Elaine Park vanished into thin air on Jan. 28, 2017, from Calabasas, the gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains located in Los Angeles County, Calif.
Elaine is a beautiful 21-year-old Korean-American young woman who is described as spunky, outgoing by those who know her. Before her disappearance, she had been looking forward to attending Pierce College. A young lady who loves performing in musical theater and dance companies. She has also worked hard to pursue her dreams as an actress.
Elaine has appeared in several roles in TV shows and some movies including Crazy Stupid Love, Role Models, E.R. Mad TV, and Desperate Housewives. Not yet a household name, she was certainly headed in that direction.
In a Hollywood Reporter article “Search for Missing Actress Intensifies as $250,000 Cash Reward Offered”, according to the family’s private investigator Jayden Brant located in Beverly Hills, Elaine’s case is classified as an “unwilling missing person” by authorities and foul play is suspected.
According to the FBI National Crime Information Center, as of Oct. 31, 2017, there were 87,643 active missing person cases in the United States. In Calif., there are 19,431 active missing person cases, with 1,829 classified as “Involuntary” and another 4,234 classified as “Endangered” within six categories of entry in the national database.
Elaine had stayed the night with her boyfriend Divine “Div” Compere. Compere is the son of Hollywood businessman Shakim Compere, who co-owns Flavor Unit Entertainment with Queen Latifa.
Compere told police that he and Elaine had gone to a movie the night before she mysteriously vanished and returned to his home at 1:00am that evening, taking Uber and later confirmed on surveillance. Compere also claims at approximately 4:00 am, Elaine suddenly woke up shaking and singing which he attributed to a panic attack. Surveillance captures Elaine walking to her car two hours later, not appearing distressed. Video also shows Elaine’s vehicle leaving Divine’s compound, near the 2600 block of Delphine Lane in the rugged Coldwater Canyon of Calabasas.
A resident of La Cresenta, Calif., Elaine was reported missing two days later when family became concerned she had not returned home, calls or responded to texts.
As reported in an NBC Dateline interview, “Mother Appeals for Continued Help in Search for Missing California Daughter,” Elaine’s mother Susan Parks said, “I called (police) and, because of her age, the police thought she had just not contacted me. So, I thought, OK, just wait one more day. But my fear kept growing. The official report was made Monday.”
Police had initially considered Elaine to be voluntarily missing until Feb 2, when Elaine’s charcoal gray 2015 Honda Civic, was found abandoned in a desolate area, approximately 20 miles away, along Hwy 1-Pacific Coast Highway just south of Corral Canyon Rd., in Malibu.
The vehicle’s doors were unlocked with keys still in the ignition. Personal belongings were found inside, including her keys, backpack, cell phone, purse, makeup, cash and laptop.
Police conducted a ground search with bloodhounds along the cliffs and shore but there was no sign of Elaine in the area.
Elaine’s car was found along Pacific Coast Highway, near Corral Canyon.
“It’s suspicious in the way that we found her car, her cell phone and things, in the manner we did,” Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William told Dateline. “We can’t rule foul play in or out because plain and simple, we don’t have any evidence to do so.”
Authorities have said the boyfriend has been cooperative and not considered a suspect, but theories and suspicion abound on Internet sleuth sites.
At a news conference, Elaine’s mother Susan Park said, “It’s completely a mystery, unimaginable. How can someone just disappear without a trace?” Park has made numerous public pleas for help to find her missing daughter including an emotional plea and “time-limited” $500,000 reward offered for information.
Rolling Stone writer Neil Strauss, partnered with Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger to raise awareness wearing T-shirts with “Find Elaine Park.” Einziger, along with his wife Marie who live in the area where Elaine went missing. Appearing on KROQ, they asked the public for help to keep the search for Elaine going.
Marie Einziger, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, and Rolling Stone writerNeil Strauss – Courtesy KROQ
Now, with the $500,000 reward expired, along with lack of leads, Elaine’s family and friends are even more desperate to find her. The family has created a presence on social media with a Facebook page “Help Find Elaine Park” dedicated to the continued search for information that may help find her. Her mother has posted fliers and searched places Elaine loved to go, including the boardwalks. The family is doing what they can, but they need additional help.
