International Fraud Handbook

About the Book

From the Inside Flap

Technology has made the world smaller for businesses, but it has broadened the playing field for those who commit fraud. As business operations grow more complex and sophisticated, so do the mechanisms used to defraud and disguise, locking businesses and fraudsters into an arms race that consumes increasingly more time and resources.

Author Dr. Joseph T. Wells has spent more than forty years researching, investigating, and combatting fraud. He has seen the technology evolve and the stakes grow ever larger, and through it all, three central lessons remain:

- Fraud will always exist as long as people are in positions of trust.

- There are only so many types of fraud, and many share similar traits.

- Ignoring fraud will never make it go away--it will only grow.

The International Fraud Handbook expands upon these universal truths to provide a one-stop resource for combatting fraud in the modern business environment. Part I is designed to help examiners understand and recognize fraud--who commits it, what it looks like, where it occurs, and the motivations behind it--and delves into effective risk assessment, prevention, detection, and investigation techniques. As companies risk legal exposure for a lack of strong controls, the discussion also explores the relevant legal issues that must be considered for any anti-fraud strategy.

Part II provides implementation guidance for organizations with cross-border operations, including jurisdiction-specific information on the anti-fraud environment for more than 35 countries around the world. Submissions from local experts provide real-world perspective and advice on general trends, information sources, and differing regulatory frameworks, plus insight on navigating regional culture and relevant laws.

The world is awakening to both the risk and opportunity of a globalized economy. Strict anti-bribery laws and more stringent risk management guidelines are a step in the right direction, but nations have yet to achieve any kind of global uniformity in regulation, implementation, and enforcement. The International Fraud Handbook clears a path through the tangled international regulatory maze, equipping examiners with the information they need to design and implement a robust anti-fraud program.