Find the gap before someone uses it
Fraud Risk Audits in Mississippi
A fraud risk audit shows where money, inventory or data could leave your Mississippi business without anyone noticing. Delator Group tests vendor, payroll, cash and purchasing controls the way an investigator would exploit them, then gives owners and counsel a written report that ranks each weakness and explains how to close it.
- Controls tested, not just reviewed
- Written report ranked by exposure
- Audits start at $1,200
- $1,200+Audit starting price, written scope
- $100/hrStandard investigative rate
- WrittenScope and price before work starts
- 5.0Google rating (18 reviews)
Quick answer
What does a fraud risk audit cover for a Mississippi business?
It maps who can move money, approve vendors, change payroll and adjust inventory, then tests whether one person could do those things alone and hide it. Delator writes up each gap with its likely cost and a fix. Audits start at $1,200 under a written scope; see our Mississippi service pricing for the full schedule.
01The case for looking
Why Mississippi Owners Order an Audit Before a Loss
Most occupational fraud is found by accident: a bookkeeper goes on leave, a vendor calls about a late payment that was marked paid, or a bank flags a duplicate check. By then the loss has usually run for months. Fraud risk audits in Mississippi turn that around by testing the controls while nothing is known to be wrong. When a loss is already suspected, or a surprise cash count has already come up short, the work shifts to our employee theft investigations, which build evidence against a specific person.
Owners of family companies in Rankin, Lee and Lauderdale counties often trust a long-tenured office manager with everything from deposits to reconciliations. That trust is rarely misplaced, but it is not a control. A short audit lets the owner confirm the trust is earned, and it gives the lender or insurer a documented answer when they ask how cash is protected. Our wider business risk audit covers physical and operational exposure if the concern goes beyond money.
- One person handling deposits and reconciliation
- Vendors added without a second approval
- Payroll changes made by the person who runs payroll
- Inventory adjustments with no review
- Refunds, voids and credits nobody samples
02Scope
Vendors, Payroll, Cash and Inventory: What We Test
We start with the vendor master file, because shell vendors and inflated invoices account for a large share of payment fraud. Investigators compare vendor addresses, phone numbers and bank accounts against employee records and public filings with the Mississippi Secretary of State. A vendor that shares an address with a staff member, or was formed weeks before its first invoice, gets a closer look, and our business partner background checks can go deeper on its owners.
Payroll testing looks for employees who no longer work there, overtime that never matches time records, and direct-deposit changes that route two paychecks to one account. Cash and inventory testing samples voids, refunds, write-offs and shrink reports by location and shift. Each finding is tied to a document, not an impression. Where collusion between an insider and an outside party appears likely, the matter moves into a corporate collusion investigation with a separate written scope.
03State law
How Mississippi Law Treats Embezzlement and Related Fraud
Under Miss. Code Ann. § 97-23-19, as reproduced in the 2025 Mississippi Code, an employee who converts property entrusted to them through their position commits embezzlement. Secondary summaries of the statute describe value tiers: under $1,000 is generally a misdemeanor, while larger amounts are felonies with maximum sentences that rise at $5,000 and $25,000. Your attorney decides whether to refer a matter for prosecution, and our support for Mississippi attorneys is built around that decision.
Other statutes can apply depending on the scheme. Identity theft under § 97-19-85 covers false statements about identity or account numbers to obtain something of value, and workers' compensation fraud under § 71-3-69 is a felony punishable by up to three years. Insurance schemes, which our Mississippi insurance investigations also handle, fall to the Insurance Integrity Enforcement Bureau in the Attorney General's office under § 7-5-301. An audit does not accuse anyone; it records facts so counsel can choose a path. For civil recovery, our asset investigations help locate what was taken.
04Mississippi industries
Shipyards, Plants, Casinos and the Supply Chains Around Them
Mississippi's large employers pull hundreds of smaller suppliers into their orbit. Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula has been described as the state's largest private employer, and the Nissan assembly plant in Canton has operated since 2003. Their subcontractors in Jackson and Madison counties handle steel, parts, freight and staffing, and each of those relationships creates invoices that can be padded. Companies near the yards can reach our Jackson County investigators for on-site document review.
Gaming is a different exposure. A May 2026 Mississippi Business Journal report counted 26 casinos statewide, 12 of them on the Gulf Coast, operating under Mississippi Gaming Commission regulation. Delator audits internal theft, cash-cage collusion and vendor fraud risk for gaming-sector employers and their counsel; it does not perform the Commission's regulatory licensing investigations. Coast operators often pair this with our Harrison County investigation team and with workplace theft investigations when a specific loss is under review.
