Forensic Accounting Expert Witness | Financial Fraud Expert Witness

Mike Mumford, CPA, CFF®, CFE®, CPA (Canada)

The majority of Mike’s forensic experience would be classified as investigative accounting, where he is hired for the purpose of examining whether financial concerns, allegations, irregularities or disputes are substantiated, and if so, to uncover the facts.  This is in contrast with most forensic accountants who focus on quantification of damages or valuation in civil proceedings.  As a result of his investigative accounting focus, Mike is usually retained when there are concerns or suspicions of financial irregularities but few hard facts.

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Mike began his forensic accounting career in Toronto in 1986 with a boutique practice that was the sole provider of forensic accounting services to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other law enforcement agencies on complex white-collar crime investigations.  It was through these criminal investigations that Mike learned what was needed to meet the standard of proof for criminal fraud, how to conduct effective investigations including interviews of witnesses and subjects, and how to simplify and report complex financial transactions and concepts. 

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In 1994, Mike joined Arthur Andersen and became Partner-in-Charge of the Business Fraud Risk Services practice for Canada.   In 1997, he accepted an offer to start and lead Deloitte’s Minneapolis Forensic and Investigative Services practice. 

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Mike’s experience encompasses over 300 investigative and forensic accounting cases.  His work with law enforcement on criminal matters includes financial institution frauds, Ponzi and other investment fraud schemes, money laundering, corruption, and asset tracing. 

On the civil side, Mike has led many complex forensic accounting engagements involving matters such as internal and external fraud, embezzlement and theft, investment fraud, breach of fiduciary duty by Trustees and Conservators, shareholder disputes and commercial litigation.   Of note, Mike was retained by a national electronics retailer and uncovered a $41 million fraud which required Mike to testify in Federal Court.  He was also retained by the Audit Committee of a 100+ location, publicly-traded national restaurant chain and uncovered fraud by the CEO, CFO and CIO, requiring restatement of four years of financial statements.

Several years ago, Mike began assisting organizations and individual and family private clients to assess whether they are following sound financial and risk management practices in order to reduce their risk of material losses from embezzlement, fraud and other financial risks.  Mike’s methodology provides a truly independent, holistic assessment of the risks to clients’ finances.

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Mike is also the author of Avoidable Losses: A Guide to Keeping What You’ve Earned, at Amazon.  You can read the review by Walter Pavlo in Forbes.

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Professional Experience

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• Deloitte (1997-2002)

  • Forensic and Investigative Services Practice Leader for Minneapolis​

• Arthur Andersen (1994-1997)

  • Partner-in-Charge of the Business Fraud Risk Services practice for Canada

• Lindquist Holmes (acquired by KPMG) (1986-1994)

  • Boutique forensic accounting firm

  • Manager​

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Education

• Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia (1975-1977)

  • Bachelor of Arts

• St Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia (1977-1978)

  • Bachelor of Education

• Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia, School of Chartered Accountancy (1981-1983)

  • Required advanced audit, accounting and finance courses​

Professional Certifications

• Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”)​

• Certified in Financial Forensics (“CFF”)​

• CPA – Canada; formerly known as Chartered Account (“CA”)​

• Certified Fraud Examiner (“CFE”)

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Affiliations

• American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (“AICPA”)

• ​Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants (“MNCPA”)
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (“ACFE”)
• Twin Cities Chapter of Certified Fraud Examiners (“TCCFE”), Board of Directors
• Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (“CPA Canada”)

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