THE FRAUD TREE
OCCUPATIONAL FRAUD AND ABUSE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
Click on occupational fraud categories below with the i icon to view definitions and statistical
information from the ACFE’s Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations.
i i i
Corruption Asset Misappropriation Financial Statement Fraud
Conflicts of Economic Net Worth/ Net Worth/
Interest Bribery Illegal Gratuities Extortion Net Income Net Income
Overstatements Understatements
Purchasing Invoice Timing Timing
Schemes Kickbacks Differences Differences
Sales Fictitious Understated
Schemes Bid Rigging Revenues Revenues
Concealed Overstated
Liabilities and Liabilities and
Expenses Expenses
Improper Improper
Asset Asset
Valuations Valuations
Improper Improper
Disclosures Disclosures
i
Cash Noncash
Misappropriation
i
Cash-on-Hand Theft of Cash Fraudulent Misuse Larceny
Misappropriation Receipts Disbursements
Asset
i i i i i Expense
i Check and
i Register
Requisitions
Billing Payroll and Transfers
Skimming Cash Larceny Schemes Schemes Reimbursement Payment Disbursement
Schemes Tampering Schemes
False Sales
and Shipping
Shell Ghost Mischaracterized Forged Maker False Voids
Refunds Company Employee Expenses
Sales Receivables and Other Purchasing
Non- and Receiving
Accomplice Falsified Overstated Forged False Refunds
Unrecorded Write-Off Vendor Wages Expenses Endorsement
Schemes Unconcealed
Larceny
Personal Commission Fictitious Altered Payee
Understated Lapping Purchases Schemes Expenses
Schemes
Multiple Authorized
Unconcealed Reimbursements Maker
X
Corruption
A scheme in which an employee misuses their influence in a business
transaction in a way that violates their duty to the employer in order to gain
a direct or indirect benefit (e.g., schemes involving bribery or conflicts of
interest).
48% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $200,000
X
Asset Misappropriation
A scheme in which an employee steals or misuses the employing
organization’s resources (e.g., theft of company cash, false billing schemes,
or inflated expense reports).
89% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $120,000
X
Financial Statement Fraud
A scheme in which an employee intentionally causes a misstatement or
omission of material information in the organization’s financial reports (e.g.,
recording fictitious revenues, understating reported expenses, or artificially
inflating reported assets).
5% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $766,000
X
Cash-on-Hand Misappropriation
A scheme in which the perpetrator misappropriates cash kept on hand
at the victim organization’s premises (e.g., employee steals cash from a
company vault).
11% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $50,000
X
Noncash Misappropriation
Any scheme in which an employee steals or misuses noncash assets of the
victim organization (e.g., employee steals inventory from a warehouse or
storeroom; employee steals or misuses confidential customer information).
22% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $66,000
X
Skimming
A scheme in which an incoming payment is stolen from an organization
before it is recorded on the organization’s books and records (e.g.,
employee accepts payment from a customer but does not record the sale
and instead pockets the money).
10% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $43,000
X
Cash Larceny
A scheme in which an incoming payment is stolen from an organization
after it has been recorded on the organization’s books and records (e.g.,
employee steals cash and checks from daily receipts before they can be
deposited in the bank).
10% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $50,000
X
Billing Schemes
A fraudulent disbursement scheme in which a person causes their employer
to issue a payment by submitting invoices for fictitious goods or services,
inflated invoices, or invoices for personal purchases (e.g., employee creates
a shell company and bills employer for services not actually rendered;
employee purchases personal items and submits an invoice to employer for
payment).
22% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $100,000
X
Payroll Schemes
A fraudulent disbursement scheme in which an employee causes their
employer to issue a payment by making false claims for compensation (e.g.,
employee claims overtime for hours not worked; employee adds ghost
employees to the payroll).
10% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $50,000
X
Expense Reimbursement Schemes
A fraudulent disbursement scheme in which an employee makes a claim for
reimbursement of fictitious or inflated business expenses (e.g., employee
files fraudulent expense report, claiming personal travel, nonexistent meals).
13% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $50,000
X
Check and Payment Tampering Schemes
A fraudulent disbursement scheme in which a person steals their employer’s
funds by intercepting, forging, or altering a check or electronic payment
drawn on one of the organization’s bank accounts (e.g., employee steals
blank company checks and makes them out to themself or an accomplice;
employee re-routes an outgoing electronic payment to a vendor to be
deposited into their own bank account).
11% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $155,000
X
Register Disbursement Schemes
A fraudulent disbursement scheme in which an employee makes false
entries on a cash register to conceal the fraudulent removal of cash (e.g.,
employee fraudulently voids a sale on a cash register and steals the cash).
3% MEDIAN LOSS:
OF CASES $50,000