Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Internal Audit, Internal Controls, Risk, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Internal Audit, Internal Controls, Risk, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

FCPA - The Role of The Board and More!

One of the FCPA themes for 2020 has been hiding in plain sight all along. The FCPA requirement that “reporting companies to devise and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that, among other things, transactions are executed following management’s general or specific authorizations, and access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization.” But what if the violation of this requirement occurs in a non-foreign (IE., the U.S.) and in a non-bribery situation.

Read More
Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk factors, Risk Management, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk factors, Risk Management, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Common Pitfalls - Fraud Risk Assessment

Risk assessments are part of the discipline of risk management, where enhanced frameworks and techniques have emerged. Risk management comprises the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks followed by the coordinated and efficient use of resources to monitor, minimize, and otherwise control the organization's risks.
Risks arise in many forms and range from uncertainty in financial markets, operational failures, natural disasters, and pandemics to legal liabilities and reputational harms.

Read More
CARES Act, Compliance, COVID -19, DOJ, Ethics, False Claims Act, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Investigations, Lessons Learned, Monitoring, Payroll Protection Pro..., PPP, Risk, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks CARES Act, Compliance, COVID -19, DOJ, Ethics, False Claims Act, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Investigations, Lessons Learned, Monitoring, Payroll Protection Pro..., PPP, Risk, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

First Civil Settlement for Fraud on Cares Act Paycheck Protection Program

On January 12, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California announced the first civil settlement with a borrower for allegedly committing fraud in obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loan, in violation of the False Claims Act ("FCA") and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act ("FIRREA").The FCA allows the government to recover damages and penalties for presenting false claims for payment to the United States. FIRREA allows the government to impose civil penalties for violations of enumerated federal criminal statutes, including those that affect federally-insured financial

Read More
ACFE, AICPA, Anti-fraud, Baker Tilly, Bank Secrecy Act, Board of Directors, Books and records, Bribery, Business Intelligence, Compliance, Culture, Disclosure, Dodd-Frank, DOJ, Enforcement, Enterprise Risk Resili..., Ethics, Evidence, False Claims Act, FCPA, Federal Sentencing Gui..., Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Forensic Accounting, Forensically Speaking, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, Fraud Task Force, General Counsel, Governance, GRC, Hotline, IIA, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Jonathan T- Marks, Kickbacks, KYC, Leadership, Legal, Management Override, Money Laundering, Monitoring, NACD, Not for Profit, OFAC, Policies and Procedures, Process Improvement, Qui Tam, RegTech, Regulatory, Remediation, Remote Internal Invest..., Remote Investigations, Risk Assessment, Risk factors, Risk Management, Risk-focused, Root Cause, Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC, Third Party, Thought Leadership, Webinar, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks ACFE, AICPA, Anti-fraud, Baker Tilly, Bank Secrecy Act, Board of Directors, Books and records, Bribery, Business Intelligence, Compliance, Culture, Disclosure, Dodd-Frank, DOJ, Enforcement, Enterprise Risk Resili..., Ethics, Evidence, False Claims Act, FCPA, Federal Sentencing Gui..., Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Forensic Accounting, Forensically Speaking, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, Fraud Task Force, General Counsel, Governance, GRC, Hotline, IIA, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Jonathan T- Marks, Kickbacks, KYC, Leadership, Legal, Management Override, Money Laundering, Monitoring, NACD, Not for Profit, OFAC, Policies and Procedures, Process Improvement, Qui Tam, RegTech, Regulatory, Remediation, Remote Internal Invest..., Remote Investigations, Risk Assessment, Risk factors, Risk Management, Risk-focused, Root Cause, Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC, Third Party, Thought Leadership, Webinar, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Still time to join us on February 23-25! Baker Tilly’s 1st Annual Virtual Fraud and Compliance Summit

We are introducing our first annual virtual Baker Tilly Fraud and Compliance Summit, hosted by Jonathan T. Marks, who leads Baker Tilly’s Global Forensic, Compliance, and Integrity Services Practice.

