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by admin_lauth | Apr 5, 2016 | Private Investigations News
If your home was broken into, would you be able to quickly provide law enforcement and your insurance company with serial numbers, photos, and/or receipts of everything that was stolen?
For far too many people, the answer to that question is: “no”.
Police Are Not Always Able to Help in Asset Recovery Cases
Police have a whole host of issues they deal with on a daily basis—violent crime among them. Most law enforcement agencies simply lack the manpower needed to deeply investigate every stolen item reported to them.
Unfortunately, even if you are able to provide local law enforcement with specific information about the items taken, police can only assist in asset recovery to a certain degree and only in certain situations.
For example, police are much more likely to conduct a proper investigation when there has been a home-break-in, armed robbery, or cases where there is evidence of forced entry. If none of these circumstances exist, the police are not likely to be of much assistance.
Essentially—if you leave your garage open some afternoon, and you’re new, expensive road bike is stolen—you likely won’t receive much help from police.
What police might do, depending on the state you live in, is communicate with local pawn shops regarding items that may have been stolen. However, this isn’t always fruitful for various reasons: laws surrounding communication between pawn shops and police vary greatly from state to state, individual pawn shops deal with possible stolen property differently.
For example, pawn shops in some states are not required to report or otherwise communicate with local police. On the other hand—states like Ohio require all pawn shops to report daily to local law enforcement. In Ohio, pawn shops send daily reports on items, loaned or pawned, which they have reason to believe may be stolen.
The variation between laws from state to state creates differences in the way pawn shops handle possible stolen property. However, for the most part, pawn shops do not want to purchase stolen merchandise or sell it to their customers. For this reason, among others, pawn shops are no longer the place criminals are taking their stolen items to sell.
Why (Smart) Criminals Don’t Take Stolen Items to Pawn Shops
So as we’ve already determined—pawn shops are no longer the “go-to” place for criminals to sell their stolen items. So why aren’t they taking their stuff to local pawn shops anymore?
There are three main reasons that criminals have moved away from pawn shops: 1. Pawn shops don’t want stolen merchandise, and are more cautious now than they have been historically, 2. Pawn shops and police work together relatively efficiently (in most states), and 3. There are better, safer, online solutions for criminals to sell stolen merchandise.
Pawn brokers and the pawn shop industry in general have been pushing back against the stereotype that they are the “go-to” place for thieves to sell stolen goods. This is the main reason pawn shops don’t want stolen merchandise. They, like other businesses, value their reputation. Pawn shops are largely not interested in forgoing a good reputation in order to make a couple of bucks on a stolen good. For this reason, most pawn shops try to avoid buying stolen goods at all costs.
When things do slip through the cracks and a stolen item is purchased or loaned to a pawn shop, police (in many states) are sometimes effective in recovering the stolen property, which is enough to scare of some would-be-sellers.
However, one major reason that pawn shops are not the number one choice for thieves looking to sell is because of the growth of the internet and social networking sites.
Online Storage for Your Photos, Serial Numbers, and Receipts
To be fair, it is pretty laborious to keep all of the necessary information for your belongings—you would likely have to buy a new filing cabinet. That’s why police detectives and private investigators are urging the public to upload this information to an online database.
According to a recent ABC News article, Houston police officer Todd Harris offers this advice about these new online databases:
“If it came from your grandfather or your grandmother, take a picture of it and describe it and put it on there. If things were to get stolen, [it] gives us a better chance to find it—anything that is important to you, even if it isn’t super expensive.”
Websites like LeadsOnline.com and their “Report It” service are just one of many online service solutions for storing this type of information. Even using a service like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, or something similar to store this information is better than nothing.
It may seem like a pain, but it’s much easier than keeping paper copies of everything; if you are ever unfortunate enough to be the victim of a break-in, you will thank yourself later.
So What Should You Do?
Check back here at the blog—there is an upcoming article about how a hiring a private investigator could be your best option when facing an asset recovery case. In the mean time—make sure to decide on a safe and secure place to store all of your photos, serial numbers, and receipts.
