Center for Forensic Accounting
What we do?
FAU’s Center for Forensic Accounting supports education, research, and professional engagement in the fields of forensic accounting, fraud examination, financial investigations, and fraud prevention.
“The broader missions of the Center for Forensic Accounting are education and outreach to the business community and government, in addition to students; another is developing knowledge in forensic accounting and fraud detection and prevention. One way of accomplishing these objectives is by engaging with people working directly in this area who are responsible for regulating, detecting, and reducing financial fraud and misrepresentations.”
~ Center Co-Director, Dr. Michael Crain
What is Forensic Accounting?
Forensic accounting is a specialized area of accounting that combines accounting, auditing, investigative techniques, and data analysis to examine financial activity and identify fraud, misconduct, or financial misrepresentation.
Professionals in this field work across areas such as fraud risk management, financial investigations, litigation support and expert testimony, digital and cyber-related financial investigations, business valuation, and regulatory compliance.
As financial systems become increasingly complex, forensic accountants play an important role in helping organizations, government agencies, and stakeholders identify and address financial risk.
Supporting Education and Research
The Center promotes the advancement of forensic accounting knowledge through academic
scholarship, industry engagement, and collaboration with professionals in accounting,
law enforcement, government, and regulatory organizations.
FAU faculty affiliated with the Center have contributed to the development of educational resources, research, and professional literature in forensic accounting and fraud examination.
Conferences
The Center co-produces conferences with the U.S. Department of Treasury. The U.S.
Treasury and FAU’s Center for Forensic Accounting have held joint conferences in South
Florida on forensic accounting, cyber investigations, and the Bank Secrecy Act. Conference
participants have included law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels,
bankers interested in regulatory compliance with federal bank secrecy laws and in
detecting money laundering, as well as forensic accountants and certified fraud examiners.
At a recent conference, attendees included people from the FBI and the Secret Service.
U.S. Treasury, Federal Reserve, U.S. Department of Agriculture, local police departments,
Florida Attorney General’s Office, bank security teams, and forensic accountants.
Even experts value the information shared in these conferences because “the body of knowledge on forensic accounting is so vast, and there is so much existing regulation that no one person or group has an understanding of it all.” These conferences provide an opportunity for specialists from different governmental agencies and other groups to inform one another and gain new perspectives on the resources used and available for sharing in future investigations. Bringing together experts in forensic accounting across criminal and civil contexts to discuss techniques, laws, and regulations was one aspect of the conference; the other was sharing case studies in forensic accounting.
We Wrote the Book on Forensic Accounting
FAU professors, Michael Crain, William Hopwood, Richard Gendler, George Young, and
Carl Pacini wrote the text Essentials of Forensic Accounting (2nd Edition) published by Wiley and the American Institute of CPAs. The text material
is used by AICPA to train CPAs in forensic accounting.
Essentials of Forensic Accounting is an authoritative resource covering a comprehensive range of forensic accounting topics. As a foundation review, a reference book, or as preparation for the Certification in Financial Forensics (CFF®) Exam, this publication will provide a thoughtful and insightful examination of the key themes in this field, including:
- Professional responsibilities and practice management
- Fundamental forensic knowledge, including laws, courts, and dispute resolution
- Specialized forensic knowledge, such as bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, and valuation
Through illustrative examples, cases, and explanations, this book makes abstract concepts come to life to help you understand and successfully navigate this complex area.
Center Director
Dr. Jay Leiner, CFE, CFS
Center Director Dr. Leiner, also known as Sergeant Leiner, supervised the Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) Economic Crimes Unit—then the largest in the nation—in conducting fraud-related investigations and solving economic crimes. During his 30-year tenure with BSO, Dr. Leiner investigated and testified on hundreds of fraud investigations, including money laundering, mortgage fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, wire fraud, bank fraud, and numerous other financial crimes. His investigative duties also involved him in various federal task forces with the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the IRS, and the Secret Service. Recognized as an expert witness in this fraud and forensic accounting, he has testified at the federal and state court levels. In addition to his extensive career in law enforcement, Dr. Leiner joined the FAU faculty in 2001 and has been serving as an instructor in FAU's School of Accounting Executive Programs for 20 years. He also serves as Training Director for the Palm Beach Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (PBACFE).
Center Contact Information
Phone: 833-FAU-CFFA (833-328-2332)
Website:https://business.fau.edu/CfFA