ABSTRACT
The Justice for Fraud Victims Project class is an innovative program developed at Gonzaga University as a partnership between the university, local law enforcement, local and federal prosecutors, and the local chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The class provides an opportunity for students to utilize their accounting expertise for the benefit of the community while developing an understanding of forensic accounting. At the same time, the course addresses, in some small measure, the injustice arising from the inability of victims to pursue fraudsters due to lack of resources to pay for an examination. We describe the structure and organization of the course, provide statistics from investigated cases (both at Gonzaga and at other universities that have adopted the approach), and share results of participant surveys regarding their experiences. We also describe the many benefits of the class, such as student learning through hands-on experience, positive publicity for the school, and the potential for justice and possible restitution for victims of fraud who cannot afford to pay for a forensic accounting examination. Last, we share advice on how to implement the class, including suggesting potential solutions for some of the unique challenges that may arise.
