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A Study On Online Romance Fraud And National Security: A Ghanaian Perspective, Osmond B. Kabah Sep 2026

A Study On Online Romance Fraud And National Security: A Ghanaian Perspective, Osmond B. Kabah

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the most prevalent cybercrimes is online romance fraud, where the perpetrators prey on individuals looking for love on various platforms. The crime, widespread on dating apps and social media, is typified by scammers starting a relationship and then defrauding the gullible victims of their money. Ghana is one of the countries whose citizens have been victims of these swindlers, and the national security apparatus is increasingly receiving reports of online financial victimization. This qualitative study aims to explore the issue in the country from a national security perspective. This study investigates what motivates the perpetrators of this crime …


Capitalizing On Crisis: A Statistical Analysis Of Federal Funding And The Surge In White-Collar Criminal Activity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lee R. Gibson Apr 2026

Capitalizing On Crisis: A Statistical Analysis Of Federal Funding And The Surge In White-Collar Criminal Activity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lee R. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era that has forever changed how people work, communicate, and socialize. The pandemic also brought one of the most significant influxes of financial assistance to individuals, businesses, educational institutions, and state and local governments that has ever been seen. This massive infusion of cash, which was orchestrated and managed by the federal government, was instituted in a manner that provided quick relief with little ability for oversight, resulting in every assistance program experiencing high rates of fraudulent activity. This project aims to understand if the levels of white-collar crime increase during a disaster, …


The Role Of Data Analytics In Detecting Unemployment Insurance Fraud: A Case Study Of State Governments In The United States, Tina Louise Carkhuff Aug 2025

The Role Of Data Analytics In Detecting Unemployment Insurance Fraud: A Case Study Of State Governments In The United States, Tina Louise Carkhuff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The unprecedented surge in unemployment insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic exposed state labor agency systems in the United States to significant fraud risks, resulting in billions of dollars in improper payments. This study investigated the role of data analytics in detecting and mitigating unemployment insurance fraud, with a focus on state government responses. Using a single-case study approach, I examined how advanced data analytics, including machine learning, predictive modeling, and strategies to identify fraudulent claims, can reduce fraud within unemployment insurance systems. The study also included an investigation of systemic vulnerabilities and the impact of policy improvements on fraud …


South Carolina And The Blue Ridge Rail Road, 1852 To 1873: Dreams Of Linking The South And West, Steve E. Gibson May 2025

South Carolina And The Blue Ridge Rail Road, 1852 To 1873: Dreams Of Linking The South And West, Steve E. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While the 1850s were productive and railroading did innovate with the initial adoption of steel, the embrace of the telegraph, the use of coal as a fuel, and the opening of generally long railroads, particularly in South Carolina, the railroads themselves generally remained conservative (almost timid) in their business models and strategic thinking. This was especially true in the South. Northern railroads recognized the need to connect major cities, connect seaports with crop productive hinterlands, and generally understood that railroad mobility, mixed economic development, and prosperity were intertwined and mutually reinforcing with the prosperity of both the railroad and the …


An Exploration Of Internal Control System Of Ethiopian Banks, Fekade Adera Tesfaye Nov 2024

An Exploration Of Internal Control System Of Ethiopian Banks, Fekade Adera Tesfaye

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adequate internal controls enhance an organization's likelihood of achieving objectives in a changing business environment, contribute to organizational growth and competitiveness, support compliance with regulatory requirements, and help in preventing and identifying fraud, embezzlement, and waste. This qualitative case study explored the potential lack of adequate internal control systems in Ethiopian banks that impact their operational and financial performances. The study sought to understand how these banks design and implement internal controls and to identify factors contributing to the potential lack of adequate internal controls. The study was guided by the COSO internal control framework, which is widely accepted for …


Advance Fee Fraud On The Increase: The Shield Of Support Over The Victims, Ovenseri Ven Ogbebor Sep 2023

