Insights

Critiquing Leadership and Living to Tell About it

Compliance officers are rarely popular people in any organization, even when things are in a steady-state. When it’s time to critique a member of the leadership team, it can test the resolve of the leadership team to demonstrate their commitment to the ethics and compliance program. For the compliance officer who must deliver the message, […]

Successor Liability is More Than You Bargained For

Gone are the days when the potential bribery and corruption risk of an acquisition can afford to be something assessed at the 11th hour or not at all. Successor liability stemming from undiscovered bribery activity can give rise to devasting financial consequences. On an episode of Fraud Eats Strategy, I discussed anti-corruption due diligence with […]

Let’s Assume Fraud in Your Company Would be Unwelcome News

Fraud risk can lay dormant below the surface for years. This is often the case until someone in a control position recognizes a weakness in the control environment and exploits it for their gain. Right now, there are thousands of ongoing fraud schemes taking place in organizations that have gone unnoticed for years. Organizational resiliency […]

The DOJ Expects You to Know Its Compliance Guidance Inside and Out

In November 2012, the DOJ Fraud Section and the SEC published what would turn out to be a groundbreaking document: A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Detailed and yet very approachable and written in plain English, “the Guide” as it is commonly referred to, is the primary desk reference for every […]

Active Whistleblower Hotlines Boost the Bottomline

One of the more challenging aspects of regulatory compliance is measuring the return on investment (ROI). Efforts to measure ROI on compliance expenditures have historically been in terms of the cost savings of disasters averted. During uncertain economic times such as many organizations are now facing, the CFO will likely be unmoved by a “disaster […]

It’s OK to Use Zoom to Interview Witnesses

Investigators and attorneys are two professions best practiced in person. Yet, witness interviews and depositions have had to revert to video conferencing. This has invigorated debates focused on the use of body language and other physical cues to detect deception, or if someone is being coached off of the screen. It has also caused us […]

Swimming Naked in a Down Economy

During the last financial crisis, Warren Buffet said, “You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.” Adverse market conditions expose risks and test a company’s resilience and like low tides, when the economy recedes, long-running frauds are often exposed. In an episode of the Fraud Eats Strategy podcast series, I connected […]

Meet Scott Moritz

Scott Moritz – President, White Collar Forensic LLC Scott Moritz is the president of White Collar Forensic LLC, a boutique investigative, forensic accounting and compliance advisory firm providing turnkey investigative, financial analytical and compliance advisory services. Mr. Moritz served as an FBI Special Agent from 1986 to 1996 serving in the Memphis, Tennessee and New […]