“Missing person investigations can be quite complex, and one must always think outside the box during an investigation,” says private investigator and MissingLeads.com contributor Thomas Lauth. Lauth has over two decades private investigation experience on missing person cases and headquartered in Indiana. “As important as it is to pound the pavement to obtain information, I can’t stress enough, the importance of engaging the public in the search for a missing person. Many crimes are solved by raising awareness, generating that one lead, and social media is a vital tool.”
In Andy Nguyen’s report in the L.A. Times, “$250K reward offered in missing LaCresenta missing woman’s disappearance,” family private investigator Jayden Brant says, “It’s our strong contention that Elaine Park is an involuntary missing person and that foul play is involved in her disappearance.”
The passing months have been torturous for Elaine’s mother Susan, enduring having her child missing, one of the most traumatic of human experiences. With only the strength a mother could muster, Susan Park remains focused on finding answers, most importantly and no matter the outcome focused on bringing her daughter home.
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.
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.
Private investigators tend to be known for their work in the private sector: finding missing persons, helping to track down runaways, and investigating concerns of infidelity. However, most private investigators actually conduct a majority of work in the public and corporate sector, working with law offices, hospitals, and corporations to help with everything from case investigations to fraud convictions.
One of the most common ways that private investigators help corporate clients is by conducting corporate crisis management. This blog post discusses what corporate crisis management is and how private investigators effectively help corporations when they find themselves in crisis.
What are the most common Corporate Crises?
Corporate crisis management is any situation where the unexpected arrives in a corporate setting, but there are common examples that can arise multiple times within the life of a corporation. The most common examples of corporate crises are:
–PR crisis – Information is leaked to the media and the corporation is put on the defense.
-Internal employee crisis– An employee has somehow compromised the company’s integrity, either by stealing, lying, or divulging information to an outside source. A PR crisis can be it’s own separate crisis, but most other types of crises end up being a PR crisis too once the media gets word of the situation.
–Financial crisis– The company finds itself in a financial crisis such as bankruptcy. Financial crises affect everyone from the accounting department to sales reps and are usually linked to an internal crisis such as theft or fraud.
–Legal crisis– The corporation is being accused of breaking the law, or needs to sue a client or partners. Legal crises require special treatment because they need to include outside sources such as lawyers, opposing counsel, police officers, etc.
–Partnership crisis– A partnership within the corporation is breaking up, leading to conflict and confusion in the company.
If you find yourself faced with one of the types of corporate crises described above, you will immediately feel the need to:
Conduct a thorough investigation of the events that transpired, build a strong defense for yourself and your company, locate any untrustworthy sources (employees that have leaked information, etc.), and mitigate damages as much as possible. If there is any sort of legal issues involved, you’ll want to gather a better understanding of any laws and regulations that apply to your specific situation, and how your state and federal laws can help or hurt your position. You’ll also need to stay on top of deadlines and maintain communications with the various parties involved in the crisis. This is why corporate crises have such a devastating effect on the CEO and HR departments in companies, and why private investigators have become a more common accessory for dealing with these kinds of issues.
So how do private investigators help the corporation manage the stress and work that comes along with a corporate crisis? Most of the help comes from the resources and tools that private investigators have access to that allow them to conduct more thorough research on individuals and companies, as well as the individual investigator’s experience when it comes to dealing with legal issues in that particular geographical region. (This is one reason why hiring a local investigator that specializes in your city or area is important.)
Returning to the four types of corporate crises discussed earlier, here are the major ways in which a private investigator helps corporations in these specific circumstances:
PR Crisis- Private investigators can use their tools and experience to track down any individuals who are leaking information to the press, they can also help the corporation understand how they can legally and effectively craft a better public image. Private investigators are well-equipped to deal with issues of privacy and can help CEO’s and employees install and manage the security equipment that they need to stay private and safe, both on the computer and in their office.
Internal crisis– In the case of an internal crisis, a private investigator can help you to discreetly and thoroughly investigate and screen your employees to figure out exactly what happened. PI’s can also act as consultants on how to take next steps after a corporation discovers any instance of employee misconduct or theft.
Financial Crisis- Private investigators that specialize in forensic accounting are used to track down corruption or fraud within a corporation’s books, catch instances of employee theft, trace suspicious transactions or activities, and essentially find any issues that a corporation has with their finances. If a company is already bankrupt, a private investigator can help to give experienced advice while helping the corporation to maintain their privacy and know their options.
