Investigative Articles

Skip Tracers: Keeping One Step Ahead
In the crowded skip tracing market, vendors are constantly working to stay ahead of the curve. The latest focus is on easy integration and customization, as well as working to provide new sources of information. By Ann McDonald- A Collections World Article.

Reading And Displaying Email Headers
This is a very good article on displaying the email header and reading it for tracing purposes.

How Workplace Surveillance Works
If you're surfing at work, you may not be the only one who knows. More than three-quarters of U.S. companies are actively monitoring their employees. Watching workers has become an industry unto itself. Find out exactly how employers are keeping an eye on their people during working hours.

Understanding The New Pretexting Law
Under a new federal law - the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act - it's illegal for anyone to use certain pretexts. Here is a detailed article on the new law.

Why Entrepreneurs Can't Manage
This has been demonstrated time and time again: Good builders make bad bosses. Entrepreneurs who can drive startups are often not the leaders who can also steer businesses into the big time. When a founder does insist on managing his maturing company, trouble tends to follow. A BUsiness-marketing.com article By Joanna L. Krotz

Tips for Tracking the E-Mail Trail
Investigating the origin of e-mail to catch criminals requires a special set of detective skills and tools. By Tim Poole and James Hansen

Kidnapping Investigations
Crisis negotiation teams can assist law enforcement agencies to successfully resolve kidnapping cases. By Toni Marie Chrabot and Winnie D. Miller-An FBI Article.

About Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking is now considered a crime in many places and as a crime, its definition has varied with the locale or country. But apart from any legal definitions, cyberstalking refers to a pattern of behaviour. This content attempts to increase awareness about cyberstalking as a behaviour that: (1) may or may not be criminal behaviour depending on where one lives and (2) may or may not indicate mental illness on the part of the offender.

Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Policy
This article highlights prohibited conduct, workplace violence responses, and the responsibilities of employees, managers and the HR department. It was written for a bank.

How to Get Business as a Private Investigator
Now that you have decided to become a private investigator, the next major decision is where you are going to set up your tent? Many people wake up one morning and decide to be a private eye and then start their businesses with no more thought or planning than to operate out of their homes or apartments, right in their own communities. This may work for some, but if you truly want to be successful in this business, then it is a good idea to work where the business is. (Willie "The Actor" Sutton, when asked why he robbed banks, replied, "That's where the money is.") by Edmund J. Pankau

Fingerprints, Footprints and Earprints
How the forensic "print" technologies have developed over the years and famous cases in which they were used.

A Guide To US Employment Law
Covers laws and regulations regarding wages and hours of work, safety and health standards, pension and benefit plans, federal contracts, and more. 110 pp

How To Assess The Quality of Information at a Web Site
Good information is accurate, complete, objective, authoritative and timely (at the time of publication). The strategies listed below help researchers detect bad information. Follow each of the links for more information about the strategy as well as examples of Web sites that illustrate good or bad information

Understanding Anti-Spyware Tools
W hether you are concerned about your online privacy or have suspicions that someone may be spying on your PC activities, you'll find a solution here that you can download and try, or even use it for free. All software has been downloaded and tested before it was listed

Virtual Small Business Workshop Video Slides
This user-friendly guide covers a variety of small business tax issues including payroll taxes, electronic filing, and recordkeeping.

Common Asset Hiding Places
The following list of common asset hiding places should help you devise a search strategy that will locate even the most "deeply" hidden assets.

