Question

Assume you heard the following statement from a GSA employee in relation to this case: "We don't need government auditors. We just need to put a reporter from the Washington Post on staff here to uncover all of our fraud!" Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

I would disagree with this statement because a reporter is not equipped to fully investigate and affix blame for fraud cases. The reporter can “put a spotlight” on a problem and bring it to the attention of those responsible for initiating an investigation, but they don’t have the skills or training to conduct an investigation. In addition to that, reporters don’t have the authority to recommend or enforce controls intended to prevent future fraud.

Reference

Wells, J. (2014). Principles of Fraud Examination. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.