Aaron Snyder, Writer, Lauth Investigations Blog
by admin_lauth | Mar 7, 2016 | Tips & Facts
There’s nothing inherently wrong with meeting someone online; more and more people are meeting that way each year. However, it’s important to know how to vet someone you have met online—it’s not as easy as with people you meet in person. Read these quick tips about how to know who you meet online.
1. Authenticate Their Social Media Profiles
The first-step when you meet someone online should be to authenticate their social media profiles. Essentially, you should be looking to confirm that the person you have met is the person depicted in the profile, and that the person depicted in the profile is a real person.
Start by combing over the social media profile where you met the individual. For instance, if you met them on Facebook, check to see how many friends they have. Someone with very few friends may just be new to Facebook, but often times its a red-flag that the owner of the profile could be suspicious. See how many photos they have posted to the account. Users with only one photo, a graphic instead of a photo, or no photo at all may have something to hide. If they do have photos of themselves, compare the photos to make sure that they are the same person from photo to photo. Check to see if they post to their timeline often, but more importantly, check to see if other people are posting on their timeline. Signs of a two-way conversation or other engagement with users can be an indication that the person is, in fact, real.
Try to find other social media platforms that the individual is using. Compare the profiles and come to a conclusion about whether or not the person is a fake. Once you have determined the user is a real person, use information gleaned from their social media profiles about the safest way to proceed.
When it comes to social media profiles, you are looking for substance. If there is a lack of substance or the profile seems otherwise shady—stay away.
Remember, successfully authenticating their social media accounts is only the first-step. You may have confirmed that they are who they say they are, but, like with any other stranger, it is still important to get the know them before giving them your trust.
2. Ask The Right Questions
Getting to know someone is hard, right? Knowing what to ask is important when meeting people in general, but especially so when meeting people online.
The traditional 5 W’s (who, what, where, when, and why) go a long way towards vetting someone you meet online:
Who are they? Not just their name, but ask them who are they as a person. What drives them? What to do they do? For a living, for fun, on Sunday afternoons, anything—personal questions are a good way to find out if a person is genuine. Where are they from? Do they live far away from their family and friends, or are they well integrated into their community? When did they move to the area? Why?
Asking smart questions, and paying close attention to their answers, can be extremely helpful when trying to understand if a given individual is genuine. Be intensely aware of any inconsistencies in their answers. Find clever ways to ask the same question with different phrasing—see if they are consistent and confident when talking about themselves during your conversations.
3. Choose the Safer Apps
One of the best ways to ensure safety while using social media online is to make sure that you are using the safer social media platforms. There are no social media outlets that are inherently unsafe, but there are certain features on some platforms that make them more attractive to wrongdoers.
Be aware of the privacy and security features of each social media platform you use. Anonymous messaging apps like Kik, among others, are a popular social media platform for predators. A good rule of thumb to follow: if the level of user anonymity is high on a particular social platform, it is more likely that individuals interested in remaining anonymous will use the platform.
Ever thought of talking to someone using FaceTime instead of messengers or phone calls? FaceTime allows you to see who you are talking to, confirm that they match their online profiles, and gives you the ability to read their facial expressions during your conversations. FaceTime, as a conversational app, lets the user interact with others more like they do in the real world. Try asking the person you have met online if they would like to use FaceTime, Skype, or another video streaming app instead of using messengers or phone calls.
4. Try Meeting People Who Live Locally
In an increasingly global society, physical geography plays a smaller and smaller role in the people we meet and interact with. There is nothing wrong with that, but it does make it harder to know if the people we are talking to are who they say they are. It is much easier when the person you’ve met online lives locally. Check to see if they like community gathering places, restaurants, and events in your area. See if they have photos taken locally—if they do, it’s more likely that they are real, and didn’t just pull the photos off of the internet.
Not only can it make vetting their social media easier, but it also gives you the option to meet-up in person at some point. This should be done safely, as we will discuss in tip number 5, but it is certainly one of the best tools to use when determining a given individual’s motives and whether their intentions are genuine or not.
5. Meet Somewhere Public and Bring a Friend
Most people already know that it is best to meet someone for the first time in a public place. Meeting up in a dark ally is bad—for obvious reasons. A public coffee house, restaurant, or otherwise busy establishment is a much better option. But still, there are a few things that you can do to make your meet even safer.
