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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.
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by admin_lauth | Nov 12, 2015 | Corporate Investigations, Tips & Facts
Workers’ compensation is an insurance program that is designed to assist employees who become injured on the job or suffer a job-related illness. Unfortunately, not every claim that is filed is legitimate and the business is often the one that pays the price. In fact, more than 1 in 10 employers are concerned that a worker will fake an illness or injury in order to fraudulently collect workers’ comp benefits. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of workers’ comp fraud and what you can do to protect your company from becoming a victim.
Types of Workers’ Comp Fraud
False Claim – This occurs when an employee is never injured at all, but claims he or she was on the job in order to collect insurance payments. In some cases, a worker may actually go to the extent of injuring him or herself (usually by staging an accident) to bolster their claim.
Working While Collecting – Another costly form of workers’ comp fraud occurs when someone who may or may not be legitimately injured and is subsequently collecting benefits stating he or she is unable to work, but is actually working elsewhere at another job.
Exaggerated Claim – These are cases in which an employee legitimately sustained an injury, but is exaggerating its severity in order to extend the amount of time off and benefits he or she can collect.
Employer Fraud – In some cases, the business itself may be engaging in behavior that is classified as workers’ comp fraud. This is typically done through employee misclassification. In other words, a company will erroneously list a full time worker as a contractor to avoid having to pay higher premiums.
Not sure which, if any, of these types of workers’ comp fraud are occurring? Here are 10 warning signs to watch for.
How a Private Investigator Can Help
If a business suspects that one or more employees are engaging in workers’ comp fraud activities, it can be wise to enlist the help of an experienced private investigator. This professional can then do the following in order to identify areas of legitimate fraud and also build a case against the offender:
Gather evidence. This may include conducting surveillance of the employee in question and capturing evidence of dishonesty. For example, the investigator may take video or pictures of the offender working at another company on the side or engaging in physical activity that is not consistent with the supposed injury or illness.
Conduct background investigation. In many cases, a person who commits workers’ comp fraud has a long history of similar claims. A thorough background investigation can reveal patterns that may raise suspicion and concern and can also help build a stronger case against the offender.
Documentation. Once all of the necessary evidence is collected and a detailed background check has been performed, the final step in the workers’ comp fraud investigation will be compiling all the documentation needed to pursue the case.
Could workers’ comp fraud be costing your business money? Don’t take chances. Trust the experienced team at Lauth Investigations International, Inc. to handle your case swiftly and efficiently. We can help you get the evidence you need to mitigate your damages and avoid becoming a victim again in the future. Call us today to learn more.
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by admin_lauth | Nov 10, 2015 | Corporate Investigations, Tips & Facts
Despite your best efforts, complaints and internal issues will sometimes arise in the workplace. In these instances, a thorough investigation of the situation can vastly improve the chances of a favorable outcome for your company. For instance, the information you uncover can help build a case and/or protect your firm’s hard-earned reputation. If you’re dealing with a potential problem, such as employee theft, fraud or drug abuse, here are 7 steps to conducting a successful workplace investigation.
Identify areas of concern. Everyone in management should understand what the signs of potential problems are so they can notify the appropriate parties and action can be taken. For minor issues for which employees all agree that what occurred isn’t of significant concern, a full-blown workplace investigation may not be necessary. In most cases, however, it’s usually better to err on the side of caution.
Act swiftly. The moment a potential internal problem is identified, it should be addressed. Waiting to conduct a workplace investigation could cause further issues. For example, not properly looking into reports of potential employee drug use or theft could result in everything from a decrease in morale and higher turnover to loss of revenue.
Enlist the help of an experienced investigator. Unless your business employs an individual or team that is specifically dedicated to internal investigations, enlisting the help of a trained, experienced professional to conduct the workplace investigation may be the wisest choice.
Plan the investigation. Having a well-thought-out plan of action in place beforehand can do wonders for ensuring that a workplace investigation goes as smoothly as possible. Obviously you can’t plan for everything, but you should at least have a framework from which to work. If you’ve hired a private investigator, this will likely be part of his or her initial investigation process.
Gather and evaluate evidence. While your goal should always be achieving a resolution without the need to go to court, sometimes litigation is unavoidable. That’s why gathering adequate evidence is so important, whether it’s documentation, photographs or sworn statements. The more legwork you do to bolster your case, the better the outcome will likely be.
