If receivables are being aged improperly, this would not affect customer balances or the general ledger control account balance.
If subsidiary accounts are being credited for returns but the general ledger account is not being credited, this would cause material differences between the total of the accounts receivable subsidiary accounts and the accounts receivable control account. This can occur easily if an incorrect procedure is being used to record returns. The auditor should query the people who process the credits to customers' accounts to find out what procedure is being used and should investigate what accounting entries result from that procedure.
Lapping of receivable would not result in a difference between the subsidiary accounts and the general ledger control account. Lapping of receivables occurs when an employee pockets a payment received on one customer's account and then applies a payment made by another customer to the first customer's account, and on and on. If that is occurring, the total of the subsidiary accounts will reconcile with the general ledger control account, but they will both be incorrect because of the theft.
Interception of customer statements might be a sign that fraud is taking place, but it would not cause the subsidiary accounts to not reconcile with the control account.
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