Chapter 1 Red Flags in Forensic Accounting and Investigation – An Introduction

Chapter 2 Material Business Changes

Chapter 3 Scale of Operations of a Company

Chapter 4 Complex Transaction Structures

Chapter 5 Predominance of Cash Transactions

Chapter 6 Registered Office of the Company

Chapter 7 Foreign Entity Connections and Potential Non-Compliance with FEMA

Chapter 8 Team Competency and Presence for Financial as well as Operations related matters

Chapter 9 Director Disqualification under Section 164(2) of the Companies Act, 2013

Chapter 10 Director Disqualification Due to Non-Filing of Financial Statements by Connected Entities

Chapter 11 Frequent Changes in Directors and Key Managerial Personnel

Chapter 12 Name Sake Directors

Chapter 13 Frequent Changes in Auditors and Auditor Independence

Chapter 14 Large Number of Related or Connected Entities

Chapter 15 Materially Adverse Information Identified through Public Domain Searches

Chapter 16 Promoters and Connected Entities Marked as Wilful Defaulters by Banks and Financial Institutions

Chapter 17 Corporate and Bank Guarantees Issued to Related Parties and Third Parties

Chapter 18 Unconfirmed Balances of Debtors, Creditors, Loans, and Advances

Chapter 19 High-Value Receipts and Payments during the Look-Back Period

Chapter 20 Legal and Professional Fees as a Potential Red Flag Indicator

Chapter 21 Kickbacks in Procurement Contracts

Chapter 22 Discrepancies Between Claims and Asset Values of the Corporate Debtor

Chapter 23 Non-Maintenance and Loss of Books and Records

Chapter 24 Weak Accounting Systems and Internal Controls

Chapter 25 Non-Registration and Non-Filing of GST/IT Returns

Chapter 26 Material Arbitration Proceedings

Chapter 27 Clean Audit Reports and the Need for an Avoidance Review

Chapter 28 Assets Featuring in the Balance Sheet without Proper Title

Chapter 29 Frequent Changes in Accounting Policies

Chapter 30 Incomplete Board Reports not in Line with the Companies Act, 2013

Chapter 31 Assets in Transit or Not Cleared from Port for a Significant Period of Time

Chapter 32 Assets Used by Other Entities on a Free of Cost or Lower-than-Market Charge Basis

Chapter 33 Significant Aging of Capital Work in Progress

Chapter 34 Significant Revaluation Reserves in the Balance Sheet

Chapter 35 Sale and Leaseback Transactions of Assets Pledged in Favor of Lenders

Chapter 36 Unauthorized Creation of Security Interests

Chapter 37 Assets Used for Personal Purposes of Promoters with Costs Borne by the Company

Chapter 38 Large Undervalued Asset Sales without Valuation Reports or Competitive Sale Process

Chapter 39 Incorporation of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and Transfer of Funds without Underlying Business Purpose

Chapter 40 Significant Investments in Partnership Firms and Other Unincorporated Entities

Chapter 41 Indian Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Subject to Strike Off and Loss of Trail of Funds

Chapter 42 Foreign Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Closed without Notice to Lenders and Loss of Fund Traceability

Chapter 43 Creation of Assets Abroad and in Related Entities

Chapter 44 Sale or Transfer of Key Revenue-Earning Business Divisions

Chapter 45 Shares of Investee Entities Purchased as Investments at Exorbitant or Unjustified Premiums

Chapter 46 No Returns on Investments in Terms of Dividends or Refund of Capital Even after Long Periods

Chapter 47 Large Value Investments Extinguished or Written off and Recorded as Losses without Proper Rationale, Leading to Erosion of Net Worth

Chapter 48 Shareholding Dilution by Fraudulent and Collusive Rights Issue Process and Relinquishments in Investee Companies

Chapter 49 Variances Between Stock Reporting to Lenders and Books of Accounts

Chapter 50 Sale of Inventory Other than in the Normal Course of Business

Chapter 51 Large Sales Returns to Certain Operational Creditors to Enable Preferential Payments for Current Transactions in the Ordinary Course of Business

Chapter 52 Inflated Stock and Book Debts Reporting without Underlying Inventory

Chapter 53 Customer Master Data is Not Maintained Properly and is Incomplete

Chapter 54 Fraudulent Accounting and Reporting of Sales and Inflation of Receivables

Chapter 55 High Value Discounts Offered to Some Customers and Not to Others

Chapter 56 Collections Routed Through Non-Authorized Bank Accounts or Received in Cash

Chapter 57 Customer Payments are Made Directly to Vendors/ Promoters and Receivable Balances are Not Reconciled

Chapter 58 Significant Aging of Receivables Balances

Chapter 59 Assignment of Receivables to Third Parties/Related Parties

Chapter 60 Large Receivables Extinguished/Written off and Recorded as Losses without Proper Rationale/Legal Efforts and Eroding the Net Worth

Chapter 61 Fictitious Bank Receipts (In Bank Book but Not in Bank Statements)

Chapter 62 Sudden Increase in Unbilled Revenue

Chapter 63 Receivables Written off on the Basis of Arbitral Awards

Chapter 64 Audit Qualifications on Revenue Recognition, Inability to Obtain Balance Confirmations

Chapter 65 Inflated Book Debts Reporting to Bankers Not Reconciled to Books of Accounts

Chapter 66 Presence of a High Number of Bank Accounts and Inter-Se Movement of Funds

Chapter 67 Diversion of Funds to Parties Other than Normal Business Payees

Chapter 68 Round Tripping of Funds Between Various Cash Credit Accounts Held with Different Bankers to Enhance Debit and Credit Summations of Bank Accounts

Chapter 69 Fund Movements Not through Designated Consortium Accounts

Chapter 70 Loans and Advances given without any Agreements and Legal Recourse

Chapter 71 Loans to Directors/Entities for No Business Purpose and Includes Related/Connected Entities

Chapter 72 Significant Aging of Loan Balances

Chapter 73 Loans and Advances on an Interest-Free Basis Although Interest is Paid by the Company

Chapter 74 Large Value Loans and Advances Written off without any Legal Recourse/Attempts to Collect and Eroding the Net Worth

Chapter 75 Loans and Advances Outstanding in Entities which are under “Strike-off” as per MCA Records and No Proceedings are Stated as Possible

Chapter 76 Share Capital Not Received by Bank Funds Process but by Adjustment Entries

Chapter 77 Return of Allotment Not Filed or Filed with Wrong Facts and Figures

Chapter 78 Exorbitant Share Premium from Investor Companies Not through Bank Sources and/or Diverted Back later

Chapter 79 Shareholding in the CD is Fictitious — the Investor-Shareholders have themselves Extinguished the Investments in their Balance Sheets

Chapter 80 Company Funds have been used to Purchase Shares of the Company by Directors

Chapter 81 Loans Recorded by Mere Book Entries without Corresponding Bank Inflows — Preference/ Fraudulent

Chapter 82 Round Tripping Loans Received, diverted to Other Group/Connected Entities without any Business Purpose — Diversion of Funds

Chapter 83 Loans taken without No Objection from Existing Lenders and Security Interest Created thereon

Chapter 84 Unsecured Loan becomes a Secured Loan without New Value

Chapter 85 Loans Stated as Received in Cash

Chapter 86 Certain Loans Settled in Priority over some Other Loans

Chapter 87 Loans Received at Exorbitant Rates of Interest or Security Created and Purchases on Credit at Exorbitant Prices

Chapter 88 Loan Agreement Stated as Secured Loan by Unregistered Memorandum of Deposit of Title Deed (MoDTD) and Ante-Dated Transactions

Chapter 89 Where Loans have been Recognized due to Invocation of Bank Guarantees (BGs), where such BGs did Not Reflect Genuine Business Transactions

Chapter 90 Security Interests and Claims Recognized on Basis of Award by Court or Tribunal

Chapter 91 Conversion of Unsecured Loan to Secured Loans in Order to Defraud other Secured Creditors Impacting the Waterfall Mechanism under Section 53 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

Chapter 92 Fictitious Purchases of Goods and Services and Consequent Liabilities and Losses

Chapter 93 Transactions Especially with Related Parties Not on an Arms-Length Basis

Chapter 94 Significant Aging of Payables Balances

Chapter 95 High Value Sole Selling or Purchase Agents and/or Related Parties

Chapter 96 Creditors Settled Directly by Customers but still Showing as Outstanding both for Receivables and Payables

Chapter 97 LCs Issued for Local Trade Related Party Transactions without Underlying Trade Transactions

Chapter 98 Significant Reduction in the Stake of Promoter/ Director or Increase in the Encumbered Shares of Promoter/Director

Chapter 99 Resignation of the Key Personnel and Frequent Changes in the Management

Chapter 100 Increase in Borrowings, Despite Huge Cash and Cash Equivalents in the Borrower's Balance Sheet

Chapter 101 Claims Not Acknowledged as Debt High

Chapter 102 Large Number of Transactions with Inter-Connected Companies and large Outstanding from such Companies

Chapter 103 Fictitious Bank Receipts in Bank Books

Chapter 104 Exorbitant Share Premium from Investor Companies

Chapter 105 Share Capital Contributions Not through Bank Channels

Chapter 106 Inflated Stock and Book Debts Reporting

Chapter 107 Hidden Dangers in Corporate Financial Statements — A Comprehensive Analysis of Red Flags