Investigative Articles

Cyberstalking: Obsessional Pursuit And The Digital Criminal
Though the legal recognition of stalking is a recent evolution, the behavior that is involved is by no means a product of the 20th century. It is known though that criminal behavior is incredibly adaptive to new technologies, with credit card, mobile phone and computer fraud as examples. It is also acknowledged that stalking has now taken an on-line form, colloquially referred to as cyber-stalking.

Making The Money As A Private Investigator
You can be the best investigator in the world, have the skills and resources to find the facts and information to make a client sing your praises, but, if they donít know who and where you are, sure as shooting, youíre gonna starve in this business. By Ed Pankau

Finding Military Personnel
The following list of Federal agencies and private organizations assist individuals in locating persons of unknown whereabouts.

New Investigative Technology: Forensic Clock Calls Time On Crimes
A stray hair, or a spatter of blood or saliva, is all it takes to prove that a suspect was at the scene of a crime. But until now, there was no way of knowing when the suspect was there - an element of doubt often exploited by defense lawyers. An ingenious new technique that measures how quickly genetic material breaks down could change that.

Getting Local Called Phone Records Legally
Make money as a PI TelCo Consultant. A PDF download. By: Michele Yontef - Licensed Private Investigator

Sleuth Or Consequences - How To Tell If A Person Is Lying
How to tell in five minutes or less whether someone is lying.

IE Killers: Best Tools To Improve Your Web Browsing
 Frustrated with Internet Explorer? Consider replacing it with the latest version of Firefox, or any of these other utilities.

PI Profile: Joe Maxwell 
He is always out there, watching the world nobody wants anyone to see.

Computer Keystroke Logging: You Can, But Should You?
As long as they get the work done, maybe you don't care if your workers putz around on the computers you paid for. But -- what if they're using it to look at pornography? Or Web sites run by hate groups? Or writing nasty anonymous notes to co-workers that violate your discrimination or sexual harassment policies? What if they're trashing your corporate reputation in chat rooms? By Pat Curry

A Business Analysis
The Feasibility of a Solo Practice in Traffic Accident Reconstruction
This article presents a feasibility study on the business considerations in forming a solo traffic accident reconstruction practice. This task was approached from an academic perspective and fulfilled the thesis requirements of the researcher's Masters of Business Administration program. This article is excerpted from that thesis.-by Denise Aquilante Johnson-University of Phoenix.

New Investigative Technology: Fractal Image Technology Breaks New Ground In Forensic And Criminal Image Enhancement
River Bend Research announced the introduction of Fractal Digital Imaging (FDI) – a new technology that brings fresh life to inferior quality video and digital imagery used in law enforcement in forensic applications.

Investigative Photography: Scale Selection And Placement
There are numerous types of scales to be selected from. Some are appropriate and others are unsuitable. When selecting a scale, there are several questions to consider; what type of lighting is to be used, precision of measurement required, rigidity needed in scale, size of item and thickness of object being photographed. With the advent of computerized databases, search systems and electronic measuring, the need for more precision in the photographs and scales used is becoming apparent. A discrepancy in the distance between two points may bias a data base search or skew data. One should always strive to achieve as much accuracy in the photographs as the system requires. By Ronald Groffy

The Privacy Arms Race!
Fancy new software lets managers spy on employees -- and employees evade the scrutiny. Um... trust, anyone?

New Technology: New Software Detects Art Fraud
Dartmouth College computer scientists create software that uses statistical techniques to authenticate art, to sort out real works from fakes. Their first finding: A painting purportedly by Perugino may have been done by four different artists. By Noah Shachtman- A WiredNews story.

Understanding Electronic And Digital Evidence
In today’s world of complex technologies, digital media and storage as well the concerns over Cyber Terrorism, terrorism in general and Homeland Security, we have a lot to think about. As investigators you have to be able to adjust and be flexible to your surroundings. Incorporating what you have learned in the past to what you will need to do in the future.

