Anti-Fraud & Asset Recovery

Fraud is usually discovered late, by people who cannot yet prove what they suspect. The first task is to establish what actually happened, in a form that will survive legal and regulatory scrutiny.

Fraud Investigation

• Corporate embezzlement: unauthorised transfers, falsified authorisation, misuse of position
• Procurement and supply-chain fraud: fictitious vendors, false invoicing, overbilling and collusion
• Financial forensics: transaction reconstruction, irregular-flow analysis and forensic accounting review
• Insider investigation conducted so that employment and evidential obligations are preserved

Investigations are structured from the outset around the standard of proof the client will eventually need to meet.

Asset Tracing

Recovering value depends first on locating it and establishing who controls it.

• Tracing funds through offshore accounts, corporate layering and shell structures
• Identification of beneficial ownership behind nominee arrangements
• Tracing of assets held as property, corporate interests or digital assets
• Mapping of jurisdictions, counterparties and the routes value has taken

Recovery Support

Atreides supports recovery; it does not conduct litigation and does not act as a law firm.

• Intelligence and evidential support to clients’ legal advisers
• Preparation of material for freezing, disclosure and seizure applications
• Jurisdictional assessment: where recovery is realistic and where it is not
• Coordination between legal, financial and forensic specialists across borders

Atreides does not guarantee the recovery of assets. Recovery depends on jurisdiction, elapsed time, the sophistication of concealment and decisions taken by courts and authorities. We give a candid assessment of prospects before work begins, including when our assessment is that recovery is unlikely.

Financial Crime Prevention

• Fraud risk assessment of internal controls and financial operations
• Anti-money-laundering and compliance review, conducted alongside the client’s regulated advisers
• Design of transaction-monitoring and escalation procedure
• Counterparty and vendor integrity screening

Working with Authorities

Serious fraud cases frequently require engagement with law enforcement and regulators.

• Preparation of evidence to a standard suitable for referral
• Support to clients through the reporting and disclosure process
• Coordination across jurisdictions where offences and assets span borders
• Expert reporting and testimony where appropriate