Accountant Behaving Badly: There’s a Special Place In Hell For Someone Who Steals $800,000 From an Elderly Client With Dementia
Hey! Have you guys listened to “Oh My Fraud” yet? It’s a new podcast on the Earmark CPE platform hosted by our good friends Caleb Newquist and Greg Kyte. And Earmark CPE was created by another pal of Going Concern’s—Blake Oliver. The latest episode of “Oh My Fraud” is about the massive fraud in Dixon, […]
Accountants Behaving Badly: E Is for Embezzlement, This Lady Is a Wreck, Records Destruction!
Plus, a U.K. accountant is going to spend some time in jail for stealing money from two nursery schools, which she used to treat herself to a new kitchen. Accountant arrested for embezzling $1.2 million from furniture firm [Woodworking Network] Manuel “Mendy” Goldring was arrested on Feb. 18 for allegedly embezzling $1.2 million from Academia […]
Your Naughty IRS Agent of the Day
His name is Bryan Cho (aka “Yong Hee Cho”) and he was the recipient of a 10-count indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York on Jan. 26, charged with possession of a fake foreign passport, aggravated identity theft, making false statements during a background check, and wire fraud in […]
Accountants Behaving Badly: PCAOB Fines CPA, Scammer CPA Pleads Guilty, CPA’s License Suspended
Plus, an accountant from India is accused of spewing hatred, and a Michigan tax preparer allegedly stole more than $400,000 from clients. PCAOB fines CPA firm owner for not playing by the rules [PCAOB] Rizwan Ahmed, owner of Ahmed & Associates CPA P.C. in New York, was fined $10,000 by the PCAOB on April 21 […]
Accountants Behaving Badly: Deloitte Malaysia Partner Fined, Guilty Plea In $1.2M Scam, Jailed for Xmas
Plus, several tax preparers have run afoul of the law. SC fines Deloitte’s partner for non-compliance [The Malaysian Reserve] Huang Khean Yeong, a partner at Deloitte PLT, was fined RM63,000 by the Securities Commission Malaysia’s Audit Oversight Board on Dec. 26 for failing to comply with the international standards on auditing when performing an audit of […]
Zaza Pachulia’s Ex-Accountant Is Going to Jail But Not Until After April 30 Because Busy Season
You know it’s tax season when an accountant who was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for identity theft is just too busy to go to jail right now. Such is the case for Randy Usow of Mequon, Wis., who agreed to plead guilty to one count of theft of government property and one […]
NBA Player Zaza Pachulia’s Former Accountant Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft, Probably Never Will Have Basketball Clients Again
In dubious accountant news, Randy Usow of Mequon, Wis., has agreed to plead guilty to one count of theft of government property and one count of identity theft after stealing more than $800,000 by submitting fraudulent tax returns in the name of NBA player Zaza Pachulia and his wife, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Pachulia, […]
The “Red Flags” Rule is Still Useless for CPAs
In more government bureaucracy news, the FTC is granting a reprieve to CPAs when it comes to a new law that deals with identity theft, one which some CPAs say is useless given professional responsibility.
The new FTC rules requires businesses to “develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs to help identify, detect and respond to patterns, practices or specific activities -– known as ‘red flags’ — that could indicate identity theft.” The problem with that, of course, is that the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct already deals with the issue of identity theft in that there is an iron-clad confidentiality rule by which all CPAs must abide. Seems simple, right?
The US District Court has ordered an FTC delay of the rule for AICPA members in public practice, says the Maryland Association of CPAs. Barry Melancon, AICPA President said in 2009 when the AICPA filed a lawsuit against the FTC, “We do not believe that there is any reasonably foreseeable risk of identity theft when CPA clients are billed for services rendered. As trusted advisors, CPAs are personally acquainted with their clients and already adhere to strict privacy requirements governing identifying information.”
Don’t take it personal, Barry, the FTC is just trying to do its job, even if that means overreaching its authority and attempting to place restrictions on professionals who already go above and beyond the intent of the FTC on a daily basis.
In the meantime – and just in case the rule cannot be delayed indefinitely (as is, implementation has been put off until June 1, 2010) – the AICPA has some guidance for CPAs on creating an identity theft prevention program. Keep in mind the new requirements, if implemented, only affect CPAs who bill their clients on a monthly or revolving basis as it is meant to place additional controls in client billing.
The American Bar Association is also fighting the rule.
Another ‘Red Flags’ delay: CPAs get 90 more days [CPA Success]