The
September/October 2014 issue of the Fraud magazine carried an article by Dr
Joseph T Wells, Founder and Chairman of the Association of Certified Fraud
Examiners on 10 pointers of fighting fraud.
Here is the
list as:
1
Be
nice and smile often –although fraud fighting is an adversarial process, it doesn’t
mean you cant be nice….as a matter of fact the best fraud examiners and
investigators ive met are also the nicest..they smile a lot, even when staring
down crooks..it completely disarms them.
2
Do
your homework first – don’t talk to suspects until you have done your homework
3
Develop
a fraud theory – in order to investigate a case have a theory of how it
happened. Learn how to develop these theories.
4
Don’t
overcomplicate a case - ..”if you investigate enough frauds, you will learn
that the offender almost always finds the easiest way to commit the crime…”
5
If
you don’t know what to do next, stop – if you get to the point where you don’t know
what to do next, stop. ..take a breather
6
Don’t
overstep your authority – investigations must be guided by law…you cannot
coerce people..or obtain documents secretly that you are not entitled to. Nothing
good comes out overstepping your authority
7
Always
look for more leads – the work of an investigator is to develop leads. People
to talk to, documents to review and places to look. If you develop enough leads
the case will solve itself.
8
Be
very careful about expressing opinions – investigations should result in facts
coming out. A report should clearly explain itself.
9
Books
and records don’t commit fraud: people do – don’t get carried away by numbers…look
for intent.
10
Understand
what the framers of the constitution intended – no matter where you come from…the
point is that..dont be out there to get someone. “It’s better that 100 guilty
persons should escape than one innocent person should suffer” Benjamin Franklin
