Use of forensic accounting in prevention of frauds in bursary department, University of Jos, Nigeria

Introduction: Misuse of funds and fraudulent acts are the main causes of revenue leakage in both public and private sectors. They are detrimental to the success of every departments or organization. Fraud is a worrisome issue and a thing of concern to management of University of Jos. Purpose: This study focused on the use of forensic accounting in prevention of frauds in bursary Department, University of Jos, Nigeria.. Methodology: Cross sectional research was used as a design for the study. Data was generated from both primary and secondary sources through the use of Forensic Accounting Skills Checklist for Fraud Detection (FASCFD). All the staff in the Bursary department were involved in the study. Simple percentage was used to analyze the research questions. To ensure that the items in the questionnaire are relevant and appropriate, the instrument was subjected to thorough scrutiny by an expert in forensic accounting in the Department of Accounting, University of Jos. His constructive criticisms, suggestions and recommendations were strictly adhered to in producing the final draft of the instrument. Results: The outcomes of the study revealed that forensic accounting have significant impact on the staff’s ability to check fraudulent activities in the Bursary department of the university. It was also found that acquisition and use of forensic accounting skills can help to deter staff from committing fraudulent acts that concern funds in their possession. Recommendations: The researchers recommended that the management of the University should ensure that there is regular forensic auditing of financial records kept by the Bursary Department. The staff of the Bursary Department in the University should be continuously trained in forensic accounting processes and procedures to enable them meet up with the global best practices in financial reports.