Consider bringing along a friend when you first meet someone. Ask them if they would be willing to bring a friend along as well—as a double date of sorts. If that isn’t an option, ask a friend if they would be willing to go with you early to the coffee shop or restaurant. Having a friend at a nearby table can make you feel more comfortable meeting a stranger. A friend can also monitor your exit from the establishment—as this is perhaps the most dangerous part of meeting someone in a public place. Once you have entered your vehicle and safely left, your friend’s job is done.
This may seem a bit extreme, and is not necessary in all situations, but it’s an easy and effective preventative measure. Bringing a friend along is a great idea—especially if you are meeting someone for the first time.
Aaron Snyder, Writer, Lauth Investigations Blog
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by admin_lauth | Feb 15, 2016 | Corporate Investigations
There are a few generally accepted types of employees when it comes to workplace fraud and embezzlement. Social science has done a great deal of research on who commits workplace fraud and why they decide to offend. The three most common types of employee, when it comes to likelihood of committing fraud, are: honest employees, generally honest employees, and professionally dishonest employees.
Professionally Dishonest Employees
Often referred to as “professional fraudsters”, these individuals are more uncommon than the other types, but are important to understand and make note of. They certainly do exist, and there may be more of them than you might think. These fraudsters seek companies with weak controls and the inability to detect workplace fraud. These employees move from company to company in order to defraud them. These individuals generally had no intention of working for said company; their only intention from their initial interview is to defraud an organization for personal gain. This type of planned, calculated, and premeditated workplace fraud is one of the most serious types of fraud, and often times they involve large dollar amounts.
Companies can combat these fraudsters by creating stronger controls and implementing a plan to discover workplace fraud. The mere existence of such of a plan to deter workplace fraud can be enough to denture these fraudsters from ever infiltrating the company to begin with—they are looking for any easy payday. Organizations with weak controls and highly autonomous workers should be particularly aware of this type of employee, and take steps in order to make sure they are never hired in the first place.
Generally Honest Employees
The second category of employees is generally honest ones. These employees took the job and, originally, never planned on stealing or defrauding the company. There are two main risk factors that are used to determine how likely a particular employee is to engage in fraud.
The first risk factor is opportunity. If a generally honest employee is given a large opportunity, or many smaller opportunities, to steal from the company they are more likely to commit workplace fraud than an employee with limited opportunity. Limiting the opportunity for workplace fraud to occur may be the single best preventative measure that can be taken to avoid the issue altogether.
The other determining factor is the employee’s perceived need for the money. Employees who are dependent on gambling, alcohol, or drugs are certainly at a higher risk to offend, but sometimes, all it takes for fraud to occur is any level of perceived need and a high level of opportunity.
Honest Employees
They certainly exist, but far too often, employers estimate that they have more honest employees than they actually do. Often times, victims of workplace fraud become victims by believing that their employees are all honest. Other times, employers are concerned about low-level workers while the most likely individual to commit fraud is a long-term, trusted, knowledgeable, and important employee.
Employees that have been around for awhile have a working knowledge of the company, and in turn, understand the best ways that they could defraud the company without suspicion. Companies can help insulate themselves from fraud by understanding that their most likely offenders are also the employees they might least suspect.
Regardless of the character of the workers that a given company employs, it is impossible to completely avoid the possibility that workplace fraud could occur in the organization. Understanding these simple categories can help avoid hiring the wrong people, but because workplace fraud can happen anywhere, it is also important to know how hiring a Private Investigator can help you discover fraud, recover losses, and prosecute offending employees.
Aaron Snyder, Writer, Lauth Investigations Blog
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by admin_lauth | Feb 10, 2016 | Corporate Investigations
Suspect work place fraud? Call Lauth Investigations today.
So you’ve realized that you are the victim of workplace fraud. What now? For many business owners, it can be frustrating trying to figure out what to do after uncovering fraud in the workplace. Here are five options of who to contact when you suspect that you’ve been duped.
