ACFE CFE - Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes (Certified Fraud Examiner - Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes) Practice Test 116

Question 1150

The team is assessing a potential duplicate vendor-invoice payment discrepancy. Initial observation: Similar amounts, dates and vendors appear under multiple invoice references. Which verification step is most informative?

  1. Aggregate related purchases by supplier, requester and time window.
  2. Compare invoices, delivery locations and asset registers with authorized requisitions.
  3. Corroborate contract deliverables with employees and independent project evidence.
  4. Run normalized duplicate-payment checks across invoice number, amount and payee.

Explanation

Correct Answer

D:

For the Duplicate vendor-invoice payment concern, the procedure tests source evidence behind this observation: Similar amounts, dates and vendors appear under multiple invoice references. This matters because the scheme exploits duplicate settlement of one legitimate obligation; independent corroboration is necessary before accepting any conclusion.

Incorrect Answers

A:

This comparison primarily addresses Split procurement invoices, in which splitting evades approval controls that would apply to the whole purchase; because the present question instead concerns Duplicate vendor-invoice payment, reviewers should run normalized duplicate-payment checks across invoice number, amount and payee rather than apply a check designed for Split procurement invoices.

B:

This comparison primarily addresses Personal purchases billed as business, in which the organization pays a real supplier for goods acquired for private use; because the present question instead concerns Duplicate vendor-invoice payment, reviewers should run normalized duplicate-payment checks across invoice number, amount and payee rather than apply a check designed for Personal purchases billed as business.

C:

This comparison primarily addresses Phantom consulting fees, in which fabricated intangible services can be billed without the physical receiving evidence used for goods; because the present question instead concerns Duplicate vendor-invoice payment, reviewers should run normalized duplicate-payment checks across invoice number, amount and payee rather than apply a check designed for Phantom consulting fees.

Question 1151

The review team observes the following: Policyholders have receipts while insurer records show lapse or nonpayment. It seeks one targeted detection step and one preventive measure that address the same underlying vulnerability. Which pairing is best?

  1. Diagnostic: Compare authorized medical evidence with disclosed underwriting history; safeguard: Use independent cause investigation before settling suspicious high-value fires.
  2. Diagnostic: Confirm payments with customers and compare carrier remittance and policy status; safeguard: Use clear underwriting questions and verify material inconsistencies lawfully.
  3. Diagnostic: Compare benefit certifications with lawful employment and activity records; safeguard: Reconcile agent collections independently with insurer acknowledgments.
  4. Diagnostic: Confirm payments with customers and compare carrier remittance and policy status; safeguard: Reconcile agent collections independently with insurer acknowledgments.

Explanation

Correct Answer

D:

The test addresses Insurance premium diversion by targeting this observation: Policyholders have receipts while insurer records show lapse or nonpayment. The accompanying safeguard—reconcile agent collections independently with insurer acknowledgments—counters the same opportunity, so both checking and prevention concern one cause.

Incorrect Answers

A:

The evidence test relates to Concealed preexisting condition, whereas the proposed safeguard protects against Intentional property fire claim; neither directly resolves Insurance premium diversion. Unlike the Concealed preexisting condition test and Intentional property fire claim safeguard, the investigation of Insurance premium diversion requires reviewers to confirm payments with customers and compare carrier remittance and policy status, followed by assessment of the matching control point.

B:

The diagnostic correctly examines Insurance premium diversion by having reviewers confirm payments with customers and compare carrier remittance and policy status, but the safeguard is for Concealed preexisting condition. That prevention step responds to a different mechanism: Material misrepresentation at policy inception differs from fabricating a later insured loss.

C:

The proposed safeguard is relevant to Insurance premium diversion, but the diagnostic tests Workers compensation malingering rather than the identified anomaly. That test is aimed at records involving claimed work restrictions conflict with verified employment or functional evidence; the specified case instead calls for reviewers to confirm payments with customers and compare carrier remittance and policy status.

