Verification & Risk
Due Diligence & Background Checks
Structured enquiries designed to help organizations verify individuals, businesses and relevant background information before making important decisions.
Overview
What this service covers
Due diligence answers a plain question before a commitment is made: is this person or business who and what they present themselves to be?
The scope is set by the decision it supports. A pre-employment check and an enquiry into a prospective counterparty are different exercises, and we agree at the outset which one is being asked for.
Typical situations
When You May Need This Service
A significant commitment is imminent
An investment, partnership, supply agreement or credit decision is close to being made.
A counterparty is unfamiliar
The other party is new, introduced through a third party, or presents little verifiable history.
A senior appointment is being made
Qualifications, employment history and background warrant independent confirmation.
Something does not reconcile
The presentation given does not match what is otherwise known or publicly available.
Scope
What We Investigate
The enquiries below are the ones most often required. Scope is agreed for each instruction, so a file only carries the work it actually needs.
- Identity verification
- Corporate registration and structure
- Directorship and shareholding enquiries
- Employment and qualification verification
- Business activity and premises confirmation
- Reputational enquiries
- Litigation and dispute enquiries
Methodology
Our Approach
Each instruction follows the same sequence, so findings can be traced back to how they were established.
Scope agreement
We establish which decision the enquiry supports, so its depth and its questions match that decision.
Record verification
Registrations, filings, qualifications and stated history are checked against source records where those are available.
Field confirmation
Premises, operations and stated activity are confirmed on the ground where that is material.
Structured reporting
Findings are reported by category, with confirmed and unconfirmed items clearly distinguished.
Output
What You Receive
Reporting is the product. Every instruction closes with a written record that sets out what was established and on what basis.
Due diligence report
Findings organised by category, with each item marked confirmed, unconfirmed or contradicted.
Source references
The basis on which each item was established.
Points of concern
Anything a decision-maker should weigh, described factually and without embellishment.
Scope statement
What the enquiry covered and, equally important, what it did not.
Related
Related Services
Fraud Detection & Prevention
Investigative support for identifying inconsistencies, suspicious circumstances and indicators that may require further examination.
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Employee Fraud & Fidelity Investigations
Discreet investigations into suspected employee misconduct, dishonesty, fraud and fidelity-related matters.
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Asset Tracing
Investigative enquiries designed to identify information concerning assets, ownership interests, locations and relevant connections.
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Questions
Frequently Asked
If your question is not answered here, our team can usually give you a direct answer before you commit to anything.
No. We report verified facts and identified concerns. The commercial or employment decision belongs to the client.
It depends on scope and on how responsive the relevant sources are. We give an indicative timeline when scope is agreed, and tell you if it changes.
Some enquiries, employment and qualification verification in particular, require consent or authority. We tell you which parts of the scope depend on it.
Yes. Corporate enquiries cover registration, structure, directorships, stated activity and premises, alongside enquiries into the individuals behind the entity.
Talk to us about Due Diligence & Background Checks
Tell us what needs to be established. Our team will confirm scope, turnaround and reporting requirements before any work begins.