Tag Archive for: Ethics
The Ethics of Handling Stolen Data from the Dark Web
We were asked recently about the ethics and legality of Dark Web searches, increasingly part of many investigations. I realized we had never posted on this issue and it’s about time.
Since a lot of what we use from the Dark Web is stolen…
Attorney Ethics 101: Fraud is Not Allowed
The non-legal press doesn’t usually get very deep into questions of legal ethics, but New York Magazine did a reasonable job of it in its hard-hitting piece this week on “The Bad, Good Lawyer” David Boies.
The article asks whether Boies…
The Weinstein Saga: Now Featuring Lying Investigators, Duplicitous Journalists, Sloppy Lawyers
Decent investigators and journalists everywhere ought to have been outraged at news over the weekend in the Wall Street Journal that appears to have caught a corporate investigator masquerading as a Journal reporter.
According to the story,…
Can You Get Me Bank Accounts and Some Cocaine, Please?
If an investigator told you he could get you some cocaine or find you a way to conduct illegal business with North Korea, would you say “go ahead” simply based on the idea that it could be done?
We ask people this question fairly often…
When Spying on Your Spouse’s Computer Turns into Wiretapping
One of the most powerful tools a spouse had to monitor assets or other activities is to look at the shared computer of the spouse under investigation. We have written before in When You’re Allowed to Look Through Your Debtor’s Computers…
Betrayed by Their Own Reflection: Selfies Help Police Catch Criminals
Not one, but two stories of criminals foiled by their own selfies have made the headlines this past week. Tanya Peele, a 26-year-old Atlanta woman, is accused of setting up a fake business account at JP Morgan, then using that account…
The Sterling Tapes: Don’t Try This at Home
Revenge is a dish best served cold, so if you’re going to tape a spouse or significant other, be cool about how you do it.
Donald Sterling may yet hang on to his basketball team, and his (probably now former) girlfriend V. Stiviano may owe…
Why Bank Records Are Usually Off Limits to Investigators
Each week we receive calls from people, many of them attorneys, asking us if we can obtain bank records as part of our asset searching. The short answer is, though we probably can obtain the records, we absolutely will not. Obtaining…
When You’re Allowed to Look Through Your Debtor’s Computers and Phones
PROBLEM:
You want to know what your debtor is hiding from you but you’re not sure if it’s okay for you to secretly look through your debtor’s phones and computers.
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SOLUTION:
Although privacy laws vary state by state, as…
Divorce Lawyer Jailed for Using Shady Investigator
San Francisco area divorce attorney Mary Nolan was sentenced last week to two years in federal prison on multiple felony charges, including illegal wiretapping and tax evasion. Her crimes included hiring private investigator Christopher Butler…
