What method is commonly used to trace illicit funds in investigations?

Tracking illicit funds requires a comprehensive method that focuses on identifying the flow of money and financial transactions. Financial tracking and analysis is the most effective approach for this purpose. It involves scrutinizing banking records, transaction histories, and financial statements to uncover irregularities and patterns that point to fraudulent activities or money laundering.

This method allows investigators to build a clear picture of how money was moved, potentially leading to the sources of the funds and the recipients. By employing financial tracking and analysis, investigators create financial profiles and link transactions to individuals or organizations involved in unlawful activities, making it integral to fraud investigations. This method is systematic and data-driven, ensuring that every financial transaction is accounted for and analyzed in context.

Other methods, such as data visualization, public records search, and forensic analysis, while valuable in certain aspects of investigations, do not specifically focus on the comprehensive tracing of funds in the same targeted manner as financial tracking and analysis. Data visualization is useful for presenting data clearly but does not contribute directly to tracing funds. Public records searches can provide additional context but do not inherently trace financial transactions. Forensic analysis, though critical in examining documents and identifying discrepancies, does not primarily focus on the flow of funds unless specifically tailored to do so. Therefore, financial tracking and analysis