November 2013 - All in Investigations

TSCM Sweep Rounds Up the Bad Guys

Truth is the basis for fictional story lines, that’s for sure. was called in on a case by an attorney that had a female client who was being blackmailed. The blackmailer said he had video of her inside her apartment in a 28-floor building. He described the apartment and conversations held there in detail so she knew he had access. Immediately it was evident that technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) were called for. A TSCM sweep of the apartment was scheduled. Since both conversations and visual details were given, it was evident that covert surveillance and spy listening devices were present in some form or fashion. The target was eavesdropping devices and surveillance equipment. Using sophisticated counter surveillance equipment used for electronic bug detection, hidden wireless [...]

Nip Theft by Employees in the Bud

Theft by employees is a problem whether you own a business run out of an office or a retail establishment. It’s a felony and costs business – and consumers – a great deal of money every year. There are steps employers can take beginning with a thorough background check for new employees. It is not uncommon for big organizations to an HR due diligence checklist, but companies of all sizes should include a background check in their hiring process. This is especially true for key employees and those in vulnerable areas of the business. Employee embezzlement can have a debilitating impact on a small business. In fact, some businesses are not able to recover from such a loss and the subsequent cost of legal action. [...]

Is Your Life Worth a Due Diligence Investigation?

Matters of the heart collide with the head and we have been active in cases where one party at least is trying to approach a relationship with open eyes as well as an overflowing heart. In one International Investigator’s case, a man decided he want to check out the woman who had caught his eye. He saw it like the business transactions he handled every day and it called for a due diligence investigation. He’s correct. It is very similar to an HR due diligence checklist. What questions do you want to have answered before you commit? Our investigators worked with him to create a due diligence checklist of his own. He was honest and upfront with the woman he was dating and she gave [...]

RV TSCM Sweep Not a Joke

Comedy really is no laughing matter. No, it’s big business and people’s livelihoods. When a call came into from an attorney who said his client was a jokester, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. At first, we thought he was being sarcastic about something a client was asking him to do, but no, the client was a comedian – really. And he needed a bug detector. The comic was on the circuit travelling from gig to gig, living in an RV. He was being considered for a television production and was working really hard to build his book of jokes and skills on stage. All of a sudden, there was a competitor who was making jokes very similar to the new material he and [...]

Gone, But Computer Forensics Investigation Means He’s Not Forgotten – Or Forgiven!

It’s not unusual for a business owner to be so intent on running a business that they are taken by unscrupulous employees. received a call from an attorney who had a construction company owner as a client. We’d provided computer forensic consulting for other clients of his in the past. This client had called with what he said was a weird question. Apparently the construction company had a Vice President who had recently left the company – he resigned saying had had accepted a position in another company. The owner was sorry to lose him because he was grooming him to take over operations. Well, after he left, three of the jobs that had gone out for bid, which the owner thought were pretty much [...]

Forensic Examiner Resolves Case with Handwriting Analyst Investigation

We could hear someone sobbing in the background. The attorney on the phone said he was with a very distraught client and wondered if we thought could help. The client had fathered a child with a woman and she had died. They were engaged to be married and the little girl was the center of their lives, but the father wasn’t in a position at that moment to take custody of the child. So while he was getting a new life in order for him as a parent, he accepted the offer of her parents to take care of the baby. He’d done it all – moved, gotten a new job that paid more, arranged for daycare and had even set up a support network [...]

Car Arson – Insurance Fraud or Criminal Case? Could be Both

You would think calls to regarding car arson would be from an insurance company representative saying that arson was expected regarding a claim. But experienced investigators never jump to a conclusion – they listen to the whole story before moving forward. And since investigates so many different cases, they know there are many directions a call can go. This particular story began with the attorney representing the accused. Sure enough, the insurance company wanted to deny a claim because of arson and the municipal police investigating were supporting the District Attorney’s decision to prosecute the car owner for arson – with insurance fraud charges on top of that. There was no need to be concerned about getting the accused man’s cell phone, he was happy [...]

Vehicle Accident Investigation Reveals After-the-Fact Insurance

People buy insurance for all those unexpected happenings in life. But not all people have insurance in place when those events occur. And that can lead to problems – for a lot of people. The Natchez Democrat told the story of a man in Mississippi found himself in that latter group. He did not have insurance and hit a deer. He called a friend who encouraged him to get insurance immediately – and (here’s the rub) then claim the accident occurred after the policy was issued. So, that’s what he did. After getting the policy, the claim was submitted, which prompted a vehicle accident investigation. Sometimes it is not clear when gets called into a case whether it includes auto bodily injuries. But because our [...]

Monthly Archives: November 2013