Bond Rees Reports 27% Rise in Corporate Investigation Enquiries as UK Businesses Confront Threats From Within

London, 07 Nov 2026 – Bond Rees, the UK private investigation agency, has recorded a 27% rise in corporate investigation enquiries over the past 11 months, driven by businesses facing threats from inside their own organisations. The firm is handling more cases involving employee theft, sensitive data breaches, stolen company assets, intellectual property theft, breach of fiduciary duty, surveillance of suspect employees, and boardroom and office bug sweeps.

The rise mirrors wider evidence that the insider threat is growing. Mimecast’s 2026 State of Human Risk Report, which surveyed 2,500 IT and security decision makers across nine countries, including 300 in the UK, found that 42% of organisations saw an increase in malicious insider incidents over the past year. That figure stood at 33% in 2024. The same study put the average cost of an insider-driven incident at $13.1 million, and two-thirds of respondents expect insider-related data loss to rise over the next 12 months.

The pattern is visible in UK regulatory data too. Analysis of Information Commissioner’s Office figures by law firm Nockolds found that reported breaches of employee data reached 3,872 in 2025, the highest level since comparable records began in 2019. Non-cyber incidents, such as lost devices, misplaced paperwork and documents sent to the wrong person, rose by 15% to 2,304.

Enquiries to Bond Rees are coming mainly from five sectors: retail, finance, law, healthcare and education. Each handles valuable stock, money, confidential client information or sensitive personal data, and each relies on trusting staff with it.

“A 27% rise tells us something has shifted,” said Aaron Bond, Founder of Bond Rees. “Firewalls and software keep outsiders out, but they can’t tell you why stock keeps disappearing, how a competitor got hold of your client list, or who has been listening in on your board meetings. Those are people problems, and they need properly gathered evidence. Our job is to establish the facts discreetly and lawfully, so employers can act on evidence rather than suspicion.”

Bond Rees’ corporate investigation services include:

• Employee theft investigations – stock loss, till and refund fraud, and misuse of company funds
• Sensitive data breach investigations – identifying how confidential information left the business and who was responsible
• Tracing stolen company assets – locating and helping recover equipment, vehicles and other property
• Boardroom and office bug sweeps – technical surveillance counter-measures (TSCM) to detect hidden listening and recording devices
• Company IP theft investigations – client lists, pricing, designs and proprietary methods taken by current or former staff
• Breach of fiduciary duty – directors and senior staff acting against the company’s interests, including undisclosed conflicts and diverted contracts
• Surveillance of suspect employees – lawful, proportionate surveillance in cases such as suspected false sickness absence or working for a competitor

Investigations are carried out discreetly, with evidence gathered to a standard that supports disciplinary hearings, employment tribunals and civil or criminal proceedings.

Businesses concerned about threats from within can contact Bond Rees for a confidential consultation.

About Bond Rees

Bond Rees is a leading private investigation agency with nationwide coverage across the United Kingdom. The company has built its reputation on discreet, professional and cost-effective investigative services, and its commitment to efficient, results-driven investigations has made it one of the UK’s premier private investigation agencies.

Media contact

Aaron Bond
0800 773 4931
[email protected]