Question 1152

The case file describes the following: A vendor bills equipment rental from an unrelated project as a reimbursable cost on a government contract. Which classification best explains the events?

  1. Short delivery on public contract
  2. Contractor cost mischarging
  3. Nonconforming material substitution
  4. Post-award change-order inflation

Explanation

Correct Answer

B:

Contractor cost mischarging fits the facts because miscoding expenses shifts ineligible work costs onto the purchasing agency; the distinguishing observation is that timesheets and equipment logs place charges outside the contract activity. To test this interpretation, a reviewer should reconcile submitted costs to job-level records and contractual allowability.

Incorrect Answers

A:

Short delivery on public contract would involve a different sequence from Contractor cost mischarging: billing for undelivered quantities converts a legitimate contract into an overpayment. Unlike the rejected Short delivery on public contract label, the evidence concerns Contractor cost mischarging, since timesheets and equipment logs place charges outside the contract activity; reviewers should reconcile submitted costs to job-level records and contractual allowability.

C:

Nonconforming material substitution would involve a different sequence from Contractor cost mischarging: the vendor obtains full payment while supplying inferior goods. Unlike the rejected Nonconforming material substitution label, the evidence concerns Contractor cost mischarging, since timesheets and equipment logs place charges outside the contract activity; reviewers should reconcile submitted costs to job-level records and contractual allowability.

D:

Post-award change-order inflation would involve a different sequence from Contractor cost mischarging: post-award modifications can recoup an artificially low bid or extract excessive payments. Unlike the rejected Post-award change-order inflation label, the evidence concerns Contractor cost mischarging, since timesheets and equipment logs place charges outside the contract activity; reviewers should reconcile submitted costs to job-level records and contractual allowability.

Question 1153

The available records suggest money-mule transfers: Funds enter and leave a personal account within hours with little economic explanation. Which TWO actions together provide one direct check and one targeted preventive measure? Choose TWO.

  1. Apply enhanced scrutiny to rapid complex transfers inconsistent with customer activity.
  2. Use behavioral monitoring and customer education about paid transfer requests.
  3. Trace the purchase funds, beneficial owner and later disposition proceeds.
  4. Closely timed deposits aggregate to an unusual total despite individual amounts being smaller.
  5. Trace incoming and outgoing counterparties, timelines and the person's stated purpose.

Explanation

Correct Answers

B:

This safeguard directly reduces Money-mule transfers exposure because money mules help move proceeds while separating the originator from subsequent recipients. The control should be monitored using records from this check: Trace incoming and outgoing counterparties, timelines and the person's stated purpose.

E:

This procedure verifies the records implicated by Money-mule transfers; the observed anomaly is that funds enter and leave a personal account within hours with little economic explanation. For the Money-mule transfers concern, it can distinguish errors and innocent explanations from possible misstatements or wrongdoing before reaching a conclusion.

Incorrect Answers

A:

The chosen preventive action chiefly mitigates Layering through repeated wires, where layering introduces transaction complexity to obscure the origin and control of funds. For Money-mule transfers, unlike Layering through repeated wires, the targeted safeguard is to use behavioral monitoring and customer education about paid transfer requests because the exposure occurs at a different point.

C:

This procedure tests Integration through luxury property rather than the named Money-mule transfers concern. The Integration through luxury property evidence is purchase funding traces to opaque entities without plausible commercial income, while the Money-mule transfers path requires reviewers to trace incoming and outgoing counterparties, timelines and the person's stated purpose.

D:

The listed warning sign specifically concerns Cash-deposit structuring, where structuring intentionally fragments transactions to evade detection or reporting; the exact threshold is jurisdiction-dependent, not the requested Money-mule transfers review. Unlike the Cash-deposit structuring indicator, the relevant signal for Money-mule transfers is this: Funds enter and leave a personal account within hours with little economic explanation.

