Before the course ends,
I would like to leave you with two of my favorite quotes the first is very old
it's from Confucius he reportedly wrote:
"To see the see the right and not to do it is cowardice."
I think this is a good lesson to put forth in your whistleblower training.
It is very easy to sit back and not get involved and
unfortunately that's what many people do.
But it's not okay to just sit silently by and watch while
fraud in other misconduct occurr.
To not report fraud or wrongdoing is cowardice.
The second quote is my favorite. Its attributed to Edmund Burke
who was an 18th century Irish philosopher he wrote
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
I think that speaks to all of us
in the fraud prevention profession. Fighting fraud requires a lot of time,
effort, and vigilance. But for those a of us in the anti-fraud profession,
standing back and doing nothing is not an option.
If good people do nothing fraud will triumph.
It provides a sense of satisfaction to know
that you are doing what you can to prevent the triumph
of fraud in the workplace.
On behalf of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
I wish you well in your efforts to prevent and detect fraud.
As I close I have two thoughts
that I'd like to leave with you. First from my perspective
working as a forensic examiner is sometimes an emotionally challenging job.
In addition to the victims losses, we also see the impact on the lives of the
fraudster
and his or her family. Fraud is never a good solution to the pressures and
problems faced
by an individual or organization
Sophocles the ancient Greek playwright is quoted as saying:
"Things gained through unjust fraud are never secure."
One of our jobs as forensic investigators
is to make sure that the quote is true. That the benefits of the fraud
are not secure and fraudsters are not able to keep
what they've stolen. The second thought is from the perspective
a businessperson, employee or anyone associated with any organization.
Samuel Johnson English poet critic
and writer once said:
"Fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it. "
If an act you're considering would cause you to dread examination
then rethink the action. Consult with a trusted friend or advisor
and determine why you would not want it to be examined.
If it's because the action is fraudulent make a different decision
one that you'd be happy to explain to the public or ultimately
to a judge.
Thank you for your interest in our course.
I sincerely hope we've left you with ideas to enrich our understanding of the
topic.
Best wishes for your future forensic accounting
and fraud examination studies.
We've enjoyed our weeks with you during this MOOC.
We close with some final thoughts from some of the great thinkers across time.
I chose to feature to the United States founding fathers.
First, Benjamin Franklin wrote:
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom."
One of my other favorite founding fathers,
Thomas Jefferson suggested that:
"In matters of style, swim with the current; In matters of principle, stand like a rock.
…The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
We have spent several weeks with you
and hopefully exposed you to the: who, what, where and how of fraud.
At times we even offered some insight into why people commit fraud,
especially seemingly good persons who make a bad decision.
Each of us is on the front line in the fight against fraud.
It's a tough battle and it's incredibly hard on the victims,
those who directly lose money, as well as the company's
coworkers family and friend who trusted the perpetrator.
Best of luck with your own anti-fraud efforts we hope you enjoyed the fraud
related content,
and we hope that you feel like you have a few new skills for your toolbox.
Dr. Richard Riley, Ph.DLouis F. Tanner Distinguished Professor of Public Accounting
Dr. Richard Dull, Ph.DGoMart Professor in Accounting Information Systems
John Gill, J.D., CFEVice President - Education
