ACFE CFE-Financial-Transactions-and-Fraud-Schemes Certified Fraud Examiner - Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes Exam Exam Practice Test

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Materiality is most often associated with fraudulent financial statements because fraudsters may argue that misstatements are “immaterial.” However, deliberate misstatements of any size can be fraudulent. Materiality thus plays a critical role in assessing fraudulent statement cases.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Misappropriations – Involve theft, but materiality is less central than in reporting fraud.

C. Civil lawsuit – A possible outcome, not the core accounting issue.

D. Quality control – Not related to materiality in fraud.

Key Concept:Materiality in Financial Statement Fraud — even small misstatements may be fraudulent.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: By definition, financial statement fraud is intentional. Errors or accidents in reporting are not fraud; they are mistakes. Fraud requires deliberate misrepresentation to deceive users of financial statements.

Analysis of Incorrect Option:

A. True – Incorrect because it includes “accidental” misstatements, which fall outside fraud.

Key Concept: Intentional misstatement is the defining element of financial statement fraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:This statement is True. Fraud examiners often analyze purchases by vendor to detect schemes where a single vendor receives disproportionately favorable treatment. This may indicate kickbacks, conflicts of interest, or vendor collusion schemes.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. False – Incorrect, as vendor analysis is a valid tool to identify such schemes.

Key Concept:Purchases by vendor analysis as a fraud detection method.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Otto’s act combines misappropriation of customer funds with concealment via false accounting entries. Per the Fraud Examiners Manual, concealment through altering records is a hallmark of accounting fraud schemes tied to asset misappropriation.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Unauthorized disbursement typically refers to fraudulent payments like check tampering, not customer withdrawals.

B – Dormant account fraud targets unused/inactive accounts; the victim here is an active but inattentive customer.

D – Unauthorized withdrawal is part of the theft, but the defining element is the falsified ledger concealment, making C more precise.

Key Concept: Asset misappropriation with concealment through false accounting.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Forced reconciliation occurs when fraudsters alter the perpetual inventory records to conceal shrinkage. By adjusting the records, they make the books appear consistent with the physical count, hiding theft or loss.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Too vague; does not specify perpetual records.

B – Incorrect; inventory is concealed, not shrinkage records.

D – Write-offs are a different concealment method.

Key Concept:Forced reconciliations as a concealment method in inventory fraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:This is True. The net result of revenues and expenses (credits and debits) on the income statement flows into retained earnings, which is part of equity on the balance sheet. Therefore, excess credits (profits) increase equity, while excess debits (losses) decrease equity.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. False – Incorrect, as the closing process of the accounting cycle directly affects equity.

Key Concept:Closing process and impact of net income on equity.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Fictitious or fabricated revenues are one of the most common forms of financial statement fraud. They involve recording revenues for transactions that never occurred, thereby inflating income and misleading stakeholders.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Financial revenues – Not a fraud scheme.

C. Red flag revenues – “Red flags” are indicators of fraud, not a type of revenue.

D. Concealed revenues – Refers to hiding income, not creating fictitious sales.

Key Concept:Fictitious revenues as a core financial statement fraud scheme.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Bid tailoring occurs when procurement officials structure contract requirements to unfairly favor a particular vendor. A hallmark red flag is unusually narrow specifications, which restrict competition.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Clear submission information – Standard and appropriate, not a red flag.

C. Rebid contracts – Could indicate limited interest, but not tailoring.

D. Numerous bidders – Indicates competition, opposite of bid tailoring.

Key Concept: Procurement fraud — bid tailoring.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Filing a claim shortly after a policy begins is a classic red flag of potential insurance fraud, as it may indicate the loss occurred before coverage or is fabricated.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. One prior claim in five years – Not unusual by itself.

C. Small electronics/jewelry – Common theft items, not automatically suspicious.

D. Recently purchased items with receipts – Strong documentation actually supports legitimacy.

Key Concept: Insurance fraud red flags.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:The conservatism principle in accounting means that financial statements should not overstate assets or income and should anticipate possible losses. Thus, the amounts shown should be at least as much as reflected, if not more. This ensures users are not misled by overly optimistic figures.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Fraudulent statement – Involves intentional misrepresentation, not a principle of accounting.

