The Justice for Fraud Victims Project
The SJSU Justice for Fraud Victims Project (JFVP) supports individuals and organizations across the Bay Area who have experienced fraud, helping them pursue restitution while providing San José State University students with valuable hands-on training.
The project’s mission is to assist victims of suspected financial fraud, especially in cases where forensic accounting services are unavailable or unaffordable. Under the guidance of Certified Fraud Examiners and other industry professionals, SJSU students apply their skills to uncover how the fraud occurred and assess the resulting financial impact. Their work helps advance cases for potential prosecution while giving students meaningful, real-world experience in forensic accounting.
Have any questions or want to get involved?
Cases and Mentors Needed
We are actively seeking professionals from the accounting, law enforcement, legal and fraud examination fields to both refer cases for action and to serve as mentors for students engaged in forensic reviews. Your involvement directly supports victims of fraud while helping prepare the next generation of forensic accounting professionals.
Case Criteria
Criteria that may be used for JFVP case selection include, but are not limited to, demonstrated financial need (i.e. inability to afford a full certified fraud examination), victim and witness cooperation with the investigation, and whether or not the crime occurred within the statute of limitations for prosecution.
Benefits of Partnering with the JFVP
Benefits for Victims
The cost of obtaining a fraud examination by a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) is often prohibitive for victims. JFVP can help them obtain justice where fraud occurred and they suffered financial harm. Without this project, the large volume of financial fraud cases confronting scarce law enforcement resources might leave the victims of financial fraud without the resources and assistance needed to pursue the perpetrators of the fraud through forensic accounting.
Benefits for Students
JFVP will provide invaluable real-world experience in forensic accounting for students enrolled in the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business. Opportunities to allow students to work in “real world” environments do not come along often. JFVP will take students out of a standard classroom environment to perform as forensic accountants. Through this experience, students will not just talk about how forensic accounting is done, but they will confront real world complications in investigating white collar crime. This experience simply cannot be replicated anywhere. Whether or not a student is interested in forensic accounting as a career, the techniques and the mindset necessary to perform a successful investigation will serve them well throughout their career.
