by admin_lauth | Jul 29, 2017 | Private Investigations News
The Private Investigation Business often deals with cases related to improper handling of company money, whether it be from a partner, a spouse, or an employee. Most of the time, these issues could have been caught sooner if the person in charge had incorporated a few easy checks into his or her financial routine. This blog post spells out three easy money managing tips that will help any manager or owner keep a better handle on company finances and catch any suspicious activity.
Change up the roles- This is one of the most important things you can do when trying to protect your money. Cases of theft, fraud, and deceit occur when people get too comfortable in their position. Switching up the roles of who 1) records transactions 2) physically handles the money 3) balances the books 4) approves expenditures is a great way to keep everyone on their toes and naturally provide employee checks. In the case of employee theft, In over ¼ of all employee theft cases, it is a tip off from a fellow employee that eventually catches the perpetrator. This is all the more reason to have your employees checking each other’s work, and it will simultaneously prevent anyone from “counting on” having a certain responsibility or getting too comfortable in a certain role. That being said, make sure that switching the roles does not get messy. Keep track of who is in charge of what at every moment, and never let there be a question as to who was the last one to touch the money, balance the books, etc.
Save receipts- Saving receipts is another necessary habit for absolutely every business. Receipts can feel outdated nowadays and it can be hard and tedious to try and physically hold on to paper receipts or take the time to download and print online ones. However, when it comes time to provide monthly expense reports, there should be no reason why every single employee/client expense should not be properly documented. Abuse of a company credit card is one of the main ways that employees play the system, and saving receipts helps prevent this. Not only that, but it will help the accountant keep a clear record of purchases and will help the company in the case of a tax audit. Saving receipts is always a good idea, and again, the fact that an employee knows he or she needs to record and save the receipt of every purchase will make them far more careful about spending company money.
Outsource- An easy way to avoid untrustworthy employees is by outsourcing some of your needs. For example, by outsourcing your accountant, you are able to get an objective person balancing your books every month who your other employees don’t even know and will have limited contact with. This outsourced accountant won’t be spending company money and will have zero interest in fudging numbers. Similarly, outsourcing security can be a great way to keep a level of professionalism in the workplace by keeping the security separate and objective from the rest of the office. Lastly, outsourcing an investigator is a way to get an objective voice and expert opinion in the event that you do suspect something is going wrong with your company’s money. Essentially, outsourcing allows you to save money, keep some distance between important roles and the rest of the company, and offer an objective opinion and expertise when it comes to money issues.
Be your company’s final calculator- At the end of the day, you are not going to be able to truly be at peace of mind with your company’s financial situation unless you are the end of the line for all financial concerns. Delegating and trusting your employees is necessary in order to be successful, but you should strategically plan check-ins every week and quarter to stay on top of your company’s finances, double check work, and feel out your employees and their attitudes. Being involved is the best way to keep your employees loyalty and maintain your own peace of mind. Remember, nobody, not even your business partner or long time friend, should be completely trusted with any one task exclusively. If people know that you’ll be asking questions, they will be far less likely to do something questionable.
Change passwords frequently- Perhaps the most simple advice on this list, and yet it is possibly the most important. We are living in a time where we are constantly vulnerable for theft, whether it be from those we know in our office, or identity thieves online. Changing your passwords often, making them difficult to crack, and not keeping them all recorded in one place is an important way to protect yourself from those looking for access. This is not just true with personal passwords but with any company wide access codes, lockboxes, or computers.
You can never 100% protect yourself from the unexpected. However being prepared and not putting anyone at your company in the position to be tempted to act unfairly is one of the best ways to protect against unwanted trouble.
by admin_lauth | Jul 23, 2017 | Private Investigations News
When your team or yourself have the feeling that someone is not being honest with you it can be unsettling. Corporate theft is a serious issue, costing American companies billions of dollars every year. About a third of a time, these cases of theft are from high level managers. No matter the details of the situation, it is stressful and confusing.
You don’t want to wrongly accuse them, but you also want to get down to the bottom of the situation as soon as possible. If you are in a professional setting, there are also policies and laws to consider before you can take any action. No matter what the situation, the most important thing is to sort out the truth without doing any permanent damage.
So what should somebody do if they think they are being lied to? Here are five tips from the perspective of a private investigator.
- Gather the facts- It’s a lot harder for someone to lie to you if you are well informed of the facts. In the case of possible employee theft, go over your books immediately. If you suspect your spouse is cheating on you, go over the credit card transactions for days you suspect he or she was lying to you. Further, if you suspect a new employee might be lying about their past experience, invest in a thorough background check that you can obtain police reports, court documents, protective orders, bankruptcies or other debt. In the investigations stages, knowledge is power, and if you don’t have all the information, you will not be able to hone in on misdeed or specific mistruths. (Of course, do not tell the person in question that you are gathering this information.)
