Business Commons^™

Using Education To Protect The Elderly Against Fraud, Erik Charles

Honors College Theses

This study’s goal is to provide a guide to anyone looking to educate the elderly on fraud. Advice is provided for those who want to help an elderly person in their life and for people who wish to create fraud educations programs of their own. My own experience creating and giving a fraud lecture at a senior living facility is used as evidence for my advice, as well as research into various elderly and fraud related topics.

Fixed Assets Accounting: How It Can Impact Employees, Auditors & Shareholders, Zach Markey

Accounting Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this thesis, I demonstrate how the proper, or improper, accounting of fixed assets can distinctly impact employees, auditors, and shareholders of publicly traded companies. As a foundation for this thesis, I give an overview of fixed assets accounting by explaining its magnitude on the balance sheet and income statement in addition to the differences between financial and tax accounting for fixed assets. Next, I focus on three areas relating to fixed assets accounting that I find the most compelling for this thesis: capital expenditures, auditing and fraud. Each of these subtopics will share studies, procedures, and stories on how …

Regulating By New Technology: The Impacts Of The Sec Data Analytics On The Sec Investigations, Tian Deng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Despite the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) growing emphasis on data analytics in recent years, there is scant research about whether the investment in data analytics accomplishes its objective of enhancing enforcement efficiency. This study examines the effects of the SEC regional offices’ use of data analytics on their investigation outcomes. The utilization of data analytics reduces information processing costs, thereby streamlining the enforcement process as a whole. I find that the SEC’s use of data analytics is associated with a 12% increase in the SEC’s investigation success rate. Such an improvement is greater for firms whose disclosure are more …

Obstacles And Enablers For Employing Internal Control Practices Faced By Nonprofit Leaders, Tammy L. Holloway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fraud has had disturbing effects which can hurt many nonprofits. Having weak practices can increase risk and invite perpetrators. Small nonprofit organizations are especially at risk. The research problem is that many small nonprofits do not employ strong practices within their organization, which leaves them open to fraud. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the obstacles and enablers that leaders of small nonprofit organizations in the eastern United States face when employing proper internal control practices to protect the organization from fraud. Agency theory framed this study when examining agency problems that leaders face when employing …

Deceptive Appeals And Cognitive Influences Used In Fraudulent Scheme Sales Pitches, Rafael J. Toledo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fraud schemes exploit the complex interplay that results from utilizing deceptive appeals to activate underlying cognitive influences. This study was designed, first, to identify the deceptive appeals present in the messaging of fraudulent schemes and, second, to identify the underlying cognitive influences being exploited by the deceptive appeals utilized. Findings reveal that effectively used deceptive appeals work to keep viewers’ mental processes in a state of cognitive ease. This state allows cognitive influences--such as heuristics, cognitive biases, and the System 1 mind--to remain in control of mental processing; however, System 1 is prone to accept deceptive beliefs. The results of …

The Implications Of Fraud On Non-Shareholder Stakeholders, Chasen P. Spicer

Senior Theses

Popular news outlets such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal frequently release articles detailing the financial losses incurred by shareholders of a company that have recently been publicly exposed for their fraudulent activities (Shumsky, 2018; Whitmire, 2005). Given that shareholders are visibly impacted by fraud, it is also reasonable to believe that other stakeholders experience repercussions from the fraudulent activities carried out by the company (Velikonja, 2013). To provide more insight into the implications of fraud incurred by non-shareholder stakeholders, I conduct a case study analysis of HealthSouth’s various fraudulent activities between the years of 1997 …

Downfalls Of Economy Leading Small Businesses: A Study Of Corrective Actions, Alexis N. Davis

Honors College Theses

This study explores the significance of inappropriate accounting procedures and their detrimental effects on small businesses. This conceptual study is centered around small business decisions made by decision makers with weak understanding of financial literacy. The study highlights a series of improvements to weak internal controls that are not uncommon in small businesses.

