Fraud investigations often begin quietly, with a letter, a request for documents or a restraint order, long before any arrest. What you say and provide at that stage shapes the case.
LP Evans defends fraud and financial crime allegations brought by HMRC, the Crown Prosecution Service, local authorities and private prosecutors. These cases are won or lost on the documents, so we start by understanding the money, the paperwork and what each person knew.
We attend interviews under caution, deal with search warrants and restraint orders, and build the defence with forensic experts and counsel. Cases range from a single bank or benefit fraud to multi-handed trials worth millions of pounds.
What we handle
- HMRC criminal investigations
- VAT and MTIC fraud
- Bank, mortgage and insurance fraud
- Money laundering
- Cash seizures
- Investigations by local authorities and private prosecutors
- Interviews under caution and restraint orders
Specific allegations
- Money Laundering
Defending money laundering allegations, account freezing and cash seizures under the Proceeds of Crime Act. - VAT and MTIC Fraud
Defending VAT fraud and Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud investigated by HMRC.
If you are under investigation or have been arrested
What to do first
- Do not reply to HMRC or the police about the allegation until you have taken advice.
- Do not delete, alter or move any document, message or file.
- If officers arrive with a warrant, ask for a solicitor and do not answer questions.
- Call us before you agree a date for interview.
Call 07501 792925, 24 hours a day.
How a case runs, and where we come in
- 1First contact
A letter, a request for documents, a visit or a dawn search with arrests.
- 2Interview under caution
We advise beforehand and attend with you.
- 3Evidence and disclosure
We work through bank records, accounts and telephone data, with forensic experts where needed.
- 4Charge and trial
We challenge the prosecution case and prepare the defence.
- 5Outcome
Including any confiscation proceedings that follow a conviction.
Why LP Evans
A document-led defence
We work through bank records, accounts and telephone data in detail, with forensic experts where needed.
Experience of complex prosecutions
Published matters include a timeshare fraud prosecuted by three agencies and a £6 million conspiracy to cheat the public revenue.
Quick action on frozen assets
We act at once on restraint orders and account freezing to limit their effect.
Selected results
- R v G (2009)Bank fraud, nine co-defendants, conspiracy to steal and false accounting, involving voluminous accounting and telephone data. Acquittal secured.
- R v S (2012)Bank fraud involving forensic analysis of banking documents, transactions and mobile phone data, with substantive disclosure issues. Acquittal secured.
Taken from matters the firm has published. Every case turns on its own facts and past results are not a guarantee of any particular outcome.
Questions people ask
I have received a letter from HMRC. What should I do?
Do not reply about the allegation until you have taken advice. What you say can be used in evidence.
Can my bank accounts be frozen?
Yes. A restraint order under the Proceeds of Crime Act can freeze assets during an investigation. Early advice can limit the effect.
Can the authorities take my phone and computer?
They can seize devices and records under a search warrant. We advise on what must be handed over and what is privileged.
How long does a fraud investigation take?
There is no fixed limit. Complex cases often take months or longer, which is why early advice matters.