by admin_lauth | Nov 26, 2017 | Private Investigations News
The 2016 election brought the term fake news into headlines and into American’s living rooms. Both sides alleged that there were “fake news campaigns” working to spread news that was meant to sabotage their campaign.
With the growing use of social media to spread news stories and share information with friends, it’s absolutely true that fake news has become more common in recent years, whether it’s just poorly researched opinion based news, or actual news set up to scam or misinform readers.
One of the most dangerous examples of fake news comes in the form of pump and dump schemes. Like all types of fake news, Pump and dump schemes have been around since the beginning of time, but they have recently made a new (and dangerous) comeback in the form of digital media.
How Do Pump and Dump Schemes Work?
Imagine you have a stock that is low in value. You want to “dump” it, but you need someone to buy it from you.
No one is going to do that, at least not for the price you want. So you use fake marketing to convince investors that your stock is worth more than it is, because the price is about to skyrocket.
Essentially, you make them think that they have discovered secret, inside information and that it will pay off if they invest in the stock.
You “pump” the internet with news, “pump” up the price of your stock, and then “dump” it on an unassuming investor who didn’t do proper research.
What Pump and Dump Schemes Look Like Today
In the past, pump and dump schemes were run by fake investors making cold calls to convince investors that they had the next big secret on a valuable stock.
Today, pump and dump schemes are far less personal. They come in the form of spam emails, facebook posts, and any other form of online marketing that tries to convince a receipient to “act fast” in order to take advantage of a “unique opportunity.”
Protecting Yourself From Pump and Dump Schemes
Knowing that these schemes are out there can be unsettling and make you feel like there is a heightened risk whenever you decide to invest. Although pump and dump schemes are real concerns, there are measurable actions you can take to protect yourself from falling victim to such a scheme and keep your money safe.
The first thing to keep in mind is to beware of any information you read over the internet. It is no joke that we are living in the age of “fake news” anyone and everyone can post pages online, and they can even create fake “source” news articles that they link to in their posts to establish false credibility. If you are trying to conduct financial research online, stick to reputable sources.Even with reputable sources, double check to make sure that the page is not a fraud.
The next step is to consult a local financial advisor or private investigator before committing to the investment. Meeting with someone locally face to face who you can trust to verify if the investment is really a good idea will be worth your weight in gold. We don’t always have the knowledge or resources to detect pump and dump schemes on our own, but there are people out there who can help you.
The last step is to never feel pressure to jump into an investment. Pump and dump schemes play off of a person’s sense of urgency. When we feel like we are being offered a limited time opportunity, we act impulsively and don’t think things through the way we would if we felt that we had time. The reality is, no investment is worth it if you don’t have time to thoroughly research it and make sure it is legitimate. If you are feeling like you need to rush, it probably is too good to be true.
It is harder than ever to protect yourself online, with scammers getting smarter, and real, reliable information getting harder and harder to get a hold of. But take your time, think things through, and don’t be afraid to consult an expert when you’re getting ready to make a big decision. Your bank account will thank you for it.
by admin_lauth | Nov 22, 2017 | Personal Investigations, Private Investigations News, Tips & Facts
Lauth Investigations International is a private investigation firm. We are constantly questioned about what our background searches can provide that a personal background search cannot. All I can say, it’s all in the details. You pay for what you get. If you want all detailed, accurate information, you will pay for a Private Investigation Background Search. If you want high level information, you will conduct your own Personal Background Search.
Personal Background Search
With the internet, so much information is at our fingertips, but are we getting the most up to date information? A personal background search will bring up the following information:
- Employment history. The search will bring up employment records; however, it may only bring up the last couple of positions held. It will not give details of all the employment information for the individuals.
- Academic and/or professional qualifications. The search will provide education information and any certifications. High level information will only be received.
- Criminal Records. The search will show all arrests and convictions.
- Financial Standing. The search will bring up any liens, judgments, bank accounts and property ownership.