Question 1154

The review team observes the following: Donor acknowledgment totals exceed the logged and deposited contributions. It seeks one targeted detection step and one preventive measure that address the same underlying vulnerability. Which pairing is best?

  1. Diagnostic: Match donor confirmations and sealed-envelope counts against bank deposits; safeguard: Require independent approval and physical-return evidence for cash refunds.
  2. Diagnostic: Match refund authorizations to returned-stock records and original receipt identifiers; safeguard: Limit key access and assign independent custodial surprise counts.
  3. Diagnostic: Compare price lists and independent customer receipts with cash register line data; safeguard: Use two-person opening of donations and sequential receipt logs.
  4. Diagnostic: Match donor confirmations and sealed-envelope counts against bank deposits; safeguard: Use two-person opening of donations and sequential receipt logs.

Explanation

Correct Answer

D:

The test addresses Charity donation skimming by targeting this observation: Donor acknowledgment totals exceed the logged and deposited contributions. The accompanying safeguard—use two-person opening of donations and sequential receipt logs—counters the same opportunity, so both checking and prevention concern one cause.

Incorrect Answers

A:

The diagnostic correctly examines Charity donation skimming by having reviewers match donor confirmations and sealed-envelope counts against bank deposits, but the safeguard is for Concealment through false refunds. That prevention step responds to a different mechanism: A false refund creates an apparently authorized cash outflow, unlike an off-record cash receipt theft.

B:

The evidence test relates to Concealment through false refunds, whereas the proposed safeguard protects against Cash-safe theft; neither directly resolves Charity donation skimming. Unlike the Concealment through false refunds test and Cash-safe theft safeguard, the investigation of Charity donation skimming requires reviewers to match donor confirmations and sealed-envelope counts against bank deposits, followed by assessment of the matching control point.

C:

The proposed safeguard is relevant to Charity donation skimming, but the diagnostic tests Cash-sale understatement rather than the identified anomaly. That test is aimed at records involving customer receipts or posted menu prices exceed amounts entered for the same items; the specified case instead calls for reviewers to match donor confirmations and sealed-envelope counts against bank deposits.

Question 1155

An analyst is selecting warning signs for prepaid card load-and-drain. Which recorded pattern should receive focused attention?

  1. Rapid loads and redemptions share devices and beneficiaries across cards.
  2. Authentic-looking emails originate from an altered thread and route funds to a new account.
  3. Payment recipients are new and contact details differ from the real relative's.
  4. Customers' payment confirmations name a recipient unrelated to the merchant.
  5. Debit originators lack customer authorization evidence and generate return disputes.

Explanation

Correct Answer

A:

This observation is a pertinent indicator of Prepaid card load-and-drain because prepaid value can be used to convert unauthorized payments into quickly transferable balances. The practical corroborating procedure is to link card funding source, load time, device identity and redemption trail; the indicator by itself does not establish intent or error.

Incorrect Answers

B:

The proposed observation fits Business email payment diversion, where the payment is authorized for a real invoice but settlement instructions are fraudulently replaced, rather than the particular mechanism in Prepaid card load-and-drain. Unlike the clue for Business email payment diversion, the more directly related indicator for Prepaid card load-and-drain is this: Rapid loads and redemptions share devices and beneficiaries across cards.

C:

The proposed observation fits Peer-to-peer payment impostor, where the victim may authorize the transfer under deception rather than lose funds through stolen credentials, rather than the particular mechanism in Prepaid card load-and-drain. Unlike the clue for Peer-to-peer payment impostor, the more directly related indicator for Prepaid card load-and-drain is this: Rapid loads and redemptions share devices and beneficiaries across cards.

D:

The proposed observation fits Fraudulent merchant QR redirect, where payment redirection changes the destination encoded in a legitimate-looking payment prompt, rather than the particular mechanism in Prepaid card load-and-drain. Unlike the clue for Fraudulent merchant QR redirect, the more directly related indicator for Prepaid card load-and-drain is this: Rapid loads and redemptions share devices and beneficiaries across cards.

