FRAUD RISK FACTORS

Misstatements Arising from Fraudulent Financial Reporting

Incentives/Pressures
Financial stability or profitability is threatened by economic, industry, or
entity operating Conditions
High degree of competition or market saturation, accompanied by
declining
margins.
High vulnerability to rapid changes, such as changes in technology,
product
obsolescence, or interest rates.
Significant declines in customer demand and increasing business failures
in either
the industry or overall economy.
Operating losses making the threat of bankruptcy, foreclosure, or hostile
takeover
imminent.
Recurring negative cash flows from operations or an inability to generate
cash
flows from operations while reporting earnings and earnings growth.
Rapid growth or unusual profitability especially compared to that of other
companies in the same industry.
New accounting, statutory, or regulatory requirements.

Excessive pressure exists for management to meet the requirements or

expectations of third parties due to the following:
Profitability or trend level expectations of investment analysts,
institutional investors, significant creditors, or other external parties
(particularly expectations that are unduly aggressive or unrealistic),
including expectations created by management in, for example, overly
optimistic press releases or annual report messages.

 Need to obtain additional debt or equity financing to stay competitive

including financing of major research and development or capital
expenditures.

Marginal ability to meet exchange listing requirements or debt repayment

or other debt covenant requirements.

Perceived or real adverse effects of reporting poor financial results on

significant pending transactions, such as business combinations or contract
awards.

Information available indicates that the personal financial situation of

management or
those charged with governance is threatened by the entitys financial
performance arising from the following:
Significant financial interests in the entity.
Significant portions of their compensation (for example, bonuses, stock
options,
and earn-out arrangements) being contingent upon achieving aggressive
targets
for stock price, operating results, financial position, or cash flow.9
Personal guarantees of debts of the entity. There is excessive pressure on
management or operating personnel to meet financial targets established
by those charged with governance, including sales or profitability incentive
goals.
Management incentive plans may be contingent upon achieving targets relating only to
certain accounts or selected activities of the entity, even though the related accounts or
activities may not be material to the entity as a whole.

Opportunities
The nature of the industry or the entitys operations provides opportunities to
engage in fraudulent financial reporting that can arise from the following:

Significant related-party transactions not in the ordinary course of

business or with related entities not audited or audited by another firm.
A strong financial presence or ability to dominate a certain industry
sector that allows the entity to dictate terms or conditions to suppliers or
customers that may result in inappropriate or non-arms-length
transactions.
Assets, liabilities, revenues, or expenses based on significant estimates
that involve subjective judgments or uncertainties that are difficult to
corroborate.
Significant, unusual, or highly complex transactions, especially those
close to period end that pose difficult substance over form questions.
Significant operations located or conducted across international borders
in jurisdictions where differing business environments and cultures exist.
Use of business intermediaries for which there appears to be no clear
business justification.
Significant bank accounts or subsidiary or branch operations in tax-haven
jurisdictions for which there appears to be no clear business justification.

The monitoring of management is not effective as a result of the following:

Domination of management by a single person or small group (in a nonowner managed business) without compensating controls.
Oversight by those charged with governance over the financial reporting
process and internal control is not effective.

There is a complex or unstable organizational structure, as evidenced by the

following:

 Difficulty in determining the organization or individuals that have

controlling interest in the entity.
Overly complex organizational structure involving unusual legal entities
or managerial lines of authority.
High turnover of senior management, legal counsel, or those charged
with governance.

Internal control components are deficient as a result of the following:

Inadequate monitoring of controls, including automated controls and
controls over interim financial reporting (where external reporting is
required).
High turnover rates or employment of accounting, internal audit, or
information technology staff that are not effective.
Accounting and information systems that are not effective, including
situations involving material weaknesses in internal control.

Attitudes/Rationalizations

Communication, implementation, support, or enforcement of the entitys

values or ethical standards by management, or the communication of
inappropriate values or ethical standards, that are not effective.
Nonfinancial managements excessive participation in or preoccupation
with the selection of accounting policies or the determination of significant
estimates.
Known history of violations of securities laws or other laws and
regulations, or claims against the entity, its senior management, or those
charged with governance alleging fraud or violations of laws and
regulations.
Excessive interest by management in maintaining or increasing the
entitys stock price or earnings trend.

 The practice by management of committing to analysts, creditors, and

other third parties to achieve aggressive or unrealistic forecasts.
Management failing to correct known material weaknesses in internal
control on a timely basis.
An interest by management in employing inappropriate means to
minimize reported earnings for tax-motivated reasons.
Low morale among senior management.
The owner-manager makes no distinction between personal and business
transactions.
Dispute between shareholders in a closely held entity.
Recurring attempts by management to justify marginal or inappropriate
accounting on the basis of materiality.
The relationship between management and the current or predecessor
auditor is
strained, as exhibited by the following:
o Frequent disputes with the current or predecessor auditor on accounting,
auditing, or reporting matters.
o Unreasonable demands on the auditor, such as unrealistic time
constraints regarding the completion of the audit or the issuance of the
auditors report.
o Restrictions on the auditor that inappropriately limit access to people or
information or the ability to communicate effectively with those charged
with governance.
o Domineering management behavior in dealing with the auditor,
especially involving attempts to influence the scope of the auditors work
or the selection or continuance of personnel assigned to or consulted on
the audit engagement.

Risk Factors Arising From Misstatements Arising From

Misappropriation of Assets

Incentives/Pressures

Personal financial obligations may create pressure on management or

employees with access to cash or other assets susceptible to theft to
misappropriate those assets.
Adverse relationships between the entity and employees with access to cash
or other assets susceptible to theft may motivate those employees to
misappropriate those assets.
For example, adverse relationships may be created by the following:
Known or anticipated future employee layoffs.
Recent or anticipated changes to employee compensation or benefit
plans.
Promotions, compensation, or other rewards inconsistent with
expectations.

Opportunities
Certain characteristics or circumstances may increase the susceptibility of
assets to misappropriation. For example, opportunities to misappropriate
assets increase when there are the following:
Large amounts of cash on hand or processed.
Inventory items that are small in size, of high value, or in high demand.
Easily convertible assets, such as bearer bonds, diamonds, or computer
chips.
Fixed assets which are small in size, marketable, or lacking observable
identification of ownership.
Inadequate internal control over assets may increase the susceptibility of
misappropriation of those assets. For example, misappropriation of assets
may occur because there is the following:
Inadequate segregation of duties or independent checks.
Inadequate oversight of senior management expenditures, such as travel
and other
reimbursements.
Inadequate management oversight of employees responsible for assets,
for example, inadequate supervision or monitoring of remote locations.

 Inadequate job applicant screening of employees with access to assets.

Inadequate record keeping with respect to assets.
Inadequate system of authorization and approval of transactions (for
example, in purchasing).
Inadequate physical safeguards over cash, investments, inventory, or
fixed assets.
Lack of complete and timely reconciliations of assets.
Lack of timely and appropriate documentation of transactions, for
example, credits for merchandise returns.
Lack of mandatory vacations for employees performing key control
functions.
Inadequate management understanding of information technology, which
enables information technology employees to perpetrate a
misappropriation.
Inadequate access controls over automated records, including controls
over and review of computer systems event logs.

Attitudes/Rationalizations

Disregard for the need for monitoring or reducing risks related to

misappropriations of assets.
Disregard for internal control over misappropriation of assets by
overriding existing controls or by failing to correct known internal control
deficiencies.
Behavior indicating displeasure or dissatisfaction with the entity or its
treatment of the employee.
Changes in behavior or lifestyle that may indicate assets have been
misappropriated.
Tolerance of petty theft
.