B. Misappropriations – Theft of assets, unrelated to valuation principles.

D. Matching – Refers to aligning expenses with related revenues, not conservatism.

Key Concept:Conservatism principle — caution in financial reporting.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: The described scheme is lapping, a classic accounts receivable fraud. It involves covering up stolen payments by applying subsequent receipts from other customers to hide the shortage.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Padding – Usually refers to overstating expense reimbursements, not AR fraud.

C. Substitution – Refers to replacing missing assets with others, not AR manipulation.

D. Daisy chain – Not a recognized fraud concealment method in this context.

Key Concept: Skimming concealment techniques – lapping of receivables.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Insurer health care fraud occurs when the insurance company itself engages in deception for financial gain. Submitting inflated cost data to regulators in order to justify rate increases is a direct example of insurer fraud.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Intermediary verifying claims – Proper procedure, not fraud.

C. Passing on negotiated rates – Legitimate practice.

D. Denying incomplete claims – May be harsh, but not fraudulent.

Key Concept: Insurer fraud vs. provider or claimant fraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:The journal is specifically the chronological record of transactions. Each entry captures date, accounts affected, amounts, and explanation, making it the foundational record before posting to the ledger.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Asset – Not a record, but a resource.

C. Checkbook – Only records cash movements, not all transactions.

D. Ledger – Summarizes accounts, but not in chronological order.

Key Concept:Chronological recording of transactions via the journal.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:According to SAB 104, revenue recognition requires persuasive evidence of an arrangement. This does not exist if there is no written contract, purchase order, or verbal agreement supporting the transaction.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Revenue and expenses don’t match – Violates matching principle, not persuasive evidence.

C. Timings not meet properly – Refers to delivery/performance, not evidence of arrangement.

D. Capitalized expenses and liabilities – Irrelevant to revenue recognition.

Key Concept:Revenue recognition requirement: Persuasive evidence of an arrangement.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Accruals represent expenses that have been incurred but not yet paid. Under the accrual basis of accounting, these must be recognized in the same period as the related revenues or obligations. Common examples include accrued wages and accrued interest.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Depreciations – Allocation of asset cost, not unpaid expenses.

C. Expenses – A broader term, but not specific to unpaid obligations.

D. Financial record – Too vague.

Key Concept:Accruals under the accrual basis of accounting.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Address similarity reports are used to identify fraudulent disbursements by flagging payments sent to multiple vendors or payees at the same address. This helps detect fictitious payees or shell companies set up by fraudsters.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Duplicate payment lists – Detects duplicate disbursements, not necessarily fictitious payees.

C. Exception reports – Flag unusual transactions, but not specifically address similarities.

D. Electronic confirmations – Used to verify balances or transactions, not detect fictitious vendors.

Key Concept: Detection of fraudulent disbursements.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Finding personal checks in the cash register is unusual, but it does not specifically indicate a register disbursement scheme (such as false refunds or voids). The other options are classic red flags for such schemes.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Missing transaction numbers suggest manipulation.

C – Excessive voids near approval limits indicate fraud concealment.

D – Allowing cashiers to void their own sales creates opportunity for abuse.

Key Concept: Register disbursement schemes and their red flags.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Perpetual inventory systems maintain a continuous, running balance of inventory on hand. They are updated with each purchase and sale, providing a theoretical count at all times. Discrepancies between perpetual and physical counts may indicate theft, errors, or fraud.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Altered inventory – Fraudulent manipulation, not a system.

C. Shrinking inventory – Refers to shrinkage, not the system.

D. Fictitious inventory – Fraudulent reporting, not a legitimate system.

Key Concept:Perpetual inventory systems as internal controls.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:The correct answer is A. Larceny. As defined in the Fraud Examiners Manual (2020 International Edition), larceny is the unlawful taking of another’s property with intent to permanently deprive the owner of its use or possession. Essential elements include: (1) the wrongful taking or carrying away of property, (2) without the consent of the owner, and (3) with felonious intent (i.e., intent to steal). This aligns directly with the definition provided in the question.

