Altia celebrates 20 years of FIT powering every UK police force

Altia celebrates 20 years of its Financial Investigation Toolkit

Altia is celebrating 20 years of its Financial Investigation Toolkit (FIT), which is now used by every UK police force.

Originally launched in 2005, FIT has evolved alongside the changing demands of financial investigations. Today, it helps investigators analyse complex financial data, identify suspicious activity and build stronger cases.

The technology now supports 297 organisations across 24 countries, including law enforcement, government agencies and other organisations tackling financial crime.

Two decades of supporting financial investigators

Altia developed FIT to make complex financial analysis faster and easier for investigators.

The Financial Investigation Toolkit converts electronic and paper-based financial information into a structured digital format. Investigators can then analyse the data, identify patterns and produce clear reports.

As a result, teams can spend less time carrying out repetitive manual analysis and more time focusing on the investigation itself.

Over the past 20 years, FIT has become a key part of financial investigation workflows across the UK.

Alongside every UK police force, organisations including Great Western Railway, the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit and West Sussex County Council use the software.

Helping teams analyse financial data faster

Financial investigations can involve large volumes of bank statements and transaction data.

Reviewing this information manually can take significant time. It can also make relationships and patterns harder to identify.

FIT helps investigators structure and analyse that information more efficiently. For example, teams can use the software to:

• Convert financial information into a format ready for analysis
• Review large volumes of transaction data
• Identify trends and suspicious activity
• Trace the movement of funds
• Compare financial information across an investigation
• Produce clear reports to support investigative findings

This gives investigators a clearer view of complex financial activity while reducing the amount of manual processing required.

For more on this process, explore our article on bank statement analysis and financial investigations.

Delivering measurable results

The impact of FIT extends beyond police forces.

In 2024, the South West London Fraud Partnership implemented FIT to automate elements of its financial analysis. The partnership subsequently reduced review times for tenancy fraud cases by up to 90%.

FIT has also supported investigations internationally.

More recently, Calgary Police Service used the software during an investigation that resulted in the recovery of more than $8 million in assets.

These examples show how effective financial analysis can help teams move from large volumes of raw information to actionable investigative findings.

Our article on turning disjointed data into actionable fraud intelligence explores this challenge in more detail.

Supporting the fight against financial crime

Financial crime continues to evolve. Therefore, investigators need tools that can help them work efficiently while maintaining control over their analysis.

FIT supports teams investigating fraud, money laundering and other forms of financial crime.

It can also support investigators using powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Read more about using FIT in POCA financial investigations.

By bringing financial information together in a structured environment, investigators can uncover connections that may be difficult to identify through manual analysis alone.

Huw Bristow, Chief Technology Officer at Altia, said:

“For two decades, FIT has been at the heart of law enforcement’s fight against financial crime.

“When we first developed the software, we wanted to empower investigators to work smarter, and today, seeing every UK police force depend on FIT is incredibly rewarding and we’re looking forward to increasing its use around the world.

“Its growth has been driven by one simple mission, helping the professionals on the front line uncover the truth faster and with greater confidence.”

From UK policing to international investigations

While FIT has established a strong presence across UK policing, its use now extends much further.

Organisations across 24 countries use the technology, reflecting the increasingly international nature of financial crime and asset tracing.

The same challenge often exists across different types of investigation: teams need to turn fragmented financial information into a clear picture of what happened and where money moved.

Financial analysis can also form part of a wider intelligence picture. Combining it with other investigative techniques can help teams uncover relationships between people, organisations, accounts and assets.

Read more about the role of OSINT and financial intelligence in economic crime.

The next chapter for FIT

Twenty years after its launch, the Financial Investigation Toolkit continues to support investigators tackling increasingly complex financial crime.

From local authorities investigating tenancy fraud to police teams tracing criminal assets, FIT helps turn financial data into useful investigative intelligence.

Altia will continue to develop FIT as the needs of financial investigators evolve. At the same time, the company plans to expand its use internationally and build on its presence across 24 countries.

After two decades of supporting financial investigations, the goal remains the same: help investigators uncover the truth faster and build stronger cases.

Explore the Financial Investigation Toolkit to discover how FIT can support financial investigations.