A lot of us are misusing AI at work, and it’s putting our companies’ data, reputations at risk
Almost half of employees in a new global survey admitted to improperly using AI at work, underscoring the risks companies face by the fast-growing technology. And that’s despite many of their efforts to slow its use.
States require companies to report greenhouse gas emissions as federal regulators step back
Some companies doing business in California and New York may soon be required to report the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of their operations to state authorities, even as the federal rule for disclosing such emissions is on life support.
FRC fines PwC, auditor combined $4.1M over 2019 work of Wyelands Bank
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council issued penalties against PwC and a former auditor over deficiencies on work related to the 2019 financial statements of now shuttered Wyelands Bank.
FRC launches probe into MacIntyre Hudson’s 2022 audit of collapsed LSG
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council has launched an investigation into MacIntyre Hudson’s audit of collapsed construction company ISG Limited, which abruptly entered administration in September, laying off 2,200 workers.
PCAOB fines KPMG units $3.4M, PwC Singapore $1.5M for audit, independence violations
Nine affiliates of KPMG agreed to pay a total of nearly $3.4 million for alleged violations of audit and quality control standards, while PwC Singapore will pay $1.5 million to settle separate allegation that the firm manipulated independence compliance reporting.
Why are CFOs struggling to stay compliant?
CFOs are tasked with overseeing an organization’s entire financial processes, not least ensuring that financial operations remain compliant with the multitude of global regulations. It’s a heavy burden to carry that might be alleviated slightly with the help of artificial intelligence, writes Markus Hornburg, head of compliance at Basware.
Experts explain why IIA's new global audit rules will be 'central' to securing high-quality assurance
Compliance teams should expect more support from their organization’s internal audit functions. That is the clear message from the Institute of Internal Auditors, the global body of national affiliated internal audit institutes, which has just put into action its new Global Internal Audit Standards.
PCAOB fines PwC Israel $2.75M amid ongoing sweep for internal training exam cheating
The Israeli affiliate of Big Four audit firm PwC agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle allegations it failed to prevent widespread cheating on training examinations despite internal warnings to staff about an ongoing crackdown.
Former Deloitte partner dinged by PCAOB for failures in Bancolombia audit
A former Deloitte partner will pay $75,000 and be barred from working as a public company registered accountant for two years by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board after violating audit standards during a 2016 audit.
CPSC fines Google-owned Fitbit $12M for failing to report smartwatch burn hazard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered Google-owned Fitbit to pay more than $12 million and comply with certain undertakings to settle allegations the company knowingly failed to report a serious burning hazard with its Ionic smartwatches.
FRC discloses probe of KPMG over 2022 audit of gambling company Entain
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council disclosed an investigation into KPMG’s audit of international sports betting and gambling company Entain Group.
Cannabis company dinged by SEC over ‘round-trip’ transfer to inflate year-end cash
A cannabis company agreed to pay $225,000 to settle allegations that funds were temporarily deposited into its year-end accounts for the sole purpose of inflating year-end cash, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.
SEC slams WWE founder Vince McMahon for misstatements caused by hush money payments
Vince McMahon, the founder and former CEO of WWE, was fined $400,000 and ordered to reimburse the wrestling giant more than $1.3 million to settle charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission that he failed to disclose hush money payments he made on behalf of himself and the company.
Becton Dickinson pays $175M for misleading investors about flawed IV pump system
Becton Dickinson medical device company will pay $175 million for “repeatedly” misleading investors about its Alaris infusion pump, a product the company knew was flawed and was sold without the required patient-safety approvals, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.
Survey: Organizations broadly adopting AI, with varied governance
The majority of businesses are using AI and doing so without governance–a compliance gap that poses extreme risks, a new survey by Compliance Week and GAN Integrity found. A webinar will discuss why it is crucial to have AI governance, how to implement it, and what strategies to strengthen programs.
KPMG report on regs in 2025: Use data analytics to predict, respond to Trump administration changes
Regulations are sure to be rolled back under President Donald Trump, but the question is which regulations, and how much? Is your organization as prepared to respond when regulations are loosened as it was when they were tightened?
Poor internal controls led to FCPA violations in Moog’s $1.7M settlement with SEC
A company culture geared to “win business at any cost” encouraged employees of New York-based aerospace manufacturer Moog to pay bribes in India to win contracts, the Securities and Exchange Commission alleged.
EV maker Fisker under investigation by SEC amid bankruptcy, ICFR weaknesses
Electric vehicle maker Fisker is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission over potential violations of federal securities laws related to the preservation of records and documents involving its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
Five firms fined by PCAOB for alleged communications, reporting failures
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board fined five consultancies, including Ernst & Young, as the agency continues its crackdown on firms violating audit committee communications rules and reporting requirements.
Prager Metis agrees to pay $2M over failed audits, including FTX
Waves of fallout from the collapse of cryptocurrency trading platform FTX continue to ripple, as accounting firm Prager Metis has learned.
SEC charges Kubient 'gatekeepers' with failing to stop CEO's AI fraud
Gatekeepers including chief financial officers and the chair of the audit committee have a responsibility to shareholders to report fraud wherever they find it–especially when that fraud involves an artificial intelligence tool meant to combat fraud.
