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by admin_lauth | Mar 3, 2015 | Private Investigations News
Although you might not know it, there are several “snoop specialties” that any private investigator might be an expert in. From cyber investigation and white collar crime to missing persons and divorce investigation, each investigator usually has a particular interest that can best help people who are dealing with that specific type of case.
General Investigators – This is a general, all-around investigator who can do anything from find your lost pet to locate an old high school teacher. Although they are licensed to investigate almost every type of case, they may have a specialty or extensive experience in another area.
Legal Investigators – These investigators work closely with law firms to develop information that can assist with legal proceedings. Some of these instances may include contract law, divorce proceedings, or healthcare-related background or ethical investigations. Legal investigators are vital parts of the trial process, and their testimony is often key to the outcome.
Corporate Investigators – Corporate investigators are one of the lesser-known snoop specialties, often because their work is not as glamorous as others. These investigators work with financial figures, data, and interoffice communications to track down inappropriate behavior or mismanagement of funds. Often, they are called in to work on merger and acquisition proceedings, and provide in-depth information about the company that is being acquired.
Cyber Investigators – These individuals use technology to gather information. As the growth of the internet and cyber-crime increases, this is one of the fastest-growing snoop specialties today. Cyber investigators can track IP address of cyberbullies, glean erased data from hard drives, and gather data about online predators.
Workmen’s Compensation Investigators – Workmen’s compensation investigators work closely with corporations and insurance companies to verify that claimants are truly as hurt as they say they are. They may do personal interviews with friends and neighbors, follow a claimant to observe behavior, or cross-check medical claims.
No matter what specialty you need, there is always an investigator who has a wealth of experience to offer you. Here’s a quick infographic to help you remember the right kind of investigator for your particular needs.
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by admin_lauth | Feb 25, 2015 | Private Investigations News
Photo via Tony Webster
An AMBER Alert was issued at 2am on the morning on February 24th in response to the abduction of 3-year-old Elinor Trotter by her armed and potentially dangerous father.
Through the use of the alerting system, in addition to efforts of local police and community helpers, Trotter was recovered without harm. But, the real story isn’t about her safe return – it’s about the behavior of the hundreds of social media users who took to Twitter and Facebook to complain about being “rudely awakened” by the lifesaving system.
The Shock of it All
The AMBER Alert system has saved the lives of over 700 children since it’s inception. But it seems that is still not enough value for some. Twitter was riddled with shocking responses from people that had been awaked by the call to help the endangered Trotter.
Fortunately, these sentiments were not shared by the majority. Still, their mere presence on social media called attention to the public impression of the AMBER Alert system. Major news media icons like Philadelphia WXPN host Robert Drake were more than happy to defend the system, which is defaulted to automatically ping cell phone users who have not opted out.
AMBER Alert: An Effective and Valuable Nuisance
In truth, the AMBER Alert system has been hailed as one of the most successful elements of the often-criticized 2002 Bush campaign. It was during this time that President Bush held the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children. President Bush called for the appointment of an official AMBER Alert Coordinator, which led to an impressive 900% increase in children recovered through the program after that point.
And, as the internet and mobile phones have made information easier to access, the AMBER Alert system has become even more effective. Cell phones are programmed to “opt in” to the alerting system by default. Considering that there are a projected 164 million smart phones in the U.S. alone, that is a huge resource for police officers, private investigators, and family members in quickly spreading information about a missing child.
AMBER Alert Social: The Future of Finding Missing Persons
Social media has also played a huge role in finding missing persons, especially in regards to the AMBER alert program. Those individuals who “like” AMBER Alerts on Facebook (over 308,000 people as of Feb. 2015) will see the most recent alerts on their news feeds.
There is also a way to follow @AMBERAlert on Twitter to get the same information, but the response has not been as positive. As in the Trotter case, it seems that some Twitter users are less inclined to see the social media as a tool for helping solve missing persons cases, and more inclined to see it as a place to vent frustration. Luckily, those individuals are the minority.
It’s Never Too Late (Or Too Early) To Help Save a Life
Although the world might seem as though it is becoming more selfish and cynical, there are still good people who understand the value of private investigation and missing persons tools like the AMBER Alert system. The surprising outrage at the early AMBER Alert wakeup call inspired users like Robert Drake, @mjvanesco and @LAschafer3 to educate others about the true value of the AMBER Alert system – saving lives no matter how inconvenient it might be.
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by admin_lauth | Feb 16, 2015 | Private Investigations News
Photo via Katie Tegtmeyer
Although private investigators (PIs) are always pretty busy, Valentine’s Day is one of the most taxing parts of the whole year. Why? There’s no more dramatic way to say “You’ve been cheating,” than on V-Day.
In a recent interview with CBS Dallas-Forth Worth, professional private investigator Mike Duncan from Alliance Investigations, LLC explained that Valentine’s Day is a time of year when more people are susceptible to thinking that their spouse has been cheating.