Read More
10-80-10, 10-A, 3 Lines, ACFE, AICPA, Analytics, Anti-fraud, Antitrust, Audit, Audit Committee, Automation, Baker Tilly, Blockchain, Board of Directors, Books and records, Bribery, Business Intelligence, Caremark, Cash, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Legal Counsel, Colleges and Universities, Collusion, Compliance, Compliance Coordinator, Conflict of Interest, Continuous Auditing, Continuous Monitoring, Control, Control Environment, Coronavirus, Corporate Fraud, Corruption, COSO, Court, COVID -19, Crisis, Crisis Management, Critical Audit Matters, Cross Border Investiga..., Cryptocurrency, Culture, Culture Assessment, Cyber, Damages, Data, Data Analytics, Data Integrity, Directors, Disclosure, Dodd Frank, Dodd-Frank, DOJ, Due Diligence, Dunning Kruger, Enforcement, Enterprise Risk Resili..., Enterprise Risk Resili..., EQS, ERM, Ethics, Evidence, Exit Interview, Fake Invoices, False Claims Act, FCPA, Federal Sentencing Gui..., Financial reporting an..., FinCen, Food Safety, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Forensic Accounting, Forensically Speaking, Four eyes approval, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, Fraud Task Force, Fraud Triangle, GAAP, GDPR, General Counsel, Gifts, Global, Governance, GRC, Guidance, Hidden Assets, Hotline, IDORP, IIA, IIA Philadelphia, IIOT, Impairment, Initial Coin Offering, Insider Trading, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Interview, Investigations, Jonathan T- Marks, Judgment and Estimates, Keyword, Kickbacks, Leadership, Legal, Lessons Learned, Management Override, Materiality, MD&A, Money Laundering, Monitor, Monitoring, Monitorship, NACD, Nonprofit, Not for Profit, OFAC, Office of Foreign Asse..., Oversight, Phishing, Podcast, Policies and Procedures, Process Improvement, Proxy, Qui Tam, ransom, Ransomeware, Red Flag, RegTech, Regulatory, Related Party, Remediation, Remote Internal Invest..., Remote Investigations, Reputation, Restatement, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk factors, Risk Management, Robotic, Root Cause, Sampling, Sarbanes-Oxley, Seaboard, SEC, Shell Company, Skepticism, Slush Fund, Supreme Court, Tax, Tax Fraud, Technology, Theft, Third Party, Thought Leadership, Three Lines, Three Lines of Defense, Tips, tone at the top, Tone from the Top, Training, Treasury, Triage, Uncategorized, Values, Webinar, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime, Yellow Flag Jonathan T. Marks 10-80-10, 10-A, 3 Lines, ACFE, AICPA, Analytics, Anti-fraud, Antitrust, Audit, Audit Committee, Automation, Baker Tilly, Blockchain, Board of Directors, Books and records, Bribery, Business Intelligence, Caremark, Cash, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Legal Counsel, Colleges and Universities, Collusion, Compliance, Compliance Coordinator, Conflict of Interest, Continuous Auditing, Continuous Monitoring, Control, Control Environment, Coronavirus, Corporate Fraud, Corruption, COSO, Court, COVID -19, Crisis, Crisis Management, Critical Audit Matters, Cross Border Investiga..., Cryptocurrency, Culture, Culture Assessment, Cyber, Damages, Data, Data Analytics, Data Integrity, Directors, Disclosure, Dodd Frank, Dodd-Frank, DOJ, Due Diligence, Dunning Kruger, Enforcement, Enterprise Risk Resili..., Enterprise Risk Resili..., EQS, ERM, Ethics, Evidence, Exit Interview, Fake Invoices, False Claims Act, FCPA, Federal Sentencing Gui..., Financial reporting an..., FinCen, Food Safety, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Forensic Accounting, Forensically Speaking, Four eyes approval, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, Fraud Task Force, Fraud Triangle, GAAP, GDPR, General Counsel, Gifts, Global, Governance, GRC, Guidance, Hidden Assets, Hotline, IDORP, IIA, IIA Philadelphia, IIOT, Impairment, Initial Coin Offering, Insider Trading, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Interview, Investigations, Jonathan T- Marks, Judgment and Estimates, Keyword, Kickbacks, Leadership, Legal, Lessons Learned, Management Override, Materiality, MD&A, Money Laundering, Monitor, Monitoring, Monitorship, NACD, Nonprofit, Not for Profit, OFAC, Office of Foreign Asse..., Oversight, Phishing, Podcast, Policies and Procedures, Process Improvement, Proxy, Qui Tam, ransom, Ransomeware, Red Flag, RegTech, Regulatory, Related Party, Remediation, Remote Internal Invest..., Remote Investigations, Reputation, Restatement, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk factors, Risk Management, Robotic, Root Cause, Sampling, Sarbanes-Oxley, Seaboard, SEC, Shell Company, Skepticism, Slush Fund, Supreme Court, Tax, Tax Fraud, Technology, Theft, Third Party, Thought Leadership, Three Lines, Three Lines of Defense, Tips, tone at the top, Tone from the Top, Training, Treasury, Triage, Uncategorized, Values, Webinar, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime, Yellow Flag Jonathan T. Marks

