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Instructor

Katharine Kovacek

Denver, Colorado

Audit Event category icon

Katharine began her career with the Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General (DOI OIG) in August 2019 as a Special Agent assigned to the Western Region Investigations office in Lakewood, Colorado, where she has worked on grant and procurement fraud cases and was the lead agent on many multi-agency fraud investigations. Prior to working for the DOI, Katharine worked for the U.S. Department of State OIG in Arlington, Virginia, for approximately 7 years as a Special Agent and Forensic Accountant. Katharine earned her bachelor's degree in accounting from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration from George Mason University. Katharine is a certified forensic examiner and a certified anti money laundering specialist.

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September 08 - 09, 2025
CPEs - 12 Credit Hours
On-site
Audit

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1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

CNMI (GMT+10)

CNMI

This seminar will include a discussion of the components of a fraud investigation program, how to identify fraud, and what to do when you find it. We will discuss developing policy, clarifying your authority and budget, identifying staff and support. We will then discuss how to find fraud, by learning how to assess organizational vulnerability to fraud, how to build sources, how to be proactive, and give an overview of fraud schemes and what investigations of those schemes might look like in the wild. We will include classroom exercises and actual case discussion.

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September 10, 2025
CPEs - 8 Credit Hours
On-site
Audit

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8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

CNMI (GMT+10)

CNMI

The morning session builds on the initial Basic Investigation class by teaching advanced forensic accounting techniques to help investigators detect fraud through financial audits and investigate fraud by following the money. Participants will learn from investigative partners, participate in practical exercises to demonstrate new techniques, and learn the role of forensic accounting in proceedings, and criminal court.

The afternoon session will cover advanced documentation and investigative report writing. We will cover the importance of concepts such as writing for your audience, using plain language, active voice and bottom line up front (BLUF). Participants will learn the importance of effective report writing and how to write reports that help bring investigations to trial. Finally, we will have a panel discussion where we will discuss lessons learned during joint Federal-Territorial investigations.

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Past Courses

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August 27, 2024
CPEs - 8 Credit Hours
On-site
Audit

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Palau (GMT+9)

Palau

This seminar will build on the Basics of Investigations discussion. We will discuss what to do with allegations: the importance of timely responses, how to manage intake, how to analyze and assess fraud complaints, and what steps to take upon receiving fraud complaints. We will then discuss investigative planning: the importance of creating an investigative plan, how to scope your investigation, clarifying objectives and the importance of setting a timeline. We will include table exercises where attendees assess complaints and draft an investigative plan. Building on our investigative plan in the afternoon, we will discuss how to Identify relevant documents and other evidence, how to collect them, how to analyze them and how to use them to build an investigation. We will then discuss how to conduct fraud interviews: the difference between witnesses and subjects, how to organize multiple interviews, how to plan an interview, how to build rapport, and how to go over interview techniques for tricky subject interviews. We will include table exercises in which attendees will review documents, brief their conclusions, and role-play a subject interview.

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August 26, 2024
CPEs - 4 Credit Hours
On-site
Audit

1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Palau (GMT+9)

Palau

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Doreen Crisostomo, Ph.D., CGFM, CFE, CICA

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