- Look for hints- It’s a myth that you can detect a lie by the direction in which the person looks when asked a question, or by how they hold their arms, or any of those easy options. However, it’s completely true that analyzing someone’s behavior and body language can reveal when they are uncomfortable or stressed. Try sprinkling information into normal conversations to see if you can see a reaction in your suspect. For example, if you have a hunch that your friend is stealing your prescription drugs, try mentioning the drugs in a story when she is not looking at you and see if she pauses, looks up, or hesitates. While this is not a 100% effective strategy for discovering a lie, it can help you find something revealing.
- Learn the policies- As mentioned above, if the potential lie is taking place in a professional environment, it is important to get familiar with the laws and policies surrounding investigating, firing, and pressing charges against an employee. Whether the employee is a superior or entry level, you need to make sure that his or her rights and privacy are respected, otherwise you may end up with bigger problems. Similarly, if you suspect lying taking place in your private life, you need to make sure you don’t cross any boundaries of privacy. Logging onto someone’s social media or reading their private messages can be considered trespassing in some instances.
- Call an Investigator- No matter how thorough and careful you are during your investigation, if the situation is of serious importance, it’s always better to hire an outside professional to help you understand the situation. Though it might seem like a big step to hire a private investigator, it can save you a lot of stress and worry by getting you reliable answers quickly. With issues such as theft or fraud where you risk losing money, the investment in a P.I. (which usually ends up somewhere around $2,500) will seem like nothing compared to the money you save by presenting a solid case of evidence in court. Sometimes in personal situations, people have a hard time deciding to call a private investigator because they feel like it is putting the nail in the coffin of a relationship. But this does not have to be the case. Private investigators are experts at being discreet and if they don’t find anything, your partner may not even ever find out that you hired an investigator. Private investigators are not for everyone and not applicable to every situation, but it’s important to know your options if you are in trouble.
- Wait to confront- Whether you just suspect someone is lying to you or you have officially confirmed it, it’s best to wait to confront the person until you have spoken to professionals (police, detective, lawyer) and have a solid plan of action in place. Confrontations can be difficult, dangerous, and emotional, so it is best to make absolutely sure that you know what you want to do next (Fire them? Get a divorce? Press charges?) before the confrontation occurs. If you can, let the professionals support you during the confrontation process so that you have an objective third party present.
If you suspect someone is lying to you, you may be right, but always keep in mind that you may be wrong as well. Never jump to conclusions, it could lead you to betraying the trust of someone you care about. Instead, take the time to smartly and respectfully gather more information and get the right help.
by admin_lauth | Jul 15, 2017 | Private Investigations News
When you suspect, or have already confirmed, that an employee is abusing your company with their misconduct, it can be hard to figure out what to do next. When situations of employee misconduct occur, they often fall on the shoulders of the company’s CFO and HR department. As the CFO scrambles to handle the devastating loss of product and revenue, the HR department needs to investigate the case, come to a conclusion, and carry out the appropriate action. Often times these already sensitive issues are compounded by the fact that the employee in question has personal relationships with everyone in the company, and the HR officers and CFO can be affected by the emotional implications of betrayal, suspicion, confusion, and anger.
As the CFO and HR department work together to recover the losses of a case of employee theft, it is common to invest in the help of private investigators and police officers. However, finding and employing help can in itself be an overwhelming endeavor when someone is inexperienced in these issues. This blog post is intended to help those dealing with a case of employee misconduct navigate when and how to hire outside help, and how to handle the process.
Hiring the right investigator – The first thing that a department official should consider when looking to hire a private investigator is that different investigators have different domain specialities.
Many P.I.’s focus primarily on personal investigative issues such as
- missing persons
- cases of suspected infidelity,
- Divorce/custody cases
- Theft from a friend or family member
However, there are specific P.I.’s who specialize in corporate P.I. cases. These corporate cases can be anything from helping attorneys with legal investigations to investigating cases of employee fraud.
Investigators are further divided by firm type. There are a growing number of national investigation firms that farm out cases to local branches. There are also the more traditional local private investigation offices that target specific demographics and specialize in regional issues. Finding the right investigator will require researching the different options available in your area and making sure you find an investigator that serves your industry and personal needs.
Investigating the case- After hiring a private investigator, the best thing to do is to pass over the investigation to him or her. This is because looking into the history of an employee while respecting his or her rights can be a difficult maze to navigate. Private investigators are well versed on the best practices of investigation and the laws surrounding the practice, so they will be better at walking the fine lines of legality while still conducting a thorough research. Even more importantly, private investigators are personally detached from the case, and therefore will be able to research and investigate without the feelings of betrayal, frustration and hurt that often arise in these situations. It may sound like a minor detail, but passing over the case to someone with some perspective and objectivity often leads to more peaceful resolutions and better results.
