The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is funded only in relation to complex or serious fraud investigations and prosecutions. All allegations of criminality are assessed by the Fraud Detection & Intelligence Unit. If the complaint does not meet the criteria required for SFO investigation, we may direct complainants to a more appropriate law enforcement agency, or, refer the matter to that agency ourselves.

Information provided to the SFO is assessed objectively against set criteria to determine whether that information justifies the launch of a new investigation. This criteria includes:

• The financial value of the alleged fraud (typically in excess of $2,000,000)
• The number of victims impacted by the alleged fraud
• The factual, legal and financial complexity of the alleged fraud
• The likelihood of a custodial sentence if the alleged fraud led to convictions
• The preventative impact of a successful prosecution on the wider fraud landscape in New Zealand.

Under the Serious Fraud Office Act 1990, only the Director of the Serious Fraud Office has the statutory authority to commence an investigation.

The types of cases we have previously worked on include:

• Investment frauds
• Ponzi schemes
• Embezzlement
• Mortgage funding fraud
• Bribery
• Corruption