2020 Top 10 Articles on Fraud, Compliance, and Risk Management

Happy New Year, and thank you to the more than 100,000 people that visited Board and Fraud in 2020!
With everything that happened last year, fraud, compliance, and risk management have arguably become more important than ever.

Read More
Anti-fraud, Baker Tilly, Bribery, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Money Laundering, Red Flag, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Anti-fraud, Baker Tilly, Bribery, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Money Laundering, Red Flag, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Congress Approves Anti-Money-Laundering (AML) Measure

Money laundering issues have haunted many over the years.  To promote greater transparency, the U.S. Sen­ate has ap­proved leg­is­la­tion re­quir­ing com­pa­nies in the U.S. to reg­is­ter their true owners. This change would help com­bat money laun­der­ing and the fi­nanc­ing of ter­ror­ism.

Read More
Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Ethics, Fraud, Fraud Risk Management, Governance, Internal Audit, Risk Jonathan T. Marks Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Ethics, Fraud, Fraud Risk Management, Governance, Internal Audit, Risk Jonathan T. Marks

Herbalife - “Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes” - Translated: Who Will Guard the Guards Themselves, or Who will Watch the Watchmen?

Herbalife's business relationship in China was committed to illegal activity, which it knew or should have known violated the FCPA. Specifically,  beginning in late 2006, Herbalife China provided improper benefits and payments to government officials to obtain direct selling licenses for two cities.
Herbalife paid out millions of dollars in bribes. Fraudulent expense reimbursements were used to fund the bribes, which is is a common tactic for these types of bribes.Specifically, the SEC found that Herbalife China paid bribes through extravagant meals, gifts, and other benefits given to Chinese officials to obtain sales licenses and remove negative media coverage in China. Managers at the subsidiary asked employees to falsify expense report documents, for example, adding names to meal receipts to get below the company's per head spending limit. It also found that the payments and benefits were inaccurately recorded and that Herbalife failed to maintain a sound system of internal controls.

Read More
Anti-fraud, Audit Committee, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Corporate Fraud, COVID -19, Crisis, Crisis Management, Directors, DOJ, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Investigations, Jonathan T- Marks, Risk, Risk Assessment, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Anti-fraud, Audit Committee, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Corporate Fraud, COVID -19, Crisis, Crisis Management, Directors, DOJ, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Investigations, Jonathan T- Marks, Risk, Risk Assessment, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

COVID-19 - Fraud On The Rise is No Surprise!

Last week, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (” ACFE”) published the results of a survey taken by more than 1,800 anti-fraud professionals in late April and early May 2020, while we were deep into the Covid-19 crisis.  The findings, for the most part, are not surprising, but does reveal some disappointing information.  While I have not seen a raw copy of the survey, I was surprised the ACFE didn’t ask if the company’s fraud risk assessment was reviewed and modified accordingly.In addition, the survey highlights trends in the overall level of fraud. Survey respondents provided information about their current observations and expected changes regarding ten (10) specific types of fraud.