Chinese regulators impose six-month ban, $62M fine on PwC’s China unit
Chinese authorities banned PwC’s Chinese unit from performing audits in the country for six months, labeling the subsidiary’s flawed audit work as complicit in the failure of giant property developer Evergrande.
Circor avoids fine after self-reporting accounting control violations to SEC
Massachusetts-based technology company Circor International settled charges with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding deficient internal accounting controls without paying a fine.
Austal reaches $49M deal with DOJ, SEC over accounting, securities fraud, false claims
The U.S.-based subsidiary of Australian defense contractor Austal will pay $48.8 million in fines and restitution to settle allegations that it committed accounting and securities fraud, misled federal auditors, and violated the False Claims Act.
FCA fines PwC $19.5M for failing to report fraud at London Capital & Finance
PricewaterhouseCoopers agreed to pay 15 million pounds (U.S. $19.5 million) for failing to report suspicions of fraud taking place at investment firm London Capital & Finance before it collapsed, the Financial Conduct Authority announced.
Ideanomics, execs to pay $5M over allegedly misleading auditor
Ideanomics, two former execs, and its current chief executive agreed to pay about $5 million and hire an independent compliance professional to settle allegations made by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the company misled the public about its performance.
FRC orders EY to pay $376K over 2021 audit of Evraz
The Financial Reporting Council ordered a unit Ernst & Young UK to pay 296,000 pounds (U.S. $376,000) over the firm’s 2021 audit of Russia mining group Evraz.
LexisNexis survey: Compliance costs soared for U.K. banks in 2023
Nearly all but a tiny minority of financial institutions saw their costs of financial crime compliance rise in 2023, a survey by LexisNexis and Oxford Economics found.
New U.K. government moves to transform FRC into ARGA
Within two weeks of gaining power, the U.K.’s newly elected Labor government has confirmed its intention to beef up the audit regulator and strengthen corporate governance.
CPE Webcast: A unified approach to close and consolidation
Join Clearsulting and BlackLine as they discuss transformation strategies organizations take to achieve accurate, efficient, and insightful financial results while unlocking future-ready financial operations.
FRC dings MacIntyre Hudson $156K over public interest entity violations
The U.K.’s Financial Reporting Council fined audit firm MacIntyre Hudson (MHA) and two employees for breaching the agency’s requirements.
Lessons from PwC’s failure to squelch dissent in the ranks with ‘silent layoffs’
It’s been a trying time for staff at firms with redundancies, affecting morale as layoffs mount amid an effort to silence dissent in the ranks for those departing.
Ex-Outcome Health execs sentenced for overbilled ad revenue, misleading auditor
Three former executives of Chicago-based Outcome Health, a healthcare technology company, were sentenced for misleading an auditor, clients, lenders, and investors about a scheme to sell $45 million in overbilled advertisements.
Silvergate Bank to pay $63M to Fed, California over BSA/AML deficiencies
Crypto-friendly Silvergate Bank will pay a total of $63 million penalties to California and the Federal Reserve Board to settle charges that its anti-money laundering program failed to properly monitor more than $1 trillion worth of customer transactions.
SEC orders Meta Materials to pay $1M over market manipulation, fraud
A Nevada energy and manufacturing company headquartered in Nova Scotia agreed to pay $1 million to settle charges levied by the Securities and Exchange Commission for alleged market manipulation and fraud, while the agency further investigates its former chief executives.
CPE Webcast: Risk management at the speed of business
Are your risk management operations keeping up with the speed of business? In today’s digitized and interconnected world, organizations face increasing risk at a rapid pace.
CFPB proposes $3.95M fine against Freedom Mortgage over repeated data errors
Freedom Mortgage Corp. would have to pay a $3.95 million fine and carry out regular auditing and testing of its loan data under a proposed order by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Ex-Synchronoss CFO fined, banned over SOX violations
The former chief financial officer at Synchronoss Technologies was fined a ban from the industry for widespread Sarbanes-Oxley Act violations.
Former CEO of AI recruiter Joonko charged with $27M fraud
The former chief executive officer of closed AI recruitment startup Joonko faces up to 40 years in prison and the potential of penalties levied by the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly defrauding investors of more than $27 million.
PCAOB Chair Williams appointed to second term
Erica Williams was reappointed to a second term as chair of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board after an ambitious first three years in the role that have seen the agency work to update many of its standards deemed outdated.
HF Foods to pay $3.9M to settle execs’ alleged fraud
Food service distributor HF Foods Group agreed to pay a $3.9 million penalty as part of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding alleged fraudulent conduct carried out by its former chief executive officer and former chief financial officer.
Reignited calls to tighten up AML in London, crown dependencies
Despite repeated interventions, fines, and negative publicity, money laundering is rife in U.K. financial services firms, according to Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell.
Epoch Times CFO charged in $67M money laundering scheme
The chief financial officer of the Epoch Times was charged with laundering at least $67 million in illegally obtained funds to bolster the fortunes of the newspaper and himself.
Autodesk says no restatements following accounting probe
Software company Autodesk said it won’t restate several years of financial statements following an audit committee investigation into potential accounting misconduct.