CFO Series: Amazingly Crazy Fraud Cases - Lessons Learned

Overview

Some fraud cases are so unbelievable, they sound like Hollywood scripts, but they're all real, and we can learn a lot from them.

In this fast-paced, story-driven discussion we'll review some outrageous fraud cases; from forged financials and luxury lifestyles, to deepfakes and fake companies that fooled the smartest people in the room.

You'll hear the stories, spot the red flags, and walk away with practical takeaways to help you strengthen your professional skepticism, identify fraud warning signs, and build a better fraud prevention mindset. If you enjoy a relevant story with a side of financial insight, you're in the right place. We all can learn valuable lessons from these outrageous and real frauds.

Prerequisites

None, preferably at least six months of professional financial statement analysis experience and/or at least six (6) months of professional experience in preparing or reviewing accounting processes and reports; experience working with internal clients or external clients and business leaders.

Objectives

After attending this presentation, you will be able to...

• Identify common red flags and warning signs of financial fraud.
• Analyze how fraudsters exploit culture, controls, and assumptions.
• Analyze how internal controls failed in real-world examples.
• Strengthen professional skepticism through case-based reflection.
• Apply lessons learned to improve fraud awareness in your organization.

Highlights

The major topics that will be covered in this course include:

• Psychological tricks and tactics used by fraudsters; how fraudsters avoid detection
• Red flags that were missed, and why
• Cultural and organizational blind spots
• How internal controls failed or were bypassed
• Lessons learned from each case—and how to apply them
• How to strengthen fraud awareness without creating fear
• Key questions auditors and leaders should ask earlier