Fraud, Financial, and Cyber Investigation
Fraud fundamentals
Fraud investigation examines deception for gain. Candidates should understand the fraud triangle (pressure, opportunity, rationalization), common schemes such as asset misappropriation, financial statement fraud, and corruption, and the importance of the elements of the offense. Financial analysis involves tracing transactions, reconciling records, and testing for anomalies.
Cyber investigations
Cyber matters require understanding of logs, access records, network artifacts, and the preservation of volatile data. Know the difference between an indicator and proof, and the value of timeline reconstruction. Understand that attribution is difficult and often probabilistic.
Traps in questions
Traps include assuming that an anomaly proves fraud, ignoring legitimate explanations, and treating a suspect's access as proof of action. Another trap is failing to preserve logs before they rotate or are overwritten.
Rule of thumb
Use the "follow the money and the access" rule: establish the flow of funds and the flow of access, then test whether the evidence supports intent or only error.
Worked example
A vendor payment pattern shows duplicate invoices. The investigator traces payments, compares invoice details, reviews approval logs, and interviews staff. The analysis establishes duplicates and the approval path, but intent is assessed separately, avoiding premature conclusions.