Handwriting Analysis-What's it All About And How To Use It
Most people learn to write by imitating a certain style, usually the Palmer or Zaner-Blosser method, but eventually idiosyncrasies develop in the way letters are formed that come from factors like education, artistic ability, physiological development, and preference.

Statewide Or Countywide Background Checks-Which Way To Go
More and more companies are performing background checks on their potential employees. This is a good thing, right? Well, yes and no. Companies are often uninformed about what they are actually receiving. By Ron Kern

Privacy And Email: Putting Email Under Lock And Key!
New Memory Device Encrypts Messages For Privacy.

Aerial Photography: Applications In Accident Reconstruction
This article approaches aerial photography from two perspectives. Bob Wyman is a consulting accident investigator. He writes about this topic from the perspective of the end user of aerial photographs. Ross Cobb is a pilot and owner of Aerials Inc, an aerial photographic service. He offers the technical explanation. By Robert Wyman and Ross Cobb

Profile: Mystery Gets A Face: Forensic Artist Gives
Features To 1971 Bones
Talk about your ultimate makeovers. When Joyce Nagy got hold of "Annie," she already understood the job would entail more than a little makeup, hair and some new clothes. Forget the facelift — Annie didn’t even have a face.

Privacy Special Report: Stealth Surfing
You dislike being watched, but you don't want to give up the Net. How do you lower your profile? We offer practical tips on everything from controlling cookies to privatizing your e-mail.
By Matt Lake- A PC World Article

Dealing With Internet Cyber Bullies
The brave new virtual world of the Internet, increasingly populated by young children, is fraught with dangers where computer-based tools become weapons and innocent users become victims, say a trio of cyber bullying experts.

Profile: Demetrios Kosmos And Worker Compensation Fraud
You may not know it, but there is a scam going on that all of us are paying for: worker's compensation fraud, which costs tens of billions of dollars every year.

X-Ray Scanners And Health Risks
Are your children being irradiated? Are you being irradiated? The UK Home Office seems unconcerned by the question, despite being responsible for at least one of the government organization wielding the devices that might be doing the irradiating. Weapons scanners that use x-rays are now being tested by the Metropolitan Police and at Heathrow airport, and while the effect of a single scan will probably be negligible, the actual health risk will depend on the nature of the particular deployments, and on the individuals being scanned. So they should therefore not be deployed casually, without careful prior consideration, on the basis that they're 'harmless'.

Document Analysis And Forensics
In 1991 Michael Barrett, a scrap-dealer from Liverpool, England, claimed to have in his possession a 63-page diary, written on the pages of a photo album, that appeared to be the work of the infamous unidentified killer, Jack the Ripper.

Fresh Perspectives from Doctor Cyril Wecht
Forensic pathologist tackles the really tough cases with a fresh perspective: the JFK assassination, Convenient Ramsey, Elvis Presley & Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald.

Warner Signs Of A CyberAffair
Cyberaffairs are more common than people realize. It is not unusual for someone having a cyberaffair to spend at least four hours a day chatting online. To help partners determine if their loved one is cheating, I have developed Seven Tell-Tale Signs of a Cyberaffair that you should look out for.

Internal Theft-The Inside Threat
It's bad enough when an intruder breaks into your plant at night or a robber holds up your store, but when your own staff steal from you, business owners are left dealing both with the loss and the betrayal of trust. By Ron Kern.

