Applying Fraud and Forensic Accounting Investigation Criteria

Authors

  • Cheryl Ann Alexander Institute for IT Innovation and Smart Health, Mississippi, USA Author
  • Lidong Wang Institute for Systems Engineering Research, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, USA Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65879/3070-5789.2026.02.01

Keywords:

Cyber forensics, Fraud detection, Forensic accounting, Big data, Data mining, Healthcare

Abstract

Forensic accounting investigations apply criteria, such as analyzing financial records, detecting unusual entries, and proving fraud, to discover financial crimes, etc. This paper deals with applying fraud and forensic accounting investigation criteria. Advantages of building alignment between cyber forensics and accounting investigation are introduced. Fraud and forensic accounting investigation criteria, as well as relevant tools, are presented. A case study is provided, including forensic accounting in preventing fraud in financial reporting, financial accounting fraud detection based on data mining, forensic accounting based on business intelligence, and integrating big data into forensic accounting and reshaping the fraud detection process. Fraud and forensic accounting investigation criteria and relevant tools in healthcare are presented. Forensic accounting helps prevent fraud in financial reporting. The integration of big data into forensic accounting reshapes the fraud detection process. Forensic accounting can help with litigation, discover damage, and defend against healthcare fraud. 

References

[1] Honigsberg C. Forensic accounting. Annual Review of Law and Social Science 2020; 16(1): 147-164.

https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-020320-022159

[2] Rechtman YM. The Past, Present, and Future of Forensic Accounting. CPA Journal 2020; 90(3): 10-12.

[3] Negangard EM, Fay RG. Electronic discovery (eDiscovery): Performing the early stages of the Enron investigation. Issues in Accounting Education 2020; 35(1): 43-58.

https://doi.org/10.2308/issues-16-064

[4] Özcan A. The use of Beneish model in forensic accounting: evidence from Turkey. Journal of Applied Economics and Business Research 2018; 8(1): 57-67.

[5] Rufus RJ. The 3 W’s of engaging a forensic accountant: Why, when, and who. American Journal of Family Law 2018; 32(3): 108-114.

[6] Wiesenfeld J. COVID-19 challenges to forensic accounting. Journal of Accountancy 2020: 1-3.

[7] Grove H, Clouse M. Financial and non-financial fraud risk assessment. Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting 2020; 12(3): 422-441.

[8] Comunale CL, Caprariello P, Taylor EZ, Gara S, Sexton TR. The Value of a Contentious Auditor. Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting 2024; 16(3): 336-348.

[9] Bou Reslan F, Jabbour Al Maalouf N. Assessing the transformative impact of AI adoption on efficiency, fraud detection, and skill dynamics in accounting practices. Journal of Risk and Financial Management 2024; 17(12): 577.

https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm17120577

[10] Tekavčič M, Damijan S. Forensic Accounting vs Fraud examination: Roles, Importance and Differences. Journal of Forensic Accounting Profession 2021; 1(2): 29-47.

https://doi.org/10.2478/jfap-2021-0007

[11] Stoyanova M, Nikoloudakis Y, Panagiotakis S, Pallis E, Markakis EK. A survey on the internet of things (IoT) forensics: challenges, approaches, and open issues. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 2020; 22(2): 1191-221.

https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2019.2962586

[12] Fernando V. Cyber forensics tools: A review on mechanism and emerging challenges. In 2021 11th IFIP International Conference on New Technologies, Mobility and Security (NTMS) 2021 (pp. 1-7). IEEE.

https://doi.org/10.1109/NTMS49979.2021.9432641

[13] Smith KT, Smith LM. Examining documentation tools for audit and forensic accounting investigations. Journal of Risk and Financial Management 2024; 17(11): 491.

https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm17110491

[14] Clavería Navarrete A, Carrasco Gallego A. Forensic accounting tools for fraud deterrence: a qualitative approach. Journal of Financial Crime 2023; 30(3): 840-854.

https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-03-2022-0068

[15] Sharma A, Panigrahi PK. A review of financial accounting fraud detection based on data mining techniques. arXiv preprint arXiv: 1309.3944 2013.

[16] Wong S, Venkatraman S. Financial accounting fraud detection using business intelligence. Asian Economic and Financial Review 2015; 5(11): 1187.

https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.aefr/2015.5.11/102.11.1187.1207

[17] Gabrielli G, Magri C, Medioli A, Marchini PL. The power of big data affordances to reshape anti-fraud strategies. Technological Forecasting and Social Change 2024; 205: 123507.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123507

[18] Kaur B, Sood K, Grima S. A systematic review on forensic accounting and its contribution towards fraud detection and prevention. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance 2023; 31(1): 60-95.

https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRC-02-2022-0015

[19] Atlam HF, Ekuri N, Azad MA, Lallie HS. Blockchain forensics: A systematic literature review of techniques, applications, challenges, and future directions. Electronics 2024; 13(17): 3568.

https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13173568

[20] D’Anna T, Puntarello M, Cannella G, Scalzo G, Buscemi R, Zerbo S, Argo A. The chain of custody in the era of modern forensics: from the classic procedures for gathering evidence to the new challenges related to digital data. In Healthcare 2023 (Vol. 11, No. 5, p. 634). MDPI.

https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11050634

[21] Klasén L, Fock N, Forchheimer R. The invisible evidence: Digital forensics as key to solving crimes in the digital age. Forensic Science International 2024; 362: 112133.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112133

[22] Lovanshi M, Bansal P. Comparative study of digital forensic tools. In Data, Engineering and Applications: Volume 2 2019 (pp. 195-204). Singapore: Springer Singapore.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6351-1_15

[23] Sachdeva S, Raina BL, Sharma A. Analysis of digital forensic tools. Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience 2020; 17(6): 2459-2467.

https://doi.org/10.1166/jctn.2020.8916

[24] Wu T, Breitinger F, O'Shaughnessy S. Digital forensic tools: Recent advances and enhancing the status quo. Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation 2020; 34: 300999.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsidi.2020.300999

Downloads

Published

2026-01-23

Issue

Section

Articles