Identifying money trails while investigating frauds pose numerous challenges:
- Complex Transactions: Tracing money through offshore accounts, shell companies, and digital currencies can be perplexing due to their intricate nature.
- Data Volume: Sifting through massive amounts of financial records–bank statements, wire transfers, checks, deposit slips–can be time-consuming and overwhelming.
- Manual Data Entry: This process is slow, inefficient, and error-prone, impacting the accuracy of investigations.
- Legal and Regulatory Hurdles: Differing financial laws across jurisdictions complicate access to pertinent information.
- Cross-Border Challenges: International money trails are harder to trace due to different regulations, languages, and time zones.
Meet ScanWriter – a lifesaver for financial investigators. It’s smart. It’s efficient. It tackles these pain points head-on. No more tedious data entry or dealing with unreliable data. It’s all about automation and accuracy now.
Still not convinced? Let’s dive into the seven reasons investigators turn to ScanWriter to identify the money trail.
But before that, take a look at this screenshot. It’s a glowing review from a satisfied user, summarizing just how transformative ScanWriter has been. Stay tuned!
Read more reviews at Capterra.
7 Reasons to Use ScanWriter as a Financial Investigator
ScanWriter is a trusted choice of investigators at various federal and state government agencies across the USA, let’s see why.
#1. Automated and 100% Accurate Data Capture
#2. Automated Data Visualization
#3. Excellent Case Management Capabilities
#4. Intuitive Interface
#5. Dedicated Customer Support
#6. Worth the Price
#7. Trusted by Federal and State Government Agencies
#1. Automated and 100% Accurate Data Capture
ScanWriter significantly reduces the risk of errors by eliminating manual data entry. ScanWriter uses advanced optical character recognition (OCR) technology for automated data capture at a very high speed. Here is what you can expect when using ScanWriter for automating data entry:
- Data Accuracy: The precision of ScanWriter’s OCR technology guarantees 100% accuracy, ensuring reliable, error-free data for your investigations. It maximizes data entry precision with its in-built intelligent error detection.
- High Processing Speed: It accelerates the daunting manual data entry and expedites money trail investigation. For instance, it can accurately read 1,000 plus checks in less than an hour.
- Data Integration: ScanWriter can capture data from various sources like bank statements, invoices, and receipts. It can read 40,000 plus formats, including the ones from small credit unions. If you have a format not supported by ScanWriter yet, the team can add it for you in less than 48 hours.
- Enrichment: ScanWriter allows investigators to create rules to normalize the data and create a standard (common) format.
- Audit Trail: ScanWriter provides a robust, layered audit trail that strengthens case substantiation and simplifies data sharing. With an embedded audit trail in Excel files, investigators can easily find associated PDFs, making it a time-efficient solution.
But can ScanWriter capture handwritten data like cheques? Absolutely yes. ScanWriter can capture handwritten data, but not the ones even humans can’t understand. (Rest assured, no one writes cheques in such sloppy writing)
Also read: Why banks prefer ScanWriter for automated check image processing.
Now, ScanWriter solves the problem of manual and inefficient data capturing, but analyzing all that captured data can still be a daunting task. You guessed right, ScanWriter also comes with an automated data visualization feature.
#2. Automated Data Visualization
ScanWriter integrates with Microsoft Power BI to automate data visualizations. Following the money trail to trace the assets turns into an incredibly efficient process from a cumbersome one with ScanWriter. Let’s see how:
- All Transactions: ScanWriter can automatically extract transactions from bank, credit card, and investment statements. This data can be used to create visualizations to fast-track the money trail investigation.
- Flow of Funds Model: ScanWriter automatically populates the ‘Flow of Funds’ visualization and allows investigators to follow the money trail between different accounts by applying various filters like entities, transaction amounts, dates, etc.
- SAR Analysis Model: Once investigators receive a SAR report, ScanWriter makes it easy to dig deeper into the suspicious account to identify fraudulent activities.