Analysis of Incorrect Options (Distractors):

B. Abuse – Abuse typically refers to the improper use of authority or resources (e.g., excessive expense claims, misuse of assets), but it is not a legal term describing theft by taking.

C. Fiduciary – Fiduciary describes a relationship of trust or duty to act for another’s benefit, not the act of theft.

D. None of the above – Incorrect because “larceny” precisely matches the elements described.

Key Concept:The definition and elements of larceny, which is a foundational legal concept for distinguishing among asset misappropriation schemes such as larceny vs. skimming.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: The statement of cash flows has three standard sections:

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activitiesThus, option B is correct.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – No section called “purchasing activities”; such outflows fall under investing or operating.

C – No section called “earnings activities”; related cash flows are operating.

D – “Strategic activities” is not a formal category in GAAP or IFRS.

Key Concept: Structure of the statement of cash flows.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Option B is NOT a typical fraud-related aspect of inventory purchases. An increase in year 2 inventory being greater than year 1 is not, by itself, an indicator of fraud — it could reflect growth. However:

A describes “inventory build-up and liquidation” schemes,

C highlights mismatches between sales and purchases,

D acknowledges possible fraud schemes.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Recognized fraud indicator.

C – Suggests fictitious sales or revenue manipulation.

D – Correctly signals potential fraud.

Key Concept:Red flags in inventory purchases and mismatched patterns.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Bribery prevention policies often include:

Reporting gifts (disclosure of items received from vendors),

Discounts (rules about vendor concessions),

Business meetings (clear rules on vendor-sponsored events).Resource diversions is not a standard bribery prevention policy but a form of fraud.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A, B, C – Legitimate examples of prevention policies.

D. Resource diversions – Not a preventive measure.

Key Concept:Anti-bribery policies — clear rules on gifts, discounts, and vendor relationships.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Liabilities are defined as obligations to transfer assets or provide services to other entities in the future as a result of past transactions. They represent what the organization owes, distinguishing them from assets.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Supplies – Assets consumed within a year, not obligations.

B. Expenses – Costs incurred, but not necessarily amounts owed.

C. Assets – Resources owned, not obligations.

Key Concept:Definition of Liabilities in accounting.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Being prompted to install unfamiliar software is a red flag for malware or unauthorized access, often indicating that attackers are attempting to establish persistence in the system. This is a classic indicator of a compromised network.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Standard security measure, not a red flag.

C – Data from supplier countries is normal if consistent with business operations.

D – Access denial to files outside a user’s role is a normal access control, not an intrusion sign.

Key Concept: Cyberfraud detection – identifying intrusion indicators.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:This is False. Placing restrictions in solicitation documents that limit competition is a solicitation phase corruption scheme, not “prebid solicitation.” The correct terminology is restrictive specifications or fraudulent solicitation practices.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. True – Incorrect, as “prebid solicitation” is not the proper term.

Key Concept:Restrictive solicitation practices limit competition unfairly.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Technical security controls include software- and hardware-based measures such as application security, firewalls, and encryption. Application security protects against vulnerabilities in the programs employees use.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Human audits – Administrative control, not technical.

C. Penetration testing – A detective measure/test, not a control itself.

D. Data security – A broad goal, not a specific technical control.

Key Concept: Technical security controls for preventing cyberfraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Corruption schemes involve the misuse of influence in business transactions for personal benefit, often through bribery, kickbacks, or conflicts of interest. In this case, the procurement agent accepts an improper benefit (use of a beach house) in exchange for contract favoritism, which is a classic bribery scheme.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Theft of confidential information = asset misappropriation/intellectual property theft, not corruption.

C – Excluding laptops from records = inventory theft, not corruption.

D – Omitting costs = financial statement fraud.

