Certified Forensic Auditor

Certified Forensic Auditor

International Association of Forensic Accountants and Auditors

Enrollment in the program for obtaining a professional title
Certified Forensic Auditor CFrA

Certified Forensic Auditor is a person who possesses the highest level of professional knowledge, skills, values ​​and ethics and uses his knowledge to investigate all types of accounting manipulations, including fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, false bankruptcy, corruption and money laundering. It may also be involved in the investigation of crimes related to insurance fraud, securities fraud and the pursuit of terrorist financiers.

Certified Forensic Auditor is a professional who uses a unique blend of education, experience and skills in applying their knowledge of accounting, auditing and investigation to uncover the truth, conduct a financial investigation and provide support  in criminal or civil proceedings.  

This education and practical experience enables the holders of these titles to understand and perform the following tasks:

  1. Detect forgery of financial statements,
  2. Detect fraud of employees with the alienation of property,
  3. Detect the presence of bribery and corruption,
  4. Detect tax evasion and money laundering techniques,
  5. Detect bankruptcy forgery,
  6. Detect false damages to collect insurance,
  7. Assess the damage caused by criminal acts,
  8. Determine the duration of fraud and persons involved,
  9. Prepare adequate reports for management,
  10. Provide services in civil and criminal proceedings.

The training program for receiving the Certified Forensic Auditor title consists of the following modules:

Module 1: Introduction to financial fraud and forensic audit

Learning Goals:

To familiarize the participants with the application of forensic audit, the necessary knowledge and skills, the differences in relation to the financial auditor, as well as basic fraud schemes.

Learning Outcomes:

After successful completion of the module, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the differences between forensic and financial auditors,
  • Recognize basic fraud schemes,
  • Understand the behavior of fraudsters and the reasons for fraud.

Module Structure:

  1. A brief history of fraud and profession
  2. Application and importance of forensic audit
  3. Differences between forensic and financial auditors
  4. Necessary knowledge, skills and abilities of a forensic auditor
  5. The concept of financial fraud and fraudster
  6. Fraud for and against the benefit of the organization
  7. Osnovne šeme prevara (finansijske kriminalne radnje)
  8. Falsified financial statements
  9. Embezzlement of cash, inventory
  10. Criminal actions by suppliers and buyers
  11. Bribe and corruption
  12. Money laundering
  13. Criminal actions related to bankruptcy
  14. Criminal acts related to taxes (direct, indirect, etc.)
  15. Appraisal scams
  16. Bitcoin and blockchain scams, cyber crime
  17. Profile and types of fraudsters
  18. The triangle of fraud - motive, opportunity, rationalization
Module 2: Legal, regulatory and professional environment

Learning Goals:

Acquaintance with the legal and professional framework of forensic auditing, as well as with the standards of financial fraud detection, professional ethics and the necessary ethical behavior of a forensic auditor. 

Learning Outcomes:

After successful completion of the module, participants will be able to:

  • Understand the legal regulatory framework of fraud detection,
  • Apply internal and external audit standards,
  • Apply the code of professional ethics

Module Structure:

  1. Legal framework in the fight against financial fraud
  2. Legal framework and reporting framework
  3. Professional framework for dealing with forensic audit
  4. Application of internal and external audit standards for the detection of criminal acts
  5. Code of professional ethics and ethical conduct of a forensic auditor
Module 3: Fraud risk management and financial fraud prevention

Learning Goals:

For the participants to learn the responsibility of different levels of management, to familiarize themselves with prevention methods and risk assessment techniques. Also, the goal is to become familiar with risk indicators and detection methods.

 Learning Outcomes:

After successful completion of the module, participants will be able to:

  • Nauče odgovornost različitog nivoa rukovodstva,
  • Primene strategije prevencije,
  • Conduct a fraud risk assessment,
  • Detect and recognize fraud occurence indicators,

Module Structure:

  1. Responsibility for fraud (criminal acts)
  2. Responsibility of the Board of Directors
  3. Responsibility of the management
  4. Responsibility of the Audit Committee
  5. Responsibility of the external auditors
  6. Responsibility of the internal auditors
  7. Fraud prevention
  8. Fraud prevention policies and procedures
  9. Preventivno okruženje i ostale preventivne mere
  10. Prevention in accounting cycles
  11. Fraud risk assessment
  12. Indikatori rizika od finansijske prevare
  13. Crvene zastavice finansijske prevare (kriminalnih radnji)
Module 4: The process of forensic audit, investigation of financial fraud