Interviewing for Credibility: Accurate Identification of
Deception Behaviors
Whether conducted by the patrol officer, the victim’s advocate, the prosecutor or the investigator assigned to a special unit in the criminal investigation division, the interview of a victim, witness, suspect or informant is a critical element of any investigation. Precious resources in the form of man power, money, time and equipment can be wasted because of the failure of the interviewer to conduct a complete interview and accurately evaluate the credibility of the information gained from the subject interviewed. by Stan B. Walters

Hiring and Retaining Good Employees
Hiring good employees is not only important to business, it’s essential. Employees are the heart and soul of a business; they are the mechanism that makes a business run; they are the breath of life that enables a business to be something more than an idea. A business cannot run unless someone (employees, in this case) is doing the work. Any intelligent business owner should want good employees. By Myron Curry, President of BusinessTrainingMedia.com

Premises Liability--The Burden of Proof
In an era when a jury finds a premises liable for injuries suffered by an elderly lady who spilled coffee in her lap, it may seem that a premises liability case is easy to prove. This is a misconception. The burden of proof overwhelmingly falls on the plaintiff. If the case must be litigated, you will need all the evidentiary support you can gather.By: Patti James, CLI

Selecting The Proper Alternative Question
A John Reid Interviewing Article.

Homicidal Poisoning
Poisoning, of course, differs considerably from many other crimes, frequently committed in uncontrolled passion and in the heat of the moment.This study can help law enforcement agencies obtain a clearer picture of the attributes of homicidal poisoners. By Arthur E. Westveer, John P. Jarvis, and Carl J. Jensen III , An FBI Article.

Curbing Identity Theft
Businesses are becoming more proactive in fighting fraud and identity theft. And more sophisticated software, better processes, and tougher laws are aiding them in the battle. A Collections Word Article.

Defense Investigation Strategy
Most continuing education seminars offered through our various organizations are directed toward plaintiff’s investigators. In fact, it is a rarity for any CLE to be presented for investigators whose clients are insurance companies and the lawyers who practice insurance defense. Therefore, what follows is a brief segment of “equal time” for investigators on the defense side of the bar. By Stephen M. Bateman, Houston, Texas

When Worlds Collide
Find out how your business can avoid common pitfalls when trying to break into international markets. A Security Management Magazine Article- By Phil Mailes

Fingerprint Identification: Craft or Science?
It seemed strange at one point, but we've grown to accept the idea that each person's fingerprints are unique. Today, "fingerprint" defines the perfect identification technique, and when we use DNA to conclusively identify someone, we call the process "DNA fingerprinting."

Forensic Hypnosis
The controversy over whether courts will accept this evidence. What would you think if a method that seemed to enhance recollection could assist in arresting an offender and even contribute to a capital sentence?  The courts are divided on this issue, and memory isn't all it's cracked up to be, yet hypnosis has played a significant part in many criminal case

Sleuths' Top Tools
Web-based skip-tracing and asset-location solutions may be glitzier than CD-ROMs and paper-based directories, but end-users still place a premium on freshness of data and price when choosing their weapons. By Peter Lucas - A Collections Word Article.

The Presence of a Third Person in the Interview Room
A John Reid Interviewing Article.

How Anti-shoplifting Devices Work
Learn about all the different techniques that merchants use to protect their merchandise!

When Police Walk the Security Beat
Hiring off-duty police to serve as private security officers creates specific legal exposures. A Security Management Magazine Article -By David H. Peck

Tightening the Net on Cyber Criminals
Spamming, Spoofing, Phishing, & Hacking
A boutique law firm? No. Rather just a few of many cyber-crime schemes perpetrated over the Internet against people and companies worldwide. These crimes cost our country billions of dollars each year -- and they are increasingly used by terrorist groups to finance their activitie. An FBI Article.

What Does Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity Mean?
What does it mean when a person is found not guilty of a crime by reason of insanity? How is this decided?

Preparing Your Company for Biochemical Terrorism
Fire, floods, tornadoes, and even long-term power outages aren’t particularly likely, but companies prepare for them. It’s time to update disaster-preparedness plans to include responses to biochemical terrorism.
By Gail Dutton

The PI Museum
Take a trip back through time with Ben Harroll's P.I. Museum!
If you have not checked out Harroll's P.I. Meseum web site, you are in for a treat. If you know about it, check back for some updates.

