What is a corporate investigation?
Protect Your Company
Corporate investigations are conducted to help protect organizations from:
- Loss or theft of proprietary information
- Compromised customer or company information
- Abuse or misuse of network
- Liability if the network has been used as a launch pad to attack other systems
- Damaged reputation
A corporate investigation is the thorough investigation of a corporation or business to uncover wrongdoing committed by management, employees, or third parties.
There are many aspects of corporate investigations and they can vary significantly based on your needs. For example, corporate investigations can uncover if a business partner is legitimate, whether an employee is stealing from the company, or reveal fraud and embezzlement, just to name a few. A corporate investigator’s main job, though, is ensuring a company is running smoothly and within the law.
Types of Corporate Investigation:
Depending on what you’re looking to investigate within your business, an investigator will conduct one or multiple of these investigations:
Undercover Investigation: By blending in with the company, an investigator can look into employee misconduct like theft, substance abuse, or harassment. Investigators will often use covert surveillance as a part of their inspection.
Research Investigation: Investigators can research to find information about companies that they do business with for acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, venture capital, private equity, and investments. They can also perform in-depth employee background checks.
Financial Investigation: An investigator conducting a financial investigation can discover embezzlement, money laundering, fraud, and other white-collar crimes.
E-Discovery / Electronic Investigation: With e-discovery, investigators can gather electronically stored information in order to collect necessary evidence. They can also potentially restore lost data.
Corruption Investigation: An investigator looking for corruption can uncover bribery, illegal foreign exchange, corporate fraud, and industrial espionage.
How does a corporate investigation work?
The methods of investigation with vary depending on what kind of investigation you are looking for and the individual investigator. Be specific about your needs and the information you are seeking so your investigator can use the right tools to resolve your situation. Some techniques an investigator might use include:
- Financial investigation
- Due diligence
- Computer forensics
- Security penetration checks
- Countermeasure sweeps
- Integrity testing
- Surveillance
Do I need a corporate investigation?
Businesses and corporations use corporate investigations, not only to prove suspected unlawful activity but to protect from the potential. If you are concerned about the well-being of your business or company, an investigator is an unbiased source that can provide you with reliable information. Often, large corporations will have investigators on retainer or have internal investigators so that they are constantly aware of every facet of their company. With such a large pursuit, this information is vital to their success.
If you are experiencing employee dishonesty or financial inconsistency, or if you doubt the legitimacy of a company you deal with directly, a corporate investigator can present evidence that is legally and professionally obtained. This means it is more likely to be respected by the court. They can also help you prevent future incidents.
Corporate Investigation Articles
- What Every Business Needs to Know About Trademark Investigations
- A Mini Guide to Corporate Investigations