FRA102 - Fraud Prevention and Detection

Course Overview

Develop practical skills for recognizing fraud risks, identifying control weaknesses, analyzing financial information, and designing strategies to prevent and detect fraudulent activity.

24 Instructional Hours | Fully Online & Asynchronous | Year-Round Registration

Registration is available year-round, and an open section of FRA102 is always available.

Planning to complete the full Forensic Accounting Certificate? View the Certificate and Bundle Options

Fraud Prevention and Detection examines common occupational fraud schemes, the control weaknesses that allow them to occur, and the methods organizations can use to prevent and detect fraudulent activity.

Participants explore cash and disbursement schemes, billing and procurement fraud, check tampering, purchasing-card and travel-and-expense misuse, financial statement anomalies, and other fraud risks.

The course also introduces financial analytics, computer-assisted audit techniques, data analysis, cyber-related fraud risks, and indirect methods of reconstructing income.

Through quizzes, case studies, discussions, practical exercises, and applied assignments, participants evaluate real-world fraud scenarios, identify red flags and control breakdowns, and develop targeted prevention and detection strategies.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Classify common occupational fraud schemes using the ACFE-style fraud tree structure, including asset misappropriation, corruption and procurement-related schemes, and reporting-related risks.
• Explain how major cash and disbursement schemes operate, including skimming, cash larceny, check tampering, billing schemes, and purchasing-card and travel-and-expense misuse, and identify how each is typically concealed.
• Identify red flags and control breakdowns in purchasing, accounts payable, and payment processes, including vendor setup and changes, approvals, check custody, reconciliations, spending limits, and documentation gaps.
• Design practical prevention and detection controls for high-risk processes, including preventive, detective, and behavioral or cultural controls aligned with specific fraud risks.
• Apply financial statement analytics, including horizontal, vertical, and ratio analysis, to identify anomalies that may indicate fraud risk and explain why an indicator matters.
• Describe how forensic accountants use computer-assisted audit techniques and data analytics to extract, validate, and test large datasets for anomalies and fraud indicators, including the selection of appropriate tools.
• Analyze real-world fraud and cyber cases by reconstructing scheme mechanics, assessing likelihood and impact, and proposing targeted prevention and incident-response strategies.
• Explain the purpose and logic of indirect methods of reconstructing income, including Cash T, Source and Application, Net Worth, and Bank Deposits, and interpret what a "funds from unknown sources" discrepancy may indicate.

Key Topics

• Occupational Fraud Schemes and the Fraud Tree
• Asset Misappropriation
• Skimming and Cash Larceny
• Check Tampering
• Billing Schemes
• Procurement and Vendor Fraud
• Corporate Purchasing Card and Travel-and-Expense Fraud
• Financial Reporting and Statement Fraud
• Fraud Red Flags and Internal-Control Breakdowns
• Preventive, Detective, and Behavioral Controls
• Financial Statement Analytics
• Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques and Data Analytics
• Cybercrime and Fraud-Related Incident Response
• Interviewing and Sources of Information
• Indirect Methods of Reconstructing Income
• Real-World Fraud and Cyber Case Analysis

How the Course Works

FRA102 is delivered fully online and asynchronously, with no required live class meetings.

The course includes 24 instructional hours. Participants receive at least six weeks to complete the course and may have additional time depending on when they register and the published course end date.

A recommended six-week pacing guide is included for participants who prefer a more structured schedule, but participants may work at their own pace within the published access period.

Course content was developed by experienced forensic accounting professionals who reviewed the Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) bodies of knowledge to help align the curriculum with relevant industry topics. Instructors review applied assignments and provide individualized feedback to help participants strengthen their understanding and professional application of course concepts.

What if I need more time?

Contact the Program Director before your course access ends to request a transfer into a future section. Transfers are subject to program policies and section availability.

Course Completion Requirements

To successfully complete FRA102, participants must:

• Earn an overall course grade of at least 70%.
• Complete all required course assessments.

Participants pursuing the full Forensic Accounting Certificate must successfully complete all three required courses within two years of their first enrollment date.

Part of the Forensic Accounting Certificate

FRA102 is the second course in the recommended sequence for UNC Charlotte's three-course Forensic Accounting Certificate.

The recommended course sequence is:

1. FRA101 - Principles of Forensic Accounting
2. FRA102 - Fraud Prevention and Detection
3. FRA103 - Introduction to Computer Forensics

Participants who successfully complete all three courses receive a UNC Charlotte Forensic Accounting Certificate, 7.2 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and a Credly digital badge.

Choose How You Want to Enroll

You may register for FRA102 individually or enroll in the complete three-course certificate bundle.

Individual Course: $1,495

Forensic Accounting Certificate Bundle: $3,812
Includes all three required courses and saves $673 compared with registering for each course individually.

View the Forensic Accounting Certificate and Bundle

Technical Requirements

Review the technical requirements prior to enrollment.

Review Technical Requirements

English Proficiency

If English is not your native language, we recommend English-language proficiency equivalent to a minimum score of 557 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or 83 on the internet-based TOEFL.

TOEFL scores are not required for enrollment in this course.

Ready to Get Started?

Register for FRA102 individually by clicking "add to cart" on this page or explore the complete three-course certificate before enrolling.

View the Forensic Accounting Certificate

Accrediting Associations

• CPE for Self-Reporting to your state accountancy board 24.0 CPE self-reporting

Applies To The Following Certificate

• Forensic Accounting Certificate : Required