{"id":3860,"date":"2025-02-27T07:34:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T00:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/?p=3860"},"modified":"2026-10-13T05:44:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T22:44:26","slug":"fraud-audit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/blog\/fraud-audit\/","title":{"rendered":"What is audit Fraud? Definition, types of fraud, and Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fraud is an intentional act of deception to obtain an unlawful gain, usually at another party's expense. A fraud audit is an examination focused on fraud risks and indications, with procedures designed to detect and help prevent fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fraud that is not dealt with promptly can cause financial losses and damage an organization's reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article covers the meaning of a fraud audit, how it differs from a financial audit, the types of fraud according to the ACFE, the fraud triangle, and how to detect and prevent fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a Fraud Audit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A fraud audit is an examination focused on fraud risks and indications. Auditors design procedures to detect, and help prevent, fraud in an organization's transactions and processes. There is no standard regulatory definition of the term, and in practice it often overlaps with investigative audit and forensic audit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to SA 240, fraud is an intentional act by one or more individuals among management, those charged with governance, employees, or third parties, involving the use of deception to obtain an unjust or illegal advantage. The key element is intent, which distinguishes fraud from error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read Also: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/types-of-audits\/\"><strong>Get To Know The Types Of Audits Based On Their Purpose &amp; Scope!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Difference Between a Fraud Audit and a Financial Audit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table has-fixed-layout\"><table><thead><tr><th>Aspect<\/th><th>Financial Audit<\/th><th>A fraud audit<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Main purpose<\/td><td>Giving an opinion on the fairness of the financial statements<\/td><td>Detecting indications of fraud and helping prevent it<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Focus<\/td><td>The financial statements as a whole, with reasonable assurance<\/td><td>Risks, red flags, and transaction patterns that indicate fraud<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Results<\/td><td>An independent auditor's report containing an opinion<\/td><td>Findings of fraud indications and recommendations, which may be followed by an investigation<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a financial statement audit, the auditor is responsible for obtaining reasonable assurance that the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. The primary responsibility for preventing and detecting fraud rests with management and those charged with governance (SA 240, which adopts ISA 240).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If strong indications emerge, the examination is generally continued as an investigative audit. This stage aims to establish:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>who the perpetrator is;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>how, where, and when the fraud occurred;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>what laws were violated;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>how much loss was caused; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>who was harmed and who benefited.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/investigative-audit\/\">What Is An Investigative Audit? Definition, technique and purpose<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/fraud-investigation\/\">Fraud Investigation: Definition, Duties, and Salary of a Fraud Investigator<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/forensic-audit\/\">Forensic Audit is: Definition, 5 Functions, and Stages<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the Types of Fraud?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) groups occupational fraud in the fraud tree into three main categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table has-fixed-layout\"><table><thead><tr><th>Category<\/th><th>Meaning<\/th><th>Example of<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Corruption<\/td><td>Wrongful use of influence in a business transaction that breaches a duty to the employer for personal gain or the gain of another<\/td><td>Conflicts of interest, bribery, illegal gratuities, economic extortion<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Asset misappropriation<\/td><td>An employee steals or misuses the organization's resources<\/td><td>Cash theft, fictitious expense reimbursement claims, misuse of inventory<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Financial statement fraud<\/td><td>Deliberately misstated financial statements intended to mislead their users<\/td><td>Fictitious revenue, concealed liabilities<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Data theft and cyberattacks are not a separate branch of the fraud tree. They are methods of execution that can appear in all three categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2025 Indonesia Fraud Survey by ACFE Indonesia Chapter, with 417 respondents, recorded corruption as the most common type of fraud (47.6%), followed by asset misappropriation (40.2%) and financial statement fraud (12.2%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read Also: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/audit-stages\/\"><strong>Complete Guide to the stages of Internal and external Audit<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"5427\" class=\"elementor elementor-5427\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c693698 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"c693698\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f131bf4 cta-banner-article elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f131bf4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/demo\/\" data-at-cta=\"banner-artikel\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2400\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/audithink-banner-v3-photo.webp\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-5428\" alt=\"cta banner campaign\" srcset=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/audithink-banner-v3-photo.webp 2400w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/audithink-banner-v3-photo-300x100.webp 300w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/audithink-banner-v3-photo-1024x341.webp 1024w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/audithink-banner-v3-photo-768x256.webp 768w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/audithink-banner-v3-photo-1536x512.webp 1536w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/audithink-banner-v3-photo-2048x683.webp 2048w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/audithink-banner-v3-photo-18x6.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is the Fraud Triangle and How Do Auditors Use It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fraud triangle is a framework that explains why a person commits fraud. It was developed from Donald Cressey's research on embezzlers, and auditors use it to assess fraud risk. Its three factors are as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table has-fixed-layout\"><table><thead><tr><th>Factor<\/th><th>Meaning<\/th><th>Example of<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Pressure<\/td><td>A motivation to commit fraud<\/td><td>Unrealistic performance targets, personal financial problems such as debt<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Opportunity<\/td><td>A chance to commit fraud without being detected<\/td><td>Weak segregation of duties, unrestricted system access, approval by one person without review<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Rationalization<\/td><td>The reasoning a perpetrator uses to make the act feel acceptable<\/td><td>Feeling unfairly paid, or considering the funds merely borrowed<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fraud diamond, introduced by Wolfe and Hermanson in The CPA Journal in December 2004, adds the element of capability, meaning the perpetrator's position, intelligence, and nerve to carry out the fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/fraud-triangle\/\">What