Investigations

Fraud, misconduct, corruption, cybercrime and other financial crime events are ever present risks. If a business has a concern that their employees or third parties are in violation of laws, regulations or organisational policies, it is crucial to respond quickly and credibly.

Organisations often lack the resources with the right skills and backgrounds to proficiently conduct a prompt, cost-effective and objective investigation. At KPMG we help our clients and their legal advisors investigate such issues and mitigate subsequent financial loss or reputational damage. Our team has a wealth of diverse investigative experience and specialist knowledge to help resolve issues of all sizes and complexity.

How we can help

We know how to help clients establish the facts, secure relevant evidence and deal quickly and efficiently with potentially damaging and sensitive situations. We work closely with you and, if necessary, our global Forensic colleagues, to coordinate our approach so the most appropriate resources are deployed in the right places at the right times. For example, we can:

Undertake detailed analysis of complex financial information, using technology to improve investigation quality and depth.
Utilise our technology-led investigations capability, either on site or remotely, to identify, secure, handle and analyse company data.
Conduct interviews with individuals to interpret relevant data sources, add context and establish the facts.
Trace funds or assets and gather intelligence from across the globe.
Assess and quantify financial loss.
Help to build the case for, or respond to, legal, regulatory, disciplinary, civil or criminal proceedings.
Consider the adequacy and effectiveness of systems and controls.
Support remedial action to reduce the chance of an incident recurring, and to reassure regulators, law enforcement, the market, customers and other stakeholders.

Case study

We were engaged by our client to conduct an investigation into their procurement processes after they had been made aware of a possible false invoicing scheme, involving suppliers, through which a number of the client’s employees had benefitted.

We analysed all invoices and POs and identified invoicing anomalies with several suppliers, across a particular set of client sites which were linked to a small group of the client’s employees.

On-site interviews were conducted across client sites in Ireland, the UK and Europe. Through this process we identified the variations in the procurement processes of different sites, the level of governance at each site and the effectiveness of the internal controls in the client’s procurement process.

Through an extensive email review we traced a large number of invoices received from suppliers back to non-work related goods and services. We established: (i) a timeline of events for our client; (ii) a detailed understanding of how the invoicing was coordinated; and (iii) a list of employees involved, all of which was supported by documentary evidence.

Throughout the engagement, we worked closely with the client’s legal counsel to help the client understand their legal obligations and reporting requirements as a result of the investigation findings.

Get in touch

Responding to alleged or suspected fraud, corruption and misconduct is critical. If you have a query, our Forensic team will support you to achieve robust outcomes.