Insurance Fraud Archives - Page 2 of 5

Virtual Currency and Bad Guys

Private investigators like consider staying on top of technology one of the requirements of the job. So when the bad guys start a trend of using a new technology, we are ready with investigative strategies to stay in step with them. We do a lot of computer investigation, forensic computer analysis and mobile phone forensics. In our experience, bad guys are trying to move money through services like Bitcoin. Many believe that transactions through these services are undetectable. While tracing the transactions takes extra skill and perseverance, they are not completely hidden. One example is that in order to get funds into the systems, the virtual currency has to actually be purchased. And purchases leave a paper trail. Computer forensics specialists, especially those who are [...]

So You Wanna Be a Private Eye

All you have to do is Google “become a private investigator” to find all sorts of blogs, books and sites dedicated to showing you how to become your own, self-employed private eye. Trouble is, most of the advice given to prospective investigators involves searching the Internet for leads and practicing following people without detection – and most of the “tips” are based on the old, outdated stereotypes. After decades in the business, knows there is a level of skill, knowledge and resources that separates the professionals from the wannabes. Professional investigators have specialists and experts on call: Personal asset search investigators Divorce asset investigators Child custody investigators Infidelity investigators Handwriting analysis experts Forensic examiners Computer forensics specialists Certified computer examiners Technical Surveillance Countermeasures experts Social [...]

Is it Stress or Is It Insurance Fraud?

By the time Hal met with , he looked downright exhausted, not to mention angry. Nothing in life had been easy since the situation at his company had spun out of control. By the way, “the situation” involved Hal's very successful real estate company and Gwen, his very difficult employee. Gwen was hired to be an administrative assistant after Hal explained that the role could be busy and stressful. Gwen had assured her new employer that she could very confidently complete all of the tasks. Hal was so impressed with Gwen that he did not follow through with the routine background investigation. Five months after Gwen's probationary period ended, she began to frequently call in sick. Her absences gradually increased to once or even twice [...]

Insurance Fraud Covers More Than a Falsified Slip and Fall Claim

We have all heard the horror stories about employees who scam the system and cost their employer lots of money by filing false claims and committing workers compensation fraud. But another very real issue involves dishonest business owners who scam coverage providers. And so, when insurance companies contact about insurance fraud, we move swiftly to resolve the problems. Because, for every day that a dishonest business owner gets away with this crime, everyone else is at risk, whether we're talking about financial loss for the insurance carrier or benefit loss for innocent employees. Crooked business owners illegally reduce the owed amounts of workman's compensation premiums by hiding behind fake companies. This practice can be difficult to discover since the business may even provide bogus accounting [...]

Caustic Employees May Be as Harmful as Theft in the Workplace

Ed and Georgia were extremely conservative business owners. Last year, they realized a long time dream. They expanded the square footage of their business, took on a couple of new projects and hired four new employees. But for some unknown reason, employee morale noticeably began to dwindle. Employees more frequently called in sick. Some actually left the company without providing clear reasons for why they were suddenly unhappy. On their own, Ed and Georgia tried to interview workers about the shift in attitude. But they were unsuccessful in getting to the root of the problem. Then in the community, Georgia heard a couple of negative rumors about their business. By that point, Ed and Georgia were more than concerned about the problem. They were panicked. [...]

Business Owners, Insurance Companies and Private Investigators Work Together to Eliminate Insurance Fraud

As our clients know, earned our excellent reputation because we are results oriented. Definitely, we think outside the box, approaching every case with a willingness to use whatever skills and resources necessary to gather evidence. Even the best of scam operators can't slide past our investigative tools since those tools and research skills are also mixed with persistence and the highest level of confidentiality. These facts about our agency bring insurance companies to our door. Recently a claims agent called because one of the business owners the company insures came to them with some concerns. He was certain that at least one of his employees was fraudulently collecting workers compensation benefits. But he had recently heard gossip about a second employee who was also drawing [...]

Get Answers to Your Questions and Resolve Your Suspicions with a Private Investigator

Sadly, it seems the general public is still uninformed about the many ways can assist them with answering questions and resolving conflict. Because of this, they face hardships and consequences that might have been avoided had they known more about exactly what we do. Private investigators today work with private individuals, attorneys, business owners, corporations and companies. The truth is that we do utilize surveillance equipment when one spouse suspects the other of marital infidelity. When our clients request it, we do use cameras and video recorders with zoom lenses and date and time stamps to provide proof of cheating spouses. But our careers have drastically changed with the times. Our methods of gathering information have evolved with technology. Although we still utilize the investigative [...]

Has the Resources to Follow Every Lead – Whichever Direction It Takes

When a property owner contacts the police to report that their boat has been stolen, most police departments follow procedure by sending an officer to investigate. The officer does his job, interviewing the victim, gathering information about the stolen property and filing a report. Unfortunately, many police departments are understaffed. Officers are already so busy with trying to control violent criminal activities that the report about a stolen boat usually won't be at the top of the priority list. But when the boat happens to be worth anywhere from $200,000 to $1 million, the insurance company covering the stolen boat will likely want more attention than the police department offers, especially if red flags signal potential insurance fraud. In that situation, insurance companies often seek [...]

Safeguard Your Portfolio. Don’t Invest without Due Diligence

It goes without saying that our present economy is tough. Actually, for a few years now, our economy has been a challenge. Sometimes when the going gets tough like this, many of us begin to question our past investment decisions. For example, some of us might begin to distrust the option of investing in the stock market, even if that is what we have spent years doing. When Americans feel anxious about financial stability, many change their investment behavior and seek out what appears to be most secure. And that answer, for many of us, is to invest in gold. Various institutions and individuals may view gold as an attractive option. After all, gold is known as the true currency of our country. But that [...]

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 [...]