A continuous auditing tool that monitors payroll transactions flags an employee who received two direct deposit payments in the same pay period to different bank accounts. The most likely explanation requiring investigation is:
- The employee changed banks and both accounts received deposits during the transition.
- The payroll system processed a year-end bonus alongside regular pay.
- A potential ghost employee scheme, payroll fraud, or unauthorized bank account change requiring verification of the transaction's legitimacy. (correct answer)
- A data entry error that duplicated the bank account information.
Explanation: Duplicate deposits to different accounts in one period can indicate ghost employees, unauthorized account changes, or payroll diversion fraud - all requiring investigation to confirm legitimacy. Answer C is correct. While legitimate explanations exist (A, B, D), the monitoring tool appropriately flags this for verification - the investigation determines the cause.