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Vendor master file

Definition

The master record of approved suppliers in the accounts-payable system, containing each vendor's name, address, tax identification, and payment bank account. Unauthorised changes to this file are a primary enabler of billing fraud.

Related terms

Benford's Law
An empirical regularity in naturally occurring numerical datasets: the leading digit follows a logarithmic distribution, with 1 appearing about 30% of the...
Duplicate-payment analysis
A data analytics test that identifies invoice payments made more than once for the same obligation, by matching on vendor, invoice number,...
Pass-through scheme
A billing scheme in which a legitimate supplier is used as a conduit. The fraudster, who controls or colludes with the supplier,...
Shell company
A legal entity with no genuine business operations, created to receive fraudulent payments. In vendor fraud, the fraudster controls the shell and...
Three-way match
An accounts-payable control that requires a supplier invoice to match an authorised purchase order and a goods receipt note before payment is...

Explained in

  • Billing and Vendor Fraud SchemesThe master record of approved suppliers in the accounts-payable system, containing each vendor's name, address, tax identification, and payment bank account. U...

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