Description

Introduction to Payroll Fraud
 

Payroll fraud is no longer limited to falsified timecards or unauthorized pay-rate changes. Payroll and HR teams must now recognize cyber-enabled direct-deposit diversion, compromised employee accounts, fraudulent banking requests, ghost employees, unauthorized bonuses, insider manipulation and suspicious changes hidden inside normal payroll activity.

A single weak verification step can allow an employee paycheck to be redirected, an unauthorized worker to remain on payroll or a fraudulent payment to pass through without timely review.

This practical webinar will help payroll, HR, finance, compliance and audit professionals identify where payroll processes are most vulnerable and implement controls that make fraud more difficult to commit, easier to detect and faster to investigate.

Why This Training Matters Now

Criminals increasingly use phishing, social engineering, compromised email accounts and fraudulent employee requests to alter direct-deposit information. Internal fraud can also remain concealed when payroll responsibilities are concentrated with one person, changes are not independently reviewed or payroll records are not reconciled against active employee data.

Organizations need more than general fraud awareness. They need documented verification procedures, appropriate access controls, exception reports, approval requirements and a clear response plan.

What You Will Learn

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the most common internal and external payroll fraud schemes

• Identify direct-deposit diversion and employee account-takeover warning signs

• Detect ghost employees, duplicate payments and suspicious payroll records

• Recognize unauthorized changes to pay rates, bonuses, overtime and deductions

• Strengthen verification procedures for employee banking changes

• Apply segregation-of-duties controls to payroll processing and approval

• Review payroll system access, administrator privileges and change logs

• Use payroll reconciliations and exception reports to identify irregular activity

• Coordinate responsibilities across payroll, HR, finance, IT and internal audit

• Respond appropriately when payroll fraud is suspected or confirmed

• Review and update the organization’s payroll fraud prevention policy

• Educate employees without exposing confidential investigative procedures

Payroll Fraud Control Toolkit

Participants will receive practical resources that can be adapted to their organization, including:

• Payroll fraud risk-assessment checklist

• Direct-deposit change verification checklist

• Payroll fraud red-flag reference sheet

• Payroll access-control review checklist

• Monthly payroll reconciliation checklist

• Suspected payroll fraud response workflow

• Payroll fraud policy review guide

• Employee banking-change verification template

Who Should Attend

This webinar is recommended for:

• Payroll directors and managers

• Payroll administrators and specialists

• HR directors and managers

• HR operations professionals

• Controllers and assistant controllers

• Finance directors and managers

• Internal auditors

• Compliance and risk professionals

• Fraud investigators

• Accounting professionals

• Benefits administrators

• HRIS and payroll-system administrators

• IT security professionals supporting payroll systems

• Business owners and operations leaders

• Professionals responsible for reviewing or approving payroll