By: Kym Pasqualini, Feature Crime Writer for Lauth Investigations
The days of red and blue handkerchiefs, baggy pants, graffiti, rap-music, and drive-by shootings are no longer such a popular sub-culture. Believe it or not, the new kind of gangsters hold college degrees, work and hold jobs in offices, warehouses, even government positions and police departments. They are a more sophisticated criminal and have infiltrated corporate America.
No more baggy pants. Today, you are more apt to find a gang member wearing black patent leather shoes.
If you think this is not a possibility in your own company, think again. No industry or company is exempt. A University of Chicago study found gangs have increasingly adopted a clean-cut appearance while replicating techniques used by organized crime.
Described as “very sophisticated and well organized” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), they estimate there are 33,000 violent street gangs with 1.4 million members nationwide. You can safely double that number if you count affiliates and wannabes. The number has risen steeply, up from 1996 where an estimated 400,000 gang members were accounted for in the University of Chicago study.If you think this is not a possibility in your own company, think again. No industry or company is exempt. A University of Chicago study found gangs have increasingly adopted a clean-cut appearance while replicating techniques used by organized crime.
Well-known companies, Chicago Police Department, the United States Post Office, major pharmaceutical companies, and even the Social Security Administration have found gang members within their ranks carrying out complex illegal operations netting millions annually.
According to the FBI 2015, National Gang Report (NGR), gangs have gained employment in the U.S. Military, law enforcement, corrections, and even judiciary.
From the Streets to a Global Crime Empire
Typically, gangs are known for drug trafficking, robbery, gun trafficking, intimidation rackets, prostitution, human trafficking, fraud and other crimes you may think would not infiltrate a common company. Now, they are. However gangs are concentrating their efforts on white-collar crime due to weaker sentencing guidelines and ease of making money.
The term “gang activity” involves identity theft, credit card fraud, prescription drug fraud, trafficking stolen goods, money laundering, mortgage fraud, Social Security Administration fraud, tax fraud, counterfeiting, and securities marketing manipulation. Where there is access, there will be individuals willing to participate in capitalizing and even selling their access to those interested in exploiting the system.
In New Jersey, the 111 Neighborhood Crips used a machine to make gift cards they distributed to grocery stores, pharmacies and other stores. Grand larceny accounts for 40% of all crime in the United States during 2014.
In 2015, the Outlaw Gangsta Crips in NYC made approximately $500,000 in a paycheck fraud scheme by obtaining a legitimate paycheck from an employee and using the information to create and cash counterfeit checks.
From 2004 through 2009, fraud investigations alone increased 33%, bringing losses associated with those schemes into the billions of dollars.
According to Fox Business, Gangs such as the Bloods, Crips and La Nuestra Familia are undertaking white-collar crime. They are recruiting members that possess the necessary skill-sets, according to the FBI.
When you think gangster, images of Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, maybe even Snoop Dog, may come to mind, not the impeccably dressed executive working in a high finance position. Or, the nicely dressed woman at the bank who knows how much you deposit weekly or the amount of your company’s payroll.
In a Workforce Magazine article, “Have Gangs Invaded Your Workplace,” during 1995, California, Silicon Valley firms alone were hit with more than 50 armed robberies of microchips and electronic components with the average heist netting the robbers $400,000. “There’s a growing level of sophistication and opportunism,” says Keith Lowry, a detective in the High-Tech Crime Unit of the San Jose Police Department.
Gang members are becoming harder to weed out in the hiring process, much of the time because we commonly think of “gang members” as looking like street thugs, and these old stereotypes are costing companies billions annually.
Weeding out white-collar gang members has become increasingly difficult.
Any company can become a target or an opportunity to engage in illegal activities, like dealing drugs, theft of property or personal information, extortion. Gangs have learned they can make a lot more money by being well-dressed, educated, and articulate.
For instance, electronics firms are easy targets. A microchip or computer processor weighing less than an ounce can score several hundred dollars on the street. The sentence for being charged with a stolen microchip much less than selling an ounce of drugs.
Some gangs plant members within a company in specific department such as infiltrating dispatching, shipping or the financial departments. They can also pose as temporary workers or work for outside vendors to gain access to numerous companies.
In addition, the growing trend toward outsourcing can often lead to less control over merchandise, files, and information.
According to a Fox Business article “From the Streets to Cyberspace: U.S. Gangs Turn to White Collar Crime,” the FBI says, “Gangs are more adaptable, organized, sophisticated, and opportunistic, exploiting new and advanced technology as a means to recruit, communicate discreetly, target their rivals and perpetuate their criminal activity.”
Facebook has become the preferred method for gang members to communicate according to the FBI. “The proliferation of social networking websites has made gang activity more prevalent and lethal – moving gangs from the streets to cyberspace,” says the FBI.
Arming Your Human Resources Department
Much of the solution lies in ensuring Human Resources procedures are effective. Of course, background checks and screening procedures are vital but is there more to be done to detect a potential criminal trying to infiltrate your workforce? The first thing to keep in mind – you get what you pay for and being lax can cost you.
Local criminal checks are almost worthless; however, a full criminal screening can pay off. In addition, many applicants may have earned their GED in prison, with some digging, their history can be discovered.
Many companies cut corners and haphazardly follow procedures when screening applicants not realizing dealing with the aftermath can result in costing more when you compare it to properly vetting applicants the first time around.
Additionally, letting your applicants know you will be conducting a thorough background, previous employment, driving records, verifying degrees, criminal record check, and reference checks can also discourage many applicants from pursuing the position in the first place, which ultimately saves your company time and costs associated with the screening process.
What is important to consider is applying an effective screening procedure to contractors, consultants and temporary employees depending upon how much access they may be granted, as well as, the time they will be spending at your company.
Trusting a “temp agency” is conducting the appropriate background checks is a potential liability for your company.
Educating your employees on how to spot gang activity and how to handle it is crucial. Some companies have found having training sessions and employee meetings add to their success combatting gangs in the workplace.
Experts agree loyalty to gangs overrides loyalty to an employer. Even though they may try hard to blend in they may still slip occasionally and there are some recommendations or even subtle things to monitor.
Does your employee reside in a known gang area?
Is your employee responsible? Too much time on the phone or arrive late?
Does your employee go by a nickname and have nicknames for friends?
Do the clothes, colors or insignias stay consistent?
Does your employee have visitors at work, friend or family?
Have you noticed any graffiti in or around your workplace?
Does your employee use verbal, hand or walking mannerisms that could be associated with gang activity?
Is your employee on parole or probation?
Being a girlfriend of a gang member or being a current or former gang member is not against the law, but it could be a sign of other activity that could be detected if your HR department is cognizant of the many issues that face companies if infiltrated.
Using Private Investigators to Combat Gang Intrusion in the Workplace
Private investigators are a commonly used tool in the arsenal to combat “gang intrusion” along with malingering, theft or fraud in the workplace.
Along with surveillance and providing evidence, they can also evaluate your HR department’s policy and procedures through undercover placement or working along with the HR department to tighten up the reigns to reduce incidents of crime.
Many times, it is recommended to have a private investigator apply for employment without informing anyone in your company to best determine where weaknesses exist in the hiring process. Were all the references called? What questions were asked? Were the proper background checks completed?
It may be necessary to start at the beginning of the hiring process. In addition, private investigators can be placed in certain departments where there have been discrepancies identified to collect evidence admissible in a Court of law. It is an extra layer of protection when investigating activities at your company without violating privacy laws.
When a company suspects criminal activity, it is advantageous to hire a professional who will work with police if the legitimate criminal activity is, in fact, detected. Abuse of sick leave or malingering costs companies billions of dollars a year. This is enough to warrant the hiring of a private detective to legally document the behavior.