“We’re a full-service firm [in the North Texas area], and we handle a lot of other types of cases,” Duncan said. “But, we really see an increase in [infidelity] cases this time of year.”
What is the cause of this increased infidelity investigation around the hallowed love holiday? Because this is the time that most cheaters are going to make a mistake that will get them caught.
What Makes V-Day the Worst Day for Cheating?
Valentine’s is one of the most lucrative holidays in the world, bringing in an estimated $2.1 billion each year. Because of the social pressure to purchase gifts for romantic interests, private investigators spend many weeks leading up to (and following) V-day searching through credit card bills, checking cell phone interactions, and considering large withdrawals from bank accounts.
Fortunately, professional private investigators like Lauth Investigations International and Alliance Investigations have highlighted a few warning signs to look for before you call a private investigator to get involved in a potential love fiasco.
5 Warning Signs That Your Spouse is Cheating This Valentine’s Day
1. Strange Cell Phone Usage: If your spouse suddenly starts locking his or her phone or laying it face down when you’re around, there is probably something on there they don’t want you to see. Also, if they start hiding it, there’s a good chance that you won’t be happy with what you find when you do find it.
2. Missing Time Before or After V-Day: No cheater in his or her right mind would try to sneak away on Valentine’s Day. But, it is very likely that they will take out their lover the day before or after. This has become such an event that February 13th has been unofficially named, “Mistress Day.” Look for work excursions or day-long events during this time.
3. Empty Browser History: Internet and social media usage has been shown to be directly correlated with cheating behavior, according to Pew Research. Their study found that 24% of internet users have used online sites to flirt with others – despite marital status. This has given way to sites like AshleyMadison.com, which is designed to help married people cheat. If you find that you have a spouse who is consistently deleting browser history on a desktop or cell phone, he or she may be engaging in online activities they don’t want you to know about.
4. Secret Social Media Accounts: Although this may be a hard one to catch, a secret social media account is one of the biggest warning signs of cheating in the 21st Century. In a study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, researcher Russell Clayton stated that, “Greater active Twitter use led to greater negative conflicts and outcomes.” In addition, social mediums like Snapchat are designed to automatically delete conversations, giving cheaters more security in their online infidelity. Finding suspicious social media accounts under different names is a real sign that this may be happening in your home.
5. Emotional Distance: Finally, although it is a nebulous concept, cheating always leads to a level of emotional distance followed by moments of intense response. Often, cheaters will want to emotionally distance themselves before committing adultery, then be emotionally recharged after a session of infidelity.
Summary
According to some professionals, chances of infidelity may be as much as 25 percent over the lifetime of a marriage. Don’t wait another Valentine’s Day to find out if your suspicions are true. Contact a private investigation firm like Lauth Investigations if your spouse is giving off the red flags of infidelity.
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by admin_lauth | Feb 16, 2015 | Private Investigations News
Photo via Mashable
When you think of favorite snacks, it’s unlikely your go-to option is the delicious flavor of sun-dried Kobe Beef. It’s not because it doesn’t sound delicious. It’s because it doesn’t exist.
In one of the biggest scams in Kickstarter history, a company called Kobe Red opened a page on the crowdfunding site claiming they were preparing to distribute organic, beer-fed beef jerky treats and needed crowdfunded startup cash. By the time the team behind Kickstarter hired a private investigator to discover the validity of the business, Kobe Red had raised over $120,000.
If it hadn’t been for the unlikely help of a documentary crew and their trusted private investigator, it would have been the “biggest definitive fraud in the history of crowdfunding,” according to Quartz Magazine – a loss of over $120,000.
Check out the documentary team’s footage on the story below.
Through a series of fake online reviews, fabricated initial backers, and even live-tweeted “taste tests” at made-up events, the fraudsters at Kobe Red were able to fool over 3,000 real online supporters. It wasn’t until a duo interested in documenting the success of the crowdfunding site Kickstarter chose Kobe Red for one of their case studies that the lies started to set off warning bells.
Los Angeles filmmakers Jason Cooper and Jay Armitage attempted to contact the organization promoting Kobe Red, Magnus Fun, Inc. They had a short exchange of emails, but were never able to get any real documentation or meetings with the company owners. Magnus Fun, Inc. also promised to send footage from a tasting they had done at SXSW, but it never arrived.
The two filmmakers started to get a feeling that they – all all the Kobe Red backers – were being duped.
Several commenters on Kobe Red’s Kickstarter page felt the same. Some had contended with the company’s claim that they had thousands of pounds of meat read to be processed. This was incongruous with the idea that Kobe beed had just recently become legal to export from Japan to the U.S. Many said that it would be impossible for them to have that stock available in such a short time. Others questioned the company’s lack of personal information through Kickstarter, as well as the validity of screenshots from SXSW.
