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Topic hub · Investigations

Forensic audit and fraud: investigations, evidence and reporting

A forensic audit examines records and evidence to establish facts about suspected fraud or misconduct, in a way that can stand up to scrutiny by a regulator, lender or court. Fraud work depends on protecting evidence, limiting who knows, acting fairly and taking legal advice.

This hub collects CORAA's guides on how engagements are run, evidence handling, report structure, red flags and whistleblower processes, with working forms. The guides describe practice and are not legal advice.

Each guide states what its facts rest on and what we could not verify. Standards and laws change, so confirm dates and wording against the primary source before relying on them.

Guides

The essential guides: start here.

Audit Basics · 9 Oct 2026
What Is Forensic Audit? Meaning, Process and When It Is Ordered in India
Forensic audit meaning in plain words: when banks, regulators and courts ask for one, who performs it, the step-by-step process, what the report contains and how it differs from statutory audit.
Audit Procedures · 3 Oct 2026
Forensic Investigation Audit: How an Engagement Is Commissioned and Run
A forensic investigation audit from the client side: who can order one, what the scope letter covers, evidence handling and the report.
Internal Audit · 16 Oct 2026
Fraud Investigation: Steps, Evidence Handling and Reporting
How a fraud investigation runs, from first tip to report: steps, how to handle evidence, who to inform, plus Ponzi scheme red flags from SEBI.
Internal Audit · 16 Oct 2026
Forensic Audit Report: Structure, Content and What Makes It Usable
What a forensic audit report contains, in what order, and what makes it usable by a board, a lender or a court. Includes a section-by-section template.
Internal Audit · 30 Sept 2026
Fraud Risk Assessment for Internal Audit: Step by Step
A step-by-step fraud risk assessment for internal audit teams: identify schemes, rate them, map controls, find gaps and plan tests. Includes a worked register.
Fraud Detection · 2 May 2026
Financial Statement Manipulation Detection: Red Flags & AI Approaches
Detect earnings management and financial statement manipulation with AI pattern analysis. Covers revenue inflation, expense understatement, related-party transactions, and NFRA-defensible procedures.
All guides on this topic
Free templates and tools

Ready-to-use working papers, no sign-up to look around.

Word template
Fraud Investigation Plan and Case Log
Record the allegation, plan the investigation, secure evidence and keep a case log with chain of custody.
Word template
Forensic Audit Report Structure
A section-by-section structure for a forensic report: scope, approach, findings, evidence index, conclusions and limits.
Word template
Forensic Interview Record
Record who was present, what was asked, what was said and what documents were shown.
Word template
Evidence Handover and Chain of Custody Form
Log every transfer of an evidence item with who, when, condition and storage.
Word template
Fraud Red-Flag Assessment by Department
Walk each department through red-flag prompts and plan follow-up tests.
Word template
Whistleblower Case Intake Form
Record a report faithfully and triage it, protecting the reporter and the evidence.
Free tool
Red flag scorecard
Weight and rank fraud red flags by department.
Free tool
Loss quantification
Total gross and net loss with interest from your own inputs.
Free tool
Chain of custody log
Build a log and spot chain breaks.
Free tool
Benford's law checker
Test the first-digit pattern of a data set.
Frequently asked questions

Forensic audit and fraud: in plain words.

A forensic audit is an examination of records and evidence to establish facts about suspected fraud or misconduct. It differs from a statutory audit, which gives an opinion on financial statements, and its report is written so that others can rely on the evidence. Read more: Forensic audit meaning and process.
Usually through a written engagement letter that sets the scope, period, reporting line and limits, with the commissioning body (board, audit committee, lender or regulator) agreed at the start. Read more: How an engagement is run.
Evidence is only useful if it can be shown to be unchanged and to have been held by identified people. A log of who held each item and when protects that. Read more: Evidence handling.
A clear scope, the approach, factual findings with exhibit references, an evidence index and stated limitations. Conclusions about intent or guilt are for the court. Read more: Report structure.