From filming a guy talking about starting his new business and hinting at using the employer’s database, to a meat manufacturing plant taking a cut of the supplier’s delivery, to the employee watching porn on the company computers, a private investigator can take the care needed to conduct an internal investigation legally, ultimately protecting your company and saving you a lot of money.
Is Your Employee a Drug Trafficker? Opiates in the Workplace
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sales of prescription opioids quadrupled during 1999 to 2014. Referred to as an opioid crisis in America, it seems we all know someone battling an addiction to prescription medications.
Opioids include prescription pills (including Vicodin, Oxycontin, and Percocet), as well as Heroin and Fentanyl, a drug that can be injected, taken as a lozenge or through a skin patch.
Nationwide 1 in 4 people who are prescribed opioids will struggle with addiction. The depth of the problem is highlighted in a disturbing CDC post stating, “Almost all prescription drugs involved in overdoses come from prescriptions originally; very few come from pharmacy theft. However, once they are prescribed and dispensed, prescription drugs are frequently diverted to people using them without prescriptions. More than 3 out of 4 people who misuse prescription painkillers use drugs prescribed to someone else.
In addition to the personal toll to the addicts and the American family touched by opioid abuse, the CDC also estimates the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the cost of healthcare, loss of productivity, absenteeism, increased injuries, addiction treatment, theft, criminal justice involvement, and legal liabilities.
The Drug Enforcement Agency estimates employed persons who misuse opioids account for 64.5% of medically related absenteeism and 90.1% of disability costs.
The use of opioids in the workplace is a growing battle for American business. According to a National Safety Council (NCS) survey, 57% of employers perform drug tests. However, more than 40% do not test for synthetic opioids like oxycodone, one of the most abused narcotics on the market, making accurate national statistics unreliable.
An NCS survey also found 29% of employers reported impaired job performance due to use of painkillers, with 15% citing injuries due to drug use. Up to 70% of employers said their workforce has been negatively affected in one way or another.
The Impact of Drugs in the Workplace
Use of drugs impairs decision making and causes physical impairment, a deadly condition when at work. It causes an overall decline in employee morale, an unsafe working environment and increases employer liability.
It is estimated at least 1 of 6 employees use drugs at work and the toll on the workplace is costly in the following ways:
Addicts are 1/3 less productive than their counterparts
Five more times likely to cause accidents
Are absent up to 20 times more often
Five times more likely to request workers compensation
Contribute to 40% of all industrial work fatalities
Health care costs for addicts is three times higher than other employees
Admitted to selling drugs to coworkers
Admitted to stealing from employers and coworkers
It is estimated 70% of 14.8 million Americans who use illegal drugs are employed. It is safe to assume if you have drug abusers on the job, you probably also have drug dealers operating within your company.
As drug dependency increases, it is common for addicts to buy drugs from friends or coworkers and even steal from their company, co-workers and clients.
Experts have also found the number of heroin addicts have increased as it is common for an opioid user to transition to using heroin when they begin running out of pills and money. Heroin is significantly cheaper than opiates and easier to obtain. Heroin laced with Fentanyl is becoming increasingly popular because it can be 50 times stronger than heroin.
The drug dealer of today is no longer the shady guy driving a decked-out Cadillac, meeting his clients in a dark alley or an unlit street corner. Dealing drugs to coworkers is preferred over standing on the corner selling to strangers and for a drug trafficker, less risky.
At work, a dealer has an employed clientele able to afford the drugs, and someone they can establish trust with while selling under the radar of management in the restroom, parking lot, lunch-room or cubicle.
Oftentimes workplace dealers will sell drugs on credit or a “front” according to the book Undercover Investigations in the Workplace by Eugene Ferraro. Drugs are sold to an employee with the agreement of paying later, usually on payday. Co-workers make the perfect client for a drug dealer and quite a lucrative business, with one Oxycontin pill demanding up to $50-$80 each on the street according to a CNN Money article Prescription Drugs Worth Millions to Dealers.