Photo via Mashable
“I got a few emails from our backers” — Kickstarted is raising funds through Kickstarter, too — “that said they thought this was an obvious scam,” Cooper told Mashable. “Knowing that we weren’t the only ones really helped make this clear.”
It was in the midst of growing concerns from the documentary team’s financial backers that they decided to hire a private investigator (PI) to look into the validity of Magnus Fun, Inc. It was through this PI that they found a trail of lies, scheming, and fraud that led to the Kobe Red Kickstarter campaign to be unplugged – a mere hour before stealing $120,000.
The unnamed PI found that Magnus Fun, Inc. was not who they said they were. Not only had they created the Kobe Red fund just hours after a failed attempt at a totally unrelated product, there was no record of their company in California State, even though their Kickstarter page claimed that was their home base.
What really brought the company down was one of their most outspoken defenders, Mr. Stanley Owens. The PI realized that this was the same name as one of the business partners on the product, and tracked both names to the same address in Chicago. In addition, this address was found to be connected with a Desjon Allen, who had created several other bogus money-raising schemes, including the “George Zimmerman Defense Fund,” designed to exploit Zimmerman backers, and “Cure the Coast,” a thwarted attempt to make money from the Pepsi Refresh Project.
The PI and independent filmmakers published their findings immediately on Reddit, to viral success. Within hours of the close date for the Kickstarter campaign for Kobe Red, Magnus Fun, Inc.’s account was suspended and all the backers were able to keep their money.
Without the assistance of a good private investigator and a number of watchdogs in social media, this could scenario could have turned out quite differently. Fortunately, there are always professionals willing to help bring scammers to justice, especially in light of near-misses like the Kobe Red incident.
by admin_lauth | Feb 2, 2015 | Private Investigations News
Photo via Emilian Robert Vicol
If you’ve ever seen a spy movie, you might believe that every private investigator has a room dedicated to gadgets, gizmos, and weapons that can help take down a perpetrator. While the tools for a private investigator are not as sensational as movies would like to admit, there are several very cool technologies that private investigators use in real life that will blow your mind.
1. Mini Cameras – If you can imagine it, there is probably someone who’s put a video camera on it. From clocks to keys, video camera technology has gotten so effective that they can be placed on almost any kind of object. Remember the camera glasses from Mission Impossible? Today, those are old technology. Now, we have hidden video watches, fountain pens, smoke detectors, and even clothes hooks.
2. Data Retrieval Tools – We tend to think that if we’ve deleted a piece of data from a computer or phone, it vanishes from existence. In fact, almost everything that you do or say in a digital format is backed up in a special area of your computer or phone’s hard drive. Detectives can invest in “phone sticks” that will find deleted data and allow it to be copied to the device.
3. Video Phones – One of the newest tools in the detective arsenal is the remote-controlled IP phone camera. It looks like a regular phone, but an investigator can remotely control the video device at will, turning it into an innocuous surveillance tool.
Photo via Gwyneth Anne Bronwynn
4. GPS Trackers – It’s always helpful to know where your subject is headed. Fortunately, GPS tracking has made that easier than ever. Investigators have many different types of GPS tools at their disposal, from ones that connect to a vehicle’s Onboard Diagnostic Port (OBD Port) to the quarter-sized GPS Retriever Tracker, which can be attached to a phone or even a key.
5. Defensive Weapons – Although private investigators are not often in dangerous situations, any investigator worth his or her salt will be prepared for potential aggression. Some PIs may invest in a concealed carry permit and small handgun to keep them safe from attack. Others may choose to have a non-lethal weapon to deal with aggressive people or animals that may attempt to harm them in the line of duty. These weapons can include stun guns, tasers, pepper spray, light guns, or impact guns.
Photo via ukhomeoffice
6. Backup Electrical/Photographic Gear – Since documentation is the name of the game, it pays for every investigator to have backup batteries, chargers, and converters. No one wants to be at the crux of a video investigation and have the feed cut out due to lack of electricity. Investigators may also have backup car batteries, flashlights, flash drives, and memory cards.
7. Investigative Software – While you may know that private investigators and detectives use programs like Facebook and Twitter to catch wrongdoers, you might not know about some of the other computer programs that investigators have at their disposal. Mobile phone tracking and forensics allows investigators to monitor the behavior of certain cell phone users. Specialized background checking software allows investigators to glean information about a person’s past residences, their phone numbers, and employers. Financial scrubbing software allows investigators to see unusual transactions, often ones that have been deleted by the handler.
Summary
Often, a person will call an investigator when they can’t find proof of a suspected activity. Although skill plays a huge part in getting data on a person who is trying to lay low, access to equipment and technology is also a major part of getting the proof of wrongdoing that will hold up in a court of law. And, although it’s not quite as exciting as the movies portray, the technology is just as cool.