Earnings Management In Response To Fair Treatment: The Roles Of Organizational Identity And Moral Identity, Kimberly M. Bates

Management Dissertations

Fraud continues to be an issue that organizations face globally, losing an estimated 5% of annual revenue for a total of $4.5 trillion globally. However, fraudulent behavior is difficult to study due to the unacceptable nature of it. I provide researchers with an adapted measure of earnings management that mitigates the socially undesirable act of earnings management which can suppress findings in self-reported studies. Additionally, based on the target similarity model, my dissertation considers accountants’ perception of fair treatment by the organization on willingness to engage in earnings management benefiting the organization. I survey 123 financial and managerial accountants to …

Theranos: Case Study And Examination Of The Fraud Triangle, Abbey Jennings

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fraud is a serious issue which carries significant implications. Fraud committed by top level managers is particularly grievous, as it ripples through a firm, harming the company’s shareholders, employees, and credibility, while posing a threat to individuals and society (Zahra, et al.). A common framework in auditing, the fraud triangle, outlines three factors that if present, increase the risk or enable fraud to occur. The three factors are incentive, opportunity, and rationalization to commit fraud (Barlow).

In 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of a supposedly groundbreaking health tech company, Theranos, with what …

Online Fraud By Way Of Phishing Emails, Alexis Nixon

Graduate Scholarly Works

With the rise of people using the Internet more since Covid-19 started, there has been an increase in fraud cases that occur on the internet as well. Some of these frauds occur by way of romance scams, inauthentic products or even investment fraud. The single type of fraud that was researched and discussed below is the use of phishing emails to commit fraud. Here the perpetrator sends out the same email in a mass quantity, with hopes of getting as many people to fall victim to as possible. The email usually looks like it is legitimate and coming from your …

Strategies For Developing And Implementing Internal Controls For Mitigating Retail Consumer Fraud, Anna Marie Foye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of consumer fraud internal controls can destroy a small business. Small retail business owners who do not practice good internal controls are susceptible to early failure. Using the fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small retail business owners use to develop and implement internal controls for mitigating retail consumer fraud. Participants consisted of four small retail business owners in the Southeastern United States who practiced effective internal controls. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and financial documents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: financials, monitoring, and segregation …

Strategies That Retail Business Owners Use To Prevent And Reduce Employee Theft, Mohammed Alcobary

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retail business owners suffer billions of dollars in financial loss from employee theft and fraud activities, which impacts a retail business owner’s ability to remain financially stable and profitable. Retail business leaders are accountable for employee theft because employee theft goes beyond the financial loss to impact business failure and the organization’s loss of reputation. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies retail business leaders use to prevent and mitigate employee theft. Participants included six retail business leaders in Nigeria who had successfully used strategies to prevent and reduce …

Exploring The Impact Of Incentives On Management Behavior, Chen Zhao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation is comprised of three studies that examine the impact of incentives on management behavior to complement agency problems literature. The first paper studies whether incentives associated with firm life cycle stages impact management disclosure quality. The second paper explores these incentives more deeply and investigates whether the likelihood of fraud is different across life cycle stages. The third paper examines whether rating agencies play a role in alleviating agency problems in nonprofit organizations by increasing public exposure and reducing information asymmetry.

Study one examines the relationship between firms’ life cycle stages and disclosure quality. Life cycle stages are …

Analyzing Small Business To Determine The Best Internal Controls To Implement Within Student Organizations In Order To Prevent Fraud, Madison J. Brinkman

Senior Theses

After serving as a treasurer for a student organization it was clear that it would not be difficult to commit fraud and the largest obstacle was likely the guilt that would be associated with being unethical. However, students frequently cheat in an academic setting which is similar to the setting which a student organization operates within, making it possible that leaders in student organizations are committing fraud. Therefore, students were surveyed about both cheating in an academic setting and personal experience with a leader in their student organization committing fraud. The survey results along research regarding past publicized cases of …

Small Nonprofit Fraud: Risk Mitigation Strategies, Anne M. Marchetti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fraud is a significant worldwide issue for organizations of every size and industry. Small nonprofit organizations are particularly vulnerable to financial and reputational loss due to a fraud incident, which can be devastating. Grounded in the Committee of Sponsoring Organization of the Treadway Commission framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore fraud risk mitigation strategies employed by management in a small nonprofit organization in Florida. Three managers in a small nonprofit organization in Florida, participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews to share their fraud risk mitigation strategies. The data collection process also included inspection of business …

