were publicly traded companies. For the entire sample, the organizations had an average of 1.8 current control mechanisms. The type and number of controls varied by the organizational setting. For each setting, the median fraud losses were compared for organizations with and without control mechanisms, so as to determine whether the control mechanisms work equally well or vary across different organizational settings. Findings indicate that the use of diverse strategies tailored to the organizational setting clearly reduces the median loss from fraud. 2 tables and 33 references