Beware--The Rise Of Snoopware
Snoopware--software that monitors user actions on a PC or LAN--is everywhere. There's application-metering software that tracks who's using what application on a LAN. There's nannyware: Web-use monitoring software that can block employee access to specified "forbidden" sites, chat rooms, and such. There are proxy-level URL and IP loggers that track (and can enable or block) access to any online resource. There are E-mail monitors that track and parse messages, looking for "bad" words that might indicate that corporate E-mail is being used for sexual purposes or to disclose confidential company information. And then there are keystroke loggers that can track user activity down to each individual keystroke. By Fred Langa

API Spying Techniques for Windows 9x, NT and 2000
API spying utilities are among the most powerful tools for exploring the inner structure of applications and operating systems. Unfortunately, neither the SDK nor the DDK provide any documentation or examples demonstrating a way for implementing such a utility. This article will attempt to shed some light on this subject by presenting several techniques for hooking API calls issued by Windows applications. By Yariv Kaplan

Pedestrian Accident Reconstruction:Review and Update
Pedestrian accident reconstruction has become a critical, important aspect of the field of motor vehicle collision reconstruction. The dynamics, methodology, and principles involved are somewhat different than those routinely used to reconstruct vehicle collisions. The field is one quickly becoming highly specialized. This paper presents a background of the problem, a limited summary of the work available in the field, and discusses the current reconstruction methodologies as they refer to pedestrian walking speeds, impact orientation, and determining impact speeds. by Luis Martinez

Warning: We know What You're Typing And So Does The FBI
What if every keystroke you typed was recorded? Programs that do this have existed for years, and are often traded on shadowy Web sites. Alone, they are mere curiosities, but when coupled with Trojan horses that send the data over the Internet, these so-called keystroke loggers allow malicious users to steal your passwords and credit card numbers. By Robert Vamosi

Pros And Cons: Using USB Flash Drives
One reason for the increase in USB Flash Drive sales is the capacity of the device to safely store a reasonably large quantity of data in a small package that retails for a reasonable price. A close examination of benefits the device has to offer, however, reveals a number of potential pitfalls that anyone who may be purchasing one should consider. Here is a list of general and Mac specific pros and cons for these devices.

Five Steps to a Leaner, Cleaner Windows
This article takes you by the hand and shows you how to clean your Windows machine making it a whole lot cleaner and leaner.

Beware-Cell Phones New Target For Hackers And Viruses
Early this month, several Web sites began offering software promising ringtones and screensavers for certain cell phones. But those who downloaded the software found that it turned every icon on their cell phones' screens into a skull and crossbones and disabled their phones, so they could no longer send or receive text messages or access contact lists or calendars.

High Profile Trial Coverage

The Scott Peterson Trial
The Robert Blake Trial
Martha Stewart Coverage
Michael Jackson Trial
Jayson Williams Trial

Investigative News

Government Uses Color Laser Printer Technology to Track
Next time you make a printout from your color laser printer, shine an LED flashlight beam on it and examine it closely with a magnifying glass. You might be able to see the small, scattered yellow dots printer there that could be used to trace the document back to you.

Security Officials To Spy On Chat Rooms
The CIA is quietly funding federal research into surveillance of Internet chat rooms as part of an effort to identify possible terrorists, newly released documents reveal. By Declan McCullagh

Court Documents Not Fit for Web?
States are rethinking their policy of publishing all court documents -- divorces, medical histories, arrests -- on the web. On one hand is the citizens' right to know how their government operates. On the other is their right to privacy. By Jacob Ogles. A WiredNews Story.

Gumshoe Goes Extra Mile For Accused Clients
English major turns private eye. Monica Jordan, a petite new mom, almost looks like a college kid. You wouldn't think she just helped spare a guy the death sentence.By James L. Rosica

Lady Detectives In China To Target Cheating Husbands
Cheating husbands in China's flashy commercial hub of Shanghai, beware, female detectives will soon be watching you.

Pa. to Post Sex Offenders' Personal Data
Gov. Ed Rendell has signed a law allowing photographs and personal information on more than 7,000 registered sex offenders to be posted on the Internet within six months.

The Spying Game: Watching The Detectives
On a rainy Saturday night in the neon-drenched streets of Shinjuku, Kenji Shimura looks like 1,000 other salarymen: off-the-rack black suit, sensible shoes and a face made for anonymous middle-management in an insurance firm.