The information obtained will be high level and up to the person’s own ability to read the results. In order to get deeper levels, the user has to continue to pay the further in depth they go.
Private Investigations Background Search
Unlike a personal background search conducted by a novice user, a private investigations background search is not just putting a name in a database and seeing what comes up. Private Investigators have access to several databases which will show a variety of information.
- Employment history. The search will bring up employment records including all positions held, any discrepancies on a resume, the salaries affiliated with the positions and any other information a potential employer would need to know.
- Academic and/or professional qualifications. The search will show all academic history and certifications even if the individual did not complete the program.
- Criminal Records. The search will provide a detailed outline of all criminal activity from speeding warnings/tickets and arrests up to convictions and jail time served.
- Financial Standing. The search will show all liens, judgments, bank accounts, property ownership, previous ownership of properties, dates properties sold, NSF checks and bankruptcies.
Along with the typical information received through a personal background search, private investigation background searches also include:
- Worker’s Compensation Claims an individual has filed. Determining the character of an individual is just as important as their criminal history. For employment purposes, an individual who files numerous compensation claims reveals a dishonest, fraudulent individual.
- Ascertain causes of accidents or any criminal activity. DMV reports will show accident information; however, they do not show all causes of the accidents. The in depth reports by private investigators show the reasoning behind accidents and if there was criminal activity involved in the accident as well.
- In depth analysis of all findings in the research. Any individual can pull information; however, it’s how the information is analyzed and interpreted that makes it helpful.
- Information on employers, business partners, and personal partners.
The process of performing background checks is and should be more in depth than just putting in a name in a database. To ensure the most updated accurate information is received, a private investigation background check is the direction to take. The analysis and time put in from a private investigator along with their ability to understand the findings places the outcome far more beneficial. The personal background checks are general and only provide high level information. Without the knowledge needed to understand the reports, the information does not provide the detail generally needed.
Background checks can be used for all kinds of reasons. If you are looking into a potential business partner, potential employee, potential life partner, a detailed background check with concise analysis can provide you the information needed to make informed decisions. Do not rely on just an internet search without the knowledge to know what information is in front of you.
by admin_lauth | Nov 22, 2017 | Tips & Facts
The time has come, once again, for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. While we all look forward to this time of year, criminals especially do as well. They rely on us being excited, relaxed and distracted. In an effort to keep our information safe, we must be overly aware during this time of year.
Traveling
During the holidays, traveling increases by 54%. That’s a lot of empty homes waiting for criminals to do their work. Here are just a few tips to keep your home safe while traveling:
- Only tell one close family member or friend that you are traveling out of town. This one person should be the one to check on your home while you are away. Having them enter your home one or two times daily would be ideal. Although they are busy as well, this will make it look like someone is there frequently.
- Do not post on social media your travel schedule. Although you think only friends and family can see this information, you are incorrect. You can take pictures and still update on the fun your having, just do it responsibly. No one needs to know you are half way across the country.
- Put your lights on timers, inside and out. If your lights are popping on and off throughout the day, anyone watching your house will tend to believe someone is home. You can get the timers from any home improvement store and they do not take long to install.
- A small final tip from my parents! Turn off your main water line before leaving. You do not want to come back to a flooded, moldy home due to a small hole in a water line. Trust me, it was not fun! Once you return from traveling, you just want to be in your own bed. If this water line break occurs, you will be back in a hotel for weeks.
Wallet and Identity
I group the wallet and identity together as the items utilized to steal your identity are generally located in your wallet. Here are just a few suggestions for keeping your information safe while you are enjoying the shopping frenzy:
- Pay with cash as often as you can. We’ve all seen the security issues with credit card machines. This can happen at any retail store. Avoid giving your card information out and pay with cash. If you do not want to carry cash, get gift cards with cash and use the gift cards instead of using your debit/credit card.