E:

The proposed observation fits Unauthorized ACH debit, where the debit exploits the payment rail without the payer's required consent, rather than the particular mechanism in Prepaid card load-and-drain. Unlike the clue for Unauthorized ACH debit, the more directly related indicator for Prepaid card load-and-drain is this: Rapid loads and redemptions share devices and beneficiaries across cards.

Question 1156

Two separate review files raise different issues. File A: A sales contractor repeatedly finances luxury trips for employees who decide tender awards. File B: A bidder funds a nonprofit controlled by a purchasing official shortly before contract award. Which pairing accurately classifies both files?

  1. File A: Inflated charitable donation conduit; File B: Lavish hospitality influence.
  2. File A: Lavish hospitality influence; File B: Inflated charitable donation conduit.
  3. File A: Economic extortion demand; File B: Lavish hospitality influence.
  4. File A: Lavish hospitality influence; File B: Economic extortion demand.
  5. File A: Sham consulting bribe; File B: Inflated charitable donation conduit.

Explanation

Correct Answer

B:

File A is Lavish hospitality influence because material personal entertainment can influence purchasing discretion even without cash transfer, while File B is Inflated charitable donation conduit because an apparent donation may disguise a benefit routed to someone able to influence business. The evidence chains differ: for File A, reviewers should compare gift registers, travel records and award dates for decision makers; for File B, they should trace donation beneficiaries and governance to tender decisions and communications.

Incorrect Answers

A:

File A is misidentified as Inflated charitable donation conduit instead of Lavish hospitality influence; File B is misidentified as Lavish hospitality influence instead of Inflated charitable donation conduit. With the proposed pairing Inflated charitable donation conduit / Lavish hospitality influence, the distinction is substantive: File A shows that benefits rise immediately before procurement decisions involving the sponsor, whereas File B shows that the charity's controllers and project decision makers overlap. For these Lavish hospitality influence and Inflated charitable donation conduit files, choosing the pair Inflated charitable donation conduit / Lavish hospitality influence would misdirect the review away from at least one of these mechanisms.

C:

File A is misidentified as Economic extortion demand instead of Lavish hospitality influence; File B is misidentified as Lavish hospitality influence instead of Inflated charitable donation conduit. With the proposed pairing Economic extortion demand / Lavish hospitality influence, the distinction is substantive: File A shows that benefits rise immediately before procurement decisions involving the sponsor, whereas File B shows that the charity's controllers and project decision makers overlap. For these Lavish hospitality influence and Inflated charitable donation conduit files, choosing the pair Economic extortion demand / Lavish hospitality influence would misdirect the review away from at least one of these mechanisms.

D:

File B is misidentified as Economic extortion demand instead of Inflated charitable donation conduit. With the proposed pairing Lavish hospitality influence / Economic extortion demand, the distinction is substantive: File A shows that benefits rise immediately before procurement decisions involving the sponsor, whereas File B shows that the charity's controllers and project decision makers overlap. For these Lavish hospitality influence and Inflated charitable donation conduit files, choosing the pair Lavish hospitality influence / Economic extortion demand would misdirect the review away from at least one of these mechanisms.

E:

File A is misidentified as Sham consulting bribe instead of Lavish hospitality influence. With the proposed pairing Sham consulting bribe / Inflated charitable donation conduit, the distinction is substantive: File A shows that benefits rise immediately before procurement decisions involving the sponsor, whereas File B shows that the charity's controllers and project decision makers overlap. For these Lavish hospitality influence and Inflated charitable donation conduit files, choosing the pair Sham consulting bribe / Inflated charitable donation conduit would misdirect the review away from at least one of these mechanisms.

Question 1157

The monitoring team needs an observable indicator of botnet-enabled account attacks. Which signal aligns most closely with the risk?