Legal crisis- When a company is in a legal crisis, a private investigator can help to do discovery on the opposing council in order to build a strong defense for the company and its leaders. Going into a legal battle without having all of the information is a dangerous step that corporations need to avoid. Private investigators can even run background checks on their own clients in order to understand what the opposing counsel might be trying to use against them. In general, it is a good idea to have the expertise of a private investigator to help bolster the attorney’s case when in any sort of legal battle.
Partnership crisis– As with a legal crisis, a private investigator can help to protect their client by doing discovery on the other partner in the arrangement and help to build a strong case that will protect the corporation’s privacy and interests.
If you have found yourself in a corporate crisis, you may want to consider if hiring a private investigator will help you to solve your problems faster and with more privacy and efficiency. Most private investigators tend to be reasonably priced and will give you a big return on investment if they help you to catch the one piece of information that will make or break your case.
Small business owners have so many things to consider at any given time. As a small business ourselves, we understand this. Day to day concerns regarding employees, inventory, pricing, and customer satisfaction take a significant amount of time and effort, leaving little room to worry about potential crises that could eventually happen like employee theft. We do not like to imagine the worst, and often try to live our day to day lives assuming the best. Unfortunately, this lack of focus on security makes small business owners especially vulnerable to employee theft.
Employee theft is the cause of failure for 30% of failed small businesses, and the median amount lost is $147,000.00 This is why it is so important to learn the signs of employee theft so that you can detect it early on. This blog article explains five common ways that employees commit fraud so that you can be on the lookout and catch problems before it is too late.
Billing fraud- In this case of fraud, an employee would send out invoices to customers for products and services that were not actually rendered. This sort of fraud is common in the healthcare industry as well as for online subscriptions like web domain renewal invoices. Make sure that you have an extra set of eyes overlooking all invoices: not just the ones that come to your company, but the ones that are sent out. If you are a small business, you may have an employee that is sending out extra invoices to your clients and collecting the extra cash without you even realizing it.
Kickback arrangements– Kickback arrangements are a type of fraud where an employee makes a deal with a certain supplier or partner to participate in a corrupt act such as inflating an invoice for products, and then gets a “kickback” payment as a reward for colluding with them. A recent example of this is the nearly 1 million dollar kickback scheme involving the Detroit Public Schools, where a school supply vendor provided kickbacks to more than 12 school employees in the Detroit Public School district in exchange for fraudulent invoices. Kickback arrangements are dangerous and highly illegal, but they can go on for years without being perceived. Again, make sure you look over all of the invoices coming in and out of your office to make sure that there are no extra or non-existent payments.
Check tampering– Check tampering is usually a case of an employee stealing company checks and writing them out to him or herself, but it can also be a case of an employee intercepting outgoing checks and cashing them in their own account. The majority of check tampering happens in small businesses and employees who are guilty of check tampering most frequently come from the accounting department. Make sure that you physically keep your checks secure, but also double check your bank statements for all cashed checks to make sure they are valid and that you wrote them yourself.
Skimming– Skimming is basically any example of where the full sum of a profit is not reported and some of the money is directly pocketed by an employee. Usually, employees practice this type of fraud by “skimming” relatively small amounts of money off of multiple purchases over time. Skimming can come from any area of your company: it could be employees who sell products that give things away for free to friends (or pocket them for themselves) or, on a larger scale, it could be accountants who record sums a little bit under the actual amount. Catching skimming can be hard. One of the best things to do is choose random transactions and double check them with your bank statement, and let your employees know that you are on the lookout for skimming. Knowing that they have a manager who is watching out for these kinds of tricks can help keep people in line.
Expense reimbursement fraud– In expense reimbursement fraud, employees somehow tamper with their business expenses in an attempt to get reimbursed for personal expenses and purchases. This could be anything from a tank of gas to an expensive flight. Expense reimbursement fraud can happen at any level of your business, but it is usually upper-level employees (who often travel or host clients as a part of their position) who commit expense reimbursement fraud. To prevent expense reimbursement fraud, it is important to review all expense reports carefully and insist that your employees provide documentation (and explanations) for each expense.
