Forensic Services

Fraud investigation

Fraud is an issue in every organisation, whether you are a large corporate, SME, not-for-profit or government agency. In many cases fraud will not destroy an organisation but as history has shown it can.

Fraud can take on many forms within an organisation, from inventory fraud right through to financial statement fraud - think HIH or Enron. Without understanding which areas in your organisation are more likely to experience fraud and how, it is almost impossible for you to protect yourself.

Whether you are reacting to a fraud that has already occurred within your organisation or you just want to know how to protect yourself from the crippling effects of fraud, BDO Kendalls Forensic Services can help.

Have you experienced fraud in your organisation?

It is not too late once your organisation has experienced fraud to bring the perpetrator to justice, locate misappropriated monies and recover those funds. Our role in a fraud investigation and recovery action is to identify fraudulent activity and determine its value, locate diverted assets and institute preventive measures to guard against future frauds.

Just as no two clients are the same, no two frauds are the same. The BDO Kendalls Forensic Services team has experience not only in forensic accounting but also litigation, insolvency, audit, business services, fraud investigations and policing. We understand how organisations operate and the various ways fraud can be covered up.

How can we help you?

Our Fraud investigation services include:

Gathering appropriate evidence
Interviewing witnesses and suspects
The investigation process
Recovering funds
Liaising with law enforcement and lawyers
Providing expert evidence

Service details

A detailed description of our Fraud investigation services is provided below.

Obtaining appropriate evidence
Without appropriate evidence, an investigation is unlikely to be successful. Our forensic experts have many years experience in locating the appropriate evidence, compiling the evidence in a manner that is appropriate for use in Court and using the evidence to provide a detailed analysis of what has actually occurred.

Interviews
Interviewing witnesses and suspects must be undertaken carefully so that the admissibility of evidence provided isn't jeopardised. We are experienced in obtaining information using effective interview techniques.

Investigation process
It is vital that the investigation process is managed effectively. All appropriate evidence should be collected and utilised in the preparation of the investigation report. The experience of our forensic experts allows us to effectively manage this process including quantifying the amount of any loss to enable restitution to be obtained and/or an insurance claim to be made.

Recovery of funds
With the ever-increasing complexity and the ease of transferring money overseas, the ability to trace funds obtained through fraud and financial crimes is increasingly important. We can assist in the location and recovery of those funds and other assets belonging to the perpetrator and we work with lawyers in preparing reports and affidavits with supporting evidence for civil recovery proceedings.

Liaising with law enforcement and lawyers
There is no point going to the expense of having an investigation and report completed if it cannot be conveyed to law enforcement and lawyers effectively. Our reports are prepared in plain English with extensive use of flow charts and chronologies to help explain the fraud. We have extensive experience in assisting both law enforcement and lawyers in the prosecution of such offences and the recovery of assets.

Expert evidence
Providing expert evidence in criminal and/or civil court is often the end result of a fraud investigation. Our team members have given evidence in Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts, in front of judge and jury on numerous occasions. Our people are experienced in explaining complex financial matters in simple terms to assist a jury to understand the information being presented to them.