Employee Fraud Solicitors London
If you suspect that an employee is committing fraud against your business, or you have discovered misappropriation, false accounting or theft within your organisation, early specialist advice can protect your company, your evidence and your prospects of recovery. Call our employee fraud solicitors on +44 20 7387 2032 or complete our online enquiry form for confidential advice. We act for employers, directors and businesses across London and throughout England and Wales.
Specialist Employee Fraud Solicitors
Employee fraud is one of the fastest growing areas of concern for employers of every size. Trusted staff have access to accounts, payment systems, client data and confidential information, and when that trust is abused the losses can be substantial before anyone notices. Cases range from low-level expenses abuse and payroll manipulation through to sophisticated invoice fraud, breach of fiduciary duty by senior executives and, at the most serious end, unauthorised trading capable of threatening an entire institution.
What sets our firm apart is the breadth of expertise under one roof. Employee fraud sits at the junction of criminal law, civil recovery and employment law, and a misstep in any one of the three can undermine the others. Our teams work together so that the internal investigation, the recovery of funds and the handling of the employee are managed as a single coordinated strategy.
How We Help Employers Facing Suspected Fraud
Internal fraud investigations
Before any allegation is put to an employee or reported to the authorities, you need to establish the true extent of what has happened. Our fraud department conducts and advises on internal investigations, preserving evidence in a form that will stand up in criminal, civil and tribunal proceedings alike.
Acting on incomplete information can alert the suspect, destroy evidence and expose the business to claims.
Liaison with the authorities
Police and prosecuting agencies are stretched, and many employers find that reports of internal fraud are not treated with the urgency they deserve. We prepare and present cases to the police, the CPS and other agencies in a manner designed to persuade them to act, and we assist those authorities with their investigations where prosecution is in the company’s interests.
Where the state declines to act, we advise on private prosecution as an alternative route to justice.
Civil recovery of misappropriated funds
Our civil fraud team pursues the recovery of stolen monies and assets through freezing injunctions, proprietary claims, tracing exercises and claims against third parties who have received or assisted in handling the proceeds.
Speed is decisive: assets can be dissipated within days of an employee realising they have been discovered.
Employment law protection
Dismissing or suspending a suspected fraudster without proper process can hand them a claim for unfair dismissal and land the business before an employment tribunal, even where the underlying suspicions prove correct.
Our employment expertise keeps disciplinary procedures, suspensions and dismissals on the right side of the law, protecting the company throughout the fraud investigation.
Fraud prevention and control systems
The best outcome is the fraud that never happens.
We advise on the design and implementation of internal controls, segregation of duties, whistleblowing procedures and response plans that reduce the risk of fraud and place the business in the strongest position if it occurs.
Types of Employee Fraud We Deal With
Our solicitors advise employers facing the full range of internal fraud, including:
Payment and invoice fraud, including false or inflated supplier invoices
Payroll fraud, ghost employees and expenses abuse
Theft of company funds, stock or assets
False accounting and manipulation of financial records
Procurement fraud, kickbacks and secret commissions
Breach of fiduciary duty by directors and senior employees
Misuse of confidential information and client data
Unauthorised trading and market misconduct by employees in regulated firms
Frauds involving collusion with external suppliers or customers
Every case is different, and the right strategy depends on the seniority of the suspect, the sums involved, the state of the evidence and the commercial priorities of the business, whether that is recovery, prosecution, quiet removal or all three.
Criminal, Civil or Both?
Employers often assume that discovering fraud means calling the police and nothing more. In practice, a criminal prosecution alone rarely recovers the money. Compensation orders are limited, confiscation proceeds go largely to the state, and the criminal process can take years.
Civil proceedings, by contrast, are controlled by the business. Freezing orders can be obtained without notice, often within days, preventing the dissipation of assets. Disclosure orders can identify where funds have gone. Judgment can be enforced against property, bank accounts and third parties.
The two routes are not mutually exclusive. In many cases the strongest position combines them: civil action to secure and recover assets, criminal referral to punish and deter. We advise on the sequencing of parallel proceedings, including the risks around privilege, self-incrimination and disclosure between the two.
Step-by-Step Guide to Handling Suspected Employee Fraud
Obtain specialist legal advice immediately
Speak to an employee fraud solicitor before confronting anyone, reporting the matter or taking disciplinary action. Early advice protects privilege and keeps every option open.
Preserve the evidence
Secure documents, emails, CCTV, access logs and financial records in their original form. Never delete, alter or annotate material that may become evidence.
Keep the investigation confidential
Limit knowledge to those who genuinely need to know. A tip-off can lead to destroyed evidence and dissipated assets within hours.
Scope the suspected fraud
Work with your solicitor, and forensic accountants where needed, to establish how the fraud operated, over what period and at what cost.
Avoid unlawful investigative steps
Do not search personal property, access private communications or covertly record the employee without advice. Unlawfully obtained evidence can be excluded and can generate claims against the business.
Consider urgent asset protection
Where sums justify it, a freezing order or proprietary injunction can be sought at speed, sometimes without notice to the suspect.
Manage the employment position
Take advice before suspending or dismissing. A fair disciplinary process protects the company from tribunal claims and runs alongside the fraud investigation.
Decide on criminal referral
With your solicitor, weigh a report to the police against, or alongside, civil recovery and private prosecution, taking account of publicity, timescale and the prospects of getting money back.
Notify insurers and regulators where required
Fidelity insurance policies and regulatory obligations often carry strict notification deadlines. Missing them can void cover.
Strengthen controls for the future
Once the immediate matter is resolved, review the weaknesses the fraud exposed and implement controls, audits and reporting lines that reduce the risk of repetition.
Our Employee Fraud Team
Depending on the nature of your matter, your case may be handled by Jeffrey Lewis, Siobhain Egan, Miles Herman or Keith Wood. The team combines decades of experience in fraud investigations, civil recovery, prosecution and defence, and regulatory proceedings. Jeffrey Lewis brings a particular understanding of financial services cases, having worked in the City as an investment analyst before qualifying as a solicitor.
We guide employers through the entire process, avoiding the potential minefields, at reasonable, flexible and transparent fee levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I call the police as soon as I discover employee fraud?
Not always. Take legal advice first. Securing evidence and freezing assets often needs to come before a police report.
Can I recover money stolen by an employee?
Yes. Civil claims, freezing orders and tracing can recover misappropriated funds, often faster than the criminal courts.
Can I dismiss an employee I suspect of fraud?
Yes, but only through a fair process. A rushed dismissal can lead to tribunal claims even where the fraud is real.
What is a freezing order?
A court order preventing a suspect from dealing with their assets. It can be obtained urgently and without notice to preserve funds.
Can I bring a private prosecution against a fraudulent employee?
Yes. Where the police or CPS decline to act, businesses can prosecute privately. We advise on whether this route suits your case.
Contact Our Employee Fraud Lawyers in London
If you suspect fraud within your business, or you have already uncovered wrongdoing and need to act, prompt specialist advice protects your evidence, your assets and your legal position. Our solicitors advise employers, directors and businesses throughout London and across England and Wales.
To speak with a member of our specialist team, call +44 20 7387 2032 or complete our online enquiry form to arrange a confidential consultation.