Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations have 150 years of experience in the implementation of fraud prevention measures and the investigation of fraud and connected offences. Our prevention and investigation programmes are supported by departments specialising in forensic accountancy, computer security and computer forensics. These services are available to clients on a global basis.

FRAUD PREVENTION
75% of all frauds committed against a company are perpetrated by their own staff. Pinkerton has always believed that prevention is preferable and less costly than cure. Accordingly the introduction of good prevention measures is essential for a company to combat this threat successfully. Indeed, recent Corporate Governance guidelines recommend that such risks as fraud are considered by Boards of Directors and prevention measures introduced where possible.

Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations can recommend proven fraud prevention methods and systems that take into account the most up-to-date methods used by present day criminals. We implement comprehensive strategies to minimise the possibility that a company will become a victim of fraud.

All Pinkerton anti-fraud programmes are tailored to the specific requirements of the client and have a full back-up response team available should they be required.

Pinkerton's computer security team will test computer security systems in order to minimise the risk of cybercrime and put into place effective measures to inhibit penetration from unauthorised personnel who may be seeking business intelligence or misusing computers with crime-related intentions.

FRAUD INVESTIGATION
Corporate fraud is a growth industry. The constant and rapid advances made in IT technology make the investigation of computer-related crime difficult if there is to be any reasonable chance of conviction and recovery of assets.

Just over 50% of all fraud offences are detected by accident, 20% are discovered by auditors, 10% by diligent management and the rest as a result of normal financial systems rather than specific anti-fraud control measures.

In times of financial constraint security staff are often kept to a minimum and sometimes they do not have the expertise to deal with anything other than minor offences, such as false expense claims, which are sometimes erroneously considered to be 'perks of the job'.

Nowadays, however, minor offences such as those outlined above, pale into insignificance when a computer operator or "hacker" can achieve the transfer of millions of pounds in seconds and at the same time erase all trace of the transaction. "Hackers" have also attempted to extort money from companies by threatening to interfere with, or crash, computer systems.

Cybercrime, therefore, has been recognised as one of the most dangerous threats to the corporate business world. Recognising this threat, Pinkerton Consulting and Investigations have in place effective computer security professionals available to assist with systems testing, implementing security measures for the protection of information and also introducing procedures to counter the threats posed by unauthorised access.

Pinkerton also provides computer forensics expertise which has, in many cases, recovered evidence from computers. This has led to the recovery of information and assets vital to a client's operations, which has also enabled the successful prosecution of the culprits or out of court settlements to be made.

With the advent of the Turnbull Report concerning the responsibilities of directors to identify and address risks to their business, Pinkerton has also been working closely with clients to put into place measures to combat fraud-related risks and cybercrime.