Investigative News

Are The Recently Discovered Memos About
Bush's National Guard Service Aired on 60 Minutes Forgeries?
Experts weigh in on the 60 Minutes documents. Says one: "I'm a Kerry supporter myself, but . . . I'm 99% sure that these documents were not produced in the early 1970s."

Tech Boosts the Fraudsters
If the newly released 32-year-old National Guard memos regarding George W. Bush were written on a computer with Microsoft Word, as experts suspect, they're some of the most inept high-profile forgeries in modern history. This week, document examiners quickly uncovered a variety of seeming anachronisms, from an apparent Times New Roman font to superscript characters. A Wired News Story.

'60 Minutes' Documents on Bush Might Be Fake
(CNSNews.com) - The 32-year-old documents produced Wednesday by the CBS News program "60 Minutes," shedding a negative light on President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, may have been forged using a current word processing program, according to typography experts.

Finding Truth on the Internet
When it comes to covering politics, journalists often fall into the
'he said, she said' trap without taking the time to delve into the
details. The nonpartisan FactCheck.org jumps into the informational breach. By Louise Witt.   A WiredNews Story.

Sony Unveils HDV Camcorder
Sony Corp. will begin selling its first high-definition video camcorder in Japan on Oct. 15, and worldwide by the end of the year, the company said in an announcement Tuesday. While the camcorder is compatible with Japan's HDV high-definition digital video format, users cannot store video on Sony's Blu-ray Disc format.

Extortion Online
Technology can help fight the growing cyberextortion threat, but experts say not enough companies are prepared

Rape Charges Abandoned: DNA Evidence Clears
Man Of Attack On Woman aged 87
A MAN last night spoke of the hell he had been through after DNA tests cleared him of a charge of raping an 87-year-old Devonport woman.

Forensic Auditor Tracks Money
Town accounting manager does investigative work
for DA during free time
Debbie Sousa, the accounting manager for the town of Apple Valley, also does volunteer investigative work as a forensic auditor for the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office during her free time.

Keyword Advertising Threated In Civil Action
Insurance giant Geico can sue Google and Overture Services for allegedly selling advertisements linked to its trademarks, a federal judge has ruled.

Beware of Bots Bearing Messages
Next time a stranger sends you an instant message, don't be sure
there's a real person behind the exchange. You may be conversing with Chatting AIM Bot, a free service for pranksters that spews out computer-generated conversation. By Daniel Terdiman-A Wired News Story

Bugs Lead To A Killer
EXAMINING maggots on a decomposing corpse is one of life's more gruesome jobs. But it's a skill forensic entomologist James Wallman has used to help solve more than 30 suspected murders. It has also led to him making his TV debut in Seven's , starting Wednesday

Forensic Ah......Architects?
A house is more than just a building -- a point made crystal clear by New Jersey filmmaker Scott Morris' wonderful documentary "From the Ashes

Of Mice and Biometrics
Microsoft's new keyboard features a fingerprint reader that should
have been a handy gizmo. But its price and its unfriendly attitude
toward non-Microsoft browsers disappoint. Melissa Kruse reviews the Microsoft Optical Desktop with Fingerprint Reader. A Wired News Story.

Nation's Traffic Problems Getting Worse
The nation's traffic problems are getting worse faster than they can be fixed even in small cities like Brownsville, Texas, and Pensacola, Fla.

Businessman Pardoned by Clinton Sentenced
A businessman once pardoned by former President Clinton was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison for failing to pay millions of dollars in federal income tax.

Law Fights to Keep Pace With Tech
Federal and industry experts grapple with how to apply CALEA wiretap standards to something that lawmakers didn't anticipate 10 years ago -- voice over IP. Michael Grebb reports from Washington. A WiredNews Story.

Government To Check Passenger Documents For Explosives 
The airport closest to the nation's capital is now the first to test boarding passes for residue from explosives. A positive test would suggest the passenger had recently handled explosives.

