ACFE CFE-Fraud-Schemes-and-Financial-Crimes - Certified Fraud Examiner -Fraud Schemes and Financial Crimes

The correct answer is B. Under cash-basis accounting, revenues and expenses are recorded based on the movement of cash. Revenue is recorded when cash is received, and expenses are recorded when cash is paid, regardless of when goods are delivered, services are performed, or obligations are incurred. Options A and C describe accrual-basis concepts. Accrual accounting records revenue when earned and matches related expenses to the same accounting period. Option D is incorrect because cash-basis accounting is generally simpler than accrual-basis accounting, although it can provide a less complete picture of financial performance. The ACFE materials emphasize that accrual accounting gives a truer financial picture and is required under GAAP.

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Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: By definition, Equity (or net assets) represents the residual interest in the assets of an entity after deducting liabilities. This aligns with the basic accounting equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity . Thus, the difference between assets and liabilities is Equity .

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Expense – A cost incurred in earning revenue, not residual interest.

C. Revenue – Inflows from operations, not assets minus liabilities.

D. Income statement – A financial report, not a balance sheet component.

Key Concept: Equity as residual interest in the accounting equation.

Why the correct answer is Human Intelligence

The ACFE Fraud Examiners Manual , in the section on fraud examination tools and intelligence gathering , discusses methods of obtaining information from individuals. One of the recognized methods is Human Intelligence (HUMINT) .

The Manual explains that human intelligence gathering involves:

Collecting information directly from people—often through conversation, elicitation, or interviews—sometimes while using a pretext to encourage the target to disclose information.

In this scenario:

Georgina poses as a customer (a pretext),

Contacts an employee of ERO Corp., and

Elicits sensitive information directly from that individual.

This aligns perfectly with the definition of human intelligence gathering —information obtained directly from human sources , often under false pretenses.

Why the other options are incorrect

B. Scavenging – Incorrect

The Manual describes scavenging as:

Obtaining information by searching for discarded documents or materials, such as in trash or recycling bins.

Georgina is not going through discarded materials; she is speaking directly with an employee.

C. Baiting – Incorrect

Baiting typically refers to:

Enticing someone with something of value to trick them into taking an action, often involving malware-infected media or fraudulent offers.

Georgina is not offering anything or luring the employee with incentives.

D. Open-source intelligence – Incorrect

Open-source intelligence (OSINT) refers to gathering information from:

Publicly available sources such as websites, publications, databases, or social media.

Georgina is not using public sources; she is actively eliciting confidential information from a person under false pretenses.

ACFE Manual References

The concepts used in this answer derive from the Fraud Examiners Manual (2020 International Edition), including:

Human intelligence and data collection techniques

Scavenging as an investigative method

Baiting schemes

Open-source intelligence descriptions

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: This statement is True . ACFE research shows that external audits, while valuable, are generally not effective at detecting fraud quickly . Organizations with only external audits often experience higher median losses and longer-lasting schemes compared to those with stronger internal controls and fraud-specific detection mechanisms. External audits are not designed to catch fraud; their focus is on financial statement accuracy.

Key Concept: Effectiveness of External Audits in fraud detection versus prevention and internal controls.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Cost mischarging occurs when costs are charged to improper accounts or contracts. The best way to detect it is through analytical review —comparing direct vs. indirect labor account totals across periods to identify unusual shifts or spikes.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Reviewing inspection/testing reports – Effective for detecting defective/substituted goods, not mischarging.

C. Inspecting packaging – Identifies product substitution, not accounting mischarges.

D. Examining change orders – Useful for contract fraud, but not direct mischarging.

Key Concept: Cost mischarging detection through analytical procedures .

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: The Asset Turnover Ratio measures how efficiently a company uses its assets to generate revenue. It is calculated as Net Sales ÷ Average Total Assets . Higher ratios indicate better efficiency.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Quick ratio – Liquidity ratio, not asset efficiency.

B. Receivable turnover ratio – Measures efficiency in collecting receivables, not overall asset use.

C. Debt-to-equity ratio – Capital structure metric, not efficiency.

Key Concept: Financial ratio analysis — asset utilization efficiency .

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Horizontal analysis evaluates financial statement items over multiple periods, highlighting percentage changes from one period to another . This helps detect unusual trends or anomalies.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – Describes vertical analysis (common-size statements).

B – Describes ratio analysis .

D – Describes benchmarking/comparative analysis across companies.

Key Concept: Analytical procedures – horizontal vs. vertical and ratio analysis.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: In the detection and analysis phase of cybersecurity incident response, the focus is on identifying the scope of the incident, including all breaches, compromised systems, and the method of attack. Containment, eradication, and recovery occur in later steps. Thus, identifying all breaches is the correct activity for this step.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Limiting damage – This occurs in the containment phase.

B. Creating an incident response plan – This is part of the preparation phase.

C. Restoring control of affected systems – This occurs during eradication and recovery .

Key Concept: Incident response methodology: preparation → detection/analysis → containment → eradication → recovery.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: This scheme is a business email compromise (BEC) , also known as CEO fraud. Fraudsters impersonate high-ranking executives to trick employees into transferring money or disclosing confidential information.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Reverse social engineering – Involves the fraudster posing as a helper and then exploiting the victim, not impersonating executives.

B. Executive email attack – A generic term, but the ACFE recognizes BEC as the precise classification.

C. Electronic piggybacking – Refers to unauthorized access through another user’s session, not impersonation.

Key Concept: Social engineering and cyber-enabled fraud – BEC schemes.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Fraudulent schemes involving returns and allowances can be detected by analyzing accounts for unusually high transactions in these categories. This is a common red flag for concealment of theft or manipulation of sales.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Allowances by vendors – Too narrow, not a standard analytic test.

B. Disposals of allowances than reorders – Not a recognized search method.

D. None of the above – Incorrect, since option C is valid.

Key Concept: Returns and allowances analysis for fraud detection.