Vineyard Group, LLC.

Fraud Deterrence and Investigation Services

Why Choose a Fraud Professional

A Fraud Deterrence Professional has undergone a rigorous training program sponsored by the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA), the nation's leading professional association supporting the business valuation, litigation consulting, value building, and fraud deterrence professional communities. The fraud deterrence training involves a broad spectrum of fraud ramifications, including computer fraud and security, common and uncommon fraud schemes and techniques in internal accounting controls, criminal and civil proceedings when fraud has been detected, corporate compliance programs and codes of conduct. Completion of this training ensures that your Fraud Deterrence Professional has access to the latest information, technology, and knowledge to serve you in the deterrence of fraud in the workplace.

In a recent study of fraud, small organizations (100 employees or fewer) actually suffered larger median losses from fraud than large organizations (10,000 plus employees). We can help you assess your risks and reduce your exposure.

Our Fraud Deterrence Professionals—specifically trained in the techniques of fraud detection and prevention—can not only stem the tide of employee fraud, but they can reduce the organization's culpability for fraud, tax evasion, and theft. The proactive techniques they employ include the following:

Strengthening of internal controls to reduce the risk of fraud:

The need to strengthen internal controls often becomes apparent when employee embezzlement occurs. But an organization may also experience a possible fraudulent situation which causes its financial operations to decrease for some unknown reason. We can help shore up the weaknesses that a specific fraud situation made apparent, as well as proactively evaluate existing internal controls and recommend measures designed to reduce the risk of fraud in the future.

Investigation of possible fraudulent activities:

This investigation includes assessing the magnitude and extent of employee embezzlement, management fraud, and theft of inventory or supplies. We can assist in the actual investigation of a potential fraud, including employee interviews, test controls, and actual investigative steps to ascertain the nature and extent of the fraud.

Periodic monitoring of financial information:

Many organizations don't have the financial resources to commit to higher level accounting staff member who can monitor the financial operations from a key financial officer viewpoint. We can fill this role, as well as assist with conducting surprise audits, performing checks on customer service, and reviewing fraud-related internal controls.

Developing corporate compliance and fraud prevention programs:

A corporate compliance program is a written code of ethics and conduct that articulate an organization's commitment to accountability for legal and ethical practices. A well-designed program adjusts to the way the organization conducts its business, the procedures it will follow, and the consequences of non-compliance with the program. Developing such an anti-corruption compliance program is an important step in an organization's effort to avoid the risk and potential costs associated with criminal charges and fines, and it will help protect an organization's reputation and maintain its long-term profitability. We can work with legal counsel to develop a financial code of conduct and the related internal accounting controls, and we can help create and present an employee financial fraud education program which will foster a more ethical environment.

What is Fraud?

Fraud can take on many forms:

• Stealing money or merchandise
• Taking kickbacks or bribes from suppliers or customers
• Providing false financial information on the organization to the government, creditors, or investors
• Cheating on expense accounts
• Claiming overtime when it is not due

The above offenses are all Fraud Deterrence and Investigation occupational "fraud".

The Cost of Fraud

According to a recent study, about six percent of the total annual revenue of businesses is lost to the fraud of its employees. The financial consequences of fraud, then, have a major impact on organizations' profitability, regardless of industry or size (the most costly abuses, in fact, occurred in companies with less than 100 employees).

But there are other consequences of fraud besides the financial drain—potentially even more threatening to the long-term viability of your organization.

Legal Exposure

Man people have questioned their roles and responsibilities with respect to fraud as members of an entity's Board of Directors. Corporate compliance programs can help reduce the legal exposure to an organization and its members.

Our Fraud Deterrence Services were created to address both financial losses and the legal exposure all organizations face in today's competitive, litigious environment.