Advance Fee Fraud On The Increase: The Shield Of Support Over The Victims, Ovenseri Ven Ogbebor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study addresses the activities of Advance Fee Fraudsters whose activities sometimes impact the status and life of their victims. Research to date appears to have focused on crime, Advance Fee Fraud, and its techniques. The intent of this study is to take the reader through the various types of Advance Fee Fraud (AFF) with special attention to how the victims may get help, an aspect of AFF that has been greatly neglected by previous researchers who mainly focus on the techniques and modus operandi of the fraudsters. Until recently, the concept of AFF was limitedly known, but with …


A Qualitative Study On Predictive Models In Accounting Fraud Detection, Anthony Cecil Nov 2021

A Qualitative Study On Predictive Models In Accounting Fraud Detection, Anthony Cecil

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Companies lose an estimated 5% of revenue each year due to occupational fraud. This level of fraud can significantly disrupt the capital markets and cause companies to go bankrupt. Unless organizations, the government, and the accounting profession develop a systematic approach for accounting fraud detection, investors and employees will continue to lose money. This study explored subject matter experts’ perceptions of building and deploying artificial intelligence and predictive models to detect accounting fraud. This case study consisted of interviews with 10 participants with expertise in predictive modeling, auditing, and investigating, as well as a systematic literature review of research and …


An Exploration Of Internal Control Deficiencies And Their Impact On Fraud In Local Churches In Nigeria, Samuel Eze Oct 2021

An Exploration Of Internal Control Deficiencies And Their Impact On Fraud In Local Churches In Nigeria, Samuel Eze

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study explores the impact of internal control deficiencies on fraud in local churches in Nigeria and provides church leaders, trusted church members, employees, and volunteers with the necessary tools to guard church funds and assets from fraud and waste of resources. The researcher designed the study to answer six research questions addressed with 16 semi-structured interview questions and the outcome was obtained from 17 church leaders, ministers, employees, and volunteers of local churches in the Enugu area, Nigeria. The six themes that emerged from the study include accountability and stewardship, good internal control procedures, segregation of duties, disciplinary …


Correlational Study Of Embezzlement And Economic Conditions In New England, Patricia Conn Ryan Jun 2021

Correlational Study Of Embezzlement And Economic Conditions In New England, Patricia Conn Ryan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study was conducted to contribute to the body of knowledge related to embezzlement, a classification of occupational fraud. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE, 2020), it is estimated that losses from occupational fraud represent 5% of revenue each year and that 86% of occupational fraud included asset misappropriation or embezzlement. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the relationship between economic indicators and incidents of embezzlement. The study population included all incidents of embezzlement reported in New England between 2004 and 2018. Archival data were collected from various governmental sources for both …


Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance, And Banking Performance In The Cemac Region, Divine Fondem Apr 2021

Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance, And Banking Performance In The Cemac Region, Divine Fondem

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This researcher examined the effect of corporate governance (CG) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on banking performance in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) region. The data was obtained from the Worldwide Governance and the World Bank sovereign database from 2003 to 2018. This study employs the z-score to proxy the CSR factors such as labor force participation rate, population density, and renewable energy. The results reveal that the fixed effects model is superior to the pooled ordinary least square (OLS) and the random-effects model. The findings show that CSR has a significantly positive relationship, while CG has …


Inability Of Leaders Of Religious Not-For-Profit Organizations In New Jersey To Identify And Implement Adequate Internal Accounting Controls To Detect And Deter Accounting Fraud, Wayne Terrence Balfour Oct 2020

Inability Of Leaders Of Religious Not-For-Profit Organizations In New Jersey To Identify And Implement Adequate Internal Accounting Controls To Detect And Deter Accounting Fraud, Wayne Terrence Balfour

