Attributes of Forensic Auditors and Detection of Occupational Fraud with the Moderating Role of Audit Committee

Abstract

Frauds committed by the employees have become a threat to the sustainability of the organizations. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the attributes of forensic auditors, such as independence, IT skills, data analytics skills, professional skepticism, experience, and fraud detection. The data was collected through questionnaires from people working in organizations' accounting, finance, and audit functions. Researchers used the PLS-SEM technique to test the significance of the relationship between studied variables. The results of this study showed that independence, IT skills, data analytics skills, professional skepticism, and experience positively and significantly affect the detection of fraud. Results of moderation analysis showed that the audit committee moderates the effect of independence and experience on fraud detection but does not moderate the effect of IT skills, data analytics skills, and professional skepticism on fraud detection. This research is significant for organizations that are victims of employee fraud.