Situation
Suspect fraud, embezzlement or financial misconduct?
Act quickly but quietly: secure records, avoid confronting suspects and bring in forensic accountants. We reconstruct the transactions, quantify the loss, identify those involved and document evidence suitable for disciplinary action, insurance claims or prosecution.
Warning signs
Signs you need an independent investigation
- Unexplained losses, inventory shrinkage or reconciliation differences
- Payments to unfamiliar vendors or changed bank details
- Lifestyle beyond known income, or reluctance to take leave
- Overrides of controls, missing documents or altered records
- Unusual journal entries near period-end
Act quickly, act carefully
What to do in the first 48 hours
- Step 01
Do not confront
Confronting a suspect early risks destruction of evidence and flight of funds.
- Step 02
Secure records and systems
Preserve accounting data, bank statements, emails and devices; restrict system access discreetly if needed.
- Step 03
Involve counsel
Legal advice early helps preserve privilege and plan for recovery or prosecution.
- Step 04
Notify insurers if covered
Fidelity or crime policies often have strict notification timelines.
Our approach
How we investigate
- 01
Scope the concern
Define the period, entities and transactions in question.
- 02
Forensic data analysis
Analyse ledgers, payments and vendor masters to detect anomalies and patterns.
- 03
Document review and tracing
Trace funds through bank records and supporting documents.
- 04
Interviews
Interview witnesses and subjects with findings to hand.
- 05
Quantify and report
Quantify the loss and present findings in a clear, evidence-backed report.
What you receive
- Forensic investigation report
- Loss quantification
- Evidence pack for legal or insurance use
- Control-gap recommendations
Frequently asked questions
When must an auditor report fraud in India?
Under section 143(12) of the Companies Act, 2013, a statutory auditor who has reason to believe that an offence of fraud is being or has been committed against the company by its officers or employees must report it: to the Central Government above the prescribed threshold, otherwise to the audit committee or board.
How is a forensic investigation different from an audit?
An audit gives reasonable assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement. A forensic investigation answers specific questions about suspected wrongdoing (what happened, who was involved and how much was lost) to an evidentiary standard.
Can the findings be used in court?
Yes, if evidence is collected and documented properly. We preserve chain of custody and can support legal proceedings with expert reports and testimony.
Proof
Relevant case files
~₹6 Crbenefit to the manager and family quantified
The Villa on the Office Laptop
A key-account manager granted customers settlements he had no authority to give, and took a share back over many years. His own records showed where the cash went.
- Digital forensics
- Source and application of funds
- Corporate and related-party mapping
- Asset searches
~12%of billed contract headcount not real
Workers Who Never Clocked In
A garment manufacturer paid wages and statutory dues for contract workers who did not exist, through a labour contractor and its own time office.
- Payroll and attendance analytics
- Physical headcount verification
- Statutory records reconciliation
- Contractor financial review
Client names and identifying details are withheld to protect confidentiality. Specific references and client experiences can be shared on request, with the client’s consent.
Other situations
Facing something different?
- Received a whistleblower complaint?Investigate allegations independently, protect the whistleblower and give your board a defensible answer.
- Suspect vendor kickbacks or procurement fraud?Find collusion, kickbacks, inflated invoices and fictitious vendors in your purchasing and supply chain.
- Vetting a partner, vendor or acquisition target?Know who you are dealing with before you sign, invest or onboard: promoters, related parties and reputation.
- Need to trace hidden or diverted assets?Find assets that have been concealed, moved or held through others, and support their recovery.
- Facing a dispute that needs forensic evidence?Quantify losses, analyse the evidence and give expert opinion that stands up in court or arbitration.
- Digital evidence at risk, or data leaked?Preserve, recover and analyse emails, devices and cloud data so the evidence holds up when it is challenged.