Free Practice Questions for ACFE CFE-Fraud-Schemes-and-Financial-Crimes Exam

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: In the procurement cycle, the post-award and administration phase involves the actual performance of contractual duties by the awarded contractor(s) and monitoring by the procuring entity. This is consistent with procurement process descriptions in the Fraud Examiners Manual (2020) .

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B – Needs identification occurs in the presolicitation phase , not solicitation.

C – In presolicitation, the entity defines needs; contractors submit bids during the solicitation phase.

D – The solicitation document is issued during the solicitation phase , not evaluation.

Key Concept: Understanding procurement phases to detect fraud opportunities (e.g., bid rigging, kickbacks).

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: An underring occurs when an employee intentionally enters a lower sales amount into the register than what was collected from the customer. The difference is pocketed by the employee. This is a common register manipulation skimming scheme.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Recording a sale procedure – General process, not fraud.

C. Internal sales audits – Control activity, not the fraud scheme.

D. All of the above – Incorrect, since only “underring” is accurate.

Key Concept: Underring schemes in cash register fraud.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Supplies are recorded as expenses because they are expected to be consumed within one year. Unlike long-lived assets, supplies do not provide benefits beyond the short term and therefore are expensed rather than capitalized.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Expenses – The accounting treatment, not the category of item.

C. Assets – Supplies are assets when purchased, but they become expenses upon consumption.

D. Equity – Represents ownership interest, unrelated here.

Key Concept: Short-term asset consumption and expense recognition.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: Trend analysis is one of the most effective ways to detect omitted credits. By analyzing patterns in revenue, expenses, or balances over time, discrepancies such as missing credits become apparent. Forensic examiners rely on comparative financial analysis to identify anomalies that suggest manipulation.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. Forced Balance – Describes concealment, not detection.

C. Expense account – Accounts can be manipulated but are not detection methods.

D. None of all – Incorrect, since trend analysis is correct.

Key Concept: Analytical procedures (trend analysis) in fraud detection.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: The statement of cash flows has three standard sections:

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities Thus, option B is correct.

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A – No section called “purchasing activities”; such outflows fall under investing or operating.

C – No section called “earnings activities”; related cash flows are operating.

D – “Strategic activities” is not a formal category in GAAP or IFRS.

Key Concept: Structure of the statement of cash flows.

Valentin’s scheme is best described as property flipping. Property flipping becomes fraudulent when real estate is quickly resold at an artificially inflated price supported by false or misleading appraisals, sham transactions, or misrepresentations. The key facts are the quick resale and inflated value created through a fraudulent appraisal. A daisy chain generally involves a sequence of related transactions or parties used to inflate value or conceal the nature of the transaction, but the question asks for the best description of the basic scheme. A fraudulent sale is too general, and an air loan involves a fictitious borrower, fictitious property, or nonexistent transaction. The ACFE material discusses fraudulent appraisals, real estate fraud, and property flipping as financial institution fraud risks.

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Renee’s scam is a mobile payment scheme because it uses a QR code scanned by a mobile device to direct victims to a fraudulent payment destination. The fraud depends on mobile-device interaction and the victim’s belief that the payment is going to a legitimate charity. Tokenization is a security process that substitutes sensitive payment data with a token; it is not the fraud being described. Electronic presentment generally relates to electronic billing or payment presentation systems, not a fake charity donation page. Business email compromise involves impersonating executives, vendors, or trusted parties to induce business payments, but Renee is conducting a mass QR-code donation scam. The ACFE materials treat online, mobile, and payment-system abuses as key payment fraud and cyberfraud risks.

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Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: The ACFE emphasizes four cornerstone internal controls to prevent inventory fraud:

Proper documentation (accurate, prenumbered records),

Segregation of duties (custody, recordkeeping, and authorization separated),

Independent checks (reconciliations and audits), and

Physical safeguards (locks, cameras, restricted access).

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

B. Inventory control – Too general; physical safeguards are the key preventive measure.

C. Physical padding – Not a recognized control.

D. Prenumbered affiliations – Misworded; prenumbered documents are part of proper documentation.

Key Concept: Internal control framework for preventing inventory fraud.

The correct answer is A, money laundering. The ACFE material defines money laundering as the process by which criminals disguise illicit assets as legitimate assets that they have a right to possess and spend. It involves concealing the existence, nature, source, control, beneficial ownership, location, or disposition of property derived from criminal activity. Cross-border financing may be a feature of laundering, but it is not the overall process described. Asset trafficking is not the best ACFE classification for disguising criminal proceeds. Concealment of assets may occur in fraud or bankruptcy matters, but it is broader and does not specifically capture the laundering of illegal proceeds into apparently legitimate funds.

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Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer: This is False . Placing restrictions in solicitation documents that limit competition is a solicitation phase corruption scheme , not “prebid solicitation.” The correct terminology is restrictive specifications or fraudulent solicitation practices .

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. True – Incorrect, as “prebid solicitation” is not the proper term.

Key Concept: Restrictive solicitation practices limit competition unfairly.