In this course, the fraud triangle will serve as the backdrop for examining financial statement fraud. The three elements of the fraud triangle – pressure, opportunity, and rationalization – will be analyzed in the context of misrepresentation of financial statements. Cookie jar reserves, a creative accounting scheme used to manipulate reported earnings, will be discussed in depth. Sixteen specific financial statement fraud cases have been selected as representative of the major frauds that take place in organizations. Summaries of each case, along with the causes and motivations behind them, are discussed.

"IMPORTANT: This course, previously titled "Financial Statement Frauds v2.1," has been republished in our current course platform. Please be aware that the content is the same, with only minor updates. If you have already received credit for this course, you cannot receive credit again.

Speaker/Author: John M. Fleming, CPA, MBA