About Fraud Prevention Jobs
The fraud prevention career field is essential to the financial growth of many companies. People in this job sector help ensure businesses are protected from financial loss stemming from fraudulent behaviors such as credit card fraud and embezzlement. Fraud prevention specialists help deter white-collar crime and fraudulent employee practices.
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Identification
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There are many types of jobs in the fraud prevention career field. Careers in this field include forensic and government accountants, internal auditors, and fraud investigators. People working in the fraud prevention field specialize in performing compliance and performance audits, verifying company internal financial control structure, and making sure that laws related to accounting and business practices are upheld in order to deter fraud.
Education & Training
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Most people who enter the fraud prevention field need a college degree, such as a bachelor's or master's in accounting. Many fraud prevention jobs also require you to become a certified fraud examiner.
You need to become a certified public accountant in order to enter careers such as forensic, government and independent accountant as well as internal auditor.
Jobs in the fraud prevention fields of investigation require some previous on-the-job experience, while careers in the law enforcement field require vigorous training, physical tests and background checks.
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Job Responsibilities
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Job responsibilities for fraud prevention jobs such as forensic, government, and independent accountants and internal auditors include preventing fraudulent accounting practices, such as money laundering and bankruptcy fraud; analyzing financial data and statements, and determining tax liabilities for the companies or businesses they work for.
Responsibilities for fraud prevention jobs in the investigation and law enforcement field include investigating fraudulent claims, examining evidence and financial records, and conducting surveillance and interviews in order to enforce tax laws and regulations.
Special Skills
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If you are interested in entering the fraud prevention career field, you need to be detail-oriented and have great oral and written communication skills. You also need to have excellent record-keeping skills to ensure that information is organized and accurate. Experience with computers and their applications is quite helpful because computers are used in day-to-day job duties.
Salary
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Salaries for jobs in the fraud prevention field cover a wide range, depending on the job type. For example, the average salary for a government accountant, as of 2007, was $78,665, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of 2009, the average salary for a fraud investigator, according to cbsalary.com, was $51,879, which lies around the middle of the salary spectrum. Meanwhile, the average salary of an independent accountant in May 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was $30,560 and ranks among the bottom of income wages for fraud prevention jobs.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Andres Rueda
