by Ashleigh Sanchez
Daily Lobo
Not everyone at the IRS has a desk job.
Some agents spend their days digging through trash and installing wiretaps, IRS special agent Jerry Gomez said.
The agents, known as certified forensic examiners, investigate tax fraud and enforce tax laws, Gomez said.
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"This is an interactive presentation that shows the main duties of IRS special agents," he said. "There is a lot more to accounting than sitting at a desk."
The IRS hosted a mock fraud investigation for students Saturday.
The program, known as the Adrian Project, teaches accounting students the investigative techniques of an agent, Gomez said. The project also helps recruitment, he said.
Richard Brody, an accounting professor, said eight students from two of his courses participated in the mock audit.
This is the first time the department has hosted the event, and the objective was to keep the student group small, he said.
"This was a chance for them to take control of a real-life situation," Brody said.
As part of the presentation, four IRS agents played roles in the mock investigation.
In the scenario, an ex-employee of an ice cream shop reported her boss for under-reporting his income and pocketing the extra money.
Students sorted through evidence, which included digging through a pile of trash for bank statements or anything relevant to the investigation.
"I call it dumpster diving," Brody said. "And it was real trash. The students had gloves on and had to dig through it to find the evidence."
Students also used covert surveillance, Brody said.
They wired two students who interviewed the owner, while the rest of the students watched from another room.
The students used techniques they learned in class to draw conclusions based on the informant's information, Brody said,
"It was really great, very realistic," he said. "It's great to see students apply things they learn in class. The agents seemed impressed because the students were knowledgeable."
Brody said he plans to host and expand the Adrian Project for next year.
"It's a good recruiting tool for the IRS, and it's fantastic for my students because we teach these techniques," he said. "You can only learn so much from a book."
Gomez said the IRS is the only federal agency authorized to investigate tax fraud.
Enron-type scandals are on the rise, and there is a growing need for IRS special agents, he said.
The agency gets thousands of applications per year but not all are qualified for the position.
Gomez said the job requires a college degree with 15 hours of accounting classes, and applicants must be older than 23.
"We don't get a whole lot of publicity," he said. "Most people don't even know there is a law enforcement branch of the IRS."
Student Meaghan Riley said she wants to be a certified forensic examiner. The program gave her insight into a competitive line of work, Riley said.
"You have to have a lot of experience to do this," she said. "This is a good way to make connection since most people I talk to haven't been real open about how you actually get in."
Student Justin Maier said learning about the position was eye-opening.
"This is the first step to what it's really about," Maier said. "I had no clue, and it's pretty cool."