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the inability of leaders of religious not-for-profit organizations (RNPOs) in New Jersey to identify and implement adequate accounting internal controls to detect and deter accounting fraud. Fraud affects all organizations negatively, including those that are religiously altruistic with good intentions. This study argued that protecting the organization’s resources rests primarily upon the shoulders of its leaders. Previous studies argued that philanthropic organizations were more prone to fraud because of poor management, enormous trust in their employees, and poor internal accounting controls. This multi-case qualitative study studied ten RNPO leaders, validating and contradicting some previous findings of not-for-profit …


Using Fraud Education To Deter Embezzlement In Small Construction Companies, Karen L. Smith Sep 2019

Using Fraud Education To Deter Embezzlement In Small Construction Companies, Karen L. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Fraud education is important in helping small business owners to formulate a strategy for the detection and deterrence of employee embezzlement. This research study was developed to examine cases of employee embezzlement within small construction contractors in efforts to determine the importance of fraud education and to identify factors leading to being victims. Participants were interviewed concerning their experiences with employee embezzlement schemes. The findings support the need for fraud education as none of the participants had any such education. Even those that had some formal business education expressed a lack of understanding of the principles of fraud. In addition …


Financial Predictors Of Fraud In Nonprofit Organizations, Dawn Marie Schwartz Aug 2019

Financial Predictors Of Fraud In Nonprofit Organizations, Dawn Marie Schwartz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nonprofit organizations are especially vulnerable to fraud. Incidents of fraud can have devastating consequences on these organizations and the nonprofit sector overall. This applied doctoral research project examined the use of financial predictors for reported fraud in U.S. nonprofit organizations. The study utilized financial data from 2017 IRS Form 990 filings of 644 U.S. nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. The researcher performed logistic regression analysis to determine and evaluate any associations between the financial variables and the existence of reported fraud. Three of the financial variables, cash growth rate (p=.001), asset growth rate (p=.046), and the ratio …


Community Bank Leaders' Perception On Maintaining Values In Decision Making, Jennifer H. Matheny Oct 2018

Community Bank Leaders' Perception On Maintaining Values In Decision Making, Jennifer H. Matheny

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study explored community bank leaders’ perception of conflicts between their personal values and core corporate values when negotiating critical decisions. At this stage in the research, the negotiating of decisions were generally defined as resolving conflicts between personal and organizational values. Results provide an understanding of how values-based leadership affects executive level decisions in community banks. A purposeful sample of community bank leaders participated in qualitative interviews. These leaders were selected based on their responsibility to make decisions that influenced their corporate culture and/or had a significant impact on their company. Based on the study, there was a …


An Analysis Of Fraud Prevention And Detection In Not-For-Profit Organizations In The State Of South Carolina, Mary Gibson Jul 2018

An Analysis Of Fraud Prevention And Detection In Not-For-Profit Organizations In The State Of South Carolina, Mary Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzed fraud detection and prevention techniques and analyzed if there was a relationship between the techniques and the detection of fraud. The combined techniques were fraud risk assessment, fraud risk register, code of conduct, fraud assessment training, whistle-blower policy, fraud control plan, fraud control policy, and internal control review. Nonprofits are vulnerable to fraud and costly for the organizations that rely heavily on donations to provide needed services or goods to a community. Through analyzing 109 nonprofits surveyed in South Carolina, the researcher found 59 reported fraud occurrences and 86 percent were using fraud detection and prevention techniques. …


Revenue Accrual Quality As An Indicator Of Financial Statement Fraud, Meredith Potts Jackson Dec 2017

Revenue Accrual Quality As An Indicator Of Financial Statement Fraud, Meredith Potts Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study was conducted to address the need for additional financial statement fraud detection techniques. Accruals were chosen as the focus of this study due to the high likelihood of financial statement manipulation using accruals. Using the Dechow/Dichev accrual quality model, this study tested whether or not accrual quality can be used as an indicator of financial statement fraud. The study concluded that the Dechow/Dichev model found non-fraudulent financial statements to have higher quality accruals than fraudulent financial statements. In addition, accrual quality of non-fraudulent financial statements was found to be significantly different from the accrual quality of fraudulent financial …