- If paying with cash, ensure you place your cash close to your person when out shopping. Put the cash in the pockets of your jeans or in a place where you would notice or feel someone trying to take the cash from you. Do not place it in your purse on a cart where you would turn your attention away, for even a second. All it takes is a second to turn your head away and your purse is gone.
- Along with the cash, put all identification (driver’s license, social security card, credit cards) information in your pockets as well. Always make sure your information is close enough so you will know if someone is trying to get to these items.
- When pulling out your cash to pay, do not pull out the large stack of bills and count it out in an obvious manner. You may not realize how closely people are watching you, but criminals are watching every move as this is their job.
- As you are buying your items, try to condense the amounts of packages you are carrying. Any bags that can be combined, do so. The more you are carrying, the more vulnerable you appear.
- When you take your items to your car to drop them off and start off again, we all do it, make sure you cover the items with either a blanket or a screen. Do not leave anything out in the open in your vehicle.
The holidays are fun and happy time of the year. Do not let criminals make this time stressful for you. Small adjustments can keep your home, wallet and identity safe. Always be aware of your surroundings, trust your gut, and keep your personal information personal.
Lauth Investigations International is a private investigation firm. We consistently work with people whose identity has been compromised. The one minute it took a criminal to steal their information created months of stress for these individuals to recover. Do not let this happen to you.
by admin_lauth | Oct 6, 2017 | Private Investigations News
In the wake of the Equifax data leak, where over 143 million Americans had information leaked to hackers, Americans are wearier than ever about having their private information stored online. Unfortunately at this day in age, it’s virtually impossible to keep your personal information offline and out of credit bureaus, so the all Americans should consider themselves as potential victims of this particular attack, as well as any future ones.
This does not mean that you should panic or feel paranoid about identity theft or fraud, but it does mean that you should put some habits in place that will help you to protect your information and act as quickly as possible in the event that you are a victim of identity theft. This article offers 5 easy things you can do to keep your data and your money safe from online threats.
- Check if you are affected – Equifax has made it possible for you to check if you are affected or possibly affected by the leak. The first thing you should do is log on to equifaxsecurity2017.com and enter in your information to see the level of your risk. While this does not give you a clear cut answer if your data was affected, and while being affected does not necessarily mean you will have your information stolen, it can give you a place to start when it comes to building a plan.
- If you are affected, sign up for free credit monitoring– For those who are potentially affected by the leak, Equifax offers you the option to enroll in their credit monitoring program for free. By entering your information, you will be able to take advantage of an advanced credit monitoring program that can seriously reduce your risk of identity theft. While it doesn’t make up for exposing your information, it is something worth signing up for. If you were not affected, Equifax does not offer you this option, so it may be a good idea to look into signing up for an inexpensive credit monitoring program yourself. Just because you were not affected by the Equifax leak does not mean you are not at risk.
- Check your credit score regularly or freeze your credit altogether– Of course, one of the most important things to do to make sure you are not a victim of identity theft is to check your credit score. If someone has opened a credit card in your name, you might not know this until you check your score and see the history. Transunion and Experian are two reliable credit bureaus you can use to track your credit score. You can also enroll in free options like Credit Karma, a website that monitors your credit and sends you email updates if it goes up or down. However, keep in mind that these kinds of websites do not always give 100% accurate reports of your score.
If you are really concerned about being affected by the Equifax leak, you can place a temporary freeze on your credit so that nobody can open any accounts in your name for a selected period of time.
- Change your passwords– While not directly related to the Equifax leak, changing your passwords frequently and not using the same password for every account you have is one of the most important things to do in order to protect yourself online. Make sure you are changing your password every three months, and do not keep all of your passwords listed in one place.