05People risk
Hiring, Access and the Employees Who Hold the Keys
Controls fail when the people holding them were never vetted. Part of the audit is a review of who has signing authority, bank portal access, vendor-setup rights and inventory system permissions, and whether any of them were hired without a background review. Where the owner wants that gap closed, our Mississippi employee background checks and executive hire screening can be scheduled alongside the audit, with consent and disclosure handled the way federal screening law requires.
Mississippi is an at-will employment state, but the Mississippi Supreme Court recognized in McArn v. Allied Bruce-Terminix (1993) that an employee fired for reporting or refusing to take part in an employer's illegal acts may sue. That matters during a fraud review. An employee who raises a concern should be treated as a source, not a suspect, and any discipline should follow counsel's advice. Our report flags where a decision needs a lawyer's review before anyone acts.
06Method
Interviews, Recordings and Keeping Findings Usable
Most audits include short interviews with the people who run each process. We ask them to walk through how a payment, a payroll change or an inventory adjustment actually happens, which often differs from the written policy. Mississippi generally allows a party to a conversation to record it under § 41-29-531(e), and our guide to Mississippi recording laws explains the limits. We tell interviewees how notes or recordings will be used, and we never pose as anyone else.
Every finding is logged with its source document, date and location so it can support an insurance claim, a civil suit or a referral. If the audit turns up evidence that points at a named person, we stop testing that area and ask counsel how to proceed, which keeps the evidence clean. Mississippi's general three-year limitation period in § 15-1-49 applies to many civil claims, so early, documented review protects options. Our corporate investigations practice takes over when a case needs to be built.
07Logistics
On-Site Testing Across the State, Supervised From Nashville
Delator has no Mississippi office. Leadership in Nashville plans each audit and assigns investigators to the client's sites, from Tupelo distribution yards to Natchez retailers and Hattiesburg medical offices. Records that can be shared securely are reviewed remotely first, which keeps billable field time down; site visits then focus on cash rooms, receiving docks and the places where paper becomes inventory. Clients near the capital usually start with our Hinds County investigators.
Owners should know Mississippi has no statewide licensing for private investigators, even though cities and counties may require a general business privilege license. Delator is a licensed Tennessee private investigation firm and applies Tennessee's standard to Mississippi work, including written scope, supervision and report review. Our guide on hiring an investigator where the state issues no license lists the questions an owner should ask, and our general risk management work handles the policy changes that follow an audit.
Services
Fraud Risk Audit Services in Mississippi
- Vendor master file reviewWe match vendor addresses, phones and bank accounts against staff records and Secretary of State filings to spot shell companies and conflicts.Learn more
- Payroll integrity testingTesting for departed employees still paid, overtime without time records and direct-deposit changes that route funds to a single account.Learn more
- Cash and refund samplingTargeted samples of voids, refunds, credits and deposit slips by location and shift, compared with bank records and point-of-sale reports.Learn more
- Inventory and shrink reviewReview of receiving, adjustments and write-offs at warehouses, yards and stores, with site visits to see how product actually moves.Learn more
- Access and authority mapA chart of who can sign, approve, pay and change records, showing where one person holds too many keys without review.Learn more
- Unannounced control checksSurprise cash counts and process walk-throughs that show how controls operate on an ordinary day, not on the day staff expect visitors.Learn more
- Key employee screeningConsent-based background reviews for people with signing authority or bank access, run to federal screening rules and documented for the file.Learn more
- Acquisition fraud exposureA focused fraud review of a target company's payments and vendors before closing, reported to the buyer and its counsel in writing.Learn more
- Counsel-directed reviewAudits run at the direction of the company's attorney when litigation, a claim or a referral is possible, with findings reported to counsel.Learn more
How it works
How a Fraud Risk Audit Works
- 01
Scoping call
Leadership learns how the business moves money and product, which sites matter and what triggered the request, then proposes a written scope and price. Nothing is billed until you approve it.
- 02
Records first
We review vendor lists, payroll registers, bank statements and inventory reports remotely, which narrows the site visits to the areas with real exposure. Most clients can send these as simple exports.
- 03
Site testing
Investigators visit cash rooms, receiving areas and offices, interview process owners and test controls against what the records show happens in practice. Visits are timed around shifts and deliveries.
- 04
Ranked report
You receive a written report ranking each weakness by likely cost, with the supporting documents and a practical fix for every gap found. Counsel receives a copy when requested.
