FOR3705
Assignment 1 Semester 2 2026
Unique number:
Due date: August 2026
QUESTION 1
1.1 Public and Non-Public Sources of Information
Public and non-public sources are both useful in financial crime investigations, but
the main difference concerns access to the information. Public records are
documents that government bodies keep because legislation or official duties require
them to do so, and members of the public can normally search these records
through the responsible office or an online public database. Non-public records
contain private or confidential information about a person or business and are not
freely available, which means that an investigator may need the subject’s consent, a
subpoena, a court order or another lawful process before access is permitted
(ACFE, 2020, pp. 3.602–3.605; Van Graan and Zinn, 2021, p. 6).
,QUESTION 1
1.1 Public and Non-Public Sources of Information
Public and non-public sources are both useful in financial crime investigations, but
the main difference concerns access to the information. Public records are
documents that government bodies keep because legislation or official duties require
them to do so, and members of the public can normally search these records
through the responsible office or an online public database. Non-public records
contain private or confidential information about a person or business and are not
freely available, which means that an investigator may need the subject’s consent, a
subpoena, a court order or another lawful process before access is permitted (ACFE,
2020, pp. 3.602–3.605; Van Graan and Zinn, 2021, p. 6).
Public Sources
One useful public source is property registration information. Property records can
identify the registered owner of land or buildings, the purchase price, mortgages,
liens and transfers of property, which can help an investigator discover assets that
were not disclosed by a suspect. They can also show transfers to relatives, friends or
legal entities, which may become important where a person is suspected of moving
assets to hide the proceeds of fraud (ACFE, 2020, pp. 3.613–3.614). In a financial
crime investigation, these records can therefore be compared with a suspect’s
known income and declared assets to determine whether additional investigation is
needed.
A second public source is company and commercial registration information.
Business filings can reveal the legal identity of an organisation, directors or officers,
significant owners, business addresses and relationships with other companies.
Public corporate filings may also contain financial statements and information about
the nature and history of a business, depending on the reporting rules that apply in
the relevant jurisdiction (ACFE, 2020, pp. 3.618–3.621). This information assists a
fraud examiner by showing whether a tender bidder is connected to an employee,
whether different suppliers share owners or addresses, or whether a company exists
in the form represented in procurement documents.
, Non-Public Sources
Banking records are an important example of non-public information because they
can provide direct evidence of deposits, withdrawals, transfers, loans and other
financial activity. The Fraud Examiners Manual describes bank records as a
particularly important external source of financial information, while also noting that
access will normally require consent or lawful authority because the records are
private (ACFE, 2020, pp. 3.622–3.623). In a fraud investigation, bank statements can
help trace payments from a supplier to an official, identify hidden accounts, establish
the source and use of funds, and link suspicious payments to other people or
entities.
Tax records are another valuable non-public source because they can disclose
reported income, business interests, deductions, investment returns and expenses
that may lead investigators to assets or sources of funds that were not previously
known. These records may reveal interest from an undisclosed account, profits from
an undeclared business or property-related expenses that point to hidden ownership
(ACFE, 2020, p. 3.623). Public sources are therefore easier to obtain and useful for
developing leads, while non-public sources can provide more detailed financial
evidence but must be obtained through lawful access procedures.
1.2 Information Collection Methods in a Tender Fraud Investigation
A tender fraud investigation normally requires information from more than one
collection method because no single source will explain every stage of the suspected
scheme. The FOR3705 study material identifies a range of methods available to
investigators, including open-source information, surveillance, human intelligence
and government sources (Van Graan and Zinn, 2021, p. 26). Using several lawful
methods allows the investigator to compare information from different sources and
reduces the risk of relying on one incomplete version of events.
Open-Source Information
Open-source information consists of information that is already available in the public
domain and can be collected without gaining access to private records. The
prescribed manual includes open-source information among the basic sources used
Assignment 1 Semester 2 2026
Unique number:
Due date: August 2026
QUESTION 1
1.1 Public and Non-Public Sources of Information
Public and non-public sources are both useful in financial crime investigations, but
the main difference concerns access to the information. Public records are
documents that government bodies keep because legislation or official duties require
them to do so, and members of the public can normally search these records
through the responsible office or an online public database. Non-public records
contain private or confidential information about a person or business and are not
freely available, which means that an investigator may need the subject’s consent, a
subpoena, a court order or another lawful process before access is permitted
(ACFE, 2020, pp. 3.602–3.605; Van Graan and Zinn, 2021, p. 6).
,QUESTION 1
1.1 Public and Non-Public Sources of Information
Public and non-public sources are both useful in financial crime investigations, but
the main difference concerns access to the information. Public records are
documents that government bodies keep because legislation or official duties require
them to do so, and members of the public can normally search these records
through the responsible office or an online public database. Non-public records
contain private or confidential information about a person or business and are not
freely available, which means that an investigator may need the subject’s consent, a
subpoena, a court order or another lawful process before access is permitted (ACFE,
2020, pp. 3.602–3.605; Van Graan and Zinn, 2021, p. 6).
Public Sources
One useful public source is property registration information. Property records can
identify the registered owner of land or buildings, the purchase price, mortgages,
liens and transfers of property, which can help an investigator discover assets that
were not disclosed by a suspect. They can also show transfers to relatives, friends or
legal entities, which may become important where a person is suspected of moving
assets to hide the proceeds of fraud (ACFE, 2020, pp. 3.613–3.614). In a financial
crime investigation, these records can therefore be compared with a suspect’s
known income and declared assets to determine whether additional investigation is
needed.
A second public source is company and commercial registration information.
Business filings can reveal the legal identity of an organisation, directors or officers,
significant owners, business addresses and relationships with other companies.
Public corporate filings may also contain financial statements and information about
the nature and history of a business, depending on the reporting rules that apply in
the relevant jurisdiction (ACFE, 2020, pp. 3.618–3.621). This information assists a
fraud examiner by showing whether a tender bidder is connected to an employee,
whether different suppliers share owners or addresses, or whether a company exists
in the form represented in procurement documents.
, Non-Public Sources
Banking records are an important example of non-public information because they
can provide direct evidence of deposits, withdrawals, transfers, loans and other
financial activity. The Fraud Examiners Manual describes bank records as a
particularly important external source of financial information, while also noting that
access will normally require consent or lawful authority because the records are
private (ACFE, 2020, pp. 3.622–3.623). In a fraud investigation, bank statements can
help trace payments from a supplier to an official, identify hidden accounts, establish
the source and use of funds, and link suspicious payments to other people or
entities.
Tax records are another valuable non-public source because they can disclose
reported income, business interests, deductions, investment returns and expenses
that may lead investigators to assets or sources of funds that were not previously
known. These records may reveal interest from an undisclosed account, profits from
an undeclared business or property-related expenses that point to hidden ownership
(ACFE, 2020, p. 3.623). Public sources are therefore easier to obtain and useful for
developing leads, while non-public sources can provide more detailed financial
evidence but must be obtained through lawful access procedures.
1.2 Information Collection Methods in a Tender Fraud Investigation
A tender fraud investigation normally requires information from more than one
collection method because no single source will explain every stage of the suspected
scheme. The FOR3705 study material identifies a range of methods available to
investigators, including open-source information, surveillance, human intelligence
and government sources (Van Graan and Zinn, 2021, p. 26). Using several lawful
methods allows the investigator to compare information from different sources and
reduces the risk of relying on one incomplete version of events.
Open-Source Information
Open-source information consists of information that is already available in the public
domain and can be collected without gaining access to private records. The
prescribed manual includes open-source information among the basic sources used
