Fraud is increasing and fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in hiding assets. However, using investigative techniques and legal remedies, hidden or missing assets can often be identified and recovered in a cost-effective manner. Interfor is a leader in asset search and recovery, employing former intelligence professionals worldwide to uncover fraud schemes and trace concealed assets. Interfor pioneered legal remedies to freeze assets globally and works with lawyers to build cases demonstrating a nexus between assets and debts. Through public records research, lifestyle analysis, and other tools, Interfor can map out a path to recover assets once thought permanently lost.

1. Thinking Outside the Box:
International Asset Search
and Recovery
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2. Fraud is a booming business. The list of companies falling victim to fraudulent acts continues to grow
at a rapid pace and the perpetrators of these crimes are thinking bigger and becoming more
sophisticated. In order to plan and perpetuate a fraud, though, fraudsters rely on a series of
assumptions. One assumption is that few corporations or creditors will allocate the necessary budget
to pay for the services required to unravel a complicated scheme and are more likely to write off losses
or other bad debt rather than “throw good money after bad.” A further assumption the perpetrators
make is that they will go unpunished and that the money will never be found, let alone recovered.
Consequently, increasingly, a major component of modern fraud planning is the use of elaborate
schemes to hide assets from victims, creditors, or other counterparties.
The belief that the money will never be found, however, is often wrong. By employing investigative
techniques and making use of various legal remedies, there is a significant probability that the
fraudster’s methods can be exposed and the hidden or missing assets can be identified and recovered
in a cost-effective manner.
The Interfor Difference
Over the past thirty years, Interfor, Inc. has developed comprehensive techniques to uncover fraud
schemes and trace, freeze, and recover hidden assets. Founded in 1979, Interfor specializes in U.S.
and international asset intelligence investigations for law firms, corporations, banks and bankruptcy
trustees. Having located assets concealed or undisclosed in the U.S., the Caribbean Basin, Switzerland
and other offshore "safe havens," Interfor is the recognized world leader in asset search and recovery
services. Interfor's investigations have yielded substantial results; since its inception, Interfor has
recovered billions of dollars worldwide for its clients.
Part of Interfor's success lies in the fact that Interfor pioneered the investigative use of available
English common law provisional remedies to assist lawyers around the globe in freezing assets. As a
result, Interfor has an extensive network of legal experts in various jurisdictions throughout the world
with the proven ability to freeze assets and collect on judgments. In addition, Interfor has a staff
consisting of former intelligence and investigative professionals throughout the U.S., Canada, Western
and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. Interfor's global presence has allowed
our investigators to follow the movement of money between continents, often exposing multinational
shell corporations, previously unidentified assets, and illegal money laundering operations.
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3. INTERFOR, INC. • THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: INTERNATIONAL ASSET SEARCH AND RECOVERY
Interfor's Tactics for Recovery
The first step toward recovering stolen and/or undisclosed assets begins in Interfor’s research
department. Our experience has shown that the quickest and most cost effective way to approach an
investigation is to first examine all the information available in the public domain. Interfor’s
researchers have in house access to over 2,000 databases worldwide which allow them to comb the
public record for clues and intelligence. All leads are then followed with a field investigation.
The next step in the investigative process is to take a close look at the lifestyle of the subject, including
an examination of his or her spending habits, relationships, investments, property, and other financial
dealings. To start, Interfor's investigators examine how well a subject meets his or her monthly
financial obligations. If a person is spending money, but appears to have no source of income,
chances are the funds are hidden in offshore bank accounts. In addition, investigators search for
litigation history involving the subject or his or her businesses. Often times, assets may be found
attached to a judgment that would not be listed elsewhere. Assets belonging to a subject's family, or
corporations associated with the subject, are also inspected.
By utilizing the techniques described above, and other investigative tools such as pretext interviews,
Interfor’s investigators can begin to piece together a roadmap leading toward the hidden assets.
However, it is not uncommon for the investigator to encounter roadblocks along the way. In order to
circumvent these obstacles, Interfor works simultaneously with attorneys and forensic accountants to
build legal remedies to ultimately freeze assets and demonstrate a nexus between the assets, the
debt, and perhaps a fraud. Using a combination of investigative services, like those offered by Interfor,
and the instruments available through the courts, companies, creditors and victims of fraud can
recover the assets they once believed they would never see again.
