Digital Forensics: Unmasking a Coordinated Employee Fraud Scheme
When a leading financial services firm suspected a severe breach of trust, they faced a critical situation. There were allegations that at least one employee was soliciting client investments for IPOs, only to divert the funds into an unauthorized third-party account.
The Challenge Faced by Client
When a leading financial services firm suspected a severe breach of trust, they faced a critical situation. There were allegations that at least one employee was soliciting client investments for IPOs, only to divert the funds into an unauthorized third-party account.
This posed a direct threat not only to the company's finances but also to its hard-won reputation and client trust. The client needed to act fast, but they lacked a complete picture. Their critical questions were:
What was the full extent of the fraudulent activity?
Were the suspected employees working together in a coordinated scheme?
Could irrefutable digital evidence be found to support decisive action?
How AKATI Sekurity's Digital Forensic Investigation Helped
The client entrusted AKATI Sekurity to conduct a comprehensive digital forensic investigation to uncover the facts. Our team performed a meticulous analysis of the primary evidence: two company-issued laptops and several employee mailbox files.
Our objective was to reconstruct a precise timeline of events, identify all responsible parties, and deliver a clear, evidence-based narrative of the misconduct.
Key Findings: From Suspicion to Certainty
Our forensic investigation uncovered a trail of deliberate deception, revealing a sophisticated and coordinated scheme.
Uncovering Illicit System Access
Our analysis proved that one employee, who had no authorization to access the company’s core production system, had logged in on numerous occasions. We recovered system configuration files from their laptop and found digital artifacts proving they had illicitly used a colleague's credentials. This immediately established a direct operational link between the two individuals.Unmasking Forged System Records
To make the fraudulent investment appear legitimate, the primary subject created falsified system records. Our forensic specialists proved these were not genuine system outputs. Instead, they were Microsoft Word documents, manually crafted with precise spacing and line breaks to perfectly mimic the system's interface. We identified the use of the Snipping Tool and online PDF converters as part of the forgery process.Tracing Deleted and Exfiltrated Data
We uncovered clear attempts to conceal the fraud. The employee emailed the falsified investment document from their corporate account to a personal Gmail account. The email was then permanently deleted from the corporate system in an attempt to erase the trail. Our team successfully identified this unauthorized data transfer, providing clear evidence of intent to hide the activity.Solidifying the Conspiracy
The evidence solidified the case for collaboration. We found that the second employee had downloaded the primary subject’s entire client list onto their own machine. Furthermore, email communications discussing personal matters, a sample resignation letter, and one employee’s end-of-contract notice painted a clear picture of a close, collaborative relationship that went beyond professional duties.
The Result: Clarity and Decisive Action
AKATI Sekurity's digital forensic investigation transformed suspicion into certainty. We provided the client with a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that detailed a coordinated scheme of unauthorized system access, data forgery, and fraudulent client communications.
Our work empowered the client to take swift and informed action based on concrete facts, protecting their assets, upholding their duty to their clients, and securing their corporate reputation.
Facing a Digital Investigation?
In computer forensics, time is critical. Every moment of delay can risk the integrity of digital evidence. Contact our experts now for immediate and confidential assistance to secure your case.