Key Concept: Bribery as a form of corruption.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Baiting is a social engineering tactic where fraudsters leave infected flash drives or storage media in public areas, hoping victims will plug them in, unknowingly installing malware. This is an accurate description.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Pharming – Involves redirecting users from legitimate websites to fraudulent ones, not mail redirection.

B. Dumpster diving – Searching physical trash for sensitive information, not computers from resellers.

C. Shoulder surfing – Observing someone’s screen or keystrokes, not access exploitation.

Key Concept: Identity theft techniques.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Fraudulent bid solicitation practices include issuing requests for proposals or bid documents that contain false statements or misleading conditions to favor a particular vendor.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Employment discussions – A conflict of interest, not bid solicitation fraud.

C. Withdraw low bids – A submission phase scheme.

D. Falsify bid log – A separate manipulation method, not solicitation criterion.

Key Concept:Fraudulent bid solicitation — using false or misleading statements to limit competition.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Past posting occurs when an insured reinstates or purchases insurance coverage after a loss has already occurred and then submits a false claim, backdating the loss to appear covered. Joe’s scheme fits this exactly.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Staged accident – Fraudulent accidents deliberately caused, not applicable here.

B. Inflated damages – Exaggerating actual losses, not retroactive coverage.

D. Vehicle repair – General claim fraud, but not the scheme in question.

Key Concept: Insurance fraud – past posting schemes.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Social engineering involves manipulating or deceiving people into revealing confidential information or taking actions that aid the attacker (e.g., clicking malicious links, sharing credentials). It targets human weaknesses rather than technical vulnerabilities.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. IP spoofing – Forging an IP address to disguise origin.

B. Electronic piggybacking – Unauthorized use of someone else’s access connection.

C. Packet sniffing – Monitoring data traffic across a network.

Key Concept: Cyberfraud techniques – social engineering.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Loan fraud often involves suspicious or unusual documentation patterns. A change order submitted at the same time as a draw request is a red flag, because it suggests manipulation of project costs to justify larger draws from lenders.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Missing documents – Could indicate sloppy recordkeeping, not necessarily fraud.

B. Low turnover – Not a fraud indicator.

D. Increasing change orders – Could be suspicious, but not as strong a fraud red flag as simultaneous change order and draw request.

Key Concept: Loan fraud indicators.

Rationale for Correct Answer:Sampling is a fraud examination technique that enables investigators to review a subset of documents rather than all records. Properly designed sampling provides reasonable assurance and allows focus on anomalies or red flags.

Key Concept:Sampling in fraud examination and audit testing.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:This is False. Accounting is based on the objectivity principle, requiring that records and financial information be supported by objective, verifiable evidence (e.g., invoices, contracts, receipts). Subjective evidence would undermine reliability.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. True – Incorrect, as subjectivity is discouraged in accounting.

B. False – Correct, since accounting relies on objective documentation.

Key Concept:Objectivity principle in accounting.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Bribery is specifically defined as offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting anything of value to influence an official act or business decision. It is one of the four primary corruption categories.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Corruption – Broader category; bribery is one part of it.

B. Diverting business to vendors – A conflict of interest scheme, not bribery.

D. Lacking approval authority – Refers to control weaknesses, not corruption.

Key Concept:Bribery definition and its role in corruption.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Fraudsters conceal inventory shrinkage through multiple methods, including unrecorded sales, false write-offs, or manipulating perpetual records. The ACFE manual notes that concealment is a common theme in inventory fraud. Hence, all of the above are valid.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A, B, C – Each is correct individually, but the most comprehensive answer is D.

Key Concept: Concealment methods for inventory theft.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Departures from GAAP may be justified if compliance produces misleading results, if the transaction is immaterial, or if the costs exceed benefits. However, simply departing from GAAP because assets would be understated and liabilities overstated is not an acceptable reason; GAAP requires faithful representation even if results are unfavorable.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Cost-benefit considerations are valid grounds in practice.

C – Materiality is a recognized exception to strict GAAP application.

D – Preventing misleading statements is a valid justification.