Fraud In Nonprofit Organizations, Haylee Walker

Honors College Theses

This study focuses on the impact that occupational fraud has on the nonprofit sector and how nonprofit organizations react to fraud occurrences. Specifically, it focuses on how often nonprofits choose to prosecute fraudsters. It also explores how the negative publicity surrounding a fraud incident in a nonprofit might affect the subsequent amount of charitable donations that nonprofit will receive. Finally, this study will explore whether or not nonprofits have a fiduciary duty to their stakeholders to prosecute fraudsters and publicize fraud incidents.

Essays On Financial Institutions And Advisors, Joseph D. Farizo

Theses and Dissertations--Finance and Quantitative Methods

In my first chapter, I examine how index funds vote their proxies on firms in its index that their family does not hold in its actively managed funds. For a given proxy proposal at a given point in time, I find that an index fund is more likely to oppose management on shares its family does not hold in its active funds than on shares its family does hold in its active funds. I further demonstrate that index fund governance has positive effects on the probability a proposal passes and on shareholder value. In my second chapter coauthored with Will …

Directed Gifts, Love Offerings And The Uncertain Guidance Of Irs Publication 526 For Donors And Donees To Non-Profit Organizations: Literature Review, Victoria Liggett

Honors College Theses

Love offerings are donations given to an identified beneficiary of a non-profit organization. It can be challenging for tax experts to make accurate tax assessments based on such offerings and enormously difficult for the layperson. This is exacerbated by the unclear directives of the IRS, which include the sometimes nearly inscrutable guidelines of IRS Publication 526. The lack of clarity makes this a hazard for accountants and attorneys involved in tax preparation. Against this backdrop, this paper provides a literature review exploring the history of the issues, current guidelines as decided by court cases, and research done with regards to …

Strategies To Prevent And Detect Occupational Fraud In Small Retail Businesses, Marquita V. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business owners' lack of strategies to prevent and detect occupational fraud in small retail businesses in the United States could result in substantial financial losses or insolvency. Grounded in Cressey's fraud triangle, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore internal control strategies 6 owners of small retail businesses in southeastern Pennsylvania used to prevent and detect occupational fraud. Face-to-face interviews, observations, and documentation are the data collection techniques I used in this study. Data were transcribed, coded, analyzed, and member checked to identify emergent themes. Six themes emerged from the thematic analysis: financial impact, transaction responsibility and …

Caveat Emptor: A Study Of Fraud, Red Flags, And Investor Due Diligence, Katherina D. Albers

Honors College Theses

For decades fraud has been an ever growing problem in our society, costing Americans hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Every investor and consumer pay for the effects and damages of fraud directly or indirectly. Investors need to proactively search for red flags before investing. Through an examination of two recent frauds, Theranos and Fyre Media, I will discuss the frauds perpetrated and the red flags present that investors missed.

Cryptocurrency Fraud: A Look Into The Frontier Of Fraud, Stafford C. Baum

Honors College Theses

This research project was conducted to look into what sort of frauds can be committed to steal unsuspecting investors’ cryptocurrencies. The inspiration for this research came in the form of the fact that millions of dollars are lost to cryptocurrency fraud each day, and many of these frauds are successful due to the public’s naivete towards the dangers of investing in cryptocurrencies. After researching many different cryptocurrency fraud cases, the frauds could be categorized into four major categories. These categories include Ponzi schemes, fake initial coin offering schemes, pump and dump schemes as well as cryptocurrency theft.