Handling personnel- While investigating an employee, confidentiality and proper handling of the rest of your employees as well as the employee in question is of the utmost importance. Remember these few tips:
- For no reason should anyone be brought into the case unless it is absolutely necessary, and all operations in the office should continue as they normally would.
- In general, the HR department and CFO should work hard to ensure that it is business as usual as much as possible.
- When cases such as these arise, it is difficult and unsettling for every employee in the company, not just those directly involved. Maintaining stability and a sense of trust is extremely important when going through an employee investigation, and a private investigator can help you maintain this stability.
Making up for losses- It can be frustrating and anxiety inducing when a case of employee theft has left the company in a loss. It is important for the CFO of the company to remain calm, focused, and determined when this occurs. A CFO must assume that even if the employee is brought to court and found guilty, they will almost definitely not receive full compensation for damages. This means that it is the job of the CFO to get creative and craft a plan for recuping losses without putting unnecessary pressures on the other employees. Reducing cost wherever possible can be an option, but in the long run, it can be better to absorb the loss and work to slowly and consistently increase revenue over time. Patience, strategy, and initiative are key in these moments, and the right private investigator can help you with some best practices for mitigating damages.
Doing better next time- Cases of employee theft are never the fault of the employer, however there are always things you can do to protect yourself from this happening again. If you do not already do so, make sure to conduct thorough background checks of all potential hires and implement proper surveillance technology on your company premises. The added security is always worth it to ensure that you are at peace with your company and employees.
Finding out that an employee has taken advantage of your company is never easy. But hiring the right help and staying calm in the moment can make a world of difference.
by admin_lauth | Jul 13, 2017 | Private Investigations News
We’ve all tried to sell, buy or rent items online through sites such as Craigslist, Ebay, and now, Letgo. Because these sites are so common and used by friends and family, we often get comfortable using them and forget that we are interacting with anonymous strangers. Just this week, I signed up for Letgo and attempted to sell my husband’s motorcycle. We’ve been procrastinating on selling his bike for a few months, so when within 5 minutes of me listing the bike I got a response to purchase it, I was really excited! This excitement; however, almost got me in some trouble.
The Set-Up: Lies Comprise a Buyer Too Good to Be True
The motorcycle was placed on Letgo for $4,500. The buyer, an alleged Sergeant in the Army, started the conversation requesting my personal phone number as he wanted to see more pictures of the vehicle.
In my excitement and not knowing Letgo, I gave my personal number to him, thinking It was . Apparently one of the main rules of Letgo is never take the chat out of their application. I didn’t know this at the time! After I sent him the pictures, he confirmed the price was $4500 and agreed to pay this amount. I questioned when he would like to come and pick up the vehicle. (I was doing the happy dance to have this money coming in and the bike gone!) This is where things got a little weird.
The Red Flags: Multiple Phone Numbers and Asking For Personal Information
The buyer told me he is stationed in North Carolina. (He even sent me a picture of a soldier in Army fatigues standing on base.) He stated he would like to pay via PayPal if I had an account. I got a little nervous (working for a private investigator I’m a little more skeptical of people these days), so I questioned how he planned on picking up the bike. He then texted me from a different number. (Hello, Red Flag!) When I questioned why he changed numbers, he advised the second number was his “secured military line.”
Again, I questioned how he planned on picking up the motorcycle, to which he advised he would send a transport agent to come pick it up once r I get the cash out of PayPal, and then he asked for my PayPal account information again. I told him I didn’t have PayPal and I need cash upon purchase. He stopped responding and I never heard him again. Go figure.
In my sheer excitement of making some extra money and my blinded trust for anyone who wears a United States military uniform, I was a vulnerable target for these kinds of scams. Luckily, my experience working for Lauth Investigations has given me a certain skepticism towards online interactions, a wariness that pushed me to ask more questions and thankfully helped me refrain from giving my Paypal information to this man. It is essential that everyone approaches online interactions with the premise that the person on the other side of the screen has no motivation to be honest with you.
The Paypal Scam: How it Works
I’d like to take a minute and conjecture what this man was attempting to accomplish by contacting me. At Lauth Investigations we have seen cases where fraudsters create a fake e-mail from PayPal they send to “customers” stating the money has been deposited and transferred. The e-mail looks identical to what PayPal sends their customers. This man probably would have sent me a fake confirmation email and then came to pick up the bike before I realized that he never actually paid me. Does anyone check to make sure the e-mail is legitimate? No, which is why I feel the need to write this post. When we get a confirmation that such a large amount of money has been transferred we should always call PayPal directly, from a number on their site not the invoice we receive, to ensure the funds are received and legitimate.
