The Financial Crime Investigations Unit conducts investigations involving complex crimes such as embezzlement, false pretense and corporate malfeasance, elder financial abuse and other related crimes. The unit is heavily involved in political corruption investigations when a financial motive is involved.

The SBI has original jurisdiction for financial crimes that involve money or property belonging to or administered by the state of North Carolina. However, the large majority of financial crime cases are requested by district attorneys, sheriff’s departments and police departments.  These cases involve funds belonging to individuals, businesses or local governments.  

This unit assists local, state, and federal drug task forces to identify assets of drug traffickers, to trace the flow of illicit cash for criminal prosecution, and assists with asset seizure (such as a criminal's cash or property) and forfeiture proceedings.

The Financial Crimes Unit also helps locate and analyze bank accounts and other assets for drug investigations, seeks possible financial motives for homicide and arson investigations.

The unit assists other SBI special agents in financial crime investigation cases. Crimes include embezzlement, false pretense (lying to get someone else's money), corporate wrongdoing, and other financial crimes often known as white-collar crime.