Page 187 - Deception at work all chapters EBook

188 Deception at Work

CONSIDER FORENSIC EXAMINATIONS

You should consider having some or all of the evidence forensically examined:

• ESDA testing for latent impressions of other writings5;
• handwriting analysis, to prove who wrote a document;
• fingerprinting, to prove who handled a document;
• enhancement of audio tapes from answering, voicemail and dictation machines;
• recovery of deleted computer files and emails.

However, it is essential that examinations are made without alerting the suspects that they
are under investigation:

THE BANK OFFICER the unsigned document. It had obviously
been included in the pack submitted to
A senior bank officer, suspected of him for signature. This evidence was vital in
involvement in a major fraud, denied that obtaining his confession that he had seen
he had seen a letter of authority, although the document and had not signed it because
he agreed he had seen and signed similar he knew it was fraudulent.
documents on the date in question. Forensic
examination of the letters revealed an ESDA
impression of the officer’s signature on

CONSIDER BLOCKING MEASURES

Also, consider any actions that could be taken, at the appropriate time and probably before
the first step, which might give wrongly suspected innocent people the chance to voluntarily
disclose the facts.

DECLARING A CONFLICT OF INTEREST

If an employee is suspected of running a opportunity of producing an innocent
competitive business, the employer might explanation later on. An honest response
ask all employees – in a casual, low-key would normally be in the person’s favour,
way – to submit a written declaration but he can then be asked openly to produce
for ‘insurance purposes’ of their private the records of his private business interests
interests. If the suspect fails to make for examination.
a truthful disclosure, he is denied the

Whichever way the attempt goes, the results will be useful, and, at worst, bring forward
the suspicions for discussion.

If the suspect does not volunteer the truth, when given the opportunity, it will make any
subsequent explanations or denials less credible.

5 ESDA detects impressions made on paper from writing on other papers which at one time may have been made
on papers resting above it. The leading company in the UK is Berkeley Security Bureau (Forensic) Ltd, 10 Grosvenor
Avenue, London SW1W 0DH, www.bsbsecurity.com.