Read More
Fraud Pentagon - Enhancements to the Three Conditions Under Which Fraud May Occur
Board of Directors, Fraud, Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, Fraud Triangle Jonathan T. Marks Board of Directors, Fraud, Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, Fraud Triangle Jonathan T. Marks

Fraud Pentagon - Enhancements to the Three Conditions Under Which Fraud May Occur

Today’s fraudster is clever and operates in an environment ripe for criminal activity. Economic unrest is making it easier for employees to find ways to set fraud in motion – and a new breed of offenders is finding cunning ways to do so. After more than 60 years, the classic fraud triangle of three elements or events that motivate an employee to cross the line has morphed into the Fraud Pentagon. Company boards and senior management must take an offensive stance against the five conditions that precipitate fraud with a clear plan that limits the opportunity for fraud and minimizes the impact when fraud does occur.

Read More
ACFE, Anti-fraud, Audit, Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Board of Directors, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Coronavirus, Corporate Fraud, COVID -19, Crisis, Crisis Management, Culture, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Internal Audit, Leadership, tone at the top, Tone from the Top, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks ACFE, Anti-fraud, Audit, Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Board of Directors, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Coronavirus, Corporate Fraud, COVID -19, Crisis, Crisis Management, Culture, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Internal Audit, Leadership, tone at the top, Tone from the Top, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Tone from the top: Leadership’s challenge during a crisis

Leaders must find ways to engage with their people to motivate them, and this becomes increasingly important during uncertain or trying times. If done correctly, talking can be incredibly powerful. It can help relieve anxiety and help people find the strength they didn't know was in them. Studies have shown that talking shuts down the brain's fear center.As Dr. Judson A. Brewer stated in a recent New York Times article, "Anxiety is a strange beast. As a psychiatrist, I have learned that anxiety and its close cousin, panic, are both born from fear.”Fear and anxiety can be debilitating. Without proper communication in a crisis, it's easy for people to spin and spread stories of fear, creating social contagion. To balance this tendency, in a crisis, leaders need to take their "tone from the top" to the next level.

Read More
ACFE, Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Compliance Coordinator, Corporate Fraud, Crisis, Crisis Management, Directors, Dodd Frank, Dodd-Frank, DOJ, Ethics, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Governance, Internal Audit, Internal Controls, Investigations, Money Laundering, Risk, Risk Management, Root Cause, SEC, Tone from the Top, Triage, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks ACFE, Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Compliance Coordinator, Corporate Fraud, Crisis, Crisis Management, Directors, Dodd Frank, Dodd-Frank, DOJ, Ethics, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Governance, Internal Audit, Internal Controls, Investigations, Money Laundering, Risk, Risk Management, Root Cause, SEC, Tone from the Top, Triage, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Whistleblowers: Tipsters not trusting the system?

Whistleblowers: Tipsters not trusting the system? Here's how to win them back.Anonymous hotlines and tip-reporting structures are useless, of course, if informants don’t trust them. Employees won’t blow the whistle if they fear reprisals. So, their concerns often don’t enter case-management systems and frauds continue. Here’s how to earn back their trust, take them seriously and transform raw tips into valuable fraud examinations.Ovem lupo commitere!

Read More
ACFE, Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Crisis, Crisis Management, Dodd Frank, Dodd-Frank, Ethics, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Hotline, IIA, Internal Audit, Internal Controls, Investigations, NAVEX, Regulatory, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, SEC, Training, Triage, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks ACFE, Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Crisis, Crisis Management, Dodd Frank, Dodd-Frank, Ethics, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Hotline, IIA, Internal Audit, Internal Controls, Investigations, NAVEX, Regulatory, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, SEC, Training, Triage, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Whistleblowers: A Fraud Triage System to Manage Burgeoning Caseloads

As the use of whistleblower programs continues to grow, many organizations find themselves struggling to manage burgeoning caseloads. As a result, serious fraud investigations can be delayed (with mounting losses) while less consequential complaints are being investigated. The lack of a timely, systematic, and repeatable process for evaluating and prioritizing whistleblower tips that contain allegations of ethical breaches can also expose an organization to increased regulatory risk. While there is no single “right” method for following up on whistleblower complaints, the most effective approaches often resemble the medical triage programs that hospitals and first responders use to allocate limited resources during emergencies or a crisis situations. Here are some useful guidelines for designing and implementing a fraud triage system.