Key Concept: GAAP exceptions are limited to cost-benefit, immateriality, and preventing misleading reporting.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:When employees steal incoming checks and deposit them into interest-bearing accounts, they may be (1) converting the stolen checks, (2) temporarily concealing the fraud, and (3) executing a form of short-term skimming. All options apply, making D. All of the above correct.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:Each of A, B, and C alone captures part of the practice, but only D reflects the full scope.

Key Concept:Check theft and temporary placement in personal accounts as part of skimming concealment.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:The ACFE emphasizes four cornerstone internal controls to prevent inventory fraud:

Proper documentation (accurate, prenumbered records),

Segregation of duties (custody, recordkeeping, and authorization separated),

Independent checks (reconciliations and audits), and

Physical safeguards (locks, cameras, restricted access).

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Inventory control – Too general; physical safeguards are the key preventive measure.

C. Physical padding – Not a recognized control.

D. Prenumbered affiliations – Misworded; prenumbered documents are part of proper documentation.

Key Concept:Internal control framework for preventing inventory fraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:The SEC’s Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 104 outlines four criteria for revenue recognition:

Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists.

Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered.

The seller’s price is fixed or determinable.

Collectability is reasonably assured.

“Timings have been met” is not one of the recognized criteria, making C the correct answer.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A, B, D – All are required conditions.

C – Not part of SAB 104.

Key Concept:Revenue recognition criteria under SAB 104.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Larceny by fraud (often termed “theft by deception”) occurs when someone unlawfully obtains another’s property by deception rather than by direct taking. As defined in fraud examination principles, deception can involve: (1) creating or reinforcing a false impression, (2) failing to correct a false impression, or (3) failing to disclose material facts such as liens or adverse claims. Because all three scenarios represent deceptive means to unlawfully take property, the correct answer is D. All of the above.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A, B, C each describe valid examples of fraud by deception but individually do not fully capture the concept.

D encompasses the totality of recognized deceptive practices under larceny by fraud.

Key Concept:Fraud by deception as an element of theft and misappropriation.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Corrupt payments are not always made directly in cash. According to the Fraud Examiners Manual (2020), one common method is disguising them as loans on favorable terms, which provide value to the recipient while appearing legitimate. This is recognized as a form of bribery or illegal gratuity.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Credit cards – Corrupt payments can be made via many channels, including credit, so this is incorrect.

C. Selling property above market value – Payments are typically disguised by undervaluing sales to recipients, not overvaluing.

D. Promises of favorable treatment – Promises alone can constitute bribery; this statement is false.

Key Concept: Methods of making corrupt payments.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:In a fraudulent purchase scheme, the company legitimately purchases assets, but the fraudster diverts or misappropriates them after acquisition. The purchase itself is real, but the use of the assets is fraudulent.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Inventory larceny scheme – Direct theft without purchase.

B. Asset receiving scheme – Not a recognized fraud scheme.

D. Falsify shipping – Involves falsifying shipment records, not post-purchase misappropriation.

Key Concept:Fraudulent purchases — assets are bought legitimately but stolen afterward.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Credits decrease assets and expenses while increasing liabilities and equity. They are recorded on the right-hand side of ledger accounts, forming the counterbalance to debits.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Journal Entries – Too general; not a directional effect.

B. Debit – Opposite effect of credits.

D. None of all – Incorrect because “credit” is the precise answer.

Key Concept:Credit rules in double-entry accounting.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation

Why the correct answer is: False accounting entry

According to the ACFE Fraud Examiners Manual – Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes, under Financial Institution Fraud → Types of Embezzlement Schemes, the Manual provides explicit descriptions of relevant banking fraud schemes, including false accounting entries.

The Manual lists False Accounting Entries as a form of embezzlement in which an employee manipulates general ledger accounts or other accounting records to conceal a theft or unauthorized activity:

“False Accounting Entries” are specifically categorized as a type of embezzlement scheme used by dishonest bank employees to hide misappropriated funds.

