due diligence research Archives - All in Investigations

Know Exactly Who is Behind Investment Before Sending Money

After working in a manufacturing plant for too many years to count, Roger retired from his job and went home, hoping to live at least a little bit of the good life. But he didn't realize that living on a fixed income would be such a challenge. And so, when an incredible investment opportunity was advertised on television, Roger immediately wired ten grand to the source. Then he sat back to dream for a few weeks while his money grew. After all, the guy on the advertisement promised that every investor would at least double their money. In fact in some instances, investors had a great chance to even triple their investment. Roger never considered the legitimacy of the offer. He had never made such [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Background Check Services Save You Time and Worry

Few of us get the chance to dawdle these days. Whether we want to be or not, we are forced into fifth gear. We are busy doing, being, achieving. When we feel so over extended, we tend to make quick decisions and we can sometimes be rather careless about our choices. We neglect to conduct due diligence. None of this is intentional, of course. It is merely human nature. But there is a big down side to avoiding due diligence efforts , even though it is completely unintentional. When you're tired and stressed, mistakes and poor decisions are much more possible, even for the most level headed person. In some instances, though, you can call on an ally to help – a private investigator. With [...]

Before You Jump into a Great Investment or Agree to a Short-term Loan to a Friend, Confirm the Truth through a Due Diligence Investigation

As professionals, we tend to see the more negative side of life. But we don’t exactly consider that to be a negative trait. Because we question everything and tend to dig far past the usual surface, can very often smell a rat where no one else would believe it to be true. We approach with caution. We get the facts. And then we make a professional assessment. According to a recent survey conducted by FINRA Investor Education Foundation Report, at least 80% of Americans have been solicited at least once in their lifetime by scam artists. We can skillfully sniff out the scammers with due diligence and background investigation skills. If you are considering an investment of any sort, conduct a due diligence investigation, especially [...]

Make Smart Choices: Due Diligence or Hidden Assets in Divorce

Private investigators are not relationship counselors – we are fact finders. The main mission of is to provide clients with solid facts and information they need to make informed and smart decisions. We get calls from clients and attorneys during divorce proceedings, especially when a hidden bit of information surfaces like accounts that were not known to both parties or debts that had been hidden. Hiding money in a divorce often begins with hiding money in a marriage. A hidden account investigator begins an asset investigation with a statewide asset search and then a nationwide asset search. We look for: Hidden bank accounts Hidden retirement funds Hidden off shore accounts We try to locate stocks and bonds and other missing assets. But that is all [...]

Weigh Benefits and Risks with Data from Due Diligence Investigations

Being is business for yourself is a risky proposition. There are so many unknowns being juggled that you never know when a great idea starts to go south. That means when you make a business decision, you have to consider both the benefits and risks of your decision. In some cases, the best way to be sure is to conduct due diligence investigations. Due diligence for potential international partnerships Nowhere can this be more important than in the course of creating an international partnership. The due diligence process in this case not only looks at the principles of the potential partner company, but also the relationships with government officials and offices and the culture of the area in the world the potential partnering company is [...]

Nip Theft by Employees in the Bud

Theft by employees is a problem whether you own a business run out of an office or a retail establishment. It’s a felony and costs business – and consumers – a great deal of money every year. There are steps employers can take beginning with a thorough background check for new employees. It is not uncommon for big organizations to an HR due diligence checklist, but companies of all sizes should include a background check in their hiring process. This is especially true for key employees and those in vulnerable areas of the business. Employee embezzlement can have a debilitating impact on a small business. In fact, some businesses are not able to recover from such a loss and the subsequent cost of legal action. [...]

Is Your Life Worth a Due Diligence Investigation?

Matters of the heart collide with the head and we have been active in cases where one party at least is trying to approach a relationship with open eyes as well as an overflowing heart. In one International Investigator’s case, a man decided he want to check out the woman who had caught his eye. He saw it like the business transactions he handled every day and it called for a due diligence investigation. He’s correct. It is very similar to an HR due diligence checklist. What questions do you want to have answered before you commit? Our investigators worked with him to create a due diligence checklist of his own. He was honest and upfront with the woman he was dating and she gave [...]

Accuracy of Initial Information Critical to Due Diligence Investigations

The first step takes in a due diligence investigation or background check is to verify the information we have received on the subject. The online searches or a Google search just take the information given and if that information is inaccurate or incomplete, so are the search results. That’s not how we work. For instance, let’s consider aliases. Aliases are not necessarily covert names used to hide identity in this regard. Aliases are names someone may have legally had at some point in their life: Maiden name Different names from prior marriages Names prior to adoption Names prior to legal name changes Incorrect reporting or typos from various reporting agencies Another important piece of information is a social security number. If a number is transposed [...]