When you’re about to enter a new business relationship—especially when acquiring a new business partner—it’s imperative to have the full picture when making that decision. However, there can be a myriad of factors that may affect a business relationship that have nothing to do with the business itself, such as problems with substance abuse, compulsive gambling, or a history of violence. Before signing a new partner into the business, the most prudent business owners will invest in a background check for executives to ensure they’re acquiring the best candidate available.
Many business owners may first turn to the internet for a background check for executives, because it is the path of least resistance in a complex corporate world. The internet boasts of dozens of “free” background check sites where reports can be generated on individuals sometimes based on a single piece of information. These types of sites can be very deceiving, not only because most of these sites require that you pay for the full report, but the full report itself can also be extremely lacking in information and in accuracy of the information. The truth is that legitimate background checks cannot be conducted by private citizens. Professional, comprehensive background checks can only be conducted through verified databases that require special license to use. One type of professional licensed to use these databases is a private investigator.
Private investigators, via their licensure through the state, can have access to informational databases that are on par with those used by law enforcement. These databases can give private investigators a cornucopia of facts on a single individual—name, address, phone number, email address, social media, criminal history, litigation history, and in some cases, even other members of their family. Even if a private citizen were able to access these verified databases, the dearth of information that becomes available could be overwhelming and even nonsensical. That’s why having the expertise of a private investigator is so important.
Private investigators have the diverse tools and experience to look at an individual’s background and properly contextualize certain patterns or events. For example, if a subject has a long address history with multiple addresses within a single year, a private investigator may conclude that this is indicative of a history of transience in their private lives. Business owners who are running a background check on executives may decide that this history of transience translates to a lack of accountability and responsibility in the corporate world.
When you’re vetting a new business partner to bring into your corporate sphere, make the investment of a background check for executives. Protect your business by making sure you get the full picture on a prospective partner. If you need a background check for an executive, call Lauth today for a free quote on our background check services. Call 317-951-1100 today or visit us online at www.lauthinveststg.wpengine.com.
When human resources function like a well-oiled machine, teams flourish and profits soar. However, when HR practices slide even a little off track, the resulting problems can be pervasive. Issues such as rapid turnover, employee fraud, workplace theft, and so many more can pop up as symptoms of an eroding corporate culture. Meanwhile, even the need for a single human resources investigation can leave a company open to potential litigation—placing a lot of pressure on an HR team that should be focused on forging a bright future rather than doing damage control.
If your human resources department has become mired in complaints and can’t seem to break the pattern, there’s a good change that your HR investigation protocol isn’t up to the task. Simply reaching for an HR investigation template sometimes isn’t enough—as reoccurring issues could be a sign of a concealed wider issue, or questions might be raised about the impartiality of those doing the investigating.
So, where is a business in the grips of an HR conundrum to turn? The answer lies with the skills of the external human resources investigator. This form of corporate investigator is ever-ready to provide expert insight into HR practices that may be letting you down. Even better, they will objectively take the lead on your delicate workplace investigation, so your in-house team can stop putting out fires, and start breathing again.
Potential Findings of a Human Resources Investigation
Through our corporate investigations work here at Lauth Investigations International, we help countless businesses tug on the thread of individual HR issues, revealing the root causes that lie behind previously impassable challenges. While the scope of work carried out by a human resources investigator from our team is potentially vast, here are some examples of what our collaborative workplace investigation might uncover:
Pervasive Workplace Theft A valuable piece of inventory has vanished and your HR team is on the case. However, is it possible that losses have been trickling away unchecked for months? A specialized corporate investigator can shed light on the situation before it gets out of hand.
A Pattern of Workplace Bullying or Harassment Many employers don’t see the connection between different HR investigations. A harassment complaint here and a discrimination complaint there may indicate a widespread problem that will soon land your company in hot water.
Unhealthy Recruitment Practices Perhaps shockingly, Business Insider places the cost of replacing a bad hire at anywhere between 30% and 400% of their annual salary. Misguided recruitment strategies are a financial drain that cannot be underestimated, so tackling this issue is a must.
Fraudulent Compensation Claims To your human resources team, your employees are familiar and friendly faces, encountered every day. This can make it tricky to be objective over compensation claims. An impartial external human resources investigator will be able to audit claims to make sure nobody’s taking liberties.
White Collar Crime
It’s one thing when employees stretch and bend the rules to their own advantage, but it’s another entirely when they walk onto the premises each day with the cool and calculated intention to commit crime and get away with it. When something doesn’t add up, don’t hesitate in bringing in a corporate investigator with the skills to uncover the deeds of those trying to cover their tracks.
