July 2014 - All in Investigations

Social Media Posts Lead to Proof of Insurance Fraud

When was contacted by an insurance company, we were asked to find a missing Maserati. Their customer had filed a claim, stating that this very expensive vehicle had been stolen right out of his garage. But the insurance company saw several red flags in the claim. The claims adjuster discovered the claimant was experiencing serious financial problems and suspected the claim was filed in an effort to get some quick cash. Experience by the teams has shown that people like to brag and show off material belongings and sometimes, illegal antics. And our investigators know what techniques to employ in pursuit of insurance fraud. Immediately we began a background investigation accessing data bases restricted to only the highest levels of investigative teams. We also conducted [...]

Stay in Step with Advances in Technology

Like nearly every other career across the globe, the field of private investigation has been greatly affected by technology. In most instances, those changes are all positive. Though still see cases where surveillance is necessary, we also see more and more clients with a need for our technological expertise. We are highly skilled in the areas of digital forensics. Because we stay informed about every new step taken in the world of technology, we provide an amazing skill set for gathering information and truth. To offer you a more detailed description of how swiftly technology is changing the world, we offer the results of a social experiment conducted by a journalist named Adam Penenberg. When he wrote an article for Forbes 14 years ago, Penenberg [...]

Effective Investigators Keep Wide Array of Resources at Their Fingertips

Once viewed as rather mysterious types who hide behind binoculars and frequently conduct dumpster dives for clues, private investigators have finally made their professional presence in the world. The truth is that private investigators have always been persistent, highly professional and intuitive in their quest for the truth. But now, we add technological advancements, such as digital forensics. Well-informed professionals, such as business owners, attorneys and government officials are educated about the impressive skill set offered by . Our list of clients and referral sources has changed right along with the old stereotypes. As necessary, we provide skills from “yesterday's investigations,” such as surveillance and the face-to-face interviews necessary to gather information. We add new skills, such as digital forensics, social media engineering and research [...]

Insubordinate Professional Behavior Calls for Investigation

Unfortunately, some people bend rules or arrogantly break them. Insubordinate ways may be born out of a false belief that they will never be caught. Sometimes, people don't believe that rules apply to them. This was true of a case involving a police captain and one of his employees. For months, rumors floated through the department and the community about the married captain, who was supposedly romantically involved with a married employee from the administrative office. An investigation was not about an extramarital affair. The client was not intent on finding an unfaithful husband. No, if the rumors were proven true, this activity was grounds for termination. Additional gossip accused the love birds of engaging in intimate behavior behind the captain's closed office door, on [...]

Traditional and Cutting Edge Investigative Techniques Required in Today’s Investigations

When you think about the various ways that some people lie, cheat and steal, certain activities make you immediately decide that a private investigator should be involved. Two examples … When one spouse sees signs of infidelity and suspects an extramarital affair, most of us think about a private investigator. We also think about hiring a private investigator when a business owner suspects his employee of faking a job-related injury and committing workers compensation fraud. But the client base at continues to broaden. We are not limited to certain scenarios where private investigators would be suggested. And so, when a well known company for designer sunglasses suspected a black market traitor in their midst, they contacted the police. But they also hired private investigators. Knowing [...]

Private Investigators Combine New with Old Investigative Skills

Have you ever heard a person who has all kinds of abilities be described as a “Jack of all trades?” That term very closely describes the skill set of a private investigator. The only correction is that more women than ever before are now entering this field, so we are careful not to describe our profession in a gender- specific manner. The point is that both male and female private investigators bring amazing skills and abilities to this career and to their clients. Private investigators must be logical thinkers. They must be detail oriented, fast on their feet and willing to be in potentially dangerous situations. Observational skills are also important in this job. None of this is new, of course. The role of a [...]

There are Many Facets to Investigations Surrounding Divorce

Sadly, our society is far too familiar with the end of marriages. Divorce rates in this country tell us that more than half of all unions will result in divorce. No matter how unhappy they might be spouses often suffer as they struggle to disengage. Their families, too, experience emotional pain and loss when a couple calls it quits. Some spouses, however, are so committed to saving a rocky commitment that they will try every avenue before they finally give up. Very often, marital infidelity is that last straw for knowing when to throw in the towel. Our team at provides clients with the highest level of confidentiality and sensitivity. When we are hired to prove their instincts about a cheating spouse wrong or right, [...]

Investigators have to Follow the Path Where the Leads Take Them

Long before the attorney called to officially secure services with , his client had decided to part ways with his business partner. From the ground floor, their business had been built with good intentions. But as the business flourished and became more lucrative, his client began to see that his partner no longer offered 50% of the elbow grease. Though he could not prove it, the client also began to suspect that his partner might be stealing from the business, both in cash and assets. So when the attorney’s client announced his intention to part ways immediately, he only voiced his wish to buy out his partner's share. Unfortunately, the partner's attitude was anything but understanding. As the months wore on, the client began to [...]

Experience, Expertise and Cutting Edge Technology Provide Investigative Best Practices

When Ken and Sonya entered the door at with their attorney, they were frustrated and felt very helpless. Their problem had been going on for several weeks. They had reached out to legal authorities but got few answers. As many successful business owners do, this couple had purchased real estate in various locations across the country. Most of what they owned was within driving distance of where they lived in the United States, but they also had homes in locations where they enjoyed vacationing. They had purchased a relatively large estate last year in a sunny vacation resort area. Soon after purchasing the property, they hired an individual to oversee the property. They had planned to make the trip at least twice each year, but [...]

Due Diligence Investigations are Worth the Time and Money

When we were initially contacted by a manufacturer in China, we were asked to investigate one of his customers that operate a business within driving distance of one of our offices in the United States. The manufacturer was understandably irate. Over the last decade, he had been contracted by this entrepreneur to manufacture some products. He had been paid for every other order. And that was why, even though the last order involved a lot more money, the manufacturer followed through, trusting the relationship he had previously established with this particular business owner. He had felt that the questions of due diligence had been sufficiently answered through his previous experience. When phone calls and emails reached nothing but dead ends, the manufacturer made two trips [...]

Monthly Archives: July 2014