According to Ferraro, “We have caught employees-dealers (earning less than $10 an hour from their employer) who never carried less than $10,000 cash to work.”
Paydays are usually the biggest days for drug trafficking activity. However, to pay for drugs, addicts often turn to their employers to fund their habits.
With addicts in the workplace, there is a higher incidence of theft of equipment, tools, products and part inventories where drug trafficking and abuse is occurring. Aside from being at increased risk, both abusers and drug dealers are more likely to become involved in additional criminal behavior, stealing from their employers and fellow employees.
What are the signs of drug trafficking and abuse in the workplace?
Are certain employees driving an expensive car far beyond the means of what they make working? Flaunting money? Are your employees leaving without notice to meet clients? High turnover and absenteeism and/or meeting in the bathroom or parking lot? What may appear on the surface to look like comradery, could be a sign of something more.
Robert Avery, 41, worked as the Parental Involvement Director at a Head Start program in Gadsen, Alabama. Instead of offering educational and health services to low-income children, Avery was arrested for selling the prescription drug “Roxycontin” to undercover agents from the program facility.
Even police departments are not immune. November 20, 2017, Jellico Police Department Dispatcher and Fireman Robert Rookard, was arrested in “Operation Thanksgiving Harvest” for selling drugs at work.
In August 2017, more than a dozen Atlanta USPS workers were rounded up for running an illegal drug distribution operation. Sixteen employees working at post offices across Metro Atlanta were arrested for accepting bribes in exchange for delivering kilogram packages of cocaine.
When the FBI received a tip that drug dealers were running packages of drugs through the mail system, they began an 18-month sting putting a fake drug dealer on the street to see how many postal workers they could get to sign up. In a bribery agreement, workers agreed to provide special addresses to the drug trafficker, intercepting and delivering the packages to the dealer, who just happened to be working with law enforcement. The number of postal workers who agreed to participate astounding.
While some companies may assume there is no liability for the actions of an employee, one company is feeling the devastating effects. According to the October 13, 2017, Chicago Tribune article, “Oak Park appeals board upholds pantry’s closure after employee accused of selling heroin,” it was reported The Village of Oak Park in Chicago closed the Austin Food Pantry after 55-year old store manager Edgar Lucas was arrested on 17 counts of heroin sales and possession at the establishment. Charges include 5 counts ofunlawful delivery of a controlled substance determined to be heroin. In the aftermath, the city revoked their business license.
In an appeal, the store owners stated they had no knowledge of the employee’s drug activities; however, Village of Oak Park trustees upheld the decision to permanently close the business. In a written ruling, trustee Cara Pavlick said Austin Pantry owners were “negligent, reckless and careless at a minimum in allowing their business to be operated as a place for the sale of illegal narcotics on numerous dates.”
Drug use and trafficking are often difficult to spot and many times even harder to prove. However, every employer and Human Resources department has a responsibility to ensure a safe environment for all employees, immediately addressing any infraction or suspicion to reduce liability within the workplace and protect your company.
Private Investigators – A Weapon in Battle to Reduce Illegal Drug Use
An internal investigation sometimes involves drug-testing, some use dogs, and some use undercover operatives. Wall Street and other large corporations began using private investigations long ago with the demand ever increasing.
General Motors (GM) reported substance abuse by some of its 472,000 employees and their dependents cost the company $600 million in 1987. To combat the problem, GM instituted undercover operations at 10 mid-western plants and said it would not hesitate to use such investigations in the future. That was then, and drug use in the workplace has only increased.
While employers are encouraged to practice a covenant of good faith and dealing with all employees, protecting the workplace should be the primary goal, and often requires professional private investigators to work alongside law enforcement to ferret out drug use and other illegal activity.
Conducting a private investigation not only reflects your company as being proactive, careful documentation can help achieve a conviction and reduce liability.
