More than half of financial statement frauds involve sales and accounts receivable, according to the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. (COSO is a joint initiative of five private sector organizations that develops frameworks and guidance on enterprise risk management, internal control and fraud deterrence.) But why do fraudsters tend to target accounts [...]
There are as many ways to defraud a business as there are individuals to dream up scams. Your accounting function — payroll and accounts payable and receivable — is particularly vulnerable. To protect your business from financial losses and possible public embarrassment, implement and enforce these five basic controls: 1. Screen employees. Require all prospective [...]
Do you review your statements each month? With the prevalence of automated bill payment, many busy consumers don't bother to review their monthly bank or credit card statements anymore. Or they may review only those charges above a certain amount. But a recent indictment by the Federal Trade Commission highlights how important it is to [...]
From mobile apps to the Internet, technology has transformed our lives. It facilitates financial transactions and the transmission of information. But it also brings the risk of online identity theft. There are weekly news stories about sensitive personal data being hacked online and sold on the black market. Thieves use personal data to access accounts, [...]
Take a moment before responding to any communication about your tax return — and verify that the query is actually from the IRS. This article provides 3 tips to avoiding scams.
The Internal Revenue Service recently issued its annual “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams, reminding taxpayers to use caution during tax season to protect themselves against a wide range of schemes ranging from identity theft to return preparer fraud. The listing, compiled by the IRS each year, lists a variety of common scams taxpayers can [...]
In a downturned economy, in which donations to nonprofits are difficult for both individuals and organizations to make, being accountable carries more weight than ever. A nonprofit must not only conduct business ethically and transparently but also be able to publicly explain at all times the way it handles its finances and governance. Your nonprofit [...]
If yours is like most construction companies today, your profit margins are thinner than usual. To protect the bottom line, it’s critical to implement solid internal controls to minimize fraud, error and waste. Fraud is a serious problem in the construction industry. In the 2010 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse, a [...]