is the Fraud Triangle and how to identify it<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can Fraud Be Detected Through a Fraud Audit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/laporan-keuangan-1-1024x684.webp\" alt=\"detect audit fraud in financial statements\" class=\"wp-image-3862\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/laporan-keuangan-1-1024x684.webp 1024w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/laporan-keuangan-1-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/laporan-keuangan-1-768x513.webp 768w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/laporan-keuangan-1-1536x1025.webp 1536w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/laporan-keuangan-1-2048x1367.webp 2048w, https:\/\/audithink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/laporan-keuangan-1-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fraud Audit On The Company (Source: Freepik)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Auditors identify fraud risk by reviewing the internal control structure, evaluating the work environment, applying the fraud triangle framework, and using a fraud risk assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One technique an auditor can use to detect fraud is <em>analytical procedures<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An analytical procedure is a method of comparing a company's financial statements with trends, ratios, or reasonable estimates.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is done to review the possibility of fluctuations or unusual patterns that are indicative of action <em>fraud<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This method is an important approach that allows auditors to identify areas in financial data that have undergone changes due to <em>fraud<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2025 Indonesia Fraud Survey shows fraud is most often uncovered through reports or a whistleblower system (53.24%), while internal audit uncovers 19.18% of cases. The most frequently reported red flags are a lifestyle beyond one's income (66%) and unusual closeness to vendors or customers (11%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read Also: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/audit-process\/\"><strong>Audit Process: Definition, stages, and Success Tips<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can Fraud Be Prevented Through a Fraud Audit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Prevention that can be done before the occurrence of fraud is the best strategy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some strategies companies need to take to prevent fraud:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Building a strong internal control system, including segregation of duties and tiered approvals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing a safe whistleblowing channel whose reports are followed up<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Holding regular training and awareness programs for employees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Analyzing data to recognize unusual patterns and flag fraud risk<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conducting fraud risk assessments periodically<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Building an ethical culture, including a code of ethics and leadership by example<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For financial services institutions, OJK Regulation Number 12 of 2024 sets out an anti-fraud strategy with four pillars: prevention; detection; investigation, reporting, and sanctions; and monitoring, evaluation, and follow-up. The regulation is binding only on financial services institutions, but its framework can serve as a reference for other organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/risk-based-audit\/\">Know the concept of Risk Based Audit and its examples &amp; stages<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/risk-assessment\/\">Risk Assessment is: meaning, steps, Matrix, &amp; examples<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/article\/internal-control\/\">Internal Control: Definition, Purpose, Types, &amp; COSO Components<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ About <em>Fraud Audit<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>What does fraud mean?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fraud is an intentional act of deception to obtain an unlawful gain, usually at another party's expense. According to SA 240, its key elements are intent and the use of deception.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>What Is a Fraud Audit?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A fraud audit is an examination focused on fraud risks and indications, with procedures designed to detect and help prevent fraud. There is no standard definition in regulations, and the term often overlaps with investigative audit and forensic audit.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>Apa bedanya fraud audit dan audit keuangan?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A financial audit aims to give an opinion on the fairness of the financial statements with reasonable assurance. A fraud audit focuses on fraud risks and indications, and can be continued as an investigative audit if there are strong indications.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>What are the types of fraud according to the ACFE?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three main categories in the fraud tree: corruption, asset misappropriation, and financial statement fraud. Data theft is a method that can appear in all three.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>Apa itu fraud triangle?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fraud triangle is a framework of three factors that explains why a person commits fraud: pressure, opportunity, and rationalization.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>Bagaimana cara mendeteksi kecurangan lewat fraud audit?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Auditors review the internal control structure, evaluate the work environment, use the fraud triangle and fraud risk assessment, and apply analytical procedures, comparing financial statements with trends, ratios, or reasonable expectations to find unusual patterns.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>How can fraud in a company be prevented?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Build strong internal controls with segregation of duties, provide a reporting channel, hold regular training, analyze data to recognize unusual patterns, conduct periodic fraud risk assessments, and build an ethical culture.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A fraud audit helps organizations detect indications of fraud and strengthen controls before losses grow. Frameworks such as the fraud tree and the fraud triangle help auditors map risks, while reporting channels and data analysis raise the chance that fraud is uncovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Audithink is internal audit management software that can be customized. Audit teams can use it for risk assessment, audit planning, work program templates, notifications, follow-up monitoring, and automated reports. If you are interested, please schedule a demo to see how it fits the audit process at your company.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fraud left unaddressed can cause financial and reputational losses. Understand what a fraud audit is, the common types of fraud, and how to prevent them.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":3863,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","rank_math_title":"Fraud Audit: Pengertian, Jenis Fraud, Deteksi, Pencegahan","rank_math_description":"Fraud audit adalah pemeriksaan untuk mendeteksi dan mencegah fraud. Pahami bedanya dengan audit keuangan, jenis fraud menurut ACFE, dan fraud triangle.","rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"fraud audit","rank_math_facebook_title":"","rank_math_facebook_description":"","rank_math_twitter_title":"","rank_math_twitter_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","rank_math_robots":[]},"categories":[15],"tags":[31],"class_list":["post-3860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-manajemen-risiko"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3860"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3860\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7257,"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3860\/revisions\/7257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/audithink.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}