international investigators Archives

Is My Employee Being Honest?

Recently, I have been focusing on reasons to hire a Private Investigative Company to assist in finding the truth or finding information that would prove or disprove an allegation or an action. It’s difficult to ascertain if someone is being truthful or dishonest in their words or actions. They say actions speak louder than words. In the investigative world, if those actions lean towards dishonesty it is our job to obtain documentation (evidence) they exist. In this blog, my focus is the dishonesty of employees and the investigations we conducted that presented the truth. Abusing FMLA, feigning injury and theft are reasons a company will call upon our services. We are hired to validate their claims. An employee can deny an allegation, but they cannot [...]

Who’s Listening? Cell Phone Spying is Here

It might sound like a funny prank to pull on a buddy, but installing cell phone spyware is not a joke – nor is it legal - anywhere in the United States. In fact, the Federal Wiretap Act as part of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Title All in Investigations) makes it a federal offense punishable by 5 years in a federal prison and the perpetrator could be subject to civil lawsuits as well. If you do an Internet search on cell phone tap, spy, bug, monitor or eavesdrop, you may find hundreds of sites that sell cell phone spyware – and many of them say the equipment is legal. It may be legal in some countries of the world, [...]

Professional Investigators are Attorneys’ Information Resource

Byron (not his real name) was sitting in his attorney's waiting room waiting to deliver some documentation relevant to a suit he was bringing against a former employee that required some computer forensics. As he waited he overheard a couple talk about the reason they were there regarding a problem about real estate assets and how those assets had been shifted from one owner to another and they suspected cell phone eavesdropping. Less interested in the details of their private business, than how the two cases were so very different, Byron wondered how could one attorney adequately represent the interests of clients in such different areas and situations? Who could be expert enough in both areas as well as things like finding hidden assets in [...]

Attorneys Get Results From Professional Private Investigators

Because professional private investigators like provide attorneys with verified information that is immediately available for their use, attorneys consider us more than a convenience, especially in the area of asset research. We are like that one pair of pliers in the toolbox you always reach for. The pair that is strong and reliable. Plus, just like the pliers are multipurpose, we are, too: Turnaround time for coming up with the facts or truth about a situation is pretty quick with us. In the case of financial asset research or when trying to locate hidden assets like hidden bank accounts or stock accounts, and when time is of the essence, that fast turnaround is critical. Experience and variety of resources plays a big part of that. [...]

5 Signs a Spy Might Have Control of Your Mobile Phone

Cellular forensics is a term people are starting to hear and say in conversations across the nation. That’s because more cell phones are being targeted with spyware and cellular malware. Why? Because spyware and malware software is becoming more available and less costly through the Internet—even though it is illegal in the United States—and people can use it to monitor other people. It is not limited to corporate or political espionage or to people who are wealthy and powerful. When someone suspects their spouse or partner is not being true, or someone wants a relationship that the object of their affection does not want, they may want to spy to “learn the truth.” It could be your co-worker or a neighbor in a minimum wage [...]

Finding Hidden Assets is Like Asking, “Where’s the Beef?”

Every day there is someone coming up with another way they think will be successful in hiding assets from a former spouse, litigants or even their partners. There is a practice becoming more and more common. We call it a “practice” because no matter how often someone does it, it won’t be perfect and eventually, they always get caught. The practice is providing a wrong social security number by switching two of the digits when opening an account. The bad guy figures if he gives an inaccurate social security number, no one will find out – even if someone does an asset investigation searching for hidden bank accounts or stock accounts. But someone WILL find out—it could be an investigator, the attorney or the authorities—and [...]

Smart Phones Aren’t Smart Enough to Prevent Cell Phone Spying

Truth be told, smart phones can have spyware downloaded to them through websites, Bluetooth connections, multi-media messages, opening attachments to e-mails or even by opening photos with secret information embedded in it! In fact, the “smarter” the cell phones, the easier it is to hide spyware on your cell phone. Unless you take specific steps to password protect your phone – and require the password for every call you make or take and every Internet access you make – you can be a target for cell phone spyware. Spyware programs can collect the following information and possibly more: Access to incoming and outgoing messages (phone, text, email), GPS location access phone calls, e-mail, text, multi-media messages and webpage histories ability to listen to conversations not [...]

Asset Investigations and Recovery Make a Difference for Families

Jim (not his real name) was a good guy. He and his wife of 6 years, Cindy (not her real name), had just bought a house and they were busy getting their two children settled into the house and new school. Everyone was doing well. The house was becoming home and the family was starting to turn its attention to the yard. Cindy wanted a mailbox at the street with a flowering vine, so Jim was out at the street’s edge digging out the hard Indiana ground with a spade. In the next moment, their lives changed. A car came around the corner and hit Jim, knocking him off his feet and landing him on the driveway, where he hit his head on the concrete. [...]

Divorce is Challenging – so is Finding Hidden Assets

When one spouse is blindsided with a divorce, life gets turned upside down for them. Discovering that behind the request is a well-thought-out plan makes it even more difficult. Taken completely off-guard, the responding spouse is simply trying to get their footing and deal with the situation when they realize that their (presumed) partner has been planning a divorce for some time– and that means that many steps have been taken to get to this day. One of the most common steps is the hiding of assets. If the decision to divorce has been in the works for some time, the spouse initiating the divorce has had time to hide money, stock, and other financial assets. So when the interrogatories outlining marital assets in a [...]

Computer Forensics Specialists Can Remove Spyware From Mobile Worker’s Machines

Over the last few years something has happened in the business world – workers have become mobile. Unfettered through computers and use of the cloud, the old 9-5 doesn’t have to be within the confines of office walls. With that freedom have come other issues. One of the biggest issues is the protection of corporate assets. While workers have become mobile, they are carrying confidential corporate assets in the form of information with them on their computer and laptops. Those assets could include many things: actual computer hardware (theft from cars, restaurants, airports, etc.) client lists sales data financial data product research and development employee personnel information Computers and laptops are routinely stolen. But the thefts of hardware are usually just to get the computer [...]