In this question, the accountant:

Adjusted the bank’s general ledger

With the intent to conceal the theft of customer funds

This aligns exactly with the ACFE definition of false accounting entries, which involve altering legitimate financial records to hide fraudulent actions.

Therefore, the best ACFE-defined description of the scheme is:

→ False accounting entry (Option B)

Why the other options are incorrect

A. Unauthorized withdrawal

The Manual separately defines Unauthorized Withdrawals as a type of embezzlement in which a bank employee directly removes funds from accounts without permission:

“Unauthorized Withdrawals” are listed as a distinct embezzlement scheme involving unapproved removal of customer funds.

However, in this scenario, the defining act is manipulating ledger records, not simply withdrawing funds. The nature of the concealment technique makes false accounting entry the correct classification.

C. Moving money from inactive accounts

The Manual defines:

“Moving Money from Customers’ Dormant or Inactive Accounts” as a scheme in which employees transfer funds from inactive accounts to themselves.

In this question, the stolen funds come from an active customer account, so this option does not apply.

D. Unauthorized disbursement of funds

The Manual includes:

“Unauthorized Disbursement of Funds to Outsiders” as another type of financial institution fraud.

This refers to payments made to external parties without authorization—not to ledger manipulation to hide theft.

Again, the defining characteristic in the scenario is the use of false ledger entries, which makes Option B the most accurate according to ACFE terminology.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Fraudsters often attempt to influence or bribe employees who have access to sealed bids. Access to sealed bids provides unfair knowledge of competitors’ pricing and terms, enabling collusion or bid manipulation.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Bid-splitting – A fraud scheme, not what vendors seek access to.

C. General purchasing – Too broad; not specifically tied to vendor fraud.

D. Tailor specifications – A corruption scheme, but not the specific target of vendor bribery.

Key Concept:Sealed bid access as a key target in procurement fraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Properly shredded documents using a cross-cut shredder are very difficult to reconstruct, making them not a common medium for information leaks. By contrast, shareholder reports, executive speeches, and workstation displays often contain sensitive data that can be exploited by competitors or fraudsters.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Shareholder reports can reveal strategy and financial vulnerabilities.

C – Executive speeches sometimes unintentionally disclose sensitive plans.

D – Information left visible at workstations is a known security risk.

Key Concept: Protection of proprietary information against espionage and fraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:The going concern assumption means that a business will continue operating indefinitely and will not liquidate in the near future. This underpins the use of historical cost accounting and normal accrual-based reporting.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Materiality – Relates to significance of information, not continuity.

C. Cost – Refers to historical cost valuation.

D. Fair value – Refers to current market value, not continuity.

Key Concept:Going Concern Assumption in accounting.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Revenue recognition requires that delivery has occurred or services have been rendered. If installation, testing, and customer acceptance have not occurred (A), or if a written order exists but with a right of return (B), delivery is not considered complete. Both scenarios prevent proper revenue recognition. Hence, the correct answer is C. Both A & B.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Correct condition, but incomplete.

B – Correct condition, but incomplete.

D. Neither A nor B – Incorrect, as both conditions do prevent recognition.

Key Concept:Revenue recognition fraud risks — recognizing revenue prematurely.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:When cash is stolen, the accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Equity) must still balance. Fraudsters may increase a liability (e.g., record fictitious payables) to cover the missing cash. This is a common concealment method.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Increasing another asset – Would require inflating assets, but this usually affects financial statement fraud, not cash theft concealment.

B. Increasing owners’ equity – Not logical without legitimate earnings or capital contributions.

D. Creating fictitious revenue – Used in financial statement fraud, not in balancing theft concealment.

Key Concept: Concealment methods for asset misappropriation — offsetting missing cash with fictitious liabilities.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Accrual basis accounting requires revenues and related expenses to be recorded in the same accounting period. This is known as the matching principle, ensuring accurate measurement of income.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Equity – Not relevant to matching expenses.

C. Expense – A category of cost, not a principle.

D. Financial record – Too general.

Key Concept:Accrual Accounting & Matching Principle.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: This is third-party fraud, where someone uses another person’s identity (often a relative or acquaintance) to obtain services or benefits they are not entitled to, such as medical treatment under another’s insurance.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Misrepresentations fraud – Usually involves false information by a legitimate patient or provider.

