Whistleblower Statement
Definition
An allegation or tip from an individual with inside knowledge of suspected fraud. It often constitutes the predicate for a fraud examination and may later become testimony. The reliability of a whistleblower statement must be tested against documentary and financial evidence.
- Nature
- Allegation or tip from an insider
- Role
- Often the predicate for a fraud examination
- Later use
- May become testimony
- Verification
- Tested against documentary and financial evidence
Common questions
Why isn't a whistleblower statement treated as proof on its own?+
Insider tips can be incomplete, mistaken, or motivated by grievance, so examiners corroborate the specific claims against records, transactions, and other independent evidence before relying on the statement in findings.
How does a whistleblower statement shape the scope of a fraud examination?+
It typically points investigators toward a particular account, transaction pattern, or individual, narrowing where the examination focuses its early document requests and interviews rather than starting from a blank slate.
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