The main contractor's progress claims are always on time and always well documented. The quantity surveyor signs them off. Only when the project runs out of money before the structure is finished does anyone compare the claims with what is actually on site, and discover that the steel billed six months ago was never delivered, and the subcontractor who "supplied" it is owned by the contractor's project manager.
Construction projects move large amounts of money through many hands over long periods. Weak oversight, complex supply chains and pressure to keep projects moving make the sector a common target for fraud. Our construction fraud investigation services help developers, project owners, main contractors, lenders and insurers find out where money and materials are going, vet contractors before they are appointed and resolve disputes with evidence. As an international investigation firm headquartered in Dubai and backed by the 30+ years of GREVESGROUP®, we support construction clients in more than 100 countries.
Investigation Challenges in Construction
- Procurement fraud: bid rigging, kickbacks, split contracts and favoured suppliers
- Billing fraud: inflated progress claims, phantom labour and duplicate invoices
- Material theft and substitution: stolen steel, cable and fittings, and lower-grade materials used in place of specified ones
- Fake or front subcontractors owned by project staff or their relatives
- Contractor failure: firms that win work with low bids and then abandon projects
- Health and safety misrepresentation: false certifications and unlicensed workers
- Disputes and claims that need facts to support arbitration or settlement
Our Investigation Services for Construction
Corporate Investigation
Our project fraud investigations examine procurement files, payment records, site records and relationships between staff, contractors and suppliers. We investigate construction procurement fraud, bid rigging, collusive pricing, fake subcontractors and inflated claims, and document the findings for recovery, disciplinary action or criminal complaints.
Due Diligence
Contractor due diligence and subcontractor due diligence confirm that a firm is properly registered, owned by the people it claims, has the track record it presents and is not in financial trouble or litigation that threatens delivery. We also vet joint venture partners, consultants and suppliers, and check links between bidders that might indicate collusion.
Private Investigation
Our investigators investigate material theft on construction sites, identify where stolen materials are sold and conduct lawful surveillance and site visits to verify reported progress, workforce numbers and equipment on site.
Background Check
We screen project managers, procurement staff, quantity surveyors and site supervisors, and verify engineers' and consultants' qualifications and professional registrations.
Claim Investigation
For insurers and project owners, our construction claims investigations verify contractors' all-risk, property damage, theft and liability claims, checking the cause of loss, quantities and circumstances.
Process Service
When contractors abandon projects or disputes escalate, we serve notices, claims, arbitration documents and judgments internationally, and trace directors and parties who have moved.
IP Investigation
Architects, designers and manufacturers of building products use our IP investigations when designs, drawings or patented products are copied without permission.
Brand Protection
Counterfeit building products such as cables, fittings, sanitaryware and fire safety equipment are a safety risk. We trace counterfeit supply and support enforcement for building product brands.
Verifying Progress on the Ground
Payment certificates and progress reports are only as reliable as the people producing them. On large or remote projects, owners and lenders often rely on documents from parties with an interest in keeping payments flowing. Our independent site verification checks what has actually been built, what materials are on site, how many workers are present and whether equipment matches the claims. The findings give owners and lenders an objective basis for releasing, withholding or challenging payments.
Contractor Failure and Asset Recovery
When a contractor walks away from a project, owners are left with unfinished work, advance payments and unpaid subcontractors. Our investigators trace the contractor's directors and assets, identify related companies where money or equipment may have been moved, and support your lawyers in recovery actions, performance bond claims and litigation.
Collusion Between Bidders
Bid rigging is hard to see from inside a single tender. Bidders may appear independent while sharing owners, directors, addresses, bank accounts or key staff, or they may take turns winning with pre-agreed prices. Our investigators check the ownership and relationships behind competing bidders, compare pricing patterns across tenders and identify links to your own staff. Owners and public bodies use the findings to disqualify colluding bidders, re-tender packages and strengthen procurement controls.
Quality and Material Substitution
Using cheaper materials than those specified is one of the most damaging forms of construction fraud, because the problem is often hidden inside the structure. We investigate supply records, delivery notes and supplier relationships, and work with your engineers and testing laboratories to determine whether specified materials were supplied and installed. Findings support claims against contractors and suppliers, and help owners address safety risks early.
Organisations We Support
Real estate developers, government and private project owners, main contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, project finance lenders, construction insurers, and law firms handling construction disputes and arbitration.
Typical Engagements
The scenarios below are illustrative examples of the kind of work we carry out in this sector.
Inflated progress claims
A developer suspects its contractor is billing ahead of progress. Our site verification and document review show significant over-claiming on concrete and steelwork, supporting a renegotiation.
Front subcontractor
A contractor's internal audit flags one subcontractor receiving a large share of work. We find that it is owned by the spouse of a project director.
Contractor vetting
Before awarding a major package, a project owner asks us to vet three shortlisted bidders. One has a history of abandoned projects in another country and is excluded.
Material theft
Cable and copper losses on a large site are traced through local scrap dealers to a security subcontractor's staff.
Lender verification
A project finance lender asks us to verify a drawdown request on a remote hotel project. Site checks show work lagging the reported programme by several months, and the lender adjusts the release.
What You Receive
Reports with verified findings, site observations and photographs, ownership and relationship maps, evidence of fraud where found and recommendations for recovery and control improvements.
How We Work with Construction Clients
We work with owners' representatives, procurement, internal audit, legal and security teams. Engagements range from pre-award contractor checks to full fraud investigations and ongoing site verification during delivery.
Why Construction Clients Choose Risk Investigators
Site-level verification
Investigators who check what is actually on the ground.
Fraud pattern knowledge
Experience of the schemes that repeatedly affect construction projects.
Recovery support
Asset tracing and international process service when contractors fail.
Group experience
GREVESGROUP® has conducted investigations for more than 30 years.
Independence
Objective findings that owners, lenders and tribunals can rely on.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is construction fraud?
Construction fraud covers schemes such as bid rigging, kickbacks, inflated or duplicate invoices, phantom labour, material theft and substitution, and fake subcontractors owned by project staff.
How do you investigate construction procurement fraud?
We review procurement and payment records, analyse relationships between staff and suppliers, check links between bidders and conduct discreet enquiries and interviews.
What does contractor due diligence cover?
It covers registration, ownership, financial stability, litigation, project track record, reputation and any links to your staff or other bidders.
Can you verify construction progress independently?
Yes. Our investigators visit the site to verify what has been built, materials on site, workforce and equipment against the contractor's claims.
Do you investigate theft of materials from construction sites?
Yes. We identify how materials leave the site, who is involved and where they are sold.
Can you trace a contractor who abandoned a project?
Yes. We locate directors and assets and identify related companies to support recovery and legal action.
Do you investigate counterfeit building products?
Yes. We trace counterfeit cables, fittings and other building products and support enforcement for brand owners.
Can you check whether bidders are secretly connected?
Yes. We investigate ownership, directors, addresses, staff and financial links between bidders, and review pricing patterns, to identify possible collusion.
Do you support construction arbitration and disputes?
Yes. We gather facts on site conditions, delays, subcontractor relationships and the other party's assets and history, providing evidence and intelligence for counsel in construction arbitration and litigation.