Want a Guide to preparing a compelling narrative for SAR? Read this blog.
- Benford’s Law: ScanWriter allows you to get visualized data using Benford’s rule (without you doing any calculations!). It compares the expected distribution of the first digits to the actual distribution of the first digits. Any first digits significantly more or less common than expected are flagged as suspicious.
- Flight and Phone Records: By extracting data from flight and phone records, investigators can better understand suspects’ movements and communications. This information can be used to track down suspects, identify potential witnesses, and build a strong case against them.
Not just these, ScanWriter has a full library of different data visualization models ranging from the ones mentioned above to Fuzzy Match model, Financial ratio analysis, etc. In the “Investigative Models” tab of ScanWriter, click Power BI. You’ll then be prompted to select a Power BI model.
Also read: 20 Ways To Detect Fraud Using Dynamic Data Visualization
With ScanWriter’s powerful data capture and visualization capabilities, financial investigators can not only effectively follow the money trail and uncover crucial evidence. Still, they can also work efficiently as teams with its excellent case management capabilities.
#3. Excellent Case Management Capabilities
ScanWriter offers exceptional case management capabilities designed to enhance efficiency and streamline the investigative process. Here are some key features that make ScanWriter stand out in this regard:
- Document Organization: ScanWriter automatically sorts and organizes documents into customized categories like type, owner, status, etc. This feature simplifies the process of locating specific information quickly and easily. You can also create personalized categories based on your unique needs, ensuring seamless document organization and effortless retrieval.
- Collaboration: In complex cases that involve multiple individuals, collaboration is vital. Hence, with ScanWriter, you can effortlessly share files and data with other agents involved in the investigation. This feature promotes seamless communication, teamwork, and information sharing leading to more effective investigations.
- Reporting: Investigators can quickly fetch the case progress by looking at a bar graph that shows a number of documents in different stages – added, reader selected, read, accuracy checked, mapping applied, normalized, exported to Excel, exported to Power BI etc.
Furthermore, ScanWriter creates various visual reports, such as charts, graphs, and timelines to assist investigators in confidently presenting their cases in court.
However, streamlined workflow and effective collaboration are possible only if there is minimum friction in adopting a new tool. It’s human to be reluctant to change, whether it’s a new tool or new food. For quicker onboarding, team ScanWriter has designed the tool interface to be as intuitive as it can be.
#4. Intuitive Interface
Imagine a tool where financial investigators effortlessly navigate the complexities of data analysis, making swift connections and uncovering crucial insights. ScanWriter’s intuitive interface brings exactly this to life.
Here are some features that make ScanWriter’s interface a game-changer:
- Streamlined Document Handling: In just one click, investigators can import, sort, arrange and extract data from hundreds of documents.
- Clear Labels: The labels on the buttons and menus in ScanWriter are clear and concise. This makes it easy for users to understand what each command or feature does.
- Dual Screen View: ScanWriter enables investigators to view documents alongside extracted data. For example, check images are displayed on the left, with key data such as payee, payer, amount, and date neatly organized in an Excel sheet on the right.
- One Click Source Verification: Clicking on any cell in the Excel sheet instantly highlights the corresponding entry in the source document, ensuring swift and precise data validation.
Also Read: How Can Fraud Investigators Easily Convert Credit Card Statements To Excel With 100% Accuracy?
While the intuitive interface minimizes friction in user onboarding, the dedicated customer support from team ScanWriter makes it easy for investigators to get accustomed to the tool.
#5. Dedicated Customer Support
When it comes to the success of ScanWriter users, the dedication and quality of customer support play a pivotal role. ScanWriter offers an outstanding customer support system that stands out from the crowd. Here’s how:
- Multiple Communication Channels: ScanWriter provides flexibility, allowing you to connect with customer support through the preferred mode of communication, whether it’s a phone call, email correspondence, or live chat.
- Seasoned Professionals: The customer support team consists of experienced and knowledgeable individuals with deep ScanWriter expertise.