If you notice any suspicious activity that leads you to believe an employee is committing any of the above forms of fraud, don’t panic. There are steps you can take to handle situations of employee theft correctly and calmly. Check out our blog, How to Suspect if Someone is Lying to You for tips on how to handle a suspicious employee.
Many businesses in various industries (shipping and receiving, industrial and manufacturing, legal services, etc.) need to hire a private investigator at some point to deal with a case theft, or malpractice. The job of finding a private investigator usually falls on the shoulders of the company’s HR representative or CEO. In almost every case, this is the first time that the CFO/HR rep needs to hire a private investigator, so it is normal that they don’t necessarily know where to begin. This step by step guide intended to be a resource for anyone who needs to hire a private investigator for their company.
Step 1- Assess your needs
There are a lot of different types of cases out there that require private investigators. The first step to finding the right one for you is pinning down exactly what your needs are. Common questions to ask yourself are:
Are you investigating an employee within your company? Do you need to meet face to face with your private investigator in the immediate future?
What is your budget? Have the police been involved in this case or do you intend to get them involved? What technology do you already have at your disposal? What technology do you need to get your questions answered? What outcome are you expecting from hiring a private investigator? These questions will help you narrow down your options when contacting potential private investigators, which brings us to Step 2.
Step 2- Research your options
Once you get an idea of the specific needs you have as a client, it’s time to start researching private investigators. Using a traditional google search is the most common method for finding a P.I. that fits your needs. Use the specificities of your case to narrow your online search. For example, if you want a local private investigator, search for “Private Investigator (your city)”. If you want a private investigator that deals specifically with employee theft, make sure to include that in your search. This allows you to narrow your results from the thousands of options available. Next do some browsing on different websites to find a private investigator with a proven track record, reliable testimonials, and a high success rate.
Step 3- Set up a meeting
The next step will be to set up a meeting with your prospective private investigator. This can usually be done through a telephone call with the number available on the website. The availability of the private investigator is a good sign of how it will be working with him or her. You want a private investigator who is extremely easy to get in touch with, who responds to telephone calls quickly, and who will take the time to hear out your case. Once you get a meeting in place, it’s time for step 4.
Step 4- Gather evidence and information
Hopefully your private investigator will provide some information on the phone about what information they will need at your meeting, but the general rule is that you can never have enough. Bring every thing that you think could be of potential use to your P.I., as well as a list of questions that you would like to ask. Some common things to bring to the meeting are:
-phone records (obtained legally)
-background checks of employees
-browser history
-accounting information (list of accounts, with reference to any disparities or irregularities)
-a list of employees
-security footage
-contact information and addresses of employees
-police report
Step 5- Have the Meeting
The meeting is probably the most important part of the hiring process for your private investigator, so even if you decide not to hire locally, make sure that your P.I firm offers video conference or phone conference meeting options so that you get a chance to talk before you make the decision to hire. Most private investigator firms will insist on this meeting anyway to make sure that your case fits their requirements and capabilities.
The meeting is the time to share your information, ask any important questions, and most importantly, see how you feel when you are with your P.I. Your private investigator should be someone who makes you feel comfortable, secure, and respected. This relationship is of the utmost importance when you are dealing with sensitive, emotional, confidential issues, so don’t underestimate the value of a P.I. that makes you feel at ease.
Step 6- Hire the Private Investigator
After you have your meeting with your private investigator, you will probably be able to decide if it is a good fit. The private investigator will have their own opinions and requirements about accepting your case. If both of you decide to proceed, it is time to hire the investigator to begin the case. Most private investigators offer a flat fee for the investigation process, and then charge additionally in the case of a positive outcome. Many private investigators will invoice you directly as soon as the investigation starts, so be ready to pay ahead of time. Again, additional fees may exist as the investigation develops so make sure to discuss this with your P.I.
Confidentiality is another thing that you will want to discuss with your P.I. to understand what their protocol is and if there are any agreements that need to be signed.
Once the Private Investigator is hired, he or she should offer you weekly updates on the case and alert you immediately with any new information as they discover it. They may hold interviews with employees, get in contact with the police on your case, and conduct other interrogations to get the information that they need.
Hiring a private investigator is a relatively straightforward process, but focusing on staying organized, presenting correct and complete information from the beginning, and looking for a natural and open relationship with your specific private investigator is a good way to make sure that you hire the right person for you and get the results you’re looking for.
