| Many might forget it wasn't Elliot Ness and his | | | | an on campus or online college known for offering |
| Untouchables that brought Al Capone down. It | | | | solid, accredited four year program in Accounting |
| was an accountant. Specifically, it was a forensic | | | | or Auditing. If the school offers any courses in |
| accountant. The FBI was trying to put the Don of | | | | forensic bookkeeping, take them, but make sure |
| all Dons away the old fashioned way. This | | | | to get a good core of classes in for your CPA or |
| forgotten hero managed to get his hands on | | | | Auditing certification exam. Forensic accountants |
| Capone's accounting records. From there he was | | | | tend to be CPAs or Certified Internal Auditors |
| able get the evidence needed to have Capone | | | | before specializing. |
| arrested by following his money trails. Accounting | | | | Now, the ideal way to become a forensic |
| is high tech stuff today and an education, either | | | | accountant is to next find a job in law |
| traditional or via an online college, is vital. | | | | enforcement, a law agency or an auditing firm |
| That was the 1930s. Eighty years later and crime | | | | that has a forensic department (many do, thanks |
| lords now are not only operating out of shadowy | | | | to divorces). Make sure they have some sort of |
| encampments behind closed gates. As recent | | | | work-study or internship program, and even |
| Congressional investigations are finding out, these | | | | some sort of tuition reimbursement plan. For both |
| days they are also running around Wall Street in | | | | cost and time management reasons, enrolling with |
| Armani suits being limo'd or privately jetted from | | | | an online college will be advantageous. You will be |
| one board meeting to another. In other words, | | | | holding a full time job while prepping for the final |
| we need forensic accountants more that ever. | | | | step. |
| Forensic accounting is an interesting hybrid of two | | | | That final step is to go to the American Institute |
| key areas of the accounting field. First and | | | | of Certified Public Accountants and request one |
| foremost, it requires the abilities of an everyday | | | | of the two forensic accounting exams they offer |
| accountant, i.e., the ability to analyze data and put | | | | - one for a Certified Fraud Examiner, the other |
| it through a series of rigorous reports well beyond | | | | for a Certified Financial Forensics. Pass either, and |
| doing the standard balance sheet and the profit | | | | you are a certified forensics accountant. |
| and loss statement. It also involves a lot of | | | | After all this time, the salary will make it all seem |
| auditing skill - the ability to look over spread | | | | worthwhile. The Bureau states a forensic |
| sheets and not only see what's wrong with them, | | | | accountant straight out of certification exam |
| but what is really going down. | | | | makes just short of $50,000 a year plus full |
| As it stands, the educational path towards being a | | | | benefits. From there, it can go up to just about |
| forensic accountant starts off pretty much the | | | | $100,000. For more information, you can also call |
| same as others in the financial world. A high | | | | their professional society, the Association of |
| school student starts down the path with either | | | | Certified Fraud Examiners. |