British Commonwealth Remedies
Provided there is a basis for jurisdiction in the British Commonwealth, there are various legal remedies
that allow an investigator to dig a little deeper and can protect assets that are found from further
corruption, all without tipping off the subject that he or she is being investigated. These remedies,
known as search orders, asset freeze orders and gag orders, designated in the landmark cases
Mareva, Anton Piller, and Norwich Pharmacal, are most useful to clients when used by the right team
of lawyers and investigators.
Discovery techniques such as search orders and third party disclosure orders can be useful to the
intelligence expert when the investigation is still under way. Search orders (formerly known as “Anton
Piller” and “Mini Anton” orders in England) can be obtained in order to preserve property and
determine the location of assets. Third party disclosure orders (formerly know as ”Norwich
Pharmacal/Bankers Trust” applications) are requests for discovery against persons who are not
directly involved in an investigation or litigation, but may have become mixed up in the wrongdoing of
another. They may be issued, for example, to require an innocent recipient of assets (i.e. a bank) to
disclose where the funds were subsequently transferred.
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4. The English rules for the “tracing” of assets may also assist in the recovery process. Tracing is the legal
process by which the owner of property may identify assets as representing the owner’s original
property. It is possible to make a request for the return of fraudulently obtained assets if the claimant
has a “proprietary claim” and can establish that the original property has been misappropriated. For
example, if jewels are stolen and the thief sells them for cash, which the thief then uses to buy a
house, the owner of the stolen jewels may be able to levy on the house as a product of the jewels and,
in addition, be entitled to any appreciation on the value of the house as well as the house itself.
Once such investigative and legal tactics have been employed and the assets have been located, the
next step is to preserve those assets by restraining or freezing the ability to transfer their ownership.
Asset freezing injunctions (also know as “Mareva” injunctions) are available in England and other
English law based countries to prevent debtors and those who commit fraud from moving or disposing
of assets. “Worldwide Mareva” injunctions may also be granted, under which a person in an English
Commonwealth jurisdiction is prevented from dissipating assets anywhere in the world. In addition,
litigators can obtain non party injunctions that freeze the assets of those persons or businesses that
serve as alter egos of those under investigation. Another method for protecting assets is to apply for
the appointment of a receiver or a provisional liquidator.
Over the past several years, these injunctions have been introduced to and tested in various courts
with great success. The gradual yet widespread judicial acceptance of search orders, asset freeze
orders and gag orders enables creditors in Commonwealth jurisdictions, Canada and the United States
to more readily and easily recover assets.
How Interfor Operates:
Interfor’s business philosophy has always dictated that we will only take on work when we are
confident that we can be effective. Therefore, clients are advised to provide Interfor with all available
information about the prospective target, as well as any concerns regarding the investigation. In
return, a detailed written proposal with price and time quotes will be prepared within 24-48 hours.
Typically, Interfor will quote a project cost for its asset search investigations based on the following
factors:
• Quantity and quality of information provided at the outset by the client;
• Number of persons to be investigated;
• Geographical location of the targets (see next page for further explanation); and
• Number of geographical locations involved.
Interfor will work in a two phase process. In Phase I, Interfor will put together a “blueprint,” which
identifies assets and banking information, and then provide the client with a preliminary written report.
Upon completion of Phase I, the client determines when and where to proceed to Phase II, the freezing
and collection of assets. Please be aware that Interfor’s fees DO NOT include the legal fees for any
work done by attorneys in foreign jurisdictions where we will be freezing assets.
INTERFOR, INC. • THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: INTERNATIONAL ASSET SEARCH AND RECOVERY
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INTERFOR, INC. • THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: INTERNATIONAL ASSET SEARCH AND RECOVERY
Geographical Considerations
An investigation of an individual in Los Angeles, California will be much cheaper and quicker than one of an
individual in Libreville, Gabon. In order to provide clarity and predictability, Interfor has created a system of
geographical zones which rates the ease and speed of conducting investigations in countries all over the
world. Please see the following chart for details.
Zone A
United States of America
Zone B
Canada
Caribbean (except Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic)
Western Europe (except Germany, Monaco and Switzerland)
Zone C
Australia
Eastern Europe (including Turkey and Cyprus)
Germany
Israel
Japan
Mexico
Monaco
New Zealand
Singapore
South Korea
Switzerland
Zone D
Central America
China (and Hong Kong)
Egypt
India
Nigeria
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
South America (except Colombia, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana)
U.A.E.
Zone E
Rest of Africa (except Congo, Zimbabwe and Libya)
Dominican Republic
Rest of Far East (except Myanmar and North Korea)
Haiti
Middle East (except Iraq and Afghanistan)
Zone F
All other countries subject to discussion