1. Many begin by calling an attorney
You certainly might need one at some point during this stressful process, but not all attorneys are capable of assisting in the same way. Different attorneys have different specialties, and their advice on the proper way to proceed will likely vary widely. Calling your attorney could be helpful, and again, may be necessary. Still, it might not be the best first-option due to the high professional fees that attorneys tend to charge.
2. Luckily there is crime insurance, right?
It’s certainly true—crime insurance can help recover funds lost in workplace fraud cases. However, just like most other types of insurance policies, there are countless factors that play into the decision to approve or deny a particular claim. Far too often, a small error or failure by the policy-holder results in the claim being denied. Not to mention, when approved, crime insurance policies usually only cover a tiny fraction of the overall loss. Crime insurance is great, but it is no substitute for a proper investigation.
3. Contacting the police is also always an option.
The police can certainly investigate; however criminal justice is a slow process, and often times workplace fraud cases can be tough to prosecute—especially if the district attorney feels there is an apparent civil agreement that has already been made. But what if the employee agrees to pay the money back, and defaults on their agreement? For several reasons, the police are only limitedly helpful in workplace fraud cases.
4. Often times a small business owner will contact their CPA.
Again CPAs and other trusted advisors could be needed at some point, but the advice you receive may vary a great deal. Sometimes the actions taken can actually complicate the issue—costing even more in professional fees. Take the wrong step, and you may hurt your chances of criminally prosecuting the employee and having a successful recovery of losses. Although involving a CPA could be necessary, it also may not be the best first step.
5. The correct first step very well may be to contact a private investigator.
Many private investigators have experience dealing with workplace fraud cases; they also have experience working with attorneys, crime insurance companies, police, CPAs, and other professional advisors. Working with a private investigator on a workplace fraud case can yield important results while keeping costs low.
A private investigator can examine the case and determine which, if any, of these avenues would be the most fruitful. Getting a private investigator involved in the case, before hiring other professionals, can help simplify the issue while keeping costs for professional services, like attorney fees and CPA costs, to a minimum.
Explore the blog for more about when to call a professional for a corporate investigation and a few ground rules for a successful workplace investigation.
Aaron Snyder, Writer, Lauth Investigations Blog
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by admin_lauth | Nov 19, 2015 | Corporate Investigations, Tips & Facts
Most experienced professionals in upper-management and/or HR positions are required to conduct corporate investigations at some point during their careers. It’s just par for the course. Unfortunately, there are certain circumstances in which an internal investigation conducted by company employees may not be the best option. In these cases, hiring a professional is a better choice. Not sure when’s the right time to call in reinforcements? Here are a few guidelines.
First, assess the situation to determine whether it warrants a full-blown corporate investigation. A single instance of employee theft from the petty cash box is probably not impactful enough to allocate money and resources toward a thorough investigation. Theft on a much larger scale, however, such as that carried out through suspected embezzlement, is a different story.
Once you’ve determined whether an investigation is, indeed, necessary, the next step is figuring out whether your personnel is equipped to handle the process internally. Again, this will likely depend on the size and scope of the alleged misconduct. It will also depend on the experience of those tasked with conducting the inquest. If you’re a sizeable organization with a designated investigation team, chances are you’ll be fine on your own. If your company is smaller or if nobody on staff has direct experience with conducting a corporate investigation, it may make sense to bring in a professional.
Another deciding factor is the important topic of confidentiality. It can be extremely difficult to conduct a thorough investigation using internal employees without arousing suspicion. It can also be challenging to keep an open mind and proceed without any type of bias, which is critical to the success of any corporate investigation. This is why most organizations choose to enlist the help of an experienced third-party investigator who can go undercover, if necessary.
Finally, if you’re considering whether to hire a pro for your corporate investigation, remember that completing such a monumental task successfully also involves a lot of time. It could take weeks, months or even years to gather the evidence needed to build a case, and activities may include surveillance, background investigations, data mining and interviews and substantial documentation. Can you really afford to have one of your own employees dedicate this much effort to the cause?
Simply put, in most cases, conducting a corporate investigation is best left to those who do so for a living. The outcome will likely be better, and your company will save time, money and aggravation in the process. If you’re considering working with a pro, give the team at Lauth Investigations International, Inc. a call. We’ve got the experience necessary to help you get the results you need.
