When Contending with Fraud Litigation, You Require Experienced Counsel
Whether you own a small business or a large company, you’re likely to experience fraud at some point in your business’s operation. And while those committing frauds are often held accountable for their actions, how can you claim compensation as a victim of said fraud? With help from Stephen Heine Law P.C., we can ensure you get financial restitution from fraudulent parties through fraud litigation. Conversely, if your business is being accused of fraud, we can defend your reputation in court.
Common Types of Business Fraud
Are you not sure whether you’re experiencing fraud? Here are the types of business fraud to be on the lookout for and how you can avoid these scenarios in the first place:
- Asset Misappropriation – Do your billing and income add up at the end of each month? If not, you might be a victim of asset misappropriation. Forged checks, incorrect account totals, and missing inventory are a few signs of this type of fraud. To avoid this fraud, don’t entrust the finances of a company to one employee.
- Payroll Fraud – If an employee lies about their productivity or purposely misrepresents the amount of time and work completed, this can lead to payroll fraud. To best avoid these scenarios, properly screen employees before hiring.
- Tax Fraud – You’ve likely heard of tax fraud before. A business avoiding paying income taxes or misrepresenting themselves in a lower tax bracket warrants litigation. Having your taxes completed by a reliable tax expert is the best way to avoid accusations of tax fraud.
- Financial Statement Fraud – Manipulating financial statements to make net worth seem greater and debts seem less can be constituted as fraud. Having multiple employees manage different accounting functions can help prevent this type of fraud.
- Identity Fraud – The use of sensitive data to steal from a business is known as identity fraud, and it can either be committed by an employee or the business itself. Ensuring that important documents and sensitive information are only accessible at the highest levels helps avoid identity fraud.
- Corruption – All other fraud scenarios are broadly covered under “corruption” claims. Examples of corruption in a business include money laundering, bribes, working with criminals, not reporting transactions, manipulating contracts, etc. Having a strict compliance program helps prevent the previous examples from occurring.
Preventing, Litigating, Or Protecting Against Fraud Claims
As a business owner, you seek to prevent fraud in your company while ensuring you’re protected against fraud claims. Or, for individuals and businesses, you might wish to pursue fraud charges against another entity. Stephen Heine Law P.C. provides guidance through fraud risk assessment, investigation, and litigation in any of these scenarios.
- Fraud Risk Assessment – During a fraud risk assessment, our team will identify potential vulnerabilities in your business’s operations that more easily allow for fraud to occur. Once the assessment is complete, we will recommend how your business can more effectively avoid fraud.
- Fraud Investigation – If you suspect fraud is already occurring, Stephen Heine can perform a fraud investigation for the business in question. We will use the information you provide us to perform surveillance, asset searching, background checks, and more to uncover potential fraud. If fraud is discovered, we will take the steps necessary to eliminate it.
- Fraud Litigation – We will pursue litigation against the parties accused of committing fraud using the evidence uncovered during an investigation. Stephen Heine has over 40 years of experience trying jury trials to verdict and to a great degree of success. In other words, if fraud occurs, our team will ensure you get the financial compensation you deserve.
Talk with Stephen Heine
Whether you suspect you’re a victim of fraud, or wish to protect against accusations of it, be sure you have the legal support of a litigation professional such as Steven Heine Law P.C. To schedule a consultation with our attorneys, contact us today at 309-244-1393. Also, we are located at 311 SW Water St, Ste 204, Peoria, IL 61602.
