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 […]
Read more
prove embezzlement
,

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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
Fraud Investigation Cost
,

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 […]
Read more
Public Fund Embezzlement Explained
,

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 […]
Read more
Kash Patel FBI Bonus Allegations
,

Following the Money in Bonus and Payroll Fraud: What Recent Headlines Teach Compliance Teams

When a high-profile 2026 congressional dispute put alleged federal bonus payments in the national spotlight, it did more than generate news cycles. It reminded every compliance officer, internal auditor, and executive of an uncomfortable truth: payments that live inside an organization’s own payroll and awards systems can be among the hardest forms of misconduct to […]
Read more
money mules
, ,

What the Newcastle $100M Laundering Case Reveals About How Money Mules Get Trapped

In February 2026, a 47-year-old man from Newcastle, Washington pleaded guilty to helping launder nearly $100 million in fraud proceeds. He set up nine business entities with legitimate-sounding names like Apex Oil and Gas Trading, accepted money from investors who thought they were funding oil and gas storage, then funneled it to coconspirators’ bank accounts […]
Read more
, ,

Which Industries Hire Us Most for Fraud Investigations (And What That Says About Risk)

Patterns tell a story. After decades of casework, one thing becomes clear: fraud does not strike every industry equally. Some sectors call for a fraud investigation far more often than others, and the reasons are rarely random. Where money moves fast, oversight is thin, or trust is assumed rather than verified, fraud follows. The numbers […]
Read more
5 Fraud Red Flags Every Case Shares
, ,

The 5 Red Flags That Showed Up in Almost Every Fraud Case We’ve Worked

Occupational fraud cost organizations at least 3.1 billion dollars in confirmed losses, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ most recent global study, and that figure only reflects cases that were actually caught. The typical organization loses about 5% of annual revenue to fraud every year. What’s more telling: 84% of fraudsters displayed at […]
Read more