Ch 7 control and accounting information system Explain how the principle of separation of duties is violated in each of the following situations. Also, suggest one or more procedures to reduce the risk and exposure highlighted in each example. a. A payroll clerk recorded a 40-hour workweek for an employee who had quit the previous week. He then prepared a paycheck for this employee, forged her signature, and cashed the check. PROBLEM: Segregation of duties is violated here because the payroll clerk had the ability to record time worked and to prepare the payroll check (custody). This allowed the payroll clerk to both commit and conceal the fraud. The payroll clerk ignored the authorization process or had the authority to authorize the payment. SOLUTION: These three functions should be segregated. One person should authorize payments, another should record the payments, a third should prepare the check, and a fourth should sign it. b. While opening the mail, a cashier set aside, and subsequently cashed, two checks payable to the company on account. PROBLEM: The cashier who opened the mail had custody of the cash. The cashier opening the mail can pocket the checks and forge a signature, never giving the authorized endorser a chance to be involved. For this reason, many companies have the mail opened by two people or have those opening the mail videotaped. SOLUTION: While the cashier can get away with this fraud for a few weeks or months, the missing checks will eventually be noticed – usually when the customer complains – because the cashier has no way to conceal the fraud (recording function). An investigation would include an examination of the stolen checks and that could lead to