What Is A Corporate Investigator
From surveillance to statement taking, the role of a private investigator can vary depending on the needs of the investigation. Often hired for a multitude of reasons, private investigators are there to gather evidence in a professional and accurate way. This evidence can be taken forward to present a legal case or used for internal investigations. Therefore, private investigators often find that their services are mostly required for corporate investigations and internal business practices.

A corporate investigator can be a private investigator that specialises in corporate crime and helps to gather evidence of wrongful business practices, employee misconduct, and much more. In this article, we are going to take a look at the role of a corporate investigator as we answer the question, what is a corporate investigator?

Why Would A Corporate Investigator Be Needed?
If you run a company or oversee a team of employees, keeping track of what is happening and how staff members are treating company time, property, and other staff members can be tricky. Staying on top of your own tasks whilst overseeing the behaviour of other members in the corporate environment is hard. When you suspect something is wrong, dedicating the time needed to properly investigate the issue and to find proof of the problem is even harder.

Without a corporate investigation into possible employee misconduct, you risk the company losing money or worse. Employees could be stealing from the company, taking advantage of the business, or breaking their contract in a number of ways that ultimately harm your business. From fraud to wasting company time, these issues take time to investigate, which is why many companies hire a corporate investigator.

A corporate investigator saves you time and makes sure you have accurate evidence to approach the individuals involved. This means your business can continue to operate effectively without the worry of employees taking advantage of you and the company.

Do You Have Need For A Corporate Investigator?
E-Mail your Requirements to rodney@iss-investigations.co.za

What Can A Corporate Investigator Help With?
Corporate investigator jobs vary, and the services required can change from case to case; however, you will see a common range of situations and services that are more typical for corporate investigators.

Standard Corporate Monitoring Services
Computer surveillance, vehicle surveillance, and individual surveillance are all typical types of monitoring that a corporate investigator might use. Video footage that can show the crime happening or place an individual at the scene of the crime is very valuable for internal investigations. Conducting surveillance can help to establish ongoing issues such as persistent theft and employee misconduct.

Statement Taking/Interviewing
If an issue has taken place, and it involves individuals from the workplace, interviews can help to build a better picture of what happened. Corporate investigators will establish the facts through a range of interviewing techniques. Our team at ISS-Investigations is built around people with experience in the police, meaning we know how to word questions to find the truth and how to work around possible lies and misinformation.

Conducting investigations is easy when you know how to approach them, which is why corporate investigators are so important. You only have one chance to get a lot of the information, so interviews need to be done properly.

How to Use An Investigator to Protect Against Fraud
Corporate investigators are great at understanding corporate structures and business practices and can carry out a corporate investigation with little disruption to your workplace and work flow. An investigation of accounting records and financial statements can help to uncover possible fraud, and you can also hire specific financial investigators who will be able to uncover fraud issues. However, a standard private investigator will have good skills for finding evidence of fraud. With an investigation into your internal operations, they will be able to spot anything that is not right.

Why Hire ISS-Investigations As Your Corporate Investigator?
With a team of ISS-Investigations that have a background in police work, our team offers a professional experience that is not easily found with other firms. No matter what the situation is, our team can find you the evidence you need. Offering a range of services, our team has the skills and techniques needed to provide accurate and reliable evidence.

A full-scale corporate investigation is a comprehensive inquiry into a company's activities, often triggered by suspicions of wrongdoing or compliance issues, aiming to uncover facts, ensure adherence to regulations, and maintain corporate integrity. 
Here's a more detailed explanation:
What is a full-scale corporate investigation?
• Deep Dive:
It's an in-depth examination of a company's operations, financial records, and legal history. 
• Purpose:
To uncover potential issues, ensure compliance with laws and regulations, and maintain corporate integrity. 
• Trigger:
Often initiated by suspicions of wrongdoing, compliance breaches, or as part of due diligence processes. 
• Scope:
Can cover a wide range of topics, from fraud and embezzlement to intellectual property theft and criminal inquiries. 

• Types of investigations:
• Internal Investigations: Conducted by the company's own resources to address internal issues. 
• External Investigations: Involve hiring independent investigators or legal counsel. 
• Financial Investigations: Focus on financial irregularities and potential fraud. 
• Compliance Investigations: Examine adherence to laws, regulations, and internal policies. 
• Workplace Investigations: Address issues like harassment, discrimination, or misconduct. 
• Undercover investigations 
• Research investigations 
• Electronic investigations 
• Corruption investigations 

Why are corporate investigations important?
• Protecting the company's reputation:
Uncovering wrongdoing can prevent damage to the company's reputation and trust with stakeholders. 
• Ensuring compliance:
Investigations help companies identify and address potential non-compliance issues, reducing legal risks and penalties. 
• Maintaining a fair and ethical workplace:
Investigations can help address issues like harassment, discrimination, and misconduct, creating a more positive and productive work environment. 
• Preventing financial losses:
Investigations can uncover potential fraud, embezzlement, or other financial irregularities, helping to prevent financial losses. 
• Promoting accountability:
Investigations demonstrate that an organization is serious about ethical conduct and "doing the right thing". 

Conducting a Corporate Investigation:
• Planning:
Define the scope of the investigation, identify key witnesses, and determine the type of evidence needed. 
• Evidence Collection:
Gather relevant documents, emails, financial records, and other evidence. 
• Interviews:
Conduct interviews with key personnel to gather information and assess credibility. 
• Analysis:
Analyze the collected evidence to determine the facts and identify any wrongdoing. 
• Reporting:
Prepare a comprehensive report outlining the findings of the investigation. 
• Action:
Take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation, which may include disciplinary action, legal action, or other corrective measures.