Forensic Accounting FAQ

In high-asset divorce cases in Greenville, our forensic accountants provide several critical services:

• Asset Identification and Valuation – We conduct comprehensive searches to identify all marital assets, including those that may not be readily apparent, ensuring a complete financial picture for Greenville divorce proceedings.
• Business Valuation – For Greenville business owners, we provide accurate, defensible valuations that account for both tangible and intangible assets, ensuring fair division.
• Hidden Asset Discovery – We employ specialized techniques to uncover assets that may have been intentionally concealed, transferred, or undervalued during the Upstate SC divorce process.
• Income Analysis – We determine true income for support calculations, especially important when dealing with self-employed individuals or complex compensation structures in Greenville.
• Lifestyle Analysis – We analyze spending patterns to identify discrepancies between reported income and actual lifestyle, which can reveal hidden sources of income.
• Expert Testimony – We provide clear, credible testimony in Greenville family courts to explain complex financial findings to judges.

Our Greenville forensic accountants work closely with divorce attorneys to ensure all financial aspects of high-asset divorces are thoroughly addressed, providing the documentation and expert analysis needed for equitable settlements or court decisions.

In Greenville divorce cases, we frequently uncover these common methods used to hide assets:

• Business Fund Diversion – Business owners in Greenville may underreport income, inflate expenses, delay client billing, or pay salaries to non-existent employees to reduce apparent business value.
• Property Transfers – Transferring assets to friends, family members, or creating shell companies to temporarily hold assets until after the South Carolina divorce is finalized.
• Undervalued or Undisclosed Assets – Intentionally undervaluing assets like real estate, collections, or business interests in Upstate SC property declarations.
• Hidden Accounts – Opening undisclosed financial accounts, sometimes using digital currencies or offshore banking to hide funds from Greenville divorce proceedings.
• Deferred Compensation – Arranging for bonuses, stock options, or other compensation to be paid after the divorce is finalized.
• Cash Transactions – Converting assets to cash to avoid creating a paper trail, particularly common in Greenville small businesses with significant cash flow.

Our forensic accountants are trained to identify these and other concealment techniques through detailed financial analysis, document review, and specialized investigative methods tailored to South Carolina divorce cases.

Greenville business owners should be alert to these common red flags that may indicate employee fraud:

• Unexplained Financial Discrepancies – Consistent cash shortages, inventory shrinkage, or accounting irregularities that can't be readily explained.
• Unusual Employee Behavior – Staff who refuse to take vacations, work excessive hours without apparent reason, or become defensive when questioned about financial matters.
• Lifestyle Changes – Employees living beyond their means with expensive purchases, vacations, or other signs of sudden wealth inconsistent with their salary.
• Vendor/Customer Complaints – Increased complaints about billing errors, missing payments, or duplicate charges may indicate manipulation of accounts.
• Missing Documentation – Disappearing invoices, receipts, or purchase orders that make financial tracking difficult.
• Declining Profits Despite Stable Revenue – When revenue remains consistent but profits decrease without clear operational reasons.
• Unusual Banking Activity – Unexpected overdraft fees, unusual wire transfers, or unexplained account activity in your Greenville business accounts.

At Mueller Forensics, we help Greenville businesses implement proactive fraud detection measures and conduct thorough investigations when these warning signs appear. Early detection can significantly reduce financial losses for Upstate SC companies.

South Carolina businesses, particularly in the Greenville area, frequently encounter these fraud schemes:

• Employee Theft and Embezzlement – Our investigations show this is the most prevalent fraud affecting Greenville businesses, with schemes including check tampering, false expense reports, and inventory theft.
• Accounts Payable Fraud – Including billing schemes with fictional vendors or duplicate payments, which cost Upstate manufacturing businesses millions annually.
• Payroll Fraud – Ghost employees, falsified hours, and commission schemes are common in Greenville's growing business sectors.
• Financial Statement Fraud – Manipulating financial records to misrepresent company performance, often to secure financing from Upstate SC banks or attract investors.
• Cash Skimming – Particularly prevalent in Greenville's retail and restaurant businesses, involving the theft of cash before it's recorded in the books.
• Vendor Fraud – Collusion between employees and vendors resulting in overbilling, kickbacks, or payment for goods never received.

Our Greenville forensic accountants are experienced in detecting these schemes through specialized data analysis, document examination, and investigative techniques tailored to South Carolina business environments.