Peer Review

2010 ACFE Report to the Nation on Occupational Fraud and Abuse

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Nov 20, 2008 by Business

Bookmark

Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This 198 slide presentation from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners provides an update on the state of fraud in the United States. In addition, it compares results to the findings from the 2006 study. The report is also available in pdf format.
Type of Material:: PowerPoint presentation.
Recommended Uses:: Uses range from incorporating all or parts of the presentation within classes to assigning the material for students to read as homework.
Technical Requirements:: Web Browser and MS PowerPoint software.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: To provide accounting educators with a PowerPoint presentation that can be incorporated into forensic accounting and related classes to stimulate discussion and further research in this area. The report provides data that measures the cost of occupational fraud, details how it is committed, reports demographics about the victim organizations and perpetrators, as well as identifies how a variety of fraud schemes are detected.
Target Student Population:: Upper division and graduate level college courses would make the best use of this material. For courses in auditing or forensic accounting, this material is ideal. Also, anyone interested in fraud within organizations could use the report to keep abreast of the trends in this area.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Some knowledge of accounting or fraud would be helpful to ensure an understanding of terminology used such as, Sarbanes Oxley, skimming, internal control, cash larceny, etc.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: The author provides an excellent summary of fraud methodology, including prevention, detection, and deterrence. The slides can be adapted for use in auditing, forensic accounting, fraud examination, accounting systems, and ethics classes. Contents is presented in a concise and engaging manner. This report demonstrates actual real-world survey results at the heart of understanding fraud. While the information is taken from respondents, it is current and relevant to several primary topic areas within the field of fraud. Finally, concepts are nicely integrated throughout and well summarized.
Concerns:: None

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: Although absent from the PowerPoint slides, the table of contents in the pdf file actually has the learning objectives identified as section headings. The executive summary presented in the first 8 slides and in the pdf file, details the overall results or findings of the study. Most of the terminology is presented and subsequently explained sufficiently so a reader could understand terms for which they are unfamiliar. Consistent recurring data or findings are likely useful to reinforce theoretical concepts. Users will learn a lot about fraud in a short time.
Concerns:: Assignments could be written to emphasize a few points of interest, but it is hard to visualize that the entire document would be useful from the standpoint of a single homework activity.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The PowerPoint presentation is an excellent resource for educators. The slides could readily be adapted to shorter modules for different purposes. The slides include numerous professionally designed graphs and bar charts highlighting trends at a glance. Information is presented in a logical, straight-forward manner. Because the charts in the PowerPoint version directly follow the text, it is easier for learners to stay more focused and on topic than if they were to use the pdf file. In viewing the PowerPoint presentation, attention was more readily directed to the tables that immediately followed or were right beside the narrative text making the point. Given the wealth of information available from the ACFE, users may be enticed to peruse and interact with the organization's website as well.
Concerns:: This lecture is not interactive per se. The visual appeal of the extensive narrative points on the slides could be improved. The material itself would be somewhat dry for most individuals to read from start to finish, unless they had a strong interest in fraud. To be more fully engaged, the viewer would need to be motivated for some specific reason to read the whole report.

Other Issues and Comments:

The PowerPoint presentation is identical to the pdf file with three execptions. One paragraph on page 6 is omitted in the Powerpoints that indicates the 2008 study included more in-depth questions. Also the slides do not include the letter from the president or the table of contents.

The data on fraud is most useful and best viewed from a larger scale, rather than trying to micro-analyze every survey result equally.
Finally, the ACFE is performing a service in making the powerpoint slides available to interested individuals. Educators might use parts of the PowerPoint show to discuss related topics within their courses at the appropriate times.

Creative Commons: