SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Occupational Certificate: Fraud Examiner

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
101868	Occupational Certificate: Fraud Examiner
ORIGINATOR
Development Quality Partner - QCTO
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-			OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Occupational Certificate	Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies		Finance, Economics and Accounting
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	255	Not Applicable	NQF Level 08	Regular-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered		EXCO 0425/24	2018-09-12	2025-12-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2026-12-30		2029-12-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to prepare a learner to operate as a Fraud Examiner. A Fraud Examiner prevents, detects and deters fraud by identifying unusual trends and fraud indicators in organisations' processes and operations, determines whether organisations have adequate internal controls and fosters an adequate control environment to mitigate fraud risk. Conducts investigations of civil or criminal fraud, white-collar crime and identified fraud indicators.

A qualified learner will be able to:

Create and establish an anti-fraud culture.

Monitor and advise on legal elements related to affixing blame as a result of fraud investigations.

Investigate and report on fraud findings.

Identify and investigate fraud schemes in the occupational environment.

Rationale:
The South African Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is a recognised South African professional body, representing and governing fraud examination professionals in South Africa. The South African Chapter represents the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners in South Africa, which is the world's largest anti-fraud and white-collar crime organisation and premier provider of training and education in these areas. Fraud Examiners are committed to reducing white-collar crime worldwide and inspiring public confidence and objectivity within the profession. This occupational qualification will be replacing the existing historical qualification (67269: Advanced Certificate Fraud Examination). This qualification is aligned to the international agreed minimum standards for fraud examiners and is aimed at providing practitioners with the necessary knowledge, skills and work exposure to perform as fraud examiners in a variety of settings and sectors. The qualification's External Integrated Summative Assessment will also be acknowledged as the required examination for the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation.

The qualification is aimed at providing the learner with the required competence related to fraud prevention, detection and deterrence. As such someone with this qualification will be part of an international fraternity of people trained to identify the warning signs and red flags that indicate evidence of fraud and fraud risk, protecting the global economy by uncovering fraud and implementing processes to prevent fraud from occurring. Fraud Examiners are leading the fight against fraud worldwide. This qualification increases people's employability with its alignment to the international standard for anti-fraud professional. The qualification could thus either serve to augment a wide variety of occupations with an anti-fraud focus or the qualification could provide access to employment as a Fraud Examiner.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Entry Requirements:

Level 7 qualification and the additional legal requirements as elaborated in the notes section.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification is made up of the following compulsory Knowledge and Practical Skill Modules:
Knowledge Modules:

242215000-KM-01, Fraud Prevention and Deterrence, Level 7, 10 Credits.

242215000-KM-02, Law and Legal Fraud Principles, Level 8, 30 Credits.

242215000-KM-03, Fraud Investigation Techniques, Level 8, 30 Credits.

242215000-KM-04, Financial Transactions and Fraud Schemes, Level 8, 30 Credits.
Total number of Credits for Knowledge Modules: 100.

Practical Skill Modules:

242215000-PM-01, Establish an Anti-fraud Culture in an Organisation, Level 8, 10 Credits.

242215000-PM-02, Investigate Financial Statement Fraud, Level 8, 10 Credits.

242215000-PM-03, Investigate Asset Misappropriations Fraud Schemes, Level 8, 15 Credits.

242215000-PM-04, Investigate Corruption, Level 8, 10 Credits.

242215000-PM-05, Investigate Industry Specific Fraud Schemes, Level 8, 25 Credits.

242215000-PM-06, Apply Fraud Investigation Techniques, Level 8, 25 Credits.
Total number of Credits for Practical Skill Modules: 95.

This qualification also requires the following Work Experience Modules:

242215000-WM-01, Develop a Fraud Risk Management Programme, Level 8, 20 Credits.

242215000-WM-02, Conduct Fraud Investigation, Level 8, 40 Credits.
Total number of Credits for Work Experience Modules: 60.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Create and establish an anti-fraud culture to prevent and deter fraud.
2. Apply legal elements related to affixing blame as a result of fraud investigations.
3. Investigate and report on fraud findings.
4. Identify and investigate financial transactions and fraud schemes in the occupational environment.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:

Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities and uncertainties of why people commit fraud and ways to prevent it by means of the following abilities.

Draw on multiple criminology concepts such as administration of criminal justice, theories of crime causation, white-collar crime and occupational fraud to evaluate specific fraud related scenarios.

Systematically apply theories of fraud prevention and fraud risk assessment to specific organisational contexts.

Critically review information gathering, synthesis of data, evaluation and management processes in specialised contexts in order to develop creative responses to problems and issues related to crime information sources and related ethical issues.

Critically reflect on the suitability of underlying ethics of fraud examination profession in specific contexts.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Demonstrate familiarity with the many legal ramifications of conducting fraud examinations by offering creative insights, rigorous interpretations and solutions to problems and issues appropriate to given contexts.

