The Impact of the Underground Economy, and How Analytics can Fight it ACFE Conclusion Paper

“If we had done anything differently in Washington state, we would have done it faster,” said Hammersburg. “The key message is that fraud prevention – dealing with risk and program integrity – is not a cost issue, it’s a saving. When you can truly quantify the positive impact to the bottom line of a company or government agency, you shift the recognition that this is not an expense but that it’s a saving.” Some government organizations may be concerned that a rigorous program to shine a light on the underground economy will shine a brighter light on how much they didn’t know until now. Don’t let that stop you, said Hammersburg. “You have the opportunity to really get ahead of it now. Turn a risk into an opportunity going forward.”