Read More
Anti-fraud, Audit, Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Books and records, Conflict of Interest, Corporate Fraud, Culture, Damages, Directors, Evidence, Forensic Accounting, Fraud, Fraud Investigations, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, GRC, Investigations, Monitor, Nonprofit, Not for Profit, Process Improvement, Red Flag, Related Party, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Sarbanes-Oxley, Skepticism, Theft, Tips, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Anti-fraud, Audit, Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Books and records, Conflict of Interest, Corporate Fraud, Culture, Damages, Directors, Evidence, Forensic Accounting, Fraud, Fraud Investigations, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, GRC, Investigations, Monitor, Nonprofit, Not for Profit, Process Improvement, Red Flag, Related Party, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Sarbanes-Oxley, Skepticism, Theft, Tips, Whistleblower, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

A Violation of Trust: Fraud Risk in Nonprofit or Not-for Profit Organizations

The risk of fraud is a serious concern for all types of enterprises, but fraud can be particularly damaging to a nonprofit or not-for-profit organization, for which a damaged reputation can have devastating consequences.

Read More
Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Board of Directors, Bribery, Caremark, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Compliance Coordinator, Corporate Fraud, Directors, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Governance, GRC, Regulatory, Risk Jonathan T. Marks Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Board of Directors, Bribery, Caremark, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Compliance Coordinator, Corporate Fraud, Directors, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Governance, GRC, Regulatory, Risk Jonathan T. Marks

The Role of the Board of Directors in Compliance Oversight

Under the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines, in order to receive credit for having an effective compliance program, and thereby reduce the fines imposed on the organization, a Board of Directors must be “knowledgeable about the content and operation of the compliance and ethics program,” and must “exercise reasonable oversight with respect to the implementation and effectiveness of the compliance and ethics program.” In addition, in criminal actions against a business organization, including the FCPA, the DOJ’s Justice Manual instructs prosecutors to ask and answer several questions, including: 1) Do the Directors exercise independent review of the company’s compliance program? and 2) Are Directors provided timely and accurate information sufficient to enable the exercise of independent judgment?

Read More
Anti-fraud, Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Bribery, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Coronavirus, Corporate Fraud, COVID -19, Crisis Management, Directors, Ethics, FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Hotline, IIA, Internal Audit, Investigations, Management Override, Phishing, Risk factors, Risk Management, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Anti-fraud, Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Bribery, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Coronavirus, Corporate Fraud, COVID -19, Crisis Management, Directors, Ethics, FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Governance, Hotline, IIA, Internal Audit, Investigations, Management Override, Phishing, Risk factors, Risk Management, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Fraud, Compliance & Integrity Risk During a Crisis and a Downturn

As a crisis unfolds, like Coronavirus, and markets decline globally, fraudsters will be adapting and new risks will emerge and some risks will increase. Remember, white collar criminals adapt by profiling us, so they can exploit our weaknesses. That being said, companies need to develop a strategy that enables the deployment of appropriate tactics to manage these new or increasing risks.This writing explores some fraud, compliance, and integrity risks and is intended to provoke discussion.

Read More
ACFE, Anti-fraud, Corporate Fraud, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Internal Controls, Sarbanes-Oxley Jonathan T. Marks ACFE, Anti-fraud, Corporate Fraud, Fraud, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Risk Management, Internal Controls, Sarbanes-Oxley Jonathan T. Marks

Take Your SOx Off

On March 12, 2020, the Securities & Exchange Commission adopted a controversial rule that exempts more categories of public companies from auditor attestation of management’s internal control over financial reporting required by Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, despite strong opposition by investor protection advocates.The rules are intended to benefit low revenue companies even if the funds raised in the public stock markets are not small, according to, Release No. 34-88365, Amendments to the Accelerated and Large Accelerated Filer Definitions. The amendments become effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, which normally occurs a few weeks after a rule is posted on the SEC’s website.

