Workplace Fraud Investigations UK

Do you suspect fraudulent activity occurring within your organisation? Global Investigations provides professional workplace fraud investigation services to uncover deception and corruption. Our expert private investigators specialise in gathering evidence using legal methods.

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Contact one of our world-renowned private investigators using the form below.

Workplace Fraud Investigations Explained

Employee fraud can be an expensive liability. Workplace fraud can be committed by anyone in any department, but it’s more common in senior positions or those employed in the accounting or finance department.

There are many types of workplace fraud. Most common fraud schemes fall into the following categories:

Key Statistics on Workplace Fraud

The ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners) and other studies have determined the following statistics about the most common offenders:

Common offenders are males aged between 35 and 60
Over 70%, are committed from within the company
Individuals in senior-level positions are more likely to offend
Individuals employed for more than 6 years are the highest proportion of offenders with over 40%, compared to 6% who have been employed for less than 1 year
More than one individual usually involved – 60% of frauds involved more than one employee
The most common motivation is personal gain (60%), followed by greed (36%)

Our clients typically undertake occupancy and residency investigations for identification or litigation purposes. However, these checks can also serve as a deterrent or provide valuable information for future use.

Who Might Need Workplace Fraud Investigations?

Workplace fraud investigations may be conducted when there are suspicions of:

Employee theft/embezzlement

Stealing company funds, assets, inventory or data.

Vendor/supplier fraud

Overbilling, kickbacks, shell companies.

Expense report fraud

Falsified or inflated reimbursement claims.

Payroll fraud

Fake employees, doctored hours, misused benefits.

IP theft

Stealing trade secrets, product designs or R&D.

Corruption/bribery

Employees taking inappropriate payments.

Essentially any situation where an employee, vendor or other insider is illegally enriching themselves through deceit or abuse of position at the company’s expense. Our professional investigators can uncover the truth and provide the evidence needed to support internal investigations, insurance claims and potential criminal prosecution.

How Do Workplace Fraud Investigations Work?

Our expert private detectives utilise legal, ethical techniques to uncover the facts. Investigations typically involve a combination of:

Financial forensics

Analysing accounts, payments, invoices, inventory for anomalies.

Surveillance monitoring

Physical or digital monitoring of suspects and activities.

Background research

Looking into records, databases for red flags.

Insider interviews

Speaking with colleagues to obtain leads.

Computer forensics

Recovering deleted files, emails, activity logs.

Undercover operations

Posing as corrupt parties to directly engage suspects.

Why Trust Global Investigations for Workplace Fraud Investigations?

With decades of experience investigating white collar crimes, our skilled investigators include forensic accountants, financial analysts, former law enforcement, and IT specialists. We have seen every trick in the book.

As a trusted investigations firm, Global has access to resources and databases that even corporate security teams may lack. We have contacts across industries and know where to dig deeper than internal audit alone is capable of.

Our discretion and objectivity also means employees may be more willing to anonymously leak information to our undercover investigators than company management. We piece together the puzzle.

Types of Workplace Fraud We Investigate

Employee Embezzlement

Employees stealing company funds through expense fraud, payroll schemes, skimming revenues, and more.

Procurement & Supplier Fraud

Vendors overbilling, kickback schemes, shell companies to defraud.

IP Theft

Employees stealing and selling trade secrets, product designs, R&D, customer data.

Payroll Fraud

Fake employees added, false OT, misused benefits bleeding the bottom line.

Corruption & Bribery

Employees taking inappropriate kickbacks, gifts, trips from vendors.

What Can You Do to Prevent Workplace Fraud?

To prevent and detect employee fraud it is necessary to:

Separate account setup and approval – it is important to assign an individual for each task
Implement tight internal controls, especially with regard to accounting
Conduct random audits of departments on a regular basis, more frequently of accounts payable and accounts receivable
Employ or assign an external contractor to review departments on a regular basis, more frequently for accounts
Rotate duties of employees where possible, fresh eyes may enable any issues to be flagged
Make it mandatory for employees to take vacation time – any issues may be located when the relief worker takes over their role for the short term

Workplace Fraud Investigations FAQs

How do you catch workplace fraud?

We catch fraud by forensic financial analysis, surveillance, computer forensics, insider tips, undercover operations and other investigative methods that uncover deceptions. Expert data analysis and evidence gathering is key.

What are common signs of employee fraud?

Common red flags include anomalies in financial records, unexplained inventory shrinkage, suspicious employee lifestyle changes, whistleblower reports, and more. But schemes can go undetected. Our investigators proactively uncover schemes.

How can fraud be prevented?

Prevention includes strong financial controls, management oversight, job rotation, mandatory time off, proactive auditing, hotlines for anonymous tips, and regular investigation procedures to detect issues early.

How much does an investigation cost?

Costs vary widely per case depending on locations, length, techniques used, and more. There’s no one-size-fits-all price. Contact us for a custom quote tailored to your specific situation and objectives. Discreet payment plans available.

Concerned About Fraud in Your Organisation?

Speak to our team today for a confidential discussion and find out how we can help uncover and prevent workplace fraud.