Forensic Accounting, a Tool for Detecting and Preventing the Economic Fraud

Abstract Economic crime is an increasing threat to the economic development of a state. While the legislative system tries to create tools to detect and prevent fraud, criminals continue to look for ways to commit and benefit from economic crimes, including fraud, money laundering, sanctions avoidance and corruption. Forensic accounting applies scientific techniques and accounting principles to detect fraudulent activities. Due to technological progress, corporate scams have increased enormously, and therefore, the need for forensic accountants has increased. Professionals specializing in this type of accounting don’t just examine financial statements: they take a holistic approach, incorporating statistical analysis, big data and machine learning, interviews, and physical observation to arrive at the truth – which is just as crucial to due diligence as it is to criminal cases.