Exam 14: Conducting Investigations and Report Writing

To find the names of the parties who have an interest in the estate of a deceased individual, an investigator should search the records of which court?

Baker, CFE, is on a stakeout at the home of Potter, the prime suspect in a large false billing scheme. When Baker arrives at Potter's street, she notices Potter's garbage has been placed on the curb for pickup. Baker believes she could obtain much of the information she needs by going through Potter's garbage. In order to legally sift through Potter's trash and seize discarded documents to be used as evidence, Baker must:

When organizing documentary evidence, it is recommended that investigators keep which of the following?

If, during the handling of a piece of documentary evidence, an investigator inadvertently holds the document with bare hands and leaves fingerprints on it, the document should be destroyed and a new copy should be obtained.

Lloyd, CFE, has asked Betsy for access to her bank records as part of an investigation into an alleged embezzlement scheme. If Betsy agrees, her consent must be written, signed, and dated in order for it to be binding.

A well-written, accurate, and understandable investigation report will:

Fraud examination teams should be broken down into two segregated groups: one that focuses on the financial side of the investigation and one that performs the investigatory field work.

McCloud, an internal investigator for a private company, has reason to believe that LaRue, the company's controller, has been embezzling cash and living the high life on the company's dime. McCloud has just discovered that LaRue bought a mansion on the edge of town last year and McCloud wants to find out more about the purchase. Information about whether LaRue took out a mortgage on the property may be found by searching:

To obtain information about an auto loan, such as where and when the loan originated and the current address of the debtor, an investigator should search the Uniform Commercial Code documents filed with the Secretary of State.

Which of the following statements about handling and storing documentary evidence is not true?

While investigating an alleged conflict of interest scheme, Green, an internal investigator, is contacted by the ex-wife of Brown, the primary suspect. After calling her ex-husband some unsavory names and telling Green that Brown hasn't paid a dime of his court-ordered alimony, the jilted former spouse informs Green that she has some dirt on Brown. She tells Green that she'd be more than happy to spill the beans about Brown's misdeeds if Green can ensure that she receives half of any money recovered as a result of the investigation. Because Brown's ex-wife is clearly seeking a financial reward for supplying information, Green should discontinue speaking with her and should not rely on any information she provides.

To be valid, a search warrant must be issued by a judge and must be served by a law enforcement official.

Information concerning a corporation's name, ownership, stock value, initial shareholders, directors, and officers is registered and maintained at which of the following levels?

Which of the following information is typically not included in a corporate registration?

Which of the following factors should be considered when determining whether to employ outside consultants during a fraud examination engagement?

Officers and directors of companies are bound by the duties of _________ and _________ in overseeing the operations of their companies.

Bob Taylor, CFE, is writing a report on his findings from an investigation into an alleged inventory larceny scheme. During his investigation, he was unable to accurately quantify the amount of the loss to the victim company, but he assumes that the loss falls between $100,000 and $200,000. In the report, Bob should report the amount of the loss as $200,000 so that the company can recoup as much money as possible from the perpetrator.

When choosing a fraud examination team, it is important to include as many parties as possible to ensure that all investigatory perspectives are covered.

_________________ refers to establishing how and when a piece of evidence was received; how it was maintained or stored while in each person's possession; what changes, if any, it underwent in that person's custody; and how it left that person's custody.

When preparing an investigative report, the fraud examiner should assume that it will be read by outside parties.