Thomas Lauth, owner of Lauth Investigations International, specializes in undercover investigations for both blue-collar and white-collar companies. Having spent over 20 years in the field as a private detective, he believes diligence is key to combating workplace crime. “One can never be too careful or diligent when protecting their company. When working with clients, we tailor our investigation to the needs of each individual client.”
When hired by a client, Lauth’s investigative team provides an assessment and tailors the investigation to the needs of the specific case. Working with Human Resources, the business is profiled to determine the best course of action.
The most effective way to detect drug trafficking and abuse in the workplace is to conduct a covert investigation planting an investigator within the company. Typically, the investigator goes through the hiring process like any other employee, informing minimal staff, allowing the undercover private investigator to protect their identity and integrity of the investigation.
From there, the investigator fits in with employees, developing friendships to gain information about drug activity. In Lauth’s experience, “Many times, our investigators uncover additional illegal activities, resulting from the initial investigation,”
Periodic background checks can also assist companies in identifying employees who are high risk for illegal activity. “At Lauth Investigations, we recommend conducting background checks of all employees, newer employees as well as those who have worked for the company for several years. A lot can change after the hiring of an individual,” Lauth says.
For those who may be concerned office morale may be damaged, Lauth points out a background check can be conducted legally without the employee’s knowledge. “Background checks can reveal drug offenses, fraud, theft and other criminal activity on record with a police department or court and one of the most important steps a company can take to protect their company.”
Government and military entities are not the only ones spying and conducting espionage investigations to protect our national security. More and more corporations and even small businesses are now hiring expert private investigators to conduct espionage investigations and counter-surveillance to protect “trade secrets” and other classified information.
Cases of economic espionage, industrial espionage, corporate spying and corporate espionage are commonly conducted for commercial purposes but can also include personal information that can later be used to blackmail, discredit and control enemies and competitors.
Espionage or “Insider theft” can cause significant personal and financial harm and described as an individual obtaining secret information without the explicit permission of the owner. For example, a corporation or company spying on another company’s activities, collecting data and information for gain or cause damage, most commonly through the doorway of employment.
Espionage involves clandestine activities. Though methods and motives of spying have changed over time, the desire to uncover competitor’s secrets has not. There is a war going on, and spying the primary weapon.
The FBI concludes “insider threats” or employees familiar with the inner workings of a company who obtain sensitive industry secrets in exchange for large amounts of cash are becoming more common and pose a significant threat to companies worldwide.
To combat this ever-increasing menace to American businesses, the FBI produced a video “” to raise awareness.
Private investigator Thomas Lauth, CEO of Lauth Investigations International, says, “Global trade of fake goods is damaging U.S. markets, along with theft by U.S. retail workers.”
Pirated and imports of counterfeit goods are worth nearly half trillion dollars annually with much of the proceeds going to organized crime, according to the OECD and the EU’s Intellectual Property Office.
“Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact,” reports fake products like footwear, handbags, even strawberries, are commonly presented to the U.S market. While there is significant financial damage occurring, products like pharmaceuticals, toys that are harmful to children, baby formula, and failing auto parts are endangering lives.
According to former Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a 2015 Department of Justice press release, “The digital age has revolutionized how we share information, store data, make purchases and develop products, requiring law enforcement to strengthen our defenses against cyber crime – one of my top priorities as Attorney General, “said Lynch. “Companies like Sony and Target – have demonstrated the seriousness of the threat all business face and have underscored the potential for sophisticated adversaries to inflict real and lasting harm.”
While the Attorney General’s Office, FBI, Homeland Security and law enforcement are allocating more resources to combating intellectual property theft from dangerous outside adversaries, companies throughout the world are encouraged to take the necessary steps to protect their own intellectual property from outside and insider threats.
Insider Theft of Intellectual Property
Experts maintain upwards to 70% of a corporation’s value is found in Intellectual Property (IP). Insider threats come from the inside because the “thieves” are given access to their day-to-day employment.
