If you think all accountants sit at a desk all day, IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will prove you wrong. For years, IRS Criminal Investigation field offices have brought the Citizen Academy (formerly known as the Adrian Project) to college and university campuses nationwide. How does it work? Classes participate in a day-long simulation of a mock criminal investigation. The goal is to provide students with a firsthand look at what it's like for IRS special agents to carry out an investigation, tracking illicit money from the crime to the criminal. Students are "sworn in" as special agents in the morning and wear IRS protective vests, use handcuffs, toy guns and radios to communicate with their counterpart agents on the case. The students sharpen their forensic accounting skills and are introduced to interviewing suspects, conducting surveillance and document analysis. The day ends when the students solve the crime and arrest the mock offender. The Citizen Academy provides students a glimpse into the career life of an IRS special agent and what a criminal investigation entails. Colleges and universities interested in partnering with IRS Criminal Investigation to host a Citizen Academy may email newsroom@ci.irs.gov. For information about upcoming job fairs for IRS special agent positions visit the IRS Careers page.