Learning Goals:

  • Understand the reasons and ways of starting an investigation,
  • Upoznati se sa metodologijom, planom i ciljevima  sprovođenja forenzičke revizije,
  • Understand the concept of evidence, and the methods and importance of evidence management,
  • Get acquainted with sources of evidence,
  • Learn the concept, elements and form of a forensic auditor's report

Learning Outcomes:

After successful completion of the module, participants will be able to:

  • Make a decision to initiate an investigation,
  • Prepare a plan and conduct a forensic audit/financial investigation,
  • Manage documentation appropriately,
  • Determine the sources of the necessary information,
  • Prepare a report on the conducted forensic audit

Module Structure:

  1. Reasons for initiating an investigation
  2. The methodology of conducting a forensic audit
  3. Previous preparations
  4. Plan and goals of the investigation
  5. Conducting a formal investigation
  6. Pojam dokaza u otkrivanju finansijske prevare (kriminalnih radnji)
  7. Managing documentation as physical evidence
  8. Document analysis
  9. Information sources
  10. Izveštavanje o sprovedenoj istrazi
  11. Pojam, elementi i forma revizorskog izveštaja
  12. Preparation of reports for court proceedings
Module 5: Collection and analysis of evidence

Learning Goals:

Getting to know the basic techniques of collecting and analyzing evidence.

Learning Outcomes:

After successful completion of the module, participants will be able to:

  • Determine the necessary method and sources of evidence collection,
  • Application of evidence discovery methods and techniques,
  • Sprovedu intervju osumnjičenih i/ili svedoka radi dobijanja  priznanja ili potvrde već prikupljenih dokaza.

Module Structure:

  1. The concept of evidence
  2. Evidence gathering methods - information sources
  3. Analysis methods
  4. Data mining technique
  5. Benford's Law analysis
  6. Direct methods
  7. Indirect methods
  8. Locating hidden property
  9. Specific methods according to different fraud schemes
  10. The concept of digital forensics and digital evidence
  11. Interview as a key method of gathering evidence in forensic investigation
  12. Tehnike kognitivnog intervjua
  13. Interview methodology
  14. Interviewing "difficult" people
  15. Interviewing the suspect and obtaining a confession
Module 6: Forensic fraud investigation in falsified financial statements

Learning Goals:

Upoznati se sa pojmom i šemama prevara u finansijskim izveštajima, naučiti kako uočiti crvene zastavice koje navode na sumnju da su finansijski izveštaji lažirani, i koji su načini otkrivanja i sprečavanja prevara u finansijskim izveštajima.

Learning Outcomes:

After successful completion of the module, participants will be able to:

  • Prepoznaju crvene zastavice u finansijskim izveštajima,
  • Recognize fraud schemes,
  • Detect and prevent of fraud in financial statements

Module Structure:

  1. Coverage and concept of fraud in financial statements
  2. Fraud schemes in financial statements
  3. Red flags in detecting fraud in financial statements
  4. Detection and prevention of fraud in financial statements
  5. Income and expense fraud
  6. Inventory fraud 
  7. Fraud involving obligations, property
  8. Prevare sa  finansijskim tokovima
Module 7: Forensic investigation of other frauds

Learning Goals:

Upoznati se sa pojmom ostalih šema finansijske prevara, naučiti kako prepoznati crvene zastavice koje navode na sumnju da postoji neka šema prevare, i kako otkriti i sprečiti ostale šeme prevara.  

Learning Outcomes:

After successful completion of the module, participants will be able to:

  • Recognize red flags,
  • Recognize fraud schemes,
  • Uncover and prevent fraud,

Module Structure:

Acquaintance, detection and prevention of other fraud schemes, in particular:

  • Alienation of assets - cash, inventories and other assets
  • Payment fraud
  • Fraud of financial institutions
  • Insurance fraud
  • Appraisal scams
  • Planned bankruptcy
  • Tax fraud
  • Corruption (bribery, conflict of interests)
  • Money laundering

Ova obuka akreditovana je od strane Američkog Saveta za Treninge i Razvoj (ACTD), kao i IAFAA.