fraud investigation timeline

The Complete Fraud Investigation Timeline: What Really Happens Week by Week

You have discovered something troubling in your finances, you have decided to act, and now one question keeps you up at night: how long is this going to take? It is the question almost every business owner asks first, and the honest answer surprises people. A fraud investigation is not a single dramatic event. It […]
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forensic accountant vs lawyer

Forensic Accountant vs. Lawyer: Who to Call First When You Suspect Fraud

The numbers on the screen do not add up. A vendor account looks inflated, a reconciliation refuses to close, or a trusted employee’s explanations keep shifting. Your instinct is to call someone immediately, but who? For most executives facing suspected fraud, the choice comes down to a forensic accountant vs lawyer, and getting that sequence […]
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prove embezzlement
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How to Prove Embezzlement to Police So They’ll Actually Open a Case

You discovered the theft, you know who did it, and you walked into the police station expecting action. Instead you got a shrug, a case number that goes nowhere, and the sinking feeling that nothing will happen. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone, and it is not your fault. Here is the uncomfortable […]
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fraud investigator

What Happens in the First Call With a Fraud Investigator (Our Exact Process)

You suspect something is wrong. Maybe the numbers stopped reconciling, a vendor relationship feels off, or an anonymous tip landed in your inbox. Now you are staring at a decision most executives never train for: picking up the phone to call a fraud investigator. That first call feels intimidating, and the stakes are real. According […]
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forensic accountant

When to Hire a Forensic Accountant vs. Calling the Police First

You just found the discrepancy. A vendor that does not quite add up, a bookkeeper’s numbers that will not reconcile, a bank balance that keeps shrinking for reasons no one can explain. Your gut says fraud, and your first instinct is to call 911. Hold that thought. That instinct, however understandable, is often the single […]
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Fraud Investigation Cost
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How Much Does a Private Fraud Investigation Cost? Our Real 2026 Pricing

When you suspect someone inside your organization is stealing, the first question is rarely “how much will this cost?” The first question is “how bad is it?” But the cost question comes fast, and you deserve a straight answer. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ 2026 Report to the Nations, the typical organization […]
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embezzlement
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17 Counts in 4 Months: How a Newspaper Bookkeeper Allegedly Embezzled $18K

A small newspaper trusts its bookkeeper with the company credit card. Four months later, roughly $18,000 has quietly moved through unauthorized charges before anyone notices. That is the outline of a recent case out of Curry County, New Mexico, where a former Eastern New Mexico News bookkeeper was charged with 17 counts of embezzlement, plus […]
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Public Fund Embezzlement Explained
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A Police Chief Accused of Embezzling $85,500 From City Funds: When Insiders Steal From the Public

When the person entrusted to enforce the law is accused of breaking it, the damage runs deeper than the dollar figure. In early 2026, Connecticut prosecutors charged a former New Haven police chief with embezzling a reported $85,500 from two city funds, most of it from an account used to pay confidential informants. The defendant […]
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misuse of public funds
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The Quincy Elder-Services Director Who Embezzled Public Funds: How Misuse of Public Money Gets Caught

In June 2026, a federal judge in Boston sentenced Thomas F. Clasby Jr., the former director of Quincy, Massachusetts’ Department of Elder Services, to six months in prison followed by home confinement, plus more than $136,000 in restitution. His crime? Over roughly five years, he had drained public money meant for the city’s seniors and […]
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