Read More
Anti-fraud, Audit, Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Compliance Coordinator, Corporate Fraud, Corruption, Culture, Culture Assessment, Data Analytics, Directors, DOJ, Ethics, FCPA, Forensic Accounting, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Global, Governance, IIA, IIA Philadelphia, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Investigations, Jonathan T- Marks, Management Override, Money Laundering, Policies and Procedures, Process Improvement, Red Flag, Regulatory, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Root Cause, Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC, Technology, Theft, Third Party, Tone from the Top, Training, Triage, Values, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Anti-fraud, Audit, Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Compliance Coordinator, Corporate Fraud, Corruption, Culture, Culture Assessment, Data Analytics, Directors, DOJ, Ethics, FCPA, Forensic Accounting, Fraud and Forensic, Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Global, Governance, IIA, IIA Philadelphia, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Investigations, Jonathan T- Marks, Management Override, Money Laundering, Policies and Procedures, Process Improvement, Red Flag, Regulatory, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Root Cause, Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC, Technology, Theft, Third Party, Tone from the Top, Training, Triage, Values, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

IIA Philadelphia and Baker Tilly’s Fraud & Ethics Symposium is Postponed! Stay tuned for the new date.

This one-day fraud symposium, sponsored by Baker Tilly's Global Forensic, Compliance and Integrity Services, and Solutions Practice Group and hosted by the Institute of Internal Auditors, Philadelphia Chapter, will include topics such as:•Culture•Current trends in white-collar crime•Tone is the middle•Policy management•Case study on a local fraudDiscover who will be speaking and register for the event!

Read More
Anti-fraud, Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Books and records, Bribery, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Collusion, Compliance Coordinator, Corporate Fraud, Ethics, FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Forensic Accounting, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, GDPR, General Counsel, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Investigations, Jonathan T- Marks, Red Flag, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, SEC, Skepticism, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Anti-fraud, Audit Committee, Board of Directors, Books and records, Bribery, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Collusion, Compliance Coordinator, Corporate Fraud, Ethics, FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Forensic Accounting, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Pentagon, Fraud Risk Management, GDPR, General Counsel, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Investigations, Jonathan T- Marks, Red Flag, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, SEC, Skepticism, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Bribery Schemes and Their Compliance Responses

This writing will highlight some of the more unusual bribery schemes described in 2019 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement actions and also consider their impact on compliance programs, what they mean for the compliance professional and how the government could potentially use these cases to require more effective compliance programs going forward.Fraudsters are always looking for loopholes and weak spots to exploit. The same is true for those engaged in bribery and corruption. The role of every compliance professional is to prevent, detect and remediate. By following some of the approaches I have outlined, you can move towards more robust detection.

Read More
Anti-fraud, Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Board of Directors, Books and records, Bribery, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Control Environment, Corporate Fraud, Corruption, Culture, Directors, DOJ, Ethics, FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Forensic Accounting, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Global, Governance, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Investigations, Management Override, Policies and Procedures, Process Improvement, Red Flag, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, SEC, Tone from the Top, Training, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks Anti-fraud, Audit Committee, Baker Tilly, Board of Directors, Books and records, Bribery, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Compliance Officer, Compliance, Control Environment, Corporate Fraud, Corruption, Culture, Directors, DOJ, Ethics, FCPA, Foreign Corrupt Practi..., Forensic Accounting, Fraud and Forensic Inv..., Fraud Investigations, Fraud Risk Management, General Counsel, Global, Governance, Internal Audit, Internal Control Defic..., Internal Controls, Investigations, Management Override, Policies and Procedures, Process Improvement, Red Flag, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, SEC, Tone from the Top, Training, White Collar Crime Jonathan T. Marks

Fraud Tip Friday: Lessons From Recent FCPA Enforcement Actions

The United States government’s fiscal year ended on September 30, 2019. Just as in the business world, where many companies try and clear out any unexecuted deals or open contracts, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cleared out three outstanding Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement actions. The three enforcement actions involved Quad/Graphics Inc., a Wisconsin-based digital and print marketing provider, and its Peruvian subsidiary, Quad/Graphics Peru S.A.; Barclays PLC; and a Canadian clean fuel company Westport Fuels Systems, Inc. and its former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nancy Gougarty of Leesville, South Carolina. The terms of each settlement agreement provide a different lesson for compliance practitioners.

Read More