Equifax: Anatomy Of A Security Breach, Ashton Glenn

Honors College Theses

The infamous 2017 Equifax breach not only compromised millions of citizens’ data, but the breach also left Equifax vulnerable to lawsuits that claim the company acted negligently. This thesis analyzes the events and facts behind the incident to determine the probable outcome of the main case against Equifax. A claim of a breach can come from either Equifax’s data protection or breach response. This thesis concludes the results of the case depends on the final court to determine if Equifax acted negligently with its data protection. If the case ends in the Eleventh District Court of Appeals, the court will …

Investigating Information Security Policy Characteristics: Do Quality, Enforcement And Compliance Reduce Organizational Fraud?, Dennis T. Brown

Doctor of Business Administration Dissertations

Organizational fraud, a deceitful practice or willful device resorted to with intent to deprive another of his right, or in some manner to do harm or injury, is a growing global concern. While cyberattacks from the outside are more expected, the internal security threat from trusted insiders is responsible for significantly more information compromise than external threats. Information systems make life easier but are increasingly used by employees to perpetrate fraudulent activities. For example, a trusted insider employee with access to sensitive customer databases could misappropriate information and sell it to a competitor for personal gain. These type losses are …

Beneficial Ownership: Tracking The True Owners Of Business Accounts, Angela Lintag-Ihde

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Bank accounts are a popular place to hide and move illegal funds. Many banks offer private banking or wealth management services, to customers with more than $1,000,000. That provides premier banking services as well as a confidential, safe, and legal haven. With these services is a heightened money laundering risk. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) of Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) Examination Manual specifically states that privacy and confidentiality are important elements of private banking relationships. “Private Banking and Wealth Management services are vulnerable to money laundering schemes that include: private bankers as client advocates; powerful clients including …

A Close Look At Audit Standards And Best Practices How To Validate The Existence Of An Asset, Luis Lebron

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

A comparative analysis will be conducted seeking to identify how to obtain sufficient evidence to determine the existence of an asset within an organization during an independent audit. The external auditor is often regarded as the “gatekeeper” of the financial markets which has a fiduciary duty to its clients. (Choy, Fields, & King, 2008) Accounting firms are required by operation of law to act in an ethical manner and have a social responsibility to protect the interest of the public. However, there exists an ongoing issue in the performance of audits by larger firms. In a recent study conducted by …

Considerations Of Private Companies In Regard To External Auditing Including The Detection And Prevention Of Fraud, Alexandra Sprague

Senior Theses

Fraudulent activities occur in all types of companies. Recently, external auditors have become increasingly important in detecting and preventing these frauds. With their independence, auditors can provide external comfort with their opinion as to the fairness of their client’s financial statements. The goal of this thesis is to express the importance of fraud prevention in private companies, especially smaller private companies, and illustrate how external audits can have an impact in fraud prevention. After conducting interviews with private companies, many reasons were found as to why private companies either conduct or do not conduct an external audit. This research bridges …

Ponzi Schemes And The Awareness Of South Carolina Students To Financial Fraud, John Michael Williams, Sara Strauch, Drew Duncan

Senior Theses

Ponzi schemes have continued to grow since the 1920s when Charles Ponzi conducted the first successful Ponzi scheme. Since then, technology has advanced which can help fraudulent investors obtain money easier, but legislation has also improved in order to try to find these investors and stop them before they take large amounts of money from innocent individuals. Since Ponzi schemes have been around for almost 100 years now, there is a lot of research available to explain to investors what Ponzi schemes are and how to spot one before you invest in it. However, even though all of this research …

Strategies For Improving Profitability Through Effective Internal Controls, Melissa M. Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2007 and 2009, the United States experienced a financial crisis. Many businesses experienced difficulties obtaining funds for projects and working capital due to the great recession. As a result, many business owners filed for bankruptcy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small business owners in the construction industry used when implementing internal control processes to improve profits. The study population entailed 6 individuals in the southeast region of the United States who successfully implemented internal control processes to improve profits. The data collected were from face-to-face interviews, analysis of company documents, and …

The Preventive Effects Of Whistleblowers On Fraud In Nonprofits, Elizabeth Evankovich

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Palm Papers, Nicole Rothwell

Capstones

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) came into possession of a secret dataset of property owners of the Palm Islands, the elite high-end artificial islands on the coast of Dubai.

With over 250 neighborhoods on Dubai’s waterfront, a group of journalists around the world has been investigating who these individuals are that can afford the posh and pricey real estate. While most fall into the uber-rich category, some also have corrupt to criminal backgrounds leading to questions such as if the Palm Islands are truly a real-estate paradise, or instead a refuge for the corrupt.

The task for …