Which component is NOT necessary for a ghost employee scheme to succeed?

In a ghost employee scheme, the core elements revolve around the manipulation of payroll systems to create the illusion of a legitimate employee who does not actually exist or work for the organization. The correct answer highlights that having the ghost employee be a fictitious person is not a necessary component for the scheme's success.

While a fictitious person can facilitate the deception in many cases, it is also possible for a ghost employee to be a real individual who is simply not doing any work or is being improperly compensated. For instance, an employee who is on leave, or who has left the job but remains on the payroll, could also be considered a ghost employee. Thus, the requirement of creating a fictitious person is not essential for the scheme, as long as the payroll manipulation can occur through other means.

In contrast, adding the ghost employee to the payroll, issuing paychecks, and collecting timekeeping information are all critical components that ensure the scheme can be executed effectively. These actions create the necessary documentation and financial transactions that conceal the fraudulent activity, making them indispensable to the success of a ghost employee scheme.