  1. Unapproved extension permissions include access to every page and outbound transfers.
  2. Credential stores are accessed by an untrusted process followed by remote logins.
  3. Multiple hosts develop the same exploit-driven processes in rapid succession.
  4. Login bursts originate from distributed hosts with synchronized behavior.

Explanation

Correct Answer

D:

This observation is a pertinent indicator of Botnet-enabled account attacks because a botnet coordinates compromised machines to perform automated abuse at scale. The practical corroborating procedure is to analyze request patterns, device reputation and common command signatures; the indicator by itself does not establish intent or error.

Incorrect Answers

A:

The proposed observation fits Malicious browser extension, where browser extensions can misuse broad page-access permissions without a classic email attachment, rather than the particular mechanism in Botnet-enabled account attacks. Unlike the clue for Malicious browser extension, the more directly related indicator for Botnet-enabled account attacks is this: Login bursts originate from distributed hosts with synchronized behavior.

B:

The proposed observation fits Infostealer browser credential theft, where infostealers harvest authentication secrets for later impersonation and account abuse, rather than the particular mechanism in Botnet-enabled account attacks. Unlike the clue for Infostealer browser credential theft, the more directly related indicator for Botnet-enabled account attacks is this: Login bursts originate from distributed hosts with synchronized behavior.

C:

The proposed observation fits Self-propagating network worm, where a worm propagates autonomously; a conventional virus generally attaches to a host file or program, rather than the particular mechanism in Botnet-enabled account attacks. Unlike the clue for Self-propagating network worm, the more directly related indicator for Botnet-enabled account attacks is this: Login bursts originate from distributed hosts with synchronized behavior.

Question 1158

The monitoring team needs an observable indicator of unregistered brokerage solicitation. Which signal aligns most closely with the risk?

  1. Commission records show ongoing securities placement activity without appropriate registration evidence.
  2. Trades by insiders closely precede market-moving news and differ from prior patterns.
  3. External sustainability claims disagree with underlying meter and assurance records.
  4. Turnover and commission-to-equity ratios become excessive relative to client objectives.
  5. Employee trades consistently precede client orders and benefit from resulting price movements.

Explanation

Correct Answer

A:

This observation is a pertinent indicator of Unregistered brokerage solicitation because securities-related compensation and solicitation can trigger registration obligations under relevant laws. The practical corroborating procedure is to compare business activities and compensation against applicable regulator registrations; the indicator by itself does not establish intent or error.

Incorrect Answers

B:

The proposed observation fits Material nonpublic information trading, where trading on material information not publicly available may breach insider-trading rules depending on the jurisdiction and duties involved, rather than the particular mechanism in Unregistered brokerage solicitation. Unlike the clue for Material nonpublic information trading, the more directly related indicator for Unregistered brokerage solicitation is this: Commission records show ongoing securities placement activity without appropriate registration evidence.

C:

The proposed observation fits False sustainability disclosures, where nonfinancial representations can deceive securities investors when inaccurate or unsupported, rather than the particular mechanism in Unregistered brokerage solicitation. Unlike the clue for False sustainability disclosures, the more directly related indicator for Unregistered brokerage solicitation is this: Commission records show ongoing securities placement activity without appropriate registration evidence.

D:

The proposed observation fits Excessive-account churning, where excessive trading for broker compensation can constitute churning when control and other relevant elements are present, rather than the particular mechanism in Unregistered brokerage solicitation. Unlike the clue for Excessive-account churning, the more directly related indicator for Unregistered brokerage solicitation is this: Commission records show ongoing securities placement activity without appropriate registration evidence.

E:

The proposed observation fits Broker front-running client order, where misusing confidential customer-order knowledge for personal gain creates market-abuse and conflict risks, rather than the particular mechanism in Unregistered brokerage solicitation. Unlike the clue for Broker front-running client order, the more directly related indicator for Unregistered brokerage solicitation is this: Commission records show ongoing securities placement activity without appropriate registration evidence.

