ScanWriter’s data capture and analytic software solution sped up the investigative process allowing embezzlement charges to be filed and the case won in record time.
In recent years, several high-profile incidents involving the misappropriation of funds by public officials have placed law enforcement on high alert.
Investigators in federal agencies assigned to collecting, capturing and analyzing mountains of physical and electronic financial records require a solution that speeds up this process and provides analytics that stimulate sharper insights.
The success of this case illustrates the critical role played by ScanWriter, a software solution that speeds up the asset tracing process and provides visualizations of patterns, activities and relationships.
Data Integration and Analysis Tool Provides Quick and Precise Automation
A recent case charging a comptroller of a suburban city with the misappropriation of public funds illustrates the critical role played by technology in accelerating the embezzlement investigation process.
In this case, two defendants, including an elected official, misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars of city revenue to spend on personal items and a re-election campaign.
The comptroller maintained a fake set of accounting books to hide his actions and, with the assistance of an accomplice who was listed as a contractor, paid invoices for work that was never done, thereby diverting city funds into their own coffers.
When a whistleblower sounded the alarm, the embezzlement investigation process of determining the total amount and method(s) of the misappropriation began.
The physical and electronic financial records collected included over 4,500 transactions and check images, and a total of 993 pages of bank statements and check data.
Converting this vast amount of material into normalized data on Excel would have taken over 74 hours if done manually.
The all-in-one data integration and analysis tool, ScanWriter, provided quick and precise automation for this otherwise laborious and time-consuming task.
ScanWriter processed these files in four hours without sacrificing accuracy. Ensuring both speed and precision.
Both hand-written and computer-typed, these thousands of documents were collected on CDs and PDFs and included bank statements, check images, wires, cash receipts and payroll reports.
ScanWriter captured the data and converted it to an organized Excel spreadsheet with dates, descriptions, amounts and more in assigned columns.
Since ScanWriter can also customize spreadsheet categories, investigators on this case used the function to create columns for monies going to specific names and accounts.
Investigative Team Stays on the Same Page
Various departments and stakeholders contributed to this investigation, and ScanWriter’s case manager made it possible for them to communicate, share insights and track developments in real time.
Instead of emailing the various stakeholders or searching through numerous platforms for updates, the fraud team was able to easily stay current and connected.
ScanWriter uploads documents and facilitates safe collaboration from a single platform available to all stakeholders. This feature made it possible for team members on this case to share insights and discoveries, thereby streamlining the investigation and facilitating prosecution.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Check Images
The Excel spreadsheet of the data provided investigators with a list view of each category and the ability to organize and analyze the data.
But ScanWriter takes this analysis capability one step further by integrating the processed data with Power BI, a robust visualization tool that provides forensic investigators with insights in the form of reports, charts and dashboards.
Standard and custom models are available, including Transaction Overview, Money or Funds Flow, Benford’s Law, Account Balance Report and more.
In this case, the built-in Flow of Funds model was used to scrutinize the movement of the funds from government accounts to personal accounts for payment of luxury items and investment in the public official’s re-election campaign.
ScanWriter’s data visualization tool enriched the data into dynamic visuals that prompted analysis by finding links and connections that illustrated where the money came from, where it went and how it was spent.
These reports provided the compelling evidence the prosecution team needed to present and win this case.
Boost Productivity and Effectiveness With ScanWriter
ScanWriter is a homegrown software solution trusted by many district attorneys, forensic accountants and fraud investigators across the US working in the public sector.
An all-inclusive software package for data capture and analytics, ScanWriter streamlines workflow and can cut data entry time by 90%.
ScanWriter takes pride in offering 100% accuracy, exceptionally high processing speeds, automatic visualization of financial models like ‘Flow of Funds,’ easily-accessible customer support, and more.
No matter your organization’s challenges, ScanWriter can provide an effective solution.
Personable Inc. is a privately-held software company founded in 1998 with headquarters in Fountain Valley, California. We provide solutions to automate the data entry workflow. Our company is committed to serving private and public-sector professionals nationwide.
Disclaimer
Specific names of entities have been altered or omitted in this case study to ensure confidentiality.
About ScanWriter
ScanWriter is a data entry automation and visualization tool that assists in financial fraud investigations. It is a homegrown software trusted by many district attorneys, forensic accountants, and fraud investigators across the US working in the public sector. ScanWriter takes pride in offering 100% accuracy, exceptionally high processing speeds, a built-in audit trail, automatic visualization of financial models like ‘Flow of Funds,’ easily-accessible customer support, and more. ScanWriter creates opportunities for anti-fraud professionals to focus on more critical tasks to fight financial fraud, meet deadlines, maintain data integrity, and provide deeper data analysis.
About Personable Inc.
Personable Inc. is a privately-held software company founded in 1998 with headquarters in Fountain Valley, California. We provide solutions to automate the data entry workflow. Our company is committed to serving private and public-sector professionals nationwide.