Case Study: Exposing a Fraudulent UK Company and Recovering Stolen Goods

Client: Large European Manufacturer and Distribution Company

Service: Surveillance and Fraud Investigation

The Challenge

A long-standing European manufacturing client received what initially appeared to be a routine order from a UK-based company. The request was processed by a member of staff who arranged for goods to be shipped to the UK.

Midway through delivery, the driver was contacted and instructed to change the drop-off location. Believing the request was legitimate, he complied. The delivery was made but no payment followed. Almost immediately, a second order for £350,000 worth of goods was placed, with another lorry en route. At this point, the client realised something was seriously wrong.

The company was facing the real possibility of losing hundreds of thousands of pounds of stock and becoming the victim of a sophisticated cross-border fraud. They needed immediate intervention to prevent further loss and to recover what had already been stolen.

Our Approach

Conflict International was instructed at short notice and acted with urgency. Our strategy had three components:

• Protect the second delivery. We installed a GPS tracking device in the lorry already on its way to the UK.
• Deploy undercover surveillance. An operative was embedded in the cab alongside the driver to monitor instructions, contacts, and handovers.
• Investigate the UK company. Our team conducted rapid background research into the supposed customer, uncovering links to a known fraudster with a history of similar operations.

We also liaised directly with UK police, presenting them with intelligence on the suspected fraud. Given the scale of the attempted theft, the authorities agreed to collaborate with us in orchestrating a controlled response.

The Investigation

The following day, the driver received instructions to divert to yet another address. Our undercover operative documented the communications and confirmed the fraudulent nature of the request. At the new location, a sting operation was arranged in collaboration with law enforcement.

As the suspects attempted to take delivery of the goods, police moved in. Multiple individuals were arrested, and our team assisted in securing both the lorry and its cargo.

In addition to safeguarding the second delivery, we traced and recovered a significant proportion of the first shipment that had already been stolen. This was achieved through coordinated intelligence-sharing between Conflict International, local police, and logistics contacts.

The Outcome

The swift deployment of surveillance, combined with real-time intelligence gathering, prevented losses of approximately £350,000. The arrests disrupted a wider fraud network and provided law enforcement with evidence for prosecution. For our client, the outcome was not only the recovery of stolen goods but also the reassurance that decisive action had been taken to protect their reputation and financial interests.

Continuing Support

This case reinforced the need for proactive fraud detection in cross-border trade. Following the incident, the client strengthened its internal verification procedures with our guidance, introducing stricter checks on new customers and order amendments. Conflict International continues to provide advisory support and remains on standby to investigate any suspicious activity in their global operations.

By combining covert fieldwork, forensic research, and close cooperation with authorities, Conflict International demonstrated how complex frauds can be intercepted before they inflict catastrophic losses.