Law Commons^™

Developing Issue Of Money Laundering Though Online Casinos, Matthew Thom

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

This capstone examines the developing issue of money laundering through online gambling sites which are extensions of casinos located within the United States. The online gambling scene is rapidly growing; and these venue will soon become targets for money laundering by criminals, human traffickers, and even terrorists. "Internet gambling and online capabilities have become a haven for money laundering activities...internet gambling operations are vulnerable to be used, not only for money laundering, but also criminal activities ranging from terrorist financing to tax evasion” (Fbi Confirms Online Gambling Opens Door To Fraud, Money Laundering; Age Verification Software Ineffective. (2009, Dec 04) …

Nation State Involvement In Cryptocurrency And The Impact To Economic Sanctions, Thomas Clautice

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

With all the terms and evolving definitions of distributed ledger technology, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and digital currency, it is no wonder they have caused disruption and confusion to the current state of economic sanctions. Sanctioned individuals and countries may actively seek to evade the regulatory oversight of transactions that are completed in the United States dollar using cryptocurrency. The United States and the United Nations have used economic sanctions as a tool of encouragement, and punishment, for decades in the traditional banking and financial services space. Cryptocurrency has not easily fallen under this regulatory environment due to its decentralized nature, and …

“Going Dark” – The Challenge Facing Law Enforcement In The 21st Century, James Christie

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

The role of law enforcement on all levels is to prevent, detect, and investigate criminal activity. A fundamental function of law enforcement is to collect intelligence and evidence to combat criminal and terrorist activity. In numerous instances, intelligence and evidence of criminal activity appear in the form of communications and electronic data. To be effective, law enforcement requires the ability to intercept and access these communications and the electronic data pursuant to legal authority.

Money Laundering Through Cryptocurrencies, George Forgang

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency, was first introduced in 2009, by Satoshi Nakamoto. While many believe the name is a pseudonym, and the true identity of the creator(s) is unknown, it is an undisputed fact that cryptocurrencies have introduced an indelible change to monies worldwide. Consequently, cryptocurrencies have also introduced a plethora of new opportunities for money laundering activity.

While cryptocurrencies follow the same three-step laundering process of placement, layering, and integration, the activity can be more difficult to detect due to the anonymous nature of cryptocurrencies. Moreover, while traditional schemes such as smurfing or gambling at a casino are …

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap): Uncovering The Fraud, Ada Torres

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), once labeled the Food Stamp Program, was constructed mainly to boost low-income households’ capabilities in regards to purchasing food in order to maintain a satisfactory nutritional, low-cost diet. The program accomplishes this by providing benefits as a supplemental income to recipients in order to allow them to purchase certain foods. The federal government supplies the funds for the benefits and transfers the obligation to the states as far as administrating the program. Specifically, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is liable for defining the program regulations and confirming that the states are complying with …

Money Laundering By Politically Exposed Persons In Nigeria: Consequences And Combative Measures, Ike Onyiliogwu

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

The Capstone Project will focus on money laundering in Nigeria by Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and the devastating negative impact on Nigeria’s progress as well as various measures that could combat it.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) defines money laundering as the processing of “ Criminal proceeds to disguise their illegal origin.” And PEPs as “someone who has been entrusted with a public function.” (FATF, 2018). The Nigerian government has adopted the term, “politically exposed persons” to include senior politicians and senior government officials as well as their immediate family.

According to Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, $150 billion was …

Investigating Physicians Billing For Services Not Rendered: Fraud Detection, Interviewing And Referral To Law Enforcement, Glenn Forte Jr.

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

This qualitative study examines the role of healthcare insurance investigators related to medical fraud among physicians billing for services not rendered. Grounded in academic scholarship, industry case studies and first-hand knowledge, this study introduces methods identifying fraudulent activities, fraud detection practices and implications from discovering fraud among physicians, patients, and health insurance companies. The three types of methodologies employed provide a lens into determining misappropriation of healthcare insurance and patient monetary funds.