Document everything. Each step of a workplace investigation should be well-documented. This, in effect, will cover your business should any questions arise down the road, particularly if the case ends up in front of a judge. A strong case will have all the documentation needed to back it up.
Follow up. The actual follow-up needed after a workplace investigation is conducted will vary based on the situation, but it should always be a part of the overall process. For instance, in the case of employee drug abuse, follow-up should be done to ensure that the situation has been resolved and that other team members are satisfied with the outcome.
Do you need assistance with an internal workplace investigation? Give us a call and let’s discuss how one of our experienced private investigators can help.
by admin_lauth | Aug 13, 2015 | Corporate Investigations, Tips & Facts
Copyright infringement can be one of the most detrimental infractions a business can fall victim to. Regardless of the size or industry of the organization, locating violators and holding them accountable is something that must be done to protect the integrity and hard work of the company. As experienced private investigators, we’ve assisted with countless copyright infringement investigations over the years. Here’s what the process typically involves.
First, we closely evaluate the situation at hand to determine whether the actions in question did, in fact, violate copyright law. This is where having many years of experience comes in handy. Next, we’ll determine to what degree or percentage the copyrighted content was infringed upon. This helps us to figure out what type of action can and should be taken by the business.
Once we’ve identified the scope of the copyright infringement, the next step is investigating to determine exactly who the violators are. This isn’t always easy, especially when the problem occurred many years ago and is just now being discovered. It can also be challenging to track down potential perpetrators online, where anonymity can cause roadblocks. Finding out who committed the crime can be a complicated process, which is why it’s best left to seasoned experts.
When the parties in question have been successfully identified, the next step is gathering evidence and determining damages. This is where legal assistance may be wise, particularly when the copyright infringement is considered to be significant (i.e. the violators have been or still are profiting from the use of the copyrighted material). If you don’t have adequate legal representation, we can help point you in the right direction.
With evidence in hand, the alleged violators will then be notified of the situation as well as the proposed remedies. An attorney can advise you on what kind of damages you’re entitled to pursue, based on the significance of the copyright infringement and how much evidence the investigation has resulted in. In some cases, a simple letter from your legal representative can be enough to achieve a settlement. In others, the situation may need to be brought before a judge.
Of course, like everything else, each case of copyright infringement is unique. If you need assistance gathering the evidence you need to pursue your rights, Lauth Investigations International, Inc. can help. Give us a call today to learn more.
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by admin_lauth | Jun 17, 2015 | Corporate Investigations, Tips & Facts
There are a number of reasons a business may need to locate a former employee, whether it’s due to impropriety or to access the information they’re privy to, such as insider knowledge about the corporation or other employees. While many organizations choose to hire private investigators to do the necessary digging for them, others may prefer to conduct or at least begin the investigation on their own. That said, here are a few helpful tips of where you can start your search and hopefully find the information you’re looking for.
Search Engines – This may seem like the most obvious method, but in many cases, all it takes is a simple Google search to locate the person you’re after. (Hint: look for news and publications, like press releases, that may include contact information on where the party in question now resides or works).
Professional Organizations – Many of these organizations maintain member lists which are available to the public. Check groups that are closely related to your industry and/or the employee’s particular expertise.
Public Records – If applicable, you may be able to find the information you need by checking with local licensing boards. Additionally, corporate and SEC filings often contain detailed info, as to litigation records.
Archive.org – This website contains a wealth of information on just about everything under the sun. In fact, it’s widely considered to be one of the largest digital collections of information on the Internet today. Put it to good use.
LinkedIn – First, set your profile to private to ensure anonymity when viewing other LinkedIn profiles. In many cases, a basic search will yield the results you’re after. In others, you may only be able to access a portion of a profile. You may be able to get around this, however, through the “People Also Viewed” area on another member’s profile.
Social Media – People often neglect to do the simplest thing – set their personal social media profiles to private. If you’re lucky, you may be able to gather all the information you need via the person’s social channels.
Of course, if the person you’re trying to locate has taken measures to keep his or her identity and/or location private, the methods above may yield no viable results. In cases such as that, or in instances where time is of the essence, employing the services of an experienced private investigator may make the most sense.
Lauth Investigations, Intl. offers professional investigation services to help corporations and businesses with all their employee location needs. Give us a call 800-889-3463 to discuss how we might assist with your specific case.
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.