An Impartial Outsider’s Value in a Human Resources Investigation
There’s no escaping that there are potential legal ramifications to any human resources investigation. The truth is that towing the line with an antiquated HR investigation process, pulling out the same tired old workplace investigation template, or being sloppy about choosing HR investigation questions for accused parties can all leave your business vulnerable to liability. When your company’s profit or reputation are on the line, turn to an external human resources investigator who can keep your HR procedures iron clad. The dedicated corporate team here at Lauth Investigations International are ready to answer your questions. Get in touch to find out more about how we can provide critical human resources support to your business moving forward.
Adding value to one’s home is an investment many homeowners hope to make to their property. One of the most common ways to do this is by renovating the interior of the home, the exterior or both. When it comes to vetting contractors for the job, consumers must be vigilant of scammers who hope to make a quick buck off an unsuspecting home owner. That’s why consumers must know the signs of a home improvement scam when they see it.
Signs of a Home Improvement Scam
No one wants to accuse a seemingly hard-working professional of being a theif or a fraud, but caveat emptor dictates that consumers must have a reasonable amount of knowledge in order to vet potential contractors.
The Door Knock
One of the hallmarks of a home improvement scam is that the contractor will cold-knock on doors claiming that they were simply “in the area” and noticed the exterior of your home could use repairs. Reputable contractors to no blindly knock on people’s doors soliciting their services.
Sloppy Seconds
A home improvement scam is usually designed to turn a quick profit, which means low material costs. Scammers will typically tell their marks that they “just happen” to have leftover materials from a previous job. Reputable contractors or builders would order fresh materials to ensure the integrity of their work.
On the Spot
Scammers typically want there to be a quick decision regarding their services. Whether it’s just a handshake or signing on the dotted line, scammers have the disposition of a stereotypical used car salesman.
Cash Only
Scammers want the entire fee to be paid up front before any work is completed, and tend to only accept cash as payment. This is to eliminate possible paper trails that would document their grifting behavior and increase the chance of facing consequences.
Permit Please?
Being a licensed contractor makes it much easier to procure building permits for various jobs. However, when a contractor is unlicensed or uninsured, they may attempt to have the mark procure the licenses—once again to avoid accountability for any wrongdoing that will take place.
I Know a Guy
When a mark does not have the funds that are “required” for a job, a scammer may suggest that you borrow money from a lender they know personally, perhaps with the promise that they can get you a low interest rate, or the “friend rate.”
Tips for Avoiding a Home Improvement Scam
When vetting contractors for a home improvement job, make sure your list of candidates is comprised only of licensed and insured contractors. You can verify a contractor’s license through your state or county government, and ask that any candidate provide proof of insurance.
Begin building a list of potential contractors by asking your friends and neighbors for recommendations. As long as the reference comes from a source you know and trust who has utilized that contractor’s services, the proof should be in the pudding, so to speak.
You can also find a list of reputable contractors from your local Home Builders Association or an equivalent for your area to see if there have been any formal complaints filed against any one contractor. You can check online reviews, their Google rating, and even check with the Better Business Bureau.
Get multiple estimates from multiple candidates. Legitimate estimates should include the description of the work requested, materials required, a completion date, and of course a price. Though it may be tempting, going with the cheapest estimate is not always the best option. If you observe huge disparities between estimates, ask the contractor in question.
Read all contracts and legally binding documents carefully. Not all contracts will be the same state to state and you must make sure you read any documents in totality before signing. Make sure the contract includes
When evidence points to the unpleasant reality that someone has targeted your organization, it’s not the time to bury your head in the sand. From a cybersecurity threat to white collar crime; from fraud or extortion to a physical break-in: it’s safe to assume that the violation in question isn’t an isolated incident. You’re going to need to take immediate steps to plug leaks, remove vulnerabilities, beef up securities, and assess the damage that has been done. Crucially, it’s time to call a corporate theft investigator, and there isn’t a minute to lose. Corporate theft investigations are the first step in getting to the bottom of the problem.
The Many Faces Of Corporate Theft
Corporate theft comes in many guises, and business leaders should be mindful of all of them. The assets that bad actors might target include physical inventory, financial assets, intellectual property, and more. The actors themselves could be members of your team on any level—making the issue one of internal corporate theft—or supposedly trustworthy business partners, suppliers, or clients who have been granted just enough access to do harm. Finally, it might be an outsider with the wherewithal to bypass your security entirely—denoting external corporate theft.
Complicating matters, those doing the stealing will likely bend over backwards to cover their tracks—so when a workplace investigation is called for, you’ll want to be prepared that it might uncover a rot that has festered. The good news is that a seasoned corporate investigator will not only be able to reveal the extent of nefarious actions, but advise on the steps to take next in the name of damage control and recovery. Whether they collaborate with your HR investigator or take full control of theft-related HR investigations, you can be confident that any threat will be effectively neutralised, allowing you to pursue justice and ultimately get back to what you do best.
