April 2015 - All in Investigations

Not Even the Experts You Hire Can Catch Everything

In today's world, there is a lot of room for expertise. At , our expertise involves tracking down the truth and gathering facts to prove it. We do this confidentially and use highly sophisticated technology-based databases. Your expertise might also be in a specialized area. But the point is that we can't all be experts in all areas. For example, many business owners don't know everything there is to know about computers. That skill isn't a prerequisite to business ownership and is a big relief for many. Lots of company owners simply hire IT people to take care of everything related to computers. They don't worry about what they don't know since they are paying someone else to know. Much of the time, that strategy [...]

Intuition Speaks Loud and Clear When You Need an Investigator

The staff at would like to remind you of a couple of old sayings. Both are about intuition. One of the sayings goes something like, “If you wonder if you can trust a person, you already know you can't” and the other is, “If it feels wrong, it usually is.” There are countless ways these sayings can apply to your career. If you are an insurance provider and your client tells you that his house just suddenly burned to the ground, you might get the feeling that your client is being dishonest and you have uncovered a case of insurance fraud. There may be red flags that pop up as you discuss the incident like the house being empty while they were away for a [...]

Statistics Show Your Phone or Computer May Need Spyware Removal

More often than ever before, the public hears about the growing number of cell phones being compromised with mobile spy ware. Understandably, many Americans feel rather vulnerable to this possibility. There is worry that there is little to no privacy in today's world, that every move we make is possibly being tracked by our spouse or even our employer. Even if you aren't doing anything immoral or dishonest, it's still a negative feeling to wonder if you're being stalked through a cell phone spy. Before you just assume that you're feeling paranoid for no reason, pay attention to these recent statistics by Lockout, a mobile phone security company. When the company recently scanned Android phones, they discovered that surveillance-ware had unknowingly been installed on 24% [...]

Your Video May Prove Guilt to You, But Not in Court

Due to the constant flood of easily accessible technology, security cameras seem to be more plentiful than ever before: Many private residences now install security cameras around the exterior of their property. Business owners install cameras in work areas and building entrances. Parents with children often install surveillance equipment to keep tabs on the safety of their children with caregivers. Those constantly rolling cameras can often hold people accountable for bad behavior. But in the event of videotaping a suspected crime, people have a false security about their video skills. You might assume that you don't need the services of professionals like . After all you can do it yourself, right? After you read what goes into providing video evidence for court, you might just [...]

Is Your Work Environment Cultivating Theft by Employees?

Objectivity is the cornerstone to a private investigator’s work – and success in doing that work. As we discuss here at offices, uncovering the truth is based on facts. We don’t make judgments other than those that help us follow-up or lead us to conclusions to further an investigation. Good investigators are keen observers and study cause and effect as well as patterns and trends. In recognizing patterns we can anticipate what a subject might be likely to do and then be prepared. A good example is in the situation where we are contacted about possible theft by employees. By looking at the work environment we can often determine what kind of clues to look for. Theft in the workplace can include a variety of [...]

Investigators Provide Information and Evidence that Reduces Vulnerability in Divorce

Mary’s attorney contacted and explained that she was in the midst of a contentious high-stakes divorce proceeding. Several million dollars of her company's money was at stake. When Mary met with the investigator, she held nothing back. She said Steve, her soon-to-be ex, had never been the kind of guy to break a sweat. He worked menial jobs for a while, quit, and vacationed until Mary threatened him with divorce. And then the cycle started all over again. She was tired of it. For months, Steve had depleted joint bank accounts and had no explanation for what he did with the money. Mary surmised that he was hoarding as much cash as he could and he was hiding it because it was obvious – to [...]

Let a Business Asset Search Investigator Determine Whether You Can Get Blood From that Turnip

Have you ever heard the saying about getting blood out of a turnip? You know that you can’t squeeze anything out of a turnip that isn’t there. But there are businesses that try. When something goes amiss, say a client doesn’t pay their bill; or a competitor infringes on a proprietary idea or product; or a vendor doesn’t produce quality or the service you desire, owners and management might consider filing a lawsuit or seeking damages. That’s the way the legal system works and those reasons may be justified and right. But going to court and having a judge say you are right can be a huge mistake. If you are awarded a large settlement, it doesn’t matter – because if the other party has [...]

New Technology Adds to the Value of Digital Forensics

There are changes coming and, as usual, they have to do with technology. So you know that is seeing the application in our work. Besides keeping your smartphone in your pocket or purse at all times, people are beginning to track themselves in other ways like wearables, apps and even with products like Fitbit. Let’s talk about that. Fitbit syncs with your phone, tablet, laptop or desk top computer. So information from the Fitbit can be accessed and preserved as evidence by a forensic investigator using data mining software. In a landmark case in Calgary, Canada, Fitbit data was used as evidence to show the lasting effect of an accident on a victim. She had extensive historical records before and then after the accident to [...]

Computer Forensics SOP in High Profile Cases

Since the mid-1980s, computer forensics has been allowed in criminal court as evidence. It continues to be a highly important aspect of investigation. Pertaining to any type of legal evidence discovered on computers, this branch of digital forensics science is one of many ways that helps clients in their pursuit of the truth. Here are a few examples of how computer forensics experts helped to either solve cases or prosecute them: BTK Killer: A man named Dennis Rader began to send letters to police on floppy disks. A computer forensics investigation used data mining software to uncover Meta data within files that implicated Rader as the author. Forensic data recovery provided the evidence needed. He was indicted and charged with multiple murders conducted over a [...]

Monthly Archives: April 2015