Address complex legal issues related to criminal and civil law, rules of evidence, rights of the accused and accuser, and expert witness matters by drawing systematically on the body of knowledge and methods appropriate to a given scenario.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities and uncertainties of selecting and applying appropriate investigation procedures, processes or techniques (Range: conducting of interviews, taking of statements, obtaining and analyse of information from public records, tracking of illicit transactions, determining and evaluating deception).

Demonstrate the ability to present and communicate the findings of an investigation in a report, offering creative insights, rigorous interpretations and solutions to problems and issues appropriate to the context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

Demonstrate the ability to apply basic accounting and auditing theories to critically review information, synthesise data and evaluate processes to identify different types of fraudulent transactions incurred in accounting records.

Demonstrate the ability to use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and address fraud schemes by drawing systematically on the appropriate body of knowledge.

Demonstrate an understanding of the complexities and uncertainties of selecting, applying or transferring appropriate standard procedures, processes or techniques to unfamiliar problems related to internal controls to deter fraud and other auditing and accounting matters.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

Employers around the world know the value of the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential and seek the expertise that comes with it. Becoming a CFE provides practitioners with a strong foundation for a variety of career choices by equipping them with the tools they need to excel in the fight against fraud. The CFE has emerged as the international gold standard in the area of fraud. Professionals who earn and maintain this accreditation establish themselves as leaders in their field and gain insight into industry trends and best practices in the process.

This qualification is based on the International Association of Certified Fraud Examiners' Fraud Examiners Manual (2016 International Edition), which is acknowledged as the best practice for fraud examination. The content of the developed qualification resonates with the learning material presented by the world's largest anti-fraud organisation and a provider of anti-fraud training and education, with nearly 80,000 members. South African specific legal context was added to the content to ensure practitioners will be competent to function in the local and international context.

This qualification is the first of its kind, using the international content to formalise learning required for the international examination that is part of the requirements to be certified as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). The rigorous test on the four major disciplines (Fraud Prevention and Deterrence, Fraudulent Financial Transactions, Fraud Investigation and Legal Elements of Fraud) has been administered by the ACFE since 1989 as condition to certify practitioners. These criteria and level of complexity was built into the Knowledge, Practical Skills and Work Experience Modules and also incorporated in the final External Integrated Summative Assessment criteria of the qualification.

Currently there are typically two types of learners that would require the qualification in the South African context:

New entrants to the field, who would do the qualification and ultimately be assessed using the international administered online assessment as the Final Summative Assessment as part of their development process to become a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

Certified Fraud Examiners that are already certified but would like to also obtain the current Level 8 qualification. These learners will have to either complete the full qualification or engage in an Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process to ultimately have access to the Final Summative Assessment, which will be a different assessment to the international administered online assessment.

The qualification caters for both these types of learners, providing articulation opportunities to Higher Education, a possibility that is not currently available in other countries.

Conclusion:
This qualification not only compares favourably with the international standards, used in 141 countries, it actually embodies these standards. The qualification furthermore provides articulation opportunities which the international test currently does not cater for due to the fact that it is not recognised in a qualification framework.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Horizontal Articulation:

Postgraduate Diploma: Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination, Level 8, (ID: 14310).

Vertical Articulation:

Master of Technology: Internal Auditing, Level 9, (ID: 62357).

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

Qualifying for external assessment:
In order to qualify for an external assessment, learners must provide proof of completion of all required standards by means of statements of results and work experience.
Not applicable.

Additional legal or physical entry requirements:
At least two years' experience in the field of fraud examination and/or a Bachelor's Degree. The following is regarded as acceptable fraud-related experience:

Accounting and Auditing: Experience as an accountant or auditor (e.g., internal or external auditor), and have certain responsibilities for the detection and deterrence of fraud by evaluating accounting systems for weaknesses, designing internal controls, determining the degree of organisational fraud risk, interpreting financial data for unusual trends, and following up on fraud indicators.

Criminology and Sociology: Only those professionals with education or research in the fraud and white-collar crime dimensions of sociology or criminology may claim experience under this category. An experienced background in general sociological field is insufficient.

Fraud Investigation: Experience in the investigation of civil or criminal fraud, or of white-collar crime for law enforcement agencies or in the private sector, qualifies. Examples include federal, state, or local law enforcement (e.g. IRS, inspectors general, and district attorney investigators). Insurance fraud investigators and fraud examiners working for corporations, businesses, or associations qualify as well.

Loss Prevention: Security directors for corporations and associations who deal with issues of loss prevention is regarded as relevant experience. Security consultants dealing with fraud-related issues also are eligible. Experience as a security guard or equivalent is not acceptable.

Law: Experience related to some consideration of fraud. Examples include prosecuting lawyers, fraud litigators, and others with an anti-fraud specialisation.
If experience does not fall into one of the above categories, but work responsibilities include the detection, investigation, or deterrence of fraud, an application may be submitted to the AQP, detailing the specific fraud related work experience.

Criteria for the accreditation of providers:
Accreditation of providers will be done against the criteria as reflected in the relevant curriculum on the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) website.

The curriculum title and code is: Fraud Examiner: 242215000.

This qualification encompasses the following trades as recorded on the NLRD:

This is not a trade qualification.

Part Qualifications:
None.

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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