Asset Investigations Using Final Accounts

By Howard Leather

Asset investigators use financial accounts to trace and uncover hidden or undisclosed assets, often for legal, fraud, or debt recovery purposes. Here’s how they leverage financial accounts in their investigations:

1. Bank Account Analysis

• Review bank statements for unusual transactions, such as large cash withdrawals or transfers to unknown entities.

• Identify linked accounts by tracking repeated transactions between different banks.

• Look for hidden assets by tracing transfers to offshore accounts or shell companies.

2. Investment and Brokerage Accounts

• Check for stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investments that could indicate

wealth.

• Analyse trading patterns to spot attempts to liquidate assets quickly.

• Identify investment-linked bank accounts where funds may have been diverted.

3. Credit Card and Loan Accounts

• Track high-value purchases that might indicate undisclosed assets.

• Identify loan applications that disclose income or assets not reported elsewhere.

• Examine cash advances or payments to third parties that might be used to hide money.

4. Business Accounts and Corporate Entities

• Investigate corporate bank accounts for signs of money being funnelled through businesses.

• Analyse payroll and expense reports to detect ghost employees or fraudulent

  payments.

• Cross-check with business ownership records to identify assets held under company names.

5. Forensic Accounting Techniques

• Use lifestyle analysis to compare reported income with actual spending.

• Apply data analytics to detect suspicious financial patterns.

• Conduct audit trails to trace money movement across multiple accounts.

6. Legal and Compliance Tools

• Use court subpoenas to access banking records legally.

• Work with AML (Anti-Money Laundering) regulations to identify flagged transactions.

• Check public financial disclosures, such as SEC filings, for hidden wealth.