November 2012 - All in Investigations

Covert Surveillance and Spy Listening Devices are Rooted Out in Bug Sweeps

The other day, I was thinking about all the people who call to ask us to install phone tapping equipment or put a mobile phone tap on a cell phone to find out the truth about someone or some situation. We won’t do that because it’s illegal, but there are other ways that are legal to get the information they want – or find out how others are getting information they shouldn’t have. One thing we often remind clients is that a cell phone is a computer. While someone may be suspicious about the activity on a spouse’s/girlfriend’s/boyfriend’s/co-worker’s phone, the user could simply be playing a game, checking a bank balance, transferring money, or even entering what they ate into an app they’re using to [...]

Cell Phone Forensics Provides Relief to this Husband

A very distraught man contacted recently asking if we could do a mobile phone forensics analysis. He’d been married 19 years and his wife was acting “funny.” How? He had a list: She was whispering on her cell phone She was keeping her cell phone in her pocket or purse or somewhere close to her at all times She was texting – something she didn’t normally do a lot She would get a call and walk away or out of the room to talk He confronted her, thinking she was having an extramarital affair. She denied it, but he was not convinced. He had tried to get text data from the carrier, but learned he was not able to get that information without a subpoena. [...]

Divorce can Linger, Especially When it Comes to Hidden or Missing Assets

Many states, including Indiana, have a statute of limitations in regard to assets in divorce. So when the divorce decree is signed and spouses become ex-spouses, there is a chance the divorce is not completely final. was contacted by an ex-wife because she suspected her ex-husband of withholding significant assets during the divorce proceedings. How did she know? Here’s her story: The couple owned a home during their marriage and it was not very well maintained. When they divorced, both reported that they could not afford to keep the home on their individual incomes, so the home was to be sold. Once the real estate agent came through, there were several repairs that had to be made prior to listing it. The judge decided during [...]

Cellular Phone Forensics Mapping Cell Tower Locations Results in Confession

Aren’t cell phones wonderful things? Young people may not realize the freedom and connectivity that we older folks know a cell phone provides. We remember having to wait until we got home to make or return a call. Or how many husbands were really out on a limb when they got to the grocery store and they were out of a specific brand of vanilla his wife said to get. Life is so different. Not only is life for the average Joe and Jane different, the way the authorities and police operate is different as well. Forensic phone analysis is a critical weapon in the crime-fighting arsenal. For instance, putting together the pieces of the puzzle in the murder of a teenage girl centered on [...]

Not Even Cheating Spouses Want to be the Victim of Cell Phone Spyware

I’ve talked several times about the fact that when clients come to , we provide objective facts and information and that often, we don’t know why the information is being requested or how it will be used. We are asked to uncover facts and that is what we do even when it involves cellphone spyware. Many times when a client hands us a phone or mobile device and asks us to perform a forensic analysis, it is because they are afraid someone is stalking them or trying to obtain information of some sort from them – be it of a personal nature or in regard to their professional life or business. In essence, they believe there might be spyware on their cell phones. Another common [...]

Due Diligence is Especially Important in International Transactions

The culture in the business world varies from country to country. And that can be like navigating a mine field, which is why it is important to conduct due diligence investigation. When businesses outside the United States have a potential acquisition, merger or wish to start up or partner with a business inside the United States, they contact and we begin with a due diligence checklist to identify any serious problems with: Ethics, Reputation, Product failures, Employee morale, Union problems Financial viability, Consumer complaints, Negative publications, Civil litigation or Pending government or law enforcement investigations. Often, business transactions cover the financial aspects of the businesses and the deal. However, that’s not the sort of due diligence services that is completed by as you can see [...]

Know Who Comes Into Your Home or Business to Prevent the Installation of Listening Devices

Ahh, physical access to your home or business; bad guys love that and you might never even realize that you opened the door and invited them in. Here at we have seen so many things over the years and while technology moves on creating more spy listening devices, we have to add them to the list instead of replacing old with the new. The field of technical counter surveillance measures just expands. Our experience in Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) has shown us that access to your home or business opens up a wide array of spy surveillance options for bad guys. During TSCM sweeps we have uncovered many spy devices, including: A bug in a strip outlet, a clock, a radio or any other appliance [...]

Missing Persons Case Ends in a Bit of a Surprise

We are used to being the last resort. It kind of comes with the missing persons investigations territory. It doesn't apply to all cases where we are asked to find a missing person, but many. was hired by an insurance company to try to locate a missing person who was the heir to the estate of a man who died at the age of 85. He had never married and had had one sibling – a sister – and an older sister at that. Both his parents were long deceased and there was no record of his having any contact with his sister for over 40 years. The last information provided to the missing persons investigator was that she had moved to California – somewhere. [...]

Attorneys Can’t be Experts in Everything Including Hidden Asset Investigation

Here at we work with a lot of attorneys. One thing we can say is that most every attorney we work with wants to do the best job they can for their clients. And they know that they aren’t an expert on every situation that is brought to them – they can’t be because the world is such a broad and diverse place. If an attorney wants to be the best, they have to access all the resources available and many times, what they need is more than the limited resources they have available in-house. Yes, they have libraries and some research staff, but we know we can add immensely to their information to best represent their client. Many of their searches involve asset investigations [...]

Monthly Archives: November 2012