Question

Harriet Knox, Ralph Patton and Marcia Diamond work for a family physician, Dr. Gwen Conrad, who is in private practice. Dr. Conrad is knowledgeable about office management practices and has segregated the cash receipt duties as follows. Knox opens the mail and prepares a triplicate list of money received. She sends one copy of the list to Patton, the cashier, who deposits the receipts daily in the bank. Diamond, the recordkeeper, receives a copy of the list and posts payments to patients’ accounts. About once a month the office clerks have an expensive lunch they pay for as follows. First, Patton endorses a patient’s check in Dr. Conrad’s name and cashes it at the bank. Knox then destroys the remittance advice accompanying the check. Finally, Diamond posts payment to the customer’s account as a miscellaneous credit. The three justify their actions by their relatively low pay and knowledge that Dr. Conrad will likely never miss the money.

1. Who is the best person in Dr. Conrad’s office to reconcile the bank statement?
2. Would a bank reconciliation uncover this office fraud?
3. What are some procedures to detect this type of fraud?
4. Suggest additional internal controls that Dr. Conrad could implement.

Answer 1

Solution:-

1. Who is the best person in Dr. Conrad’s office to reconcile the bank statement:-

Not everyone knows how to prepare the bank reconciliation. Probably Diamond or Dr Conrad himself.

2. Would a bank reconciliation uncover this office fraud:-

No bank reco is not enough to detact this office fraud.

3. What are some procedures to detect this type of fraud:-

This fraud involves collusion of every clerk in that department. Once you have collusion on this scale, hardly any procedure will detect it.

4. Suggest additional internal controls that Dr. Conrad could implement:-

• Dr Conrad should take out fidelity insurance (employee theft bond) on his employees
• Dr Conrad should tell his patients to insist on an official receipt to prove payment
• Dr Conrad should tell the bank not to accept endorsements to patient checks
• Dr Conrad should also tell his patients to cross the checks and make them "for account payee only"

Please Rate or comment if you have any doubt regarding this solution.