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Courses/Audit & Assurance/Fraud

Payroll Forensics Engine

Master advanced analytical techniques to uncover hidden payroll fraud, identify costly processing errors, and ensure absolute financial compliance.

Created byAlessio Facciaworkspace_premium
5.0
(1 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Jun 1, 2026
Payroll Forensics Engine

What You'll Learn

check_circleBuild payroll testing datasets by integrating employee master records, payroll runs, time and attendance logs, bank details, leave data, and organisational structures in Excel and Power BI.
check_circleDetect ghost employees, duplicate identities, shared bank accounts, invalid overtime claims, and unusual shift patterns using model-based tests and exception logic.
check_circleQuantify the financial impact of suspect payroll entries on labour costs, accruals, departmental budgets, and period-end reporting.
check_circleDesign dashboards and simulation views to highlight overtime pressure points, headcount spikes, dormant employees, and payroll override activity.
check_circleDistinguish between control weaknesses, process errors, and deliberate payroll manipulation using traceable, evidence-based analysis.

About This Course

This course is designed as an applied forensic analytics session focused on payroll risk and labour cost integrity. Participants explore how Excel models, exception rules, Power BI dashboards, and simulation views can be used to test employee master data, bank account matches, overtime spikes, duplicate identity fields, attendance gaps, shift anomalies, and termination timing. The session connects HR records, payroll runs, leave data, rosters, access logs, and cost centre allocations to stronger risk scoring, clearer evidence trails, and faster escalation of suspicious payroll activity.

Key Topics Discussed:

  • Introduction to payroll forensics and identifying transaction anomalies
  • Common warning signs of payroll manipulation
  • The methodology of reconstructing a payroll file to map payments, trace approvals, and quantify losses
  • Why the payroll cycle is highly vulnerable to insider threat and fraud
  • The psychological risk of routine and compliance comfort
  • Cross-matching payroll data with human resources (HR) evidence and attendance tracking to uncover hidden patterns
  • The organizational impacts of payroll fraud beyond immediate financial losses, including internal control failures and eroded institutional trust
  • Remote work compliance and data tracking challenges

Your Instructor

Alessio Faccia
Alessio Faccia

Assistant Professor in Finance | University of Birmingham Dubai

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star137 reviews

Dr. Alessio Faccia, an accomplished academic and corporate trainer, has a distinguished finance, accounting, and business background. His expertise spans over 16 years, during which he has notably contributed to finance and accounting through his roles as an assistant professor, auditor, chartered accountant, CFO advisor, and corporate trainer. Dr. Faccia’sacademic journey includes prestigious roles at several universities, including the University of Birmingham and Coventry University, where he taught various finance and accounting modules. His extensive involvement in corporate training further enriches Dr. Faccia’s professional experience. He has provided training in diverse areas such as finance and accounting, management and HR, technology, oil and gas, and legal matters to many organizations. These organization encompass various sectors, including government bodies, financial institutions, energy companies, and real estate firms.. These organizations encompass various sectors, including government bodies, financial institutions, energy companies, and real estate firms. His proficiency is further demonstrated by his numerous publications, research contributions, and a strong academic record, underscoring his commitment to advancing knowledge in his field. Dr. Faccia’s work is a testament to his dedication to enhancing the skills and knowledge of professionals across various industries globally.

Credit Information

Is this course eligible for my CPD requirements as a Canadian CPA?

Provincial regulators of CPAs in Canada do not require that independent providers of CPD be approved to offer courses. Instead, individual CPAs are responsible for assessing whether a CPD activity meets their requirements, and may take activities from any source provided those requirements are met.

Every course offered on LearnFormula is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, and advances learning objectives that are relevant to the responsibilities or professional competencies of Canadian CPAs. All activities on LearnFormula are quantifiable in terms of hours, and are also verifiable, in that users receive documented evidence of their attendance via a certificate of completion after finishing a course (and this certificate is stored by LearnFormula indefinitely). Nearly 100,000 Canadian CPAs successfully satisfy their CPD requirements via LearnFormula on an annual basis.

What Students Are Saying

5.0
Student's Choice
1 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.