Auditing Techniques to Minimize Accounting Related Fraud and Errors: A Qualitative Analysis with the Interview Method

Abstract

Accounting is more integrated with the technology today compared to the previous years. The increase in a variety of technological developments and commercial transactions has further increased the number and type of errors as well as frauds related to the accounting profession. This causes misleading information for several stakeholders. Stakeholdes sometimes make false decisions based on the financial statements created as a result of false and fraudulent transactions. In order to minimize the errors and frauds concerning the accounting system of enterprises, effective internal controls and auditing systems should be in order. It is evident that, setting up the required internal controls and auditing systems reduce asset losses and provide great benefits in the long run for firms. Existence of strong internal controls and auditing systems in enterprises has gained great importance in Turkey. This study provides information about the audit techniques that can minimize accounting related frauds and errors in businesses. The research includes and employs an interview with auditing professionals as the research methodology. Auditors working within three audit firms were selected by simple random sampling via the LinkedIn social media. The three participants were directed 10 semi- structured and open-ended questions. Qualitative analysis was adopted for this study. According to the results of research, companies use a number of tools to prevent accounting related frauds and errors. These most effective tools to minimize the frauds and errors are detected as internal auditing, internal controls and independent (external) auditing. Auditing professionals have high awareness about accounting related fraud and errors. But, auditor independency should be higher, proactive approach must be utilized and auditors must closely follow the new laws and regulations in addition to being familiar with the firms’s operations and sectors to minimize the fraud and errors. The Benford's law, artificial neural networks, analytical methods, data mining, red flags and analytical methods are commonly used by the auditors against frauds and errors. In general, the internal controls and auditing professions are in a much better situation today in Turkey compared to the previous years. But, this is still not adequate and there is a long way to complete ahead based on the opinions of auditing professionals.

Keywords

• accounting
• auditing
• internal controls
• fraud
• error