We worked with a woman who called from Seattle. We know she contacted us because we are one of only a few investigative labs who can potentially identify the bad guy when we uncover a cell phone spy.
What we didn’t know, was that she was concerned about being embarrassed because some of the details we would discover in the cell phone forensics process. She was afraid we might find something that would put her in what she felt might be a disparaging light.
First, the case: The woman was an accounting assistant and she suspected one of the partners in the accounting firm she had formerly worked was stalking her. She suspected it while she was employed there and felt very uncomfortable. She ended up resigning her position, but a year later, she still felt he was stalking her. And she suspected she was being targeted and monitored through cell phone spying. It wasn’t just funny noises during her conversations, he would “just appear” places which would have been out of his way. So she thought he might be locating her through cell phone tracking. She said she felt like she was equipped with a GPS that he watched.
She knew through the cell phone forensics process we would find the cell phone spyware if it was there. She was also concerned because she knew the analyst looks at everything on the phone and that would include the “sexting” between her and her boyfriend. We knew that embarrassed her and it had probably prevented her from pursuing the cellular forensics earlier.
She’s correct, we do look at everything, but everything we find is all held in strict confidence and if it doesn’t pertain to what we are investigating –and isn’t illegal – we don’t pay attention to it or include it in any reports.
Embarrassment sometimes prevents people from contacting investigators for help. It shouldn’t. We are into facts and truth – not judgment!
In this case, the woman did learn she was being stalked – and that bit of knowledge, that truth, was much more valuable than the slight cost of her embarrassment.
-Brenda McGinley, CEO, All in Investigations, All in Investigations