- Create an emergency account- Events like this always put us in the mindset of “worst case scenario”, which isn’t always a bad thing. One thing that the Equifax leak can inspire you to do is ask yourself what would happen if your identity was stolen today. Most people do not have an emergency plan in place for what to do if this happens, namely having a separate bank account available with a bit of emergency money you can use if your accounts get frozen or you are dealing with legal procedures to defend your credit. Getting set up with an emergency account and a plan is a great way to minimize the damage of identity theft in the event that you become a victim.
Ultimately, there is only so much you can do to keep your information safe, and everyone is dealing with a certain level of vulnerability as soon as they begin building credit. However, you can do the best you can by staying on top of new security technologies as they are released and remaining vigilant and informed about your finances.
by admin_lauth | Sep 22, 2017 | Private Investigations News
Harvey, Irma, Jose, Max, Maria…this season has hit both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts with a seemingly endless stream of devastating hurricanes. Like many others, you are probably concerned with doing what you can to help the victims of the devastation, and this often means donating to online charities that are advertising their help for different hurricane relief funds. While most of the time online giving is a convenient and efficient way to offer aid, it can also expose you to certain types of online fraud and scams.
It is extremely common for online scammers to use disasters like hurricanes as a way to scam users into giving them money. Scammers pose as a non-profit organization deploying hurricane relief aid and collect online “donations” that end up going into the scammer’s pocket. Not only do these scams help fraudsters make money and create more victims, but they also take away useful resources that should be going to help with the hurricane crisis.
It is important to recognize the signs of a fraudulent hurricane relief website so you can steer clear and make sure your money is going to those who really need it. This blog outlines 5 warning signs that a site may be fraudulent and tips on how to check for sure.
- Overnight Sites: Usually aid websites that ask for donations can be traced back to a parent page that has existed for years and has signs of legitimacy like a blog, certifications, or simply an up to date site that looks like it was made with care. If a site you click on does not have a homepage and is not linked to an organization that looks legitimate; this is your first red flag.
- Collecting Money in a Strange Way: Another definative warning sign is if the charity or non-profit asks you to send money in a strange way. For example, through a direct wire transfer, sending cash or donating money via a transfer site like Paypal. Most non-profits will accept money through a reliable payment capture system that will require you to fill out your personal information, credit card number and will send you a confirmation upon receipt of the transaction. Texting donations is growing in popularity and it can be a good way to quickly donate. However, it also comes with added risks. Make sure to check out the organization before blindly hitting send.
- Make Sure Your Charity Exists: In the online world, it is easy to build an entire facade for a company that does not even exist. If you have a doubt about a charity, take a second and Google it and see if a phone number and physical address show up. If not, it might be better to try a different charity that you already know and trust. Even if you do manage to get someone on the phone to confirm the charity, still be aware of scammers that are developed enough to set up phone answering services.
- Use Charity Evaluation Sites: If you really want to confirm a charity’s legitimacy, there are charity evaluation sites like Charity Navigator and Charity Watch, that can help you determine whether or not the charity is legitimate. While this is a great option for checking out the legitimacy of certain charities, keep in mind that local or new organizations might not exist in these databases; therefore, you do not necessarily want to write a charity off if they do not appear here. For a small or local organization, trust your judgment and make sure you talk with someone directly before sending a donation.
- Trust Your Gut: Ultimately, after using the above tools, you will need to go with your gut. Scammers and fraudsters are getting savvier on how to confuse their victims, whether it is by posing as legitimate organizations, setting up fake call centers or making their sites look more realistic. No matter what new tips are revealed to help you discern a scammer, sometimes the best litmus test is your own gut feeling.
Don’t let a scammer take away your generous gift from victims who really need them. Never hand over money until you are absolutely sure who you are giving it to and do not be afraid to wait a day or two until you can make sure the charity checks out. If you suspect a hurricane relief fund to be fraudulent, you can report it to the Attorney General Office of your state or the Better Business Bureau here.
I group the wallet and identity together as the items utilized to steal your identity are generally located in your wallet. Here are just a few suggestions for keeping your information safe while you are enjoying the shopping frenzy: