- Hi, I am Kolluru Narayanarao, a Chartered Accountant from India.
- After qualifying, I worked in India for a few years before moving to Africa for better opportunities. In 2014, I relocated to India and have been a designated partner with a CA firm in Visakhapatnam.
- In 2015, after almost 33 years of experience as a Financial controller, I discovered a newfound interest in the area of financial fraud. This led me to pursue a few other courses.
- Not to mention, that in 2017 at the age of 63, I started my own website ‘fraudsdetection.com’ and in 2020 a youtube channel – a one-stop for all information, updates, and articles regarding financial frauds.
- Here is my journey of how I keep learning and unlearning with time and strongly believe that age is no bar.
Taking the entrepreneurial route only to join the corporate world
I am from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Back in my days (early 80’s), there were limited options after completing B.Com.CA seemed the obvious choice, and I decided to pursue the same.
Post my qualification in 1987, armed with an independent mindset, I decided to start my own practice. However, with already established firms, there was limited scope or acceptance for the new, smaller firms in our city.
Despite a few trials to establish partnerships, things were not going the way I planned.
With this, I decided to shift to the corporate world and worked with Shriram Financial Services.
Life was going on well but I wanted more.
From Vizag in India to Tanzania in Africa
After working for a few years in India, I was looking for opportunities abroad, especially in the Gulf or Africa.
Fortunately, a common professional colleague whose brother was also a CA informed me about an opportunity in Africa.
In July 1999, I left for Tanzania, East Africa, and worked as Financial Controller and Operations Manager with various Companies from 1999 to 2014.
For the most part, my work was in the capital city of Dar-es-Salaam, while I did travel to other countries within Africa as needed.
Tanzania is a democratic country and the people are friendly and cooperative. Salaries were reasonably placed and did include other benefits such as accommodation, travel costs to India, cars, etc.
Life was good with all facilities available.
My tryst with Forensic Accounting in 2015
After working in Tanzania for more than a decade, in 2014, I decided to relocate to Visakhapatnam, India to care for my ailing father and be with my family.
I joined as a partner with GR Kumar & Co LLP, a successful practice since the ’80s. The primary focus of my work in this practice was on Internal audits & Banks and statutory audits.
In 2015, I discovered a special interest in Forensic Accounting & Fraud Examination.
Why? Honestly, I just liked the subject. I have been an avid reader and while I read books across varying genres, I have always held a special interest in suspense thrillers, war and adventure themes, and over time, books on international espionage and real-life frauds and crimes.
These books on real-time fraudsters and scamsters skyrocketed my interest in the subject. The more I read, the more I understood the extent of vulnerability for a layman to be duped. This determined me to share my knowledge with as many as possible.
A sum total of all these contributed to developing a passion for this topic!
Pursuing multiple courses
My curiosity led to a lot of deep-diving and study of the subject. This led to my pursuing a one-year PG diploma course from International Forensic Sciences (IFS), Pune, India in 2016.
It was interesting to study and still is, given the technology-driven world we live in. With more fluidity in terms of how money is handled, there was a growing focus on forensic audits and financial fraud examinations.
More recently, I have completed a post-qualification certificate course on Forensic Accounting and Fraud Detection (FAFD) from ICAI, India.
I am also an Associate Member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) since 2016 and have also completed a three-month Coursera certificate course from West Virginia University, USA.
Starting a blog at the age of 63
While I am not a techie, I have always been tech-savvy.
Fun fact: In the 1980s I had taken a loan from a bank and bought my first computer-DOS CPU, a printer, and a black and white monitor for a whopping INR 1,80,000 (this was a very huge amount back then).
Though I never learned a computer programming language, I have been hands-on in trying to understand the functionalities of all electronic gadgets.
My love for technology and keeping up with the times, combined with my drive to share knowledge, encouraged me to start my own website.
But the big question was how should I start one? With the internet, the world is at your fingertips for you to discover – all I had to do was Google!
I contacted GoDaddy for domain ownership and ‘Fraudsdetection.com’ was born in 2017… that’s simple!
I have to mention I was 63 years old when I decided to start my own blog!
On my blog, I regularly post content relating to various updates, and news about frauds, and also writes articles on various financial frauds to spread awareness.
And for the past 3 years, I have been creating content and maintaining my website.
Next? Starting a youtube channel at the age of 66
With my website running successfully for over three years, I wanted to explore other online platforms that could be leveraged to spread awareness.
In early 2020, I stumbled upon the power of YouTube and decided to start my own channel- a channel to spread financial and fraud awareness.
Once again, my tech-savvy nature came to my rescue.
Apart from figuring out how to shoot and upload videos, I learned to link all my YouTube videos to my website. In fact, my first-ever video was taken near a bookcase in my house and since then, there has been no turning back.
I have now curated 65 videos on various fraud and financial awareness topics. I wanted to shoot my videos more independently. This led me to purchase a mic and set up a dedicated area in my house to record videos on my own.
I have also started using Canva to create more interactive designs for my content.
In the process, I discovered podcasts and even started sharing my content on the Pod Bean platform.
While my wife and children are very supportive of me in this journey, often, they are surprised at how much I have figured out on my own.
All in all, I always say that age is no bar. Self-motivation, interest, and sincere efforts continue to help me in my journey to spread awareness.
Wrapping Up…
There have been multiple instances where my peers or close buddies, who are years younger than me talk like oldies!
My only advice is to not take life too seriously, take care of your health, and stay active.
Life is definitely not a bed of roses and it is important to have the right attitude and fighting spirit to keep going forward. Continue to stay positive, keep learning, and always share your knowledge.
Now It’s Your Turn…
Comment below and let us know what is stopping you from achieving your goals.
Forensic Advisory Services
Forensic advisory services encompass a wide range of investigative and analytical techniques aimed at uncovering financial irregularities, misconduct, and malpractices within organizations. Whether it’s detecting fraudulent transactions, tracing illicit funds, or identifying accounting discrepancies, forensic advisors employ advanced methodologies and forensic technology tools to peel back the layers of complexity and reveal the truth hidden beneath the surface.
Global Mobility Services
The field of Global Mobility Services is not without its challenges. From geopolitical uncertainties to evolving immigration policies and talent shortages, organizations face a myriad of obstacles in managing global talent effectively. Moreover, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in new complexities, such as travel restrictions, health and safety concerns, and remote work arrangements. Global Mobility Service providers must adapt to these evolving trends and leverage innovative solutions to address the changing needs of businesses and employees in a dynamic global landscape.
Government And Public Sector Advisory]
Government and Public Sector Advisory is indispensable for modern public administration. By providing expert guidance and strategic solutions, advisory services help governments improve efficiency, enhance transparency, and deliver better public services. As the world continues to change, the role of advisory services will only grow in importance, ensuring that public sector organizations can meet the challenges of the future and serve their communities effectively. Investing in Government and Public Sector Advisory is a strategic move towards achieving sustainable, responsive, and accountable governance.