What is a common method of hiding embezzlement activities using AR transactions?
Isabella Turner
Updated on January 02, 2026
A lapping scheme is a fraudulent practice that involves altering accounts receivables to hide stolen cash. The method involves taking a subsequent receivables payment from a transaction (for example, a sale) and using that to cover the theft.
Which is the best example of accounts receivable theft?
Lapping involves stealing a customer payment and using any additional payments from that customer to cover the theft. For example, a customer has invoice 1000 due for $1000. A perpetrator steals the $1000 received from the client for invoice 1000. Then invoice 1001 due for $1500 from the same customer is received.
What is lapping and how is it used to conceal receivables skimming?
Lapping is the crediting of one account through the abstraction of money from another account. It is used to conceal receivables skimming because the fraudster will use a customers paying to cover-up a stolen payment from another customer.
What is receivable skimming?
Receivables Skimming Receivable skimming occurs when an employee steals money that the victim organization is expecting or has already billed a customer for. Since the organization is expecting the receivable, receivable skimming is difficult to conceal.
What is a common method of hiding embezzlement?
Common concealment methods include lapping, fraudulent write-offs or discounts, stolen statements, force balancing, and debiting old/fictitious accounts. Lapping is the most common method and the most difficult to detect.
How can you prevent accounts receivable lapping?
Controls that can be used to prevent or detect lapping include the following:
- Have someone other than the cashier send statements to customers.
- Contact customers and ask if they have received monthly statements from the company.
- Audit cash receipts transactions on a regular basis, as noted above.
What type of account are generally fictitious accounts?
Since this account does not represent any tangible asset, it is called nominal or fictitious account. All kinds of expense account, loss account, gain account or income accounts come under the category of nominal account.
What is the most effective control to prevent receivables skimming?
What is the most effective control to prevent receivables skimming? Proper segregation of dutiesis the most effective control to prevent receivables skimming.
What is meant by account receivable?
Accounts receivable (AR) is the balance of money due to a firm for goods or services delivered or used but not yet paid for by customers. Accounts receivables are listed on the balance sheet as a current asset. AR is any amount of money owed by customers for purchases made on credit.
Is accounts receivable susceptible to theft or manipulation?
revenue and related accounts receivable and cash accounts are especially susceptible to manipulation and theft. the most common adjustment to revnue involves sales returns and allowarnces. The company may hide sales returns from the auditor to overstate net sales and income.
How does kiting work?
Kiting is commonly defined as intentionally writing a check for a value greater than the account balance from an account in one bank, then writing a check from another account in another bank, also with non-sufficient funds, with the second check serving to cover the non-existent funds from the first account.
What is the difference between skimming and cash larceny?
Cash larceny and skimming. While cash larceny involves the theft of cash that has been recorded on the employer’s books, skimming refers to the theft of money that has not been captured on the employer’s books of accounts or accounting system.
What are some basic internal control procedures to deter and detect cash larceny schemes?
What are some basic internal control procedures to deter and detect cash larceny schemes? separation of duties, and reconciling the bank copy of the deposit with the office copy.
What is account receivable example?
An example of accounts receivable includes an electric company that bills its clients after the clients received the electricity. The electric company records an account receivable for unpaid invoices as it waits for its customers to pay their bills.