July 2015 - All in Investigations

Handwriting Analyst Vindicates Parents’ Beliefs

Investigators are sought out during some of the more tumultuous and trying times in people’s lives. For instance, here at , we see… People who have lost touch with loved ones or want to find their birth parents Families in the midst of hostile divorces and contentious child custody cases People whose lives have been thrown into chaos by public accusations or acts of defamation Parents whose hearts are broken over the loss of a child, whether by their being missing or having died Once such set of parents were devastated by the death of their only son, Paul*. The circumstance was that Paul and his girlfriend had been found dead. The police determined that Paul had murdered his girlfriend and then committed suicide. His [...]

Legality of Digital Forensics Critical for Admissible Evidence

Right now there is a big controversy stewing regarding whether or not authorities have the right to seize computers at the borders of the United States. There is a “border search exception” regarding the seizure of physical objects from travelers and some say it should extend to computers. The final decision on the legality and practice of computer forensic analysis in that situation is still pending. What is not pending is that in order to conduct a computer forensic examination or a cell phone investigation, digital forensics firms or labs must have either the permission of the owner, a court order or subpoena for the device. That means that you cannot casually pick up someone’s phone, computer or tablet and bring it to a forensic [...]

Get to the Truth with Digital Forensics

You’ve probably heard by now that you can’t believe everything you see and hear on the Internet, right? But what happens when there is an image that is undeniably you or taken in your business or agency location that is being circulated? Case in point: A central Florida police department was the subject of a pornographic image that was being distributed via Twitter. Of course the police department released statements that it was a fake image, it created a PR problem. Through computer forensics it was determined that the image had been created using computer imaging software. What if it happens to YOU? Organizations can often get past the situation. Not as easy for individuals. When this sort of thing happens to private citizens, it [...]

Forensic Computer Analysis Can Uncover What’s Lurking Inside

Carrying cards instead of cash, well, it used to make us feel a bit safer. But no longer. Credit card theft has been a long-time problem, but now the thieves are using a new avenue and it puts businesses as well as consumers at risk. Several employees at the county courthouse in the northern Texas town of McKinney discovered that their credit card information had been compromised after they had had lunch at a local restaurant. The thief wasn’t an unscrupulous employee or patron who made purchases using their credit card information, it was a hacker. That’s right, a hacker got into the restaurant’s computer system and lifted the customer’s information. This is just part of an alarming trend in hackers infiltrating small business systems. [...]

Are You Being Proactive about Cyber Attacks in Your Small Business?

Small business owners have another growing trend to be concerned with in today’s online marketplace. Symantec reported that 30% of cyber attacks targeted small businesses. Not every cyber attack has to do with malicious threats or activities against a specific business or business owner. The fact is that some hackers simply want to cause a disruption for someone, somewhere. As forensics consultants, has seen a growing number of small business owners invest in computer forensic services as a regular expense of operations. This might fly in the face of what we talk about mostly – the use of spyware and malware to stalk or monitor the activities of others, but malware can also infect systems and networks and create complete upheaval – just for fun. [...]

: Where the Only Routine is Truth and Facts

Most, if not all of us, have experienced situations where we felt powerless. It’s not pleasant, by any means. Feeling like you have absolutely no control over a situation is difficult. But sometimes, even when we realize that we can’t change the outcome, we do occasionally identify a need and try to get that need met. Confused? Allow to share some examples about the variety of ways investigators assist our clients to get the best outcome possible: Money and Infidelity. Your spouse announces that he no longer loves you as a wife. He doesn’t want to be married to you anymore. And no, he isn’t cheating. He just simply wants a divorce. All people are different. You might accept that speech at face value, hire [...]

Solid Investigation Prevents Scammers from Bullying Victims

When Paul and his attorney came into the and shared his story, we were not exactly shocked. Like our staff, Paul is well aware of numerous scamming attempts made by criminals. Despite that knowledge, he found himself a victim. It all began on a congested city street one snowy afternoon around rush hour. Paul was startled by a loud thunk sound. He wondered if kids made his vehicle their target with a snowball filled with rocks, or if perhaps that sound was explained by a chunk of ice melting and falling away from the undercarriage. But then he noticed a female driving an older model car honking and waving in his direction. She motioned for him to roll his window down and insisted that he [...]

Protect Yourself with Some Aluminum Foil

We can smirk about the people convinced aliens are invading who wear tin foil hats and cover all their windows with foil, but I’m here to tell you that there are some instances when aluminum foil might be a really good friend. Now, this is not a silly or trivial matter. No, it’s serious and it has to do with your money – and your ability to keep it in your pocket. And here at , we believe that a pound of prevention is better than a gallon of cure. In recent years RFID (Radio Frequency ID) cards have been marketed to consumers as a tap and go solution to paying at restaurants and retailers. But of course, if there is a new “quick card” [...]

Mobile Phones Recording the Best – and Worst – in People

While bullying and harassing classmates has been a long-time problem, today’s technology is not only bringing situations into the light of day, but providing evidence that is admissible in court. It’s not a “rite of passage” anymore. It is a criminal offense and can mean jail time. Last year an autistic boy in Washington, D.C. was tormented by his “friends” at knifepoint. They even made a video of the incident. Just prior to that incident, on a cold Valentine’s Day, he was lured out onto an icy lake and fell through. The “friends” didn’t go to his aid. Instead, they used their phones to make a video of it. Luckily the boy was able to save himself. With the evidence on the phones, these “friends” [...]

Monthly Archives: July 2015