- Comprehensive Assistance: From initial device setup to troubleshooting complex issues, the customer support team is well-equipped to address many user concerns, ensuring swift resolutions.
- Abundance of Resources: ScanWriter also offers a wealth of resources, including webinars, blogs, user guides, whitepapers, and FAQs. These resources help you to independently expand your knowledge about ScanWriter.
With ScanWriter’s dedicated customer support, users can rest assured that they have a reliable partner. The commitment to providing exceptional support and empowering resources highlights ScanWriter’s mission to deliver an unparalleled user experience.
Source – Capterra
#6. Worth the Price
ScanWriter’s license fee may vary based on different editions like Excel, Quickbooks, etc. For Excel edition the pricing details are shared below:
Source – ScanWriter Pricing and Purchase
Determining whether ScanWriter is worth the investment is a matter of understanding your unique needs and budget. However, several compelling factors make it an attractive option for many agencies seeking an efficient and reliable solution.
- Powerful Product: ScanWriter assists investigators in identifying the money trail quickly, accurately and efficiently.
- Reduced Backlog Cases: Fraud investigators are still catching up with the tidal wave of pandemic fraud with numerous backlog cases. Russian sanctions, human smuggling and drug trafficking have further increased the burden on investigators. ScanWriter can assist investigators to speed up the investigations thus reducing the backlog cases.
Read more about ScanWriter features, specifications, and pricing here.
#7. Trusted by Federal and State Government Agencies
ScanWriter is used by several federal and state government agencies for automated data entry and visualizations while performing financial investigations in a seamless manner.
Here are some of the reasons why federal and state government agencies trust ScanWriter:
- Security: ScanWriter is a highly secure solution that meets the security requirements of government agencies. Its on-premise deployment adds another layer of security and privacy compared to its cloud counterparts.
- Compliance: ScanWriter is compliant with a variety of government regulations, including HIPAA, FERPA, and ITAR.
- Location: Team ScanWriter has offices in the USA, one in Fountain Valley and other in Washington DC.
Case Study: How ScanWriter Unveiled a $150 Million Healthcare Fraud Scheme
Now that we’ve talked about the seven reasons why investigators ScanWriter, let’s look at its practical use case. In this case study, we will look at an investigation where ScanWriter helped investigators uncover a staggering $150 million healthcare fraud scheme.
Case:
A pharmacist faced accusations of orchestrating a fraud scheme in the healthcare industry. They prescribed unnecessary medications and submitted false claims worth $150 million to federal healthcare programs. Financial investigators from a government office were tasked with unveiling the fraud and investigating the money trail.
How ScanWriter helped:
As they needed to solve this case in a short period, they turned to ScanWriter. Before ScanWriter, they had used other solutions but encountered many problems, such as inaccurate data capture, the inability to read multiple financial records simultaneously, and the inability to automatically fill data visualizations for tracking the money.
During the investigation, for example, officials had to look over financial records from a small credit union. The development team for ScanWriter was able to add a new reader in less than 48 hours.
The investigating team found ScanWriter’s ‘Flow of Funds’ visualization particularly useful in tracing the assets.
Ultimately, ScanWriter helped the police build a strong case against the pharmacist and the other people involved in the fraud plan. Read more about this case-study here.
This healthcare fraud case study highlights the transformative potential of ScanWriter, equipping anti-fraud professionals with powerful tools to combat complex fraud schemes.
Through automation, data analysis, and dynamic visualizations, ScanWriter enables investigators to unravel intricate webs of deception with unparalleled precision and efficiency.
If you want to learn about the capabilities of ScanWriter first-hand, request your free demo today.
Conclusion
In this article, we saw how ScanWriter addresses the pain points that hinder investigators’ progress and effectiveness. And we also looked at seven key reasons why investigators prefer it. However, the features and benefits of ScanWriter aren’t limited to the ones mentioned above. You can check out more here.
If you’re a fraud investigator and want to experience the power of ScanWriter first-hand, request a free demo or contact the ScanWriter team.
