1.) Employee lifestyle and behavioural changes, living beyond their means.
2.) Weak internal controls/ lack of segregation of duties (i.e. one employee handles all the bank statements, cash transactions and deposits). Ensure double manned deposits and over sight on cash controls.
3.) Management overriding company policies or controls without proper authorization
4.) Inconsistent financial results to market trends
5.) Lack of credible documentation or information (i.e. lack of original receipts for expense reports)
6.) Excessive number of account write offs or unexplained adjustments
7.) Accounts not reconciled on a timely and consistent basis.
8.) Unexpected change of vendor or a vendor without a physical address
9.) High employee turnover
Understanding OSINT and The Power of Public Records
One of the most important tools for private investigators in the digital age is the presence of easily accessible public records. Although not much has changed regarding what information is available publicly, what has changed is that what used to require countless hours of sifting through paper a few decades ago can now be accessed with just a few clicks, as almost everything is available digitally.