B. Fictitious claims fraud – Involves billing for services that never occurred.

D. Multiple claims fraud – Involves submitting duplicate claims for the same service.

Key Concept: Health care fraud typologies – patient third-party impersonation.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:The word delude means to mislead the mind or judgment so completely that the truth is obscured. In fraud examination, this aligns with the ACFE definition of fraud as a “deliberate misrepresentation that causes another to act to their detriment.” Fraud is not merely a false statement; it involves concealment or suppression of the truth with the intent to induce reliance. Thus, delude most accurately represents the deeper essence of fraud.

Analysis of Incorrect Options (Distractors):

A. Deceive: While fraud does involve deception, this word does not fully convey the thoroughness of obscuring the truth that fraud entails.

C. Mislead: This implies causing error or leading astray but lacks the complete concealment aspect central to fraud.

D. Beguile: Often connotes charm or trickery rather than the intentional concealment that characterizes fraud.

Key Concept:This question tests the definition and essence of fraud — specifically that fraud is not only about deceiving but about deluding, or thoroughly misleading, in a way that obscures the truth.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Blank plastic cards are a common basis for counterfeit card production. Fraudsters encode stolen magnetic stripe or chip data onto blank cards.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – False; holograms are designed to be difficult to reproduce.

B – False; high-speed printers and embossers make counterfeiting easier, not harder.

D – Incorrect, since A and B are false.

Key Concept: Counterfeit card fraud methods.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Cash larceny involves stealing cash after it has been recorded. Reconciling register totals against actual drawer cash can reveal shortages, making option C the best detection method.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Weakens segregation of duties and increases fraud risk.

B – Impractical; cross-training is often necessary.

D – Cashiers counting their own registers weakens independent verification and may conceal theft.

Key Concept: Detecting cash larceny through reconciliation controls.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Shrinkage refers to discrepancies between physical inventory counts and perpetual inventory records. Causes include theft, errors, waste, or fraud. It is one of the most common indicators of asset misappropriation.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Altered inventory – Not a recognized accounting term.

B. Account receivable – Unrelated to inventory.

D. Write-offs – A corrective accounting entry, not the variance itself.

Key Concept:Inventory shrinkage as a red flag for fraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:One of the key red flags of fictitious revenues is sales to related parties, shell companies, or entities with unknown substance and ownership. Such transactions are often used to inflate revenue artificially.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Slow growth/unusual profitability – Incorrect, fictitious revenue often results in rapid or unrealistic growth.

B. Growth in days’ purchases in receivables – Misstated phrase; correct indicator would be growth in days’ sales in receivables.

D. Surge in purchases – Relates more to inventory fraud than fictitious revenues.

Key Concept:Red flags of fictitious revenue — questionable counterparties and unrealistic sales growth.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: An air loan is a mortgage fraud scheme where the borrower and sometimes insiders create completely fictitious properties or borrowers. Here, the nonexistent property and loan proceeds being pocketed fits this definition.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Property flopping – Involves short sales and undervaluing distressed property.

C. Phantom lien – False liens filed to collect fraudulent claims on real estate.

D. Daisy chain – Involves multiple property transactions between conspirators to inflate value.

Key Concept: Loan fraud schemes – fictitious property loans (air loans).

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Intangible assets are long-lived assets that lack physical substance and differ from property, plant, and equipment. Examples include goodwill, patents, trademarks, and copyrights. They provide long-term benefits but cannot be physically touched.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Tangible Assets – These have physical form (e.g., equipment, land).

C. Forced Assets – Not an accounting category.

D. None of the above – Incorrect since intangible assets match the definition.

Key Concept:Classification of Assets — tangible vs. intangible.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Cash larceny involves the theft of incoming cash after it has been recorded. Strong segregation of duties is critical to prevent concealment. By separating cash deposit responsibilities from bank reconciliation duties, one employee cannot both steal funds and cover their tracks.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Restricting substitution – Weakens controls; job rotation and cross-training help prevent fraud.

