Travel and entertainment expenses have long been a haven for fraud and abuse. Lately, however, companies have shifted their worries to whether there may be evidence of bribery or corruption hiding in employee expense reports.
As the crackdown by U.S. officials on compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act continues to intensify, companies have started paying more attention to weaknesses in their T&E processes that might allow violations to slip through unnoticed. “T&E is the key mechanism by which FCPA violations can occur,” says Todd Marlin, an Ernst & Young principal who focuses on forensic technology and discovery.
With Walmart now facing steep consequences for alleged FCPA violations that went unchecked for years, companies are sure...