Internal Control Under Economic Uncertainty: A Forensic-Oriented Approach to Fraud Risk Management

Abstract

In the current context of growing economic uncertainty, digitalization of business processes, and increasing complexity of corporate relations, the role of internal control is becoming more significant as a tool for ensuring the transparency of enterprise activities and preventing financial and economic violations. Of particular relevance is the problem of the insufficient effectiveness of traditional internal control models, which are mainly focused on ex post identification of deviations and do not provide an adequate level of fraud prevention or mitigation of managerial vulnerabilities. The purpose of the study is to provide a theoretical substantiation for integrating a forensic approach into the enterprise internal control system in order to enhance its preventive and analytical capacity. The object of the study is the enterprise internal control system, while the subject is the theoretical and methodological foundations of its transformation under conditions of risk-oriented management. The methodological basis of the study includes the provisions of accounting theory, internal control, corporate governance, and forensic audit, as well as general scientific methods of analysis, generalization, systematization, and modeling. As a result of the study, the expediency of expanding the functional content of internal control through the inclusion of diagnostic and analytical components aimed at identifying corporate conflicts, information asymmetry, and fraud risks has been substantiated. It is proposed to integrate forensic tools into the internal control system, in particular the analysis of deviations and anomalies, the study of cause-and-effect relationships, IT-based analysis of digital data, and the formation of an evidence base. The practical value of the obtained results lies in the possibility of their use for improving internal control systems, enhancing the effectiveness of corporate governance, reducing fraud risks, and ensuring well-grounded managerial decision-making.