Healthcare fraud falls within the arena of white-collar crime. It consists of filing dishonest healthcare claims to receive a profit. Fraudulent healthcare schemes come in many forms. The …

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 …

Equitable Sharing Aids Circumventing State Civil Asset Forfeiture, Ella Fisher

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Civil Asset Forfeiture (CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE) is a disputable law enforcement asset utilized to combat the war on drugs and criticized as an abusive practice. Are law enforcement agencies really combatting the war on drugs using civil asset forfeiture law or just using the law for their own self interests? Civil Asset Forfeiture abuse relates to perverse incentives which are further aided by the federal equitable sharing program (ESP). Civil asset forfeiture law allows owners’ assets to be seized and forfeited, by law enforcement agencies without a warrant and/or a criminal conviction. When federal agencies adopt and prosecute, state and …

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 …

Theme Park Fraud And How To Catch It, Lilly Lask

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

One of the most significant, if not the most important financial difficulty facing theme parks today is credit card fraud and the use of counterfeit money by individuals to improperly obtain theme park tickets. The tickets are then used by the fraudsters themselves, or sold or otherwise distributed to guests of the parks. The improper use of the tickets significantly impacts the income of the parks. In order to continue to appropriately manage the parks after the losses, ticket prices need to be raised, which generally leads to a reduction in the valid revenue of the parks as they become …

Investigative Practices For Large Money Laundering Crimes, Mary Hutley-Washington

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Reportedly, governments, states departments, analysts and law enforcement state, "money laundering has a corrosive effect on a country’s economy. The degree of destruction caused by money laundering interrupts the business flow, runs the risk of financial burdens on banks, and ruins countless countries’ reputation for allowing widespread laundering. Money laundering’s significant consequences are the exposure to the communities; because of the criminal elements individuals are subjected to laundering, i.e., fraud, drug trafficking, and other financial crimes” (Freeman, 2011). It is no surprise that internationally all communities want the battle against money laundering and its use to finance terrorism to become …

The Civil Asset Forfeiture Program An Analysis Of The Actual Use, Racial Subjectivity, And Unfairness To Lower Earning Individuals, Nicholas Schieber

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Being able to seize property without a criminal conviction has become a hot button topic in periodical and academic papers. The Civil Asset Forfeiture program gave law enforcement the ability to seize “guilty” property, which can be defined as contraband, proceeds from criminal activity, or tools and instrumentalities used in the commission of a crime, without a criminal conviction on the part of the owner. Numerous academic authors and journalists have called for reform, racial unfairness, and targeting of lower earning communities. However, the majority of data regarding the Civil Asset Forfeiture program is qualitative in nature with few quantitative …

Impact On Grant Fraud Within The Government, Ashley Clark

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

My proposal and area of concentration will focus on the forensic accountant’s role in grant fraud. This role is more important now than ever, as fraudsters’ efforts have become more sophisticated over time. Grant fraud is particularly susceptible because more and more fraudsters are working within the company and understand the internal workings of the organization. Ensuring that grant notice of award regulations and rules are followed – and that relevant agencies and individuals follow all protocols under the budgeted term – are crucial components to ensuring the grant’s success.

Within my research paper, I will cover all areas associated …

Counteracting Fraud, Waste And Abuse In Drug Test Billing, Allison Walton

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Medicaid, Medicare, and major insurance companies are being faced with increased costs for drug test screening. These costs are not caused by a spike in the use of narcotics by subscribers, but from unnecessary testing and overbilling by doctors and drug screening companies. Recovering drug addicts are required to have random drug tests during their treatment program, but instead of being random, the drug tests have become prescriptive. Testing is performed at specific times weekly on a single patient, for substances that return results that are unimportant to the doctors. Doctors are given drug testing kits by large drug testing …

Mobile Device Use: Increasing Privacy And Security Awareness For Nurse Practitioners, Lauren Storbrauck

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Nurse practitioners are increasingly using mobile devices to access electronic medical records, as the use of the devices increases so does the risk of a potential breach. This is a direct result of technological advances such as larger storage capacities, faster computing speeds, and better portability/connectivity (Torrieri, 2011). These devices include: mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. The use of these devices has greatly facilitated the work of Nurse Practitioners, by allowing them to have instant access to patient records, health history and recommended treatment plans (Ventola, 2014). However, seventy-three percent of all mobile users stated that they are not always …

Small Business Occupational Fraud, Judy Dunne

Economic Crime Forensics Capstones

Estimate show that businesses will lose approximately 5% of revenue annually to occupational fraud. A small business generating $5 million in annual revenue will be estimated to lose $250,000 annually to fraud. The small business owners, with only a few employees, do not have the luxury an internal audit department to keep fraud in check. The small business owners must rely on themselves to be the audit department and it has to happen in a cost effective manner. In order to combat the possibility of fraud, the small business owner must first be familiar with the concepts of the fraud …