The value of an organization’s secrets, product plans, customer data, and price lists cannot be underestimated. It becomes necessary to find a balance between productivity and protocol that allows a watchful eye to protect sensitive data and detect insider threat activity. Operational staff should be prepared with information to help them better understand how insiders can damage their agency, and in the various methods used by insiders. They are the front line to help battle IP theft crimes.
Insider thieves commit crimes for varying reasons, to include gaining a competitive business edge, to start a competing business, or personal financial gain.
It is not uncommon for thieves to use networks to send internal server data outside of an organization. The most common method of stealing data is the use of external media such as a writable CD or USB mass storage device. Using corporate email accounts to send information off-site to personal emails and competitors is also common and requires monitoring to prevent such abuse.
It is necessary for organizations to identify risks and develop standards of best practices and policies that address the many ways IP can be exploited. These should include but are not limited to IT Security, removable media policy, controls and inventory, physical security, logs, and indexing tools to identify patterns in behavior. It is especially important to implement heightened security measures during reorganization, acquisition, downsizing, mergers or other organizational events.
Non-Compete Agreements Protects the bottom-line
Employee departures resulting in the scheming of trade secrets and clients has increased significantly in recent years. Many employees leave their employment to begin a similar start-up or pursue freelance work. As a result, it has become common for former employees to approach old clients, steal data, marketing materials and even share negative information to damage their former employer’s credibility.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, with the help of investigators, over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of departing employees being successfully sued by former employers for breaching Non-compete Agreements (CNC).
Considered one of the most effective ways to prevent the theft of a company’s secrets, having a Non-compete in place and requiring every employee to sign it, can prevent damages that could otherwise last years.
Private investigation firms are playing a significant role in the effort to safeguard information, the detection of costly breaches and providing an evidentuary solution presenting facts when litigation is necessary.
Lauth Investigations International is working to prevent intellectual property breaches, global piracy, counterfeiting and insider threats with data mining experts and field investigators who focus on safeguarding IP and detecting violations utilizing sources that are not commonplace to HR and Operations Supervisors. “It is vital to be able to detect violations to prevent violators from reaping profits and expanding their worldwide market, where damage can extend for years,” says Lauth.
Brand Protection areas include:
Apparel
Music and Apps
Tools and Hardware
Cosmetics and other Products
Logos and Authentic Branding
Indigenous Rights
Author Rights
Content and SEO Detection and Protection
Plagiarism, Marketing Materials and Website Protection
“Our investigators conduct trademark infringement for brands, large and small, trekking through some of the most complicated cases and vast markets such as Hollywood celebrities, apparel, and electronic clients,” says Lauth. “Our team provides intellectual property and litigation support for small business and corporations working with corporate executives, HR, and those in Operations Supervision to provide research and investigations, crisis intervention, employee screening, vendor and supplier screening, electronic discovery, surveillance, loss analysis, and expert testimony if needed.
Working to protecting your brand
“Our private investigation firm will not only work with key staff and operations supervisors to identify current and potential breaches, we work with companies that operate throughout the world to implement the right policies and safety protocol to help protect their IP into the future,” says Lauth.
Lauth Investigations offers free consultations and guidance to help protect your brand. Following are a few tips to help you better protect your IP.
Protect web content and marketing materials by utilizing a DMCA account and protection badge.
Think globally. Obtain trademark protection for worldwide protection.
Set up a Google Alert to police your brand.
Obtain IP Protection for Copyrights, Trademarks, and Patents.
Register trademarks with the US Patent Office.
Develop a Policies and Procedure Handbook and have each employee review and sign.
Utilize Marketing Analytics software such as TrackMaven and Travel IQ for online tracking.
Monitor unregistered infringements.
Create various divisions for a more controlled environment.
‘Tis the season for the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping. While the stores are packed with consumers, cyber-shopping is at an all time high. Shopping in public can have potential to be dangerous with getting your wallet stolen or being robbed when putting the bags in your car. Cyber-shopping has a different kind of danger to be aware of. Be aware and prepared when shopping online.
