Tag Archive for: background check
How to Spot a Sweetheart Scam
Valentine’s Day is upon us, and, as investigators, our minds turn not to chocolate and roses but to romance fraud. According to Fraud.org, romance fraud is the tenth most common type of scam in the U.S. Last year, the Federal…
Due Diligence on Edward Snowden: Did Someone Blow It?
Plenty of news outlets are tracking hour by hour the efforts of Edward Snowden, the man who leaked highly confidential government documents obtained using top-secret security clearance, to find asylum from criminal charges in the U.S. We do…
When Go Turns to Stop in an Investigation
When does green not mean go? As toddlers we drive with our parents and learn that green means go, yellow means caution and red means stop. But then later on, in driving and in life, we learn that green means “go, as long as…”…
Due Diligence on Expert Witnesses: Assume the Worst
For expert witnesses, websites abound that help to connect a particular specialty with the trial attorneys who may need someone to speak about pediatric cardiology, warning labels, or the particulars of earthquake insurance. Fewer in number are the people who can sort through the experts' backgrounds.
Scratching the Surface: Due Diligence and Public Record Searches
What does it really mean when an investigator says that they are going to do a background search on a person and track down all the relevant documents "on the public record"? Well, let's start with what it doesn't mean: bank documents and cell phone records are not public record. Any investigator who tells you he can track these down for you is ostensibly promising to break more than a couple of laws to get you that information. In addition, given that he's acting as your agent, odds are it could get you in a heap of trouble as well.
So what can you expect instead? Below is a list of the various public documents that you should expect from your investigator when investigating a person. Future blog posts will detail similar lists for background research on companies and for asset searches.
Background Checks for All: Lessons from the Alleged Archdiocese Theft
Anita Collins, an elderly woman working as an accounts payable clerk for the New York Archdiocese, was recently arrested for embezzling funds from the church. That’s bad news for the archdiocese. But the real black eye for…