Compare
Fraud Risk Audit vs. Fraud Investigation in Mississippi
| Question | Fraud risk audit | Fraud investigation |
|---|---|---|
| When it is used | No known loss, or a vague concern | A loss is suspected or confirmed |
| Focus | Controls and exposure | A specific scheme and person |
| Typical output | Ranked weakness report | Evidence file for counsel |
| Interviews | Process owners | Witnesses and, through counsel, the subject |
| Starting price | $1,200+ under a written scope | $100/hr, scope set in writing |
Statewide coverage
Fraud Risk Audits Across Mississippi
Delator assigns investigators to audits in all 82 Mississippi counties. Manufacturers and suppliers along the I-55 corridor often work with our Madison County team, north Mississippi distributors use our Lee County investigators, and Pine Belt employers reach us through our Forrest County coverage. Records review happens remotely wherever possible to keep travel costs down, and site visits are scheduled around shifts and receiving windows. Leadership in Nashville supervises every audit, and the scope, schedule and price are confirmed in writing first.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does a fraud risk audit cost in Mississippi?
Audits start at $1,200 for a defined scope, such as one location's vendor and payroll controls. Larger companies with several sites or a casino cage need more time, billed at $100 per hour and approved in writing before it is spent. There is no open-ended retainer. Our pricing page for Mississippi lists every published rate.
Is a fraud risk audit the same as a financial audit by a CPA?
No. A CPA audit gives an opinion on financial statements. A fraud risk audit asks how someone could steal and hide it, then tests those paths with records, site visits and interviews. Many clients share our report with their accountant, and the two pieces of work complement each other rather than overlap. We do not issue financial opinions.
What happens if the audit finds actual theft?
We stop testing that area and tell the owner and counsel what we found, with the documents behind it. Building a case against a person is a separate investigation with its own scope. Our Mississippi employee theft work covers that stage, including evidence preservation for a civil claim or a referral. Interviews of the subject go through counsel.
Is embezzlement a felony in Mississippi?
Often. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 97-23-19, secondary summaries describe amounts of $1,000 or more as felonies, with higher maximum sentences at $5,000 and $25,000, while smaller amounts are generally misdemeanors. Other statutes may apply to public funds or fiduciaries. A prosecutor decides charges, and your attorney can explain how the law fits your facts. Early documentation helps either way.
Can you audit a casino or gaming business?
Yes, for the employer's own purposes. We review internal theft, cash-handling collusion and vendor fraud risk for gaming-sector employers and their counsel. Regulatory licensing investigations are the Mississippi Gaming Commission's job, and we stay out of them. Tribal gaming operations raise separate jurisdiction questions that we confirm with counsel first. That keeps the roles clear.
Will employees know an audit is happening?
Process owners usually do, because we interview them. Some checks, such as surprise cash counts, are unannounced by design, and our unannounced audit service explains how those visits run. Owners decide what to disclose, and we recommend that any concern about a specific person be handled through counsel. Rumors spread quickly otherwise.
Do you need access to our accounting system?
Usually only exports: vendor lists, payroll registers, bank statements, inventory reports and user-permission lists. Read-only access works when exports are not practical. We never ask for passwords or for credentials that let us change records, and every file we receive is logged and returned or destroyed at the end under the written scope.
Can an audit help with an insurance claim for employee dishonesty?
It can support one. Crime and fidelity policies often require proof of loss and prompt notice, and a documented record of how the loss happened helps the claim. Read your policy's notice terms first, and coordinate with counsel. Our insurance investigations cover the claim side when a carrier is involved.
How long does an audit take?
A single-site business is often finished within a few weeks of receiving records, depending on how quickly exports arrive and how many sites need a visit. Multi-site companies take longer. The written scope lists the schedule, and we report progress to the owner at agreed points rather than going quiet until the end.
Does Delator have staff in Mississippi?
Delator has no Mississippi office. It is a licensed Tennessee private investigation firm, headquartered in Nashville, that assigns vetted, insured investigators to Mississippi audits and holds them to its Tennessee standard. Mississippi issues no statewide investigator license. You can reach leadership directly through our contact page. Most audits begin with a short scoping call.
Every service
Investigations available in Mississippi
Every service below is available in Mississippi and across Mississippi, run by the same Delator Group leadership that manages our Tennessee casework. Choose a service to read how it works in Mississippi.
Core services
Infidelity
Surveillance
Background checks
Corporate
Audits
Locates
Sensitive matters
Service areas
Private investigators across Mississippi
Counties we cover
More counties
Process serving
Delator Group is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Work in Mississippi is managed by Delator Group leadership; Photography: CHUTTERSNAP / Unsplash · William William / Unsplash · iSawRed / Unsplash. Last reviewed .
Delator Group Private Investigators
Test the controls before someone else does.
Tell Delator leadership how your business moves money and product. We will propose a written scope and price for a fraud risk audit before any work starts.
Delator Group Private Investigators · Nashville headquarters · Tennessee, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, Alaska and Mississippi
