Financial-Fraud Enforcement on the Rise

Fiscal year 2012 was robust for financial-fraud enforcement, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) all appear poised to invest even greater resources and commitment toward prosecuting financial fraud in 2013. Significant dollars are at stake: On par with its performance in fiscal year 2011, the SEC obtained orders for more than $3 billion in disgorgement and penalties in fiscal year 2012. In its most recent Financial Crimes Report to the Public, the FBI identifies more than $15 billion in restitution orders, recoveries, seizures, fines, and forfeitures for fiscal year 2012.