ABSTRACT
This is an appropriate point in the book to consider fraud and corruption from the point of view of auditing. This single chapter is not adequate space to explain in great detail the nature of auditing and the many skills and working practices needed. But auditing is often bound up with preventing fraud and corruption, particularly in the minds of lay people and politicians. In some respects this is unfortunate as most audit work is relatively routine and not particularly concerned with fraud. Yet it is generally true that good audit work, like good management and sound operations in general, will help to deter fraud and make life difficult for fraudsters. In this chapter we will briefly consider some of the main developments in auditing, then the main stages of a systems-based audit, before suggesting ways in which all this can be adapted or refined to be particularly useful in combating fraud. Readers who are auditors or already understand auditing may find this chapter covers familiar territory. Even so it is often helpful to stand back from that with which one is familiar and consider its wider implications.