Question 1159

The review team observes the following: Specifications mirror one vendor catalog while alternatives meet the operational need. It seeks one targeted detection step and one preventive measure that address the same underlying vulnerability. Which pairing is best?

  1. Diagnostic: Compare requirement drafts, market alternatives and supplier communications; safeguard: Monitor recurring bid participation and apply competition compliance controls.
  2. Diagnostic: Compare requirement drafts, market alternatives and supplier communications; safeguard: Use independently justified performance requirements and challenge restrictive specifications.
  3. Diagnostic: Analyze longitudinal award, bid spread and bidder-relationship patterns; safeguard: Verify staffing grades and approve time charges against independent attendance records.
  4. Diagnostic: Review documented emergency grounds against prior planning and demand; safeguard: Use independently justified performance requirements and challenge restrictive specifications.

Explanation

Correct Answer

B:

The test addresses Tender specifications tailored to one supplier by targeting this observation: Specifications mirror one vendor catalog while alternatives meet the operational need. The accompanying safeguard—use independently justified performance requirements and challenge restrictive specifications—counters the same opportunity, so both checking and prevention concern one cause.

Incorrect Answers

A:

The diagnostic correctly examines Tender specifications tailored to one supplier by having reviewers compare requirement drafts, market alternatives and supplier communications, but the safeguard is for Bid rotation agreement. That prevention step responds to a different mechanism: Bid rotation is an agreement to allocate wins rather than genuine independent competition.

C:

The evidence test relates to Bid rotation agreement, whereas the proposed safeguard protects against Time-and-materials labor padding; neither directly resolves Tender specifications tailored to one supplier. Unlike the Bid rotation agreement test and Time-and-materials labor padding safeguard, the investigation of Tender specifications tailored to one supplier requires reviewers to compare requirement drafts, market alternatives and supplier communications, followed by assessment of the matching control point.

D:

The proposed safeguard is relevant to Tender specifications tailored to one supplier, but the diagnostic tests Artificial urgency sole-source award rather than the identified anomaly. That test is aimed at records involving planning records show sufficient lead time and no genuine critical shortage; the specified case instead calls for reviewers to compare requirement drafts, market alternatives and supplier communications.

Question 1160

The team is assessing a potential lavish hospitality influence discrepancy. Initial observation: Benefits rise immediately before procurement decisions involving the sponsor. Which verification step is most informative?

  1. Compare gift registers, travel records and award dates for decision makers.
  2. Review contracts, service evidence and beneficial recipients of advisory fees.
  3. Preserve the demand trail and compare application status to statutory requirements.
  4. Trace donation beneficiaries and governance to tender decisions and communications.

Explanation

Correct Answer

A:

For the Lavish hospitality influence concern, the procedure tests source evidence behind this observation: Benefits rise immediately before procurement decisions involving the sponsor. This matters because material personal entertainment can influence purchasing discretion even without cash transfer; independent corroboration is necessary before accepting any conclusion.

Incorrect Answers

B:

This comparison primarily addresses Sham consulting bribe, in which a fake service agreement can launder a corrupt payment as a commercial expense; because the present question instead concerns Lavish hospitality influence, reviewers should compare gift registers, travel records and award dates for decision makers rather than apply a check designed for Sham consulting bribe.

C:

This comparison primarily addresses Economic extortion demand, in which extortion relies on coercive leverage over a decision or entitlement rather than a voluntary gratuity; because the present question instead concerns Lavish hospitality influence, reviewers should compare gift registers, travel records and award dates for decision makers rather than apply a check designed for Economic extortion demand.

D:

This comparison primarily addresses Inflated charitable donation conduit, in which an apparent donation may disguise a benefit routed to someone able to influence business; because the present question instead concerns Lavish hospitality influence, reviewers should compare gift registers, travel records and award dates for decision makers rather than apply a check designed for Inflated charitable donation conduit.

Certified Fraud Examiner - Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes (CFE - Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes) Practice Tests