Cyber-Shopping Frauds
We are all excited to get the “great deal” when shopping either in the stores or online. Sometimes, though, we need to sit back and determine when a deal is just too good to be true. There are so many sites set up to fraud consumers, I could not list all of them, so I am just going to list some ways these sites go about their scam:
Copy Sites – Large company websites such as Wal-Mart, Amazon, E-Bay, are easily recognized; however, some of the smaller websites, such as Pandora Jewelry, are not as easy to determine if a site is the correct location for the National company. Websites are set up to resemble these less known company websites, selling similar looking items for cheaper prices. When you order from these sites thinking you are getting the real thing, you are sent a cheap knock off that is not worth the money you spent.
How to avoid it? Ensure you are shopping on the correct retailer sight. If the website is something other than “.com”, chances are it is a fake. Do your research and pay attention to the website. If the website is a “knock off”, you will see the difference. Did you know the “s” in “https” stands for secure? If there is no “s”, move on.
2. Take the Money and Run – Websites are set up with “authentic” or “custom made” merchandise. When you order from these sites, you provide your credit card information to pay for the item and the item never comes. Now the individuals took your money, you have nothing to show for it and they have your credit card information.
How to avoid it? Do your homework. Research the company, call the company to speak with an employee, read the customer reviews. Do not give your credit card out without being 100% certain the company is legitimate. If they are legitimate, they will do whatever it takes to make you feel comfortable doing business with them.
Auction Sites – E-Bay is probably the biggest Auction Site on the web. It is also the most problematic Auction Site. When purchasing an item through an auction, there are several scams that may occur:
The seller posts a picture of an expensive item, the bidding war begins, the auction ends, money is sent and the seller posts a picture of the purchased item stating “technically” that is all they listed for sale was the picture, not the actual item.
The buyer purchases an item either by auction or the buy now tab and the seller requests the buyer to pay outside of E-Bay for various reasons. The buyer pays and goes to pick up the item or waits for receipt of the item. When contacting the seller due to never receiving the item, the seller states the item was never listed on E-Bay and it is not for sale.
The auction or sale is complete. The item is received by the buyer and it is damaged or not the correct item. The seller is unresponsive to contact attempts.
How to avoid it? Always make the sure the seller is active on the site. Look for reviews. If they have no reviews, they may be new to the site and started just to pull these scams. Never pay outside of auction site. Ask questions about the item. Get the seller to provide intricate details including extra pictures. Read the description of the item carefully to see if there are any keywords that stick out making the listing unauthentic.
Facebook Sellers – If a seller posts an item to your newsfeed through Facebook, you have to click on the link and you are re-routed to a different page. At that point, you are no longer secure. Once you enter their site, all your personal information is provided to them. Should you buy an item, they then have all your credit card information as well. It is so easy to be scrolling through Facebook, see a cute item for sale, hit the link, and within seconds you have purchased the item.
How to avoid it? Stop and think about what you are purchasing. Do not leave Facebook. Do not click on that link. Check out the website on your own. Do your homework. Ensure they have a safety symbol on their website.
Cyber-Shopping is so easy and convenient, we often lose ourselves to the fast paced life that we go for convenience over common sense. Before shopping online, do your research. Are you at a safe, secure website? Does the website look authentic? Check out the reviews of the seller, whether it’s an individual or a company. Ensure the url states “https” as this indicates a secure site. Trust your gut. I cannot express this enough. We know when something doesn’t look right, if we take the time to pay attention. Finally, if the deal seems too good to be true, it is so walk away!
“Trust your gut. It knows what your head hasn’t figured out yet.”
The time has come, once again, for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. While we all look forward to this time of year, criminals especially do as well. They rely on us being excited, relaxed and distracted. In an effort to keep our information safe, we must be overly aware during this time of year.