Why, you ask, should we call PayPal directly? Because oftentimes the scammer sets up a fake call center, so when you call the number on the fake e-mail you receive from “PayPal” there are fake Paypal employees waiting to answer your call and confirm the money has been transferred.
Just like anything we do today in this online world, we must enter with extreme caution. Hold your excitement until actual cash is in hand. As much as we trust our military and veterans, do not let the fact that somebody claims to be a member of the military make you let your guard down. . If someone cannot meet you in person, with cash, question their motives and move on to the next buyer.
In my next article, I will focus on another online scam to look for and ways to protect yourself.
by admin_lauth | Jul 7, 2017 | Private Investigations News
Private Investigators are commonly requested when a person or company does not know where else to turn. Whether its an individual working with the police to solve a crime or a company working with an attorney in a case, private investigators are there when other professionals have run into a dead end or cannot help the situation. Private investigators are useful because they provide people in difficult situations with the knowledge they need to make the right decisions. This is why an essential step in having a successful outcome with a private investigator is not waiting too late to call. No matter what the industry or situation, knowledge is power; and the sooner you have the information you need, the better chance you have at a good outcome. If you are currently in a situation where you are considering using a private investigator, here are a few signs that it is time to take action and make the call.
- You are looking for someone (private) – As soon as you need to find someone, whether it is an heir in a probate case, a missing person, or a spouse that is acting suspiciously, call a private investigator. Trying to investigate someone’s whereabouts yourself can be everything from frustrating to dangerous. While relying on the police is a good option, hiring a private investigator to work alongside the police tends to result in faster information and better outcomes. Private investigators have the tools and technology to track down people who do not want to be found, and to uncover the necessary information to find them.
- You suspect a future crime (private or corporate)- Police can only investigate crimes that haven’t taken place to a very limited extent. If you suspect that an employee, a neighbor, or a business partner may be planning to commit a crime, call a private investigator. He or she will be able to investigate the suspected crime before it is committed and save you the heartache of dealing with it after the fact. Not only that, but since situations related to crime are inherently dangerous, we always recommend consulting a professional and not investigating alone.
- You are in a legal dispute (private or corporate)- With very few exceptions, all legal disputes can seriously benefit from hiring a private investigator. Everything from tracking down witnesses to finding leverage on opposing counsel falls under the umbrella of private investigation, and with such sensitive material and often the wellbeing of both parties at stake, it is not the time to leave surprises for the courtroom. The rule of thumb is this: if you are in a legal dispute, assume that the opposing side is learning absolutely everything they can about you and the case, and make sure you do the same. Often times the outcome of a case depends less on who is right or wrong, and more on who is the best prepared.
- You are losing money or valuable items (private or corporate)- Even if you don’t know whether an item was lost or stolen, even if you think that the loss of money could be nothing more than bookkeeping mistakes, consider hiring a private investigator. In the case that a loss of valuables really was a mistake/accident, the P.I. will quickly uncover this and there will be no harm done. If there is more to the story, a private investigator can help you piece it together before you lose anything else.
- You suspect abuse (private)- Whether it is a mother who suspects mistreatment of a child under the care of a nanny, or a friend who suspects abuse of a colleague, private investigators can help uncover cases of abuse when an individual is unable to find concrete proof on their own. Instead of jumping to accusations and potentially wrongfully accusing someone, it is always better to do the research first and get more information before acting.
- You’re taking a big step (private or corporate)- From merging companies, to hiring a new employee, to adopting a new baby, it is wise to hire a private investigator before making a big commitment to another person or entity. Even if you think that you have done your research, there is always a chance that you are missing out on pertinent information that will affect your decision. While it doesn’t always mean that the step is the wrong one to take, it will leave you more informed while taking it, and a private investigator is a discreet way to check your interests before you do something you regret.
- You think someone is/might investigate you (private or corporate)- In rare instances, people have hired private investigators to investigate themselves in order to find out what information about themselves is “out there.” If you suspect someone is looking into you, look into yourself first.
- You have a feeling (everyone!)- At the end of the day, most private investigations arise from a client’s gut feeling that “There is more to the story.” Whether it is a spouse who is cheating, and employee who is stealing, or a colleague who is hiding something, the job of a private investigator is to clear away the doubt and reveal the truth so that all parties are on equal footing and can make sound, informed decisions about the future. If you think something in your life feels off, a private investigator may be able to use their experience and insight to help you sort it out.
Private investigators are available for any difficult situation that arises, both professionally and personally. If you are struggling to uncover the truth or looking for help in tracking someone or something down, consider a private investigator to help speed along the process.
