Auditors’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Fraud Prevention and Detection Methods

Abstract

Abstract Fraud has emerged as an undesirable offshoot of human greed and pressure to perform in growing corporate world. It has led to erosion of stakeholders’ confidence across the globe. Now, they see the annual reports and other corporate filings with scepticism. Despite increasing instances of fraud, the anti-fraud mechanism of the business organisations is not up-to-date. The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of fraud detection and prevention methods used by corporate sector. A survey of 336 auditors seeking their perception about effectiveness of various anti-fraud methods has been conducted. The findings reveal that corporate governance is the most effective tool against fraud. Use of information technology, timely audit, regular inspection and corporate policies and procedures, also, play a vital role in curbing fraudulent practices in an organisation. Thus, the findings suggest that expenditure on effective anti-fraud methods should not be viewed as an expense; instead, it must be considered as an investment as it saves from the potential losses due to fraud and damage to business stability, revenue and image.