The following is a list of potential red flags for non-conforming schemes:
High percentage of returns for noncompliance with specifications
Product compliance certificate missing or appears altered or modified
Compliance certificates signed by low-level employee with no quality assurance
Responsibilities
Materials testing done by supplier, using his own personnel and facilities
Evidence that test or inspection results were falsified (e.g., documents appear altered or
modified, test documents are illegible, signatures on documents are illegible, documents
were signed by unqualified or inappropriate personnel, test reports are similar or
identical to sample descriptions and test results, and so on)
Highest profit product lines have the highest number of material return authorisations or
reshipments
Discrepancy between product’s description or normal appearance and actual appearance
(e.g., a new product appears to be used)
Used, surplus, or reworked parts are delivered
Delivery of products that appear counterfeit (e.g., product packaging, appearance, and
description do not appear genuine, items that are consistently defaced in the same area,
items that appear different from each other, and so on)
Offers by contractors to select the sample and prepare it for testing
Delivery of look-alike goods
Unusually high number of early replacements
Contractor restricts or avoids inspections of goods or services upon delivery
DETECTING NON-CONFORMING GOODS OR SERVICES SCHEMES
To detect non-conforming schemes, the fraud examiner should, at a minimum, examine the following documents for red flags:
Contract or purchase order specifications
Contractor’s statements, claims, invoices, and supporting documents
Received product
Test and inspection results for the relevant period, searching for discrepancies between tests and inspection results and contract specifications