Traveling
During the holidays, traveling increases by 54%. That’s a lot of empty homes waiting for criminals to do their work. Here are just a few tips to keep your home safe while traveling:
Only tell one close family member or friend that you are traveling out of town. This one person should be the one to check on your home while you are away. Having them enter your home one or two times daily would be ideal. Although they are busy as well, this will make it look like someone is there frequently.
Do not post on social media your travel schedule. Although you think only friends and family can see this information, you are incorrect. You can take pictures and still update on the fun your having, just do it responsibly. No one needs to know you are half way across the country.
Put your lights on timers, inside and out. If your lights are popping on and off throughout the day, anyone watching your house will tend to believe someone is home. You can get the timers from any home improvement store and they do not take long to install.
A small final tip from my parents! Turn off your main water line before leaving. You do not want to come back to a flooded, moldy home due to a small hole in a water line. Trust me, it was not fun! Once you return from traveling, you just want to be in your own bed. If this water line break occurs, you will be back in a hotel for weeks.
Wallet and Identity
I group the wallet and identity together as the items utilized to steal your identity are generally located in your wallet. Here are just a few suggestions for keeping your information safe while you are enjoying the shopping frenzy:
Pay with cash as often as you can. We’ve all seen the security issues with credit card machines. This can happen at any retail store. Avoid giving your card information out and pay with cash. If you do not want to carry cash, get gift cards with cash and use the gift cards instead of using your debit/credit card.
If paying with cash, ensure you place your cash close to your person when out shopping. Put the cash in the pockets of your jeans or in a place where you would notice or feel someone trying to take the cash from you. Do not place it in your purse on a cart where you would turn your attention away, for even a second. All it takes is a second to turn your head away and your purse is gone.
Along with the cash, put all identification (driver’s license, social security card, credit cards) information in your pockets as well. Always make sure your information is close enough so you will know if someone is trying to get to these items.
When pulling out your cash to pay, do not pull out the large stack of bills and count it out in an obvious manner. You may not realize how closely people are watching you, but criminals are watching every move as this is their job.
As you are buying your items, try to condense the amounts of packages you are carrying. Any bags that can be combined, do so. The more you are carrying, the more vulnerable you appear.
When you take your items to your car to drop them off and start off again, we all do it, make sure you cover the items with either a blanket or a screen. Do not leave anything out in the open in your vehicle.
The holidays are fun and happy time of the year. Do not let criminals make this time stressful for you. Small adjustments can keep your home, wallet and identity safe. Always be aware of your surroundings, trust your gut, and keep your personal information personal.
Lauth Investigations International is a private investigation firm. We consistently work with people whose identity has been compromised. The one minute it took a criminal to steal their information created months of stress for these individuals to recover. Do not let this happen to you.
According to Ferraro, “We have caught employees-dealers (earning less than $10 an hour from their employer) who never carried less than $10,000 cash to work.” 
Even police departments are not immune. November 20, 2017, Jellico Police Department Dispatcher and Fireman Robert Rookard, was arrested in “
The FBI concludes “insider threats” or employees familiar with the inner workings of a company who obtain sensitive industry secrets in exchange for large amounts of cash are becoming more common and pose a significant threat to companies worldwide.
Insider thieves commit crimes for varying reasons, to include gaining a competitive business edge, to start a competing business, or personal financial gain.
Did you know the “s” in “https” stands for secure? If there is no “s”, move on.
When you order from these sites, you provide your credit card information to pay for the item and the item never comes. Now the individuals took your money, you have nothing to show for it and they have your credit card information.
At that point, you are no longer secure. Once you enter their site, all your personal information is provided to them. Should you buy an item, they then have all your credit card information as well. It is so easy to be scrolling through Facebook, see a cute item for sale, hit the link, and within seconds you have purchased the item.
I group the wallet and identity together as the items utilized to steal your identity are generally located in your wallet. Here are just a few suggestions for keeping your information safe while you are enjoying the shopping frenzy: