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Join-and-match

Definition

A cross-table technique that links two or more data files on a common key, such as matching vendor bank account numbers against employee bank account records to detect self-dealing payroll or accounts-payable schemes.

Related terms

CAATs
Computer-Assisted Audit Techniques: software-driven procedures applied to electronic data files that test the full population of transactions rather than a sample, covering...
Duplicate detection
A systematic search for records that share key fields (invoice number, vendor, amount, date) that should be unique, surfacing duplicate payments, double...
Gap test
A test that identifies missing numbers in a document sequence (check numbers, invoice series, purchase orders) where continuity is expected; gaps often...
Ratio analysis
Calculation of financial ratios across periods or business units to identify statistically unusual deviations that might indicate manipulation: cost ratios, gross margin...
Sequence analysis
Verification that a numbered series progresses in expected order without skips, reversals, or unexpected repetitions. It is the positive counterpart to gap...
Stratification
The grouping of numeric values into defined ranges (strata) to reveal the distribution of a dataset. In fraud detection, large concentrations of...

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