The Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation will participate in a joint mock fraud investigation titled, the Adrian Project, Jr., a national program, on Friday, Nov. 14 from 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Approximately 11 graduate and undergraduate students of Rich Brody, Anderson Professor of Accounting, and eight special agents from the IRS are participating in the mock investigations.
This year's case scenario involves an anonymous informant who turns over information about an avid gambler who appears to be living beyond his means. With direction from the special agents, students will utilize various techniques, including "foot surveillance", to figure out the origins of the unexplained wealth and whether fraud is occurring. Students will also interact with each other to try and figure out what they should be doing to help crack the case.
Anderson Professor Rich Brody says The Adrian Project fits in perfectly with our National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.
"One of our goals is to partner with government entities, and this mock investigation is one way that we do this," said Brody. "The students have an opportunity to experience life as an IRS Special Agent and directly apply what they have learned in the classroom."
According to Brody, students participating in this project volunteer four to five hours of their time on a Friday morning and do not receive any class credit for their participation.
"The students high level of interest in this area and realization that this is a great and unique opportunity gets them out of bed and on campus early. They arrive eager and ready to get started," Brody said. "I feel very fortunate to have this partnership with the Albuquerque IRS special agents and I am sure the number of job applications for these special agent positions will increase as a result of this event."
Local CID agents around the country use this program to showcase the opportunities available in this career field to high school and college students.
Directed by Chief Eileen Mayer and Deputy Chief Victor Song, both of Criminal Investigation, the CID oversees a worldwide staff of approximately 4,400 employees, including approximately 2,800 special agents who investigate and assist in the prosecution of criminal tax, money laundering, structuring, and narcotics-related financial crime cases.