C. Same register use – Reduces accountability, making theft harder to trace.

D. Surprise cash counts – Strong detective control, but not as preventive as segregation of duties.

Key Concept: Preventing cash larceny through segregation of duties.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:The balance sheet summarizes account balances from the ledger at a specific date, presenting assets, liabilities, and equity. It reflects the organization’s financial position and is derived from ledger balances.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Income statement – Summarizes revenues and expenses, not all ledger balances.

C. Financial statement – A general term, but the specific answer here is balance sheet.

D. General journal – Book of original entry, not a summary.

Key Concept:Balance sheet as a summary of ledger accounts.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: A kickback scheme occurs when vendors make payments to employees of a purchasing organization in exchange for steering business their way. Here, Bob steered contracts to Oak Company and received a percentage of profits, a textbook kickback arrangement.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Illegal gratuity scheme – Involves rewards after a decision, without a prior agreement. Here, the agreement was prearranged.

C. Diversion scheme – Refers to diversion of assets, not procurement favoritism.

D. Economic extortion scheme – Involves coercion of the vendor; this was voluntary bribery.

Key Concept: Bribery and kickbacks as forms of corruption.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:According to the ACFE Fraud Tree, corruption is divided into four classifications: bribery, illegal gratuities, economic extortion, and conflicts of interest. These cover the major ways employees misuse influence for personal gain.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Corruption… – Redundant; corruption is the main category, not a sub-classification.

C. Overbilling and bid-rigging – These are disbursement schemes, not corruption categories.

D. Corruption repeated – Incorrect for the same reason as option B.

Key Concept:Corruption classifications under the Fraud Tree.

Rationale for Correct Answer:Fraud investigations can be highly costly to organizations. The process often involves external forensic examiners, legal proceedings, employee time, and disruption of operations. While necessary, investigations represent a significant resource commitment in terms of both time and financial cost.

Key Concept:Fraud Investigation Costs — deterrence vs. response strategies.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: This scheme is a business email compromise (BEC), also known as CEO fraud. Fraudsters impersonate high-ranking executives to trick employees into transferring money or disclosing confidential information.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Reverse social engineering – Involves the fraudster posing as a helper and then exploiting the victim, not impersonating executives.

B. Executive email attack – A generic term, but the ACFE recognizes BEC as the precise classification.

C. Electronic piggybacking – Refers to unauthorized access through another user’s session, not impersonation.

Key Concept: Social engineering and cyber-enabled fraud – BEC schemes.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Studies by the ACFE consistently show that inventory and equipment are the most commonly misappropriated noncash assets. They are highly liquid, valuable, and often difficult to monitor without strong controls.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Interest & Collusion – Not physical assets.

C. Inventory & Purchase – Purchase is a process, not a physical asset.

D. Sales & Equipment – Sales are transactions, not assets.

Key Concept:Noncash asset misappropriation — inventory and equipment are the primary targets.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Smishing (SMS phishing) uses fraudulent text messages to trick victims into clicking malicious links or revealing credentials. This matches Cynthia’s scenario.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Vishing – Voice phishing by phone call, not text message.

C. Catfishing – Fake online persona in social contexts, not financial fraud via text.

D. Pharming – Redirecting users to fake websites via DNS manipulation, not text messages.

Key Concept: Social engineering methods—email (phishing), phone (vishing), text (smishing).

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer:Fraudulent financial statements (or “fraudulent statement”) refer to the intentional misrepresentation of financial condition, typically through overstating revenues, understating expenses, inflating assets, or concealing liabilities. The intent is to mislead stakeholders such as investors, creditors, or regulators.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Corruption – Refers to abuses of influence and conflicts of interest, not misreporting financial information.

C. Asset misappropriations – Involve theft of assets, not misrepresentation of reports.

D. None of the above – Incorrect since option A is correct.

Key Concept:Financial Statement Fraud — misrepresentation of organizational performance and position.