Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts

Legal & Corporate Governance

Level 4443 of 1200 points

Job description

Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts

Job purpose

To obtain evidence, take statements, analyse financial data and produce reports and court testimony resolving allegations of fraud, and to maintain the tools by which fraudulent activity is detected, so that suspected fraud is investigated to an evidential standard, losses are quantified and recovered, and exposure is reduced.

Skills

Command of investigative practice and evidence handling combined with accounting and financial analysis, and a working knowledge of law, court procedure and government regulation. Requires current knowledge of money laundering and criminal technique, the computer systems used to interrogate financial data, and the written English to produce reports and briefs that withstand legal scrutiny. A bachelor's degree is the norm, held by three quarters of incumbents, with smaller numbers holding a master's or post-baccalaureate certificate and some entering from an associate's degree, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Interviews witnesses and suspects and takes statements, coordinates investigations with law enforcement officers and attorneys, and testifies in court on the findings. Advises businesses and agencies on improving fraud detection and negotiates with responsible parties over recovery of losses. Exchanges are often uncooperative or hostile, and conclusions must be explained accurately to lawyers, managers and courts.
Reviews reports of suspected fraud to judge whether investigation is warranted, then determines what evidence is needed and how it will be obtained — documents, interviews, analysis of billing trends and financial relationships, field surveillance. Evaluates business operations to identify areas at risk and recommends the action to be taken in each case. Problems are open and adversarial: facts are concealed, and conclusions must be defensible in law.
Plans and sequences a caseload of investigations, schedules work and activities, sets detection objectives and strategy, and determines own tasks, priorities and goals. Casework proceeds under time pressure and to externally set legal and hearing timetables.
Work is carried out seated at a workstation, with interviews, field surveillance and court attendance away from the desk. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

Leads, or participates in, fraud investigation teams, coordinating the work of others and guiding and coaching less experienced investigators; works jointly with law enforcement officers and attorneys, and delivers training in fraud detection.
Holds no budget. Quantifies the financial loss arising from fraud by analysing financial documents and data, and negotiates with responsible parties to arrange recovery of those losses; the decision to prosecute, settle or write off rests with management or the prosecuting authorities.
Designs, implements and maintains fraud detection tools and procedures, and evaluates new technologies for detection systems. Responsible for gathered financial documents and for evidence prepared for court, and for ordinary care of a workstation and case systems.
Owns the investigative record: logs and databases of fraudulent activity, documentation of every investigative step, statements taken, and written reports of findings. Accuracy is critical, because a defect in the record can defeat a case, and the conclusions reached affect colleagues and company results.

Effort required

Sustained analytical concentration on financial data, documents and statements to identify irregularities that are deliberately concealed, with exactness required throughout. Decisions are made frequently, on incomplete and contested information, under time pressure and with consequences for colleagues and the organisation.
Interviews suspects and witnesses, negotiates recovery and gives evidence in contested proceedings. Conflict situations arise, and angry or discourteous behaviour must be met with composure; allegations must be pursued or dismissed on the evidence regardless of who is implicated.
Predominantly seated work. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled office work; no hazardous conditions, contaminants, noise or weather exposure is recorded. The psychosocial exposure is the substantial part: a heavy volume of contact by e-mail, telephone, letter and face-to-face discussion, dealings with the public, close physical proximity when interviewing, conflict situations, and people who are angry or discourteous.
Most incumbents work a regular established schedule, with the week running beyond forty hours for roughly three quarters of them and a minority on irregular patterns; no shift, night or on-call requirement is recorded. Considerable freedom to determine tasks and priorities and to decide the course of an investigation, exercised under time pressure and in a competitive environment, with frequent decisions whose consequences reach colleagues and company results.

Skills

40% · 217 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 2 of 5
29 of 72 points
Basic organisational skills required. The job involves planning and organising one's own work within set deadlines. Some input into scheduling and prioritisation of tasks.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 106 points▾

PeopleLevel 1 of 5
29 of 144 points
Very limited. Not required to supervise or perform a caregiving role. The job may involve providing basic guidance to or orientation for others, such as helping new colleagues settle in.
Goods and equipmentLevel 0 of 5
0 of 84 points
Not applicable. The job does not involve any responsibility for goods or equipment.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 1 of 5
19 of 96 points
Very limited responsibility for financial resources. The job involves handling small amounts of cash or processing simple transactions, such as recording expenses or maintaining basic financial records.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 41 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Occasional exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves occasional exposure to mild physical risks (e.g. working with light machinery, occasional noise) or psychosocial risks (e.g. occasional interpersonal conflict or minor repetitive tasks). Exposure occurs two to three times a year.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.