WLJ The Fraud Files News

Fraud and infidelity: A match made in heaven?

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:58:45 CDT

What on earth do fraud and infidelity have in common? Quite a lot actually.

Methods of searching for unreported income

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:18:57 CDT

For the employee who is receiving cash in lieu of a real paycheck or who is otherwise concealing wages and earnings, it can be very difficult to prove the case. Cash doesn’t leave much of a trail, and a company that is willingly participating in a fraud like this isn’t likely to offer up proof of the fraud either.

Searching for unreported income is tough task

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:30:29 CDT

The million dollar question in many litigation disputes, be it family law, a shareholder divorce, or other corporate wrangling, often centers around unreported income. Are there sales that aren’t being recorded on the books? Is the individual receiving cash for work done? Is revenue hidden to shield it from being considered by the court?

Lawsuit against bank raises third-party issues

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:37:59 CST

A lawsuit against Wachovia Bank by a group of defrauded consumers raises some interesting issues related to third-party fraud liability. The question for consumers, investors, and executives is: What is the threshold for liability in fraud cases? What knowledge or actions had to be present in order for a person or company to be held liable for fraud?

Protecting the work product of an expert witness

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:11:39 CST

One often overlooked key to successfully working with an expert witness is the protection of privilege and work product. Until the expert is actually disclosed to the other side, it’s in the best interest of the client to make sure that the expert’s work is protected. While no airtight accountant-client privilege exists, it is still possible to protect communications when an accountant (or other expert) is working with an attorney on a litigation matter.

Crime and punishment: Sentencing in financial fraud cases

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:12:51 CST

While investigating fraud for more than a decade, I have consistently been amazed by the disparity among criminal sentences in financial fraud cases. Of course, there are many facts that go into a sentencing decision, and so it is difficult to make an apples-to-apples comparison of sentences between cases.

Corporate identity theft - it isnt just for people anymore

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:36:35 CST

You thought only people experience identity theft. Only individuals become victims of dumpster diving or poor computer security. Someone gets a credit card in your name, and you’ve become a victim. You didn’t even consider that a company could have an “identity” that could be stolen.

Signs that a company has been ripped off

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:45:17 CDT

How would you know if your company was being looted by a dishonest employee? Most companies miss all of the warning signs that could help stop a fraud early.

Tracy L. Coenen Bio

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:12:48 CDT

Tracy L. Coenen is a CPA, a certified fraud examiner, and president of Sequence Inc., a forensic accounting firm with offices in Milwaukee and Chicago. She has gained recognition locally and nationally as an expert in fraud and financial investigations.

Whistleblowers and Sarbanes-Oxley

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 01:00:00 CDT

A look at the subprime mortgage problem

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:00:00 CDT

Reflections on Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 01:00:00 CDT

A correlation between gambling and fraud?

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:00:00 CDT

Fraud in government versus private industry

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 01:00:00 CDT

When upper-level executives go bad

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 01:00:00 CDT

Big frauds start small

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 01:00:00 CDT

Iraq reconstruction fraud: Where are your tax dollars going?

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 01:00:00 CDT

Stock option backdating: Whats the big deal?

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 01:00:00 CDT

What every attorney needs to know about fraud

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 01:00:00 CST

Be prepared: Think like a thief

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 01:00:00 CST