Writing Homework 2

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University of Houston, Downtown *

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6312

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Accounting

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Writing Homework 2 Read Enron Corporation and Andersen, LLP, Cendant Corporation, Waste Management, Inc. Answer the following questions. 1. In your own words, summarize how Enron used SPEs to hide large amounts of company debt. 2. Professional standards recognize there is a possibility that management may override internal controls. Provide an example where management override occurred in the Cendant fraud. 3. Why was Toby able to continue his offense for several months? What changes would you recommend to prevent similar occurrences? 2. What are the three characteristics that distinguish white-collar crimes from other types of crime? Explain how these characteristics are illustrated in Toby’s case. 3. Do you think white-collar crimes, such as the one Toby committed, are caused only by individual moral weaknesses or are other factors involved? If other factors are involved, what are they? Instructions: Please submit the writing homework via Canvas. The assignments are meant to challenge your critical thinking, problem solving and knowledge on audit rule(s)/standard(s) in the context of specific problems facing the (internal and external) auditing industry. Students are expected to provide primary accounting/auditing issues of each case and relate them into the guidance of audit standards/rules, and demonstrate individual decisions/stances for each specific situation. You may need to search from supplemental readings to better understand the related professional/audit standards. In order to receive full credit, the submission should be completed on at least one-page Microsoft word file, single space, times new roman font, and size 12. Supplemental Reading PCAOB Standards and Related Rules. Information may be found at www.sec.gov , www.aicpa.org , www.pcaobus.org , www.coso.org , www.cpaboard.state.la.us , www.tsbpa.state.tx.us , www.isaca.org, etc
Vu Nguyen MBA-6312 Dr. Yiding Wang 1/25/2024 Answers 1. In your own words, summarize how Enron used SPEs to hide large amounts of company debt. Enron used a complex scheme involving Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) to hide large amounts of debt from its financial statements. They: Created an intricate and complex network of SPEs: These off-balance-sheet entities were controlled by Enron executives but not included in its official financials. Three most prominently mentioned were: Chewco, LJM2, and Whitewing. Transferred debt and assets: Enron moved debt and underperforming assets to these SPEs, thereby removing them from its own books, making its own books look better. Engaged in complex transactions: Enron engaged in intricate financial transactions with these SPEs, involving the sale of assets and the issuance of securities. The complexity of these transactions made it difficult for outsiders, including investors and regulators, to fully understand the true financial picture of the company . Used mark-to-market (MTM) accounting: This method allowed Enron to book profits even before they were realized, inflating its reported earnings. Manipulated statements and lacked oversight: Enron hid its SPE obligations and misled investors, while accounting firms failed to raise concerns. This elaborate scheme allowed Enron to present a false image of financial health for an extended period, ultimately contributing to its dramatic downfall. 2. Professional standards recognize there is a possibility that management may override internal controls. Provide an example where management override occurred in the Cendant fraud. The Cendant Corporation accounting scandal in the late 1990s is a notable example where management override of internal controls played a crucial role. Cendant was a conglomerate formed through the merger of CUC International and HFS Incorporated. In the Cendant fraud case: Inflated Revenue Recognition: o Override by Management: Top executives, including the Chairman Walter Forbes and Vice Chairman E. Kirk Shelton, orchestrated a massive financial fraud by inflating the company's financial results. o Fraudulent Activity: Management manipulated revenue recognition practices, recognizing fictitious revenue and inflating the company's financial performance to meet investor expectations. False Financial Statements: o Override by Management: The fraud involved overriding internal controls related to financial reporting and disclosure.
o Fraudulent Activity: Management intentionally manipulated financial statements and misled auditors and investors by providing false and misleading information about the company's financial health. Auditor Independence Issues: o Override by Management: Management exerted influence over the external auditors, Ernst & Young, compromising their independence. o Fraudulent Activity: Auditors failed to detect the fraud due to management's ability to manipulate and override controls, and this lack of auditor independence contributed to the fraud going undetected for a prolonged period. Stock Price Manipulation: o Override by Management: Cendant's top executives were motivated by the desire to boost the company's stock price and enhance their personal financial gains. o Fraudulent Activity: The manipulation of financial statements and misrepresentation of the company's financial performance were aimed at maintaining an artificially high stock price, deceiving investors about the company's actual financial health. The Cendant scandal highlights how management override of internal controls, along with other governance failures and ethical lapses, can lead to significant financial fraud. As a result of the scandal, the company experienced a sharp decline in its stock price, lawsuits, and significant financial and reputational damage. It also prompted increased scrutiny of corporate governance practices and the role of auditors in detecting and preventing financial fraud. 3. Why was Toby able to continue his offense for several months? What changes would you recommend to prevent similar occurrences? 2. What are the three characteristics that distinguish white-collar crimes from other types of crime? Explain how these characteristics are illustrated in Toby’s case. 3. Do you think white-collar crimes, such as the one Toby committed, are caused only by individual moral weaknesses or are other factors involved? If other factors are involved, what are they? Tony was able to continue his offense for several months was contributed by two factors. First and most importantly, neither the bank holding his warehouse credit line nor his auditors were diligent in checking the facts underlying his applications or his general financial situation (no oversight of his actions). Even though the auditors and the warehouse lenders knew he was losing money on some of his loans. Second, Toby had the cooperation, trust of people in his company and people in other companies in the real estate industry that he has done businesses with to help him prepare the supporting documents that he needed to falsify supporting documents for his fictitious loan applications. I would recommend the following steps to be taken in the future to prevent similar occurrences: Implementing of internal controls specially those related to financial transactions and reporting. Segregation of duties, in which no single individual has control over an entire process.
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