Where In The World Is John J. Wester?
Edwardsville police would like to know. So would Terry Woelfel, the private investigator who told them in April that he watched the 65-year-old Wester back his truck with Florida license plates up to the Illinois Power substation on Center Grove Road and drive off with copper and aluminum cables.

The Long Arm Of The Law
Suspect in 20-Year-Old California Murder Case Apprehended in the Philippines. It was a horrific crime: 20 years ago this month, Lilian Ocampo Zuniga was stabbed to death in front of her 5-year-old son inside a grocery store she owned in South Lake Tahoe, California. She suffered more than 30 stab wounds. An FBI press release.

California Man Accused of Stalking Ex-Girlfriend With GPS
A 32-year-old man has been charged with stalking for allegedly attaching a cell phone and global positioning system to his ex-girlfriend's car to track her whereabouts, authorities said.

Service That Fools Caller ID Causes Anger
It may be known as Caller ID spoofing, but it is evidently no laughing matter. Three days after the startup company Star38 began offering a service that fools Caller ID systems, the founder, Jason Jepson, has decided to sell the business.

Threats Prompt Man To Get Out Of Caller ID Spoofing
Duluth News Tribune - Duluth MN - The technique could mask the identify of a bill collector, for example, or enable a private investigator to fool someone into answering the phone on the false ...

Charities Do Detective Work In War On Terror
They scour watch lists to see if grant recipients turn up. From his desk in the Flint offices of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Jim Krause was about to do something he'd never done as director of grants administration for the nation's 20th largest philanthropic foundation: hunt for terrorists.

New William Kennedy Smith Assault Charge
Ex-aide claims she was attacked five years ago
William Kennedy Smith's former personal assistant claims that she was sexually assaulted by the Kennedy cousin following a night of partying five years ago. In the below Cook County Circuit Court lawsuit, filed yesterday, Audra Soulias alleges that 43-year-old Kennedy Smith--who beat a Florida rape charge in 1991--apologized to her the day after the incident. "It was not your fault," Soulias, 28, claims Kennedy Smith told her in a voice mail message. "I have a problem." Soulias is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages.

Privacy Groups And Government Appeal Email Tapping Case
The US Department of Justice and civil liberties groups are both seeking the appeal of a ruling that it was not a violation of criminal wiretap laws for the provider of an e-mail service to monitor the content of users' incoming messages without their consent.

Jailer Charged In Ciggies-For-Sex Swap
Kentucky sheriff's deputy suspended after sleazy transaction
A Kentucky sheriff's deputy was charged yesterday with official misconduct after he allegedly gave a female inmate two cigarettes in exchange for oral sex.

Strange Bedfellows in E-Mail
Civil liberties groups join the Department of Justice to protest a
ruling that said ISPs can freely monitor e-mail. Wired News Article-By Ryan Singel-A .

On The Funny Side! Man Charged In Farmyard Romp With Pig
You are not going to believe this new story but it's true.

New Windows OS Boosts Security
After years of trying to make it easier for peripheral devices to work smoothly with computers, Microsoft is building in some difficulty. The upcoming Longhorn OS should allow companies to keep gizmos like iPod from stealing data. A WiredNews Story.

Humor-University of Nigeria- 419ers
Launch Online Educational Facility
We're delighted to report today that would-be 419 advance fee fraudsters can now avail themselves of the finest academic training available anywhere, courtesy of the University of Nigeria. By Lester Haines

Military Headset Reaches Masses
Sick of screaming to be heard over your cell phone in noisy places? A software firm claims its new headset, based on noise-reduction research it conducted for the U.S. military, will virtually eliminate background-noise disruptions. By Elisa Batista. A WiredNews Story.

Cell Phone TV Is Coming
Several companies move toward offering TV on mobile phones. Also: NDS, STMicroelectronics and Thomson will develop anti-piracy technology…. Oracle continues pursuit of
PeopleSoft…. and more. A WiredNews Story.