Data Sleuth

Chapter 3The Data Sleuth Necessity

ALTHOUGH THE DEFINITION OF Data Sleuth to describe the work of our team did not originate until more recently, the Data Sleuth Process was developed out of a necessity for me starting a solo firm early in my career. The more I applied a data-focused strategy to cases, no matter the type of organization or scheme alleged, I gained confidence. I knew that if I could identify the best and most reliable sources of evidence determining the legitimacy of a client's allegations from the beginning of an engagement, I could then answer clients’ questions early in the process instead of right before a deadline and would be found reputable as an investigator and testifying expert. What began as an effort to prove my legitimacy as an expert resulted in the creation of a professional team that has consistently provided answers to clients’ questions in the most complex of cases using the Data Sleuth Process.

Forensic accounting engagements and fraud investigations are not detailed external financial statement audits. They are methodical, process driven, data-focused investigations targeted at answering the most popular client questions of “What happened?” and “How much money did I lose?” External financial statement audits, in general, remain an integral part of many organizations because they provide assurance as to the fairness of the representation of the information presented in financial statements. Additionally, external financial statement audits ...