Hiring a Corporate Investigator
Discovering that your business has fallen prey to corporate theft can leave many executives in a tailspin. Thoughts of reputational damage, rifts with shareholders, or potential legal ramifications are certainly daunting. However, this is where the tactic of hiring a corporate investigation firm for expert assistance comes into its own.
The dedicated workplace investigator is an expert at discreetly navigating exceptionally sensitive issues of this nature, and will act swiftly to resolve the challenge at hand while maintaining utmost confidence. The corporate investigation process can take place with minimal disruption to your team and daily operations, with information shared on a strictly need-to-know basis and conclusions kept under wraps until you have a concrete plan of action in place. Of course, the corporate investigator is also well versed at collaborating with law enforcement and will ensure that your company’s actions are compliant, ethical, and legally air-tight as workplace investigations progress.
How To Prevent Corporate Theft
Undoubtedly, any business owner would rather never face the need for corporate theft investigations. So how can corporate investigation services help you lessen the risk in the first place? Well, diligent background checks on recruits and business partners is a great place to start. Gathering corporate intelligence can help you guard against non-compete violations and intellectual property theft. Meanwhile, periodic corporate culture audits can help you forge an environment where employees are far less likely to feel disgruntled enough to act against the company in the first place. Here at Lauth Investigations International, our expert corporate division offers all of the corporate investigation examples that you may require—making hiring a corporate investigator for your company’s unique needs easy and simple to do. With the right ally in your corner, navigating corporate theft doesn’t need to be daunting. As ominous as such an occurrence may be, you can rest easy that the right actions are being taken on your behalf. If you’re ready to show active or potential perpetrators that yours is not the business to mess with, we’re ready to stand by your side. Contact the team to get started today.
When thinking about the security of your business, it’s easy to place focus on brick and mortar assets, valuable inventory, and carefully counted financials. However, there is another area of your business that needs to be protected at all costs. As the FBI confirms, intellectual property theft robs unsuspecting U.S. businesses of billions of dollars every year, stealing job security from hard-working Americans and tax revenues in the process. The takeaway? Don’t let your lack of awareness make you a number in next year’s statistics.
Why is intellectual property protection such a prolific problem? Well, estimates place the value of intellectual property at about 70% of all business equity. This plump statistic makes the data and—in fact—the very ideas that fuel your business a tempting target for aspiring criminals. As such, an intellectual property private investigator is an ally that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Who Are the Perpetrators Behind Intellectual Property Theft?
When someone decides to steal your organization’s customer data, product plans, pricing strategy, or design secrets, it’s important to know that while they might be an unknown agent, the criminal in question could well be a trusted insider—a wolf in your midst. It is a sad truth that disgruntled or ill-intentioned employees take it upon themselves to steal sensitive data from the hand that feeds them every day in America, making complacency a dangerous game indeed.
Perhaps a rival business has approached a member of your team with an under-the-table offer, or maybe they hope to gather intel before setting up a rival business. Whatever the motivation, common data extraction tactics include the use of external media such as a writable CD or USB mass storage device, or harnessing corporate email accounts to send information off-site. In other instances, intellectual property theft may involve hacking, making digital security paramount to your IP’s security. Establishing IT and site monitoring procedures and media policy controls are also key to maintaining employee best practices, supported by well-constructed non-compete agreements for staff privy to precious information.
Prevention and Cure: Hiring An Intellectual Property Investigator
When a company suspects intellectual property theft, there is no time to waste. Whether a copyright investigation, a trademark theft investigation, or a more nuanced IP infringement investigation is called for, you can be certain that the longer that information is in circulation, the greater the potential threat to your company. As such, setting an intellectual property theft investigator to the task of tracing the breach, identifying proof, and gathering the evidence that will allow you to act quickly is a shrewd move indeed.
In parallel, many businesses choose to engage a private investigator as a form of proactive intellectual property protection. Experts within this corporate field can conduct careful analysis of your IP assets, detecting any potential vulnerabilities or violations before crisis sets in. A skilled corporate theft investigator from Lauth Investigations international will work tirelessly to prevent intellectual property breaches, global piracy, counterfeiting, and insider threats, utilizing tools such as data mining techniques, surveillance, and field investigation to uncover facts inaccessible to your HR department.
Is your intellectual property safe from prying eyes? If in doubt, contact Lauth Investigations International today, for bespoke guidance from a dedicated IP infringement investigator. Your intellectual assets represent the future prosperity of your brand, so don’t leave their integrity to chance.