Bush Retrieves Secret Service Bodyguard
resident Bush stepped into the middle of a confrontation and
pulled his lead Secret Service agent away from Chilean security officials who barred his bodyguards from entering an elegant dinner for 21 world leaders Saturday night. Here's a photo sequence of Pres Bush grabbing his Secret Service Agent. Chilean security officials who barred his Pres. Bush's Agents from entering a dinner with him.

Court Rescinds Suspect's Life Insurance
Man defaulted on $4 million loan and then faked his death, a company attorney says.
A Galveston bankruptcy court has rescinded $14 million in life insurance on a Clear Lake businessman who investigators say faked his death after being declared in default on a $4 million loan, an attorney said Friday.

Rough Reception for DNA Law
California voters approve an aggressive DNA-collection program basically anyone held in connection with a felony will be tested -- and that has privacy advocates worried. By Julia Scheeres.

Corporate Espionage: Airline Says Trash Data A Treasure
WestJet Airlines Ltd. generated summaries of Air Canada's "best and worst" routes by snooping into the numbers of seats sold, according to court documents in a corporate espionage case that has riveted the country's aviation industry.

Despite Law, Open Records Hard To Obtain
Nashville- If you need an incident report from the Crockett County Sheriff's Department, it's best if you have a familiar face, especially if the sheriff's not around.

Elderly Woman Busted for Identity Theft
An elderly woman is behind bars for identity theft. For months investigators have been looking for the Georgia woman, who they say stole millions of dollars. They found her Wednesday morning hiding out in a Gainesville motel. By Heather Sorentrue/WCJB TV 20 News

Google Engineers New Scholarly Search
Google Inc., the leader in online search engines, is setting out to make better sense of all the scholarly work stored on the Web

Judge Dismisses Keylogger Case
A federal judge in Los Angeles has dismissed charges against a California man who used a keystroke logger to spy on his employer, ruling that use of such a device does not violate federal wiretap law.

Wells Fargo Computers Stolen
Identity thieves may have obtained sensitive information about thousands of Wells Fargo mortgage and student loan customers, after four computers containing customer account numbers and Social Security numbers were stolen last month.

Cell Phone Batteries Explode, Causing Recalls
Curtis Sathre said it was like a bomb going off. His 13-year-old son Michael stood stunned, his ears ringing, hand gushing blood and body covered in black ash.

Lexmark Spyware Puts Hardware In Security Spotlight
The revelation that Lexmark uses software that monitors customers' printing raises interesting questions for other hardware vendors, says a technology lawyer. Allegations of printer manufacturer Lexmark installing "spyware" will cause hardware companies to reconsider their licensing practices, a leading technology law firm has said.

Guards of Saudi and American Embassies Get Israeli
Counter-Terrorism Training
Firing at attackers through a thick pall of smoke, U.S. Embassy guards from Iraq and German bodyguards for the Saudi royal family safely escorted their charges through an ambush.

Secret Service Takes Over Website
Until Wednesday one of the best public sources of information on how to use a stolen credit card number, forge a drivers license, defeat a burglar alarm or silence a firearm was a website under the control of the U.S. Secret Service.

RFID: Why You May Need Tinfoil Trousers
Microsoft has told people worried about the tracking capabilities of RFID chips to wrap themselves in tin foil. Speaking at Microsoft's IT Forum in Copenhagen, Steve Riley, security program manager at Microsoft, said consumers will have to be proactive if they want to 'kill' the RFID tracking tags when they leave a store - and he joked about the possible ways to do it.

Angry Nurses Discover Hidden Cameras At
Los Angeles Hospital
Nurses found 16 tiny cameras hidden in clocks throughout Good Samaritan Hospital, a discovery that sparked immediate privacy concerns.

San Francisco Lawsuit Challenges Strip Searches Of Minors
Lawyers representing a 13-year-old middle school student sued in federal court Friday, alleging the girl's civil rights were violated when she was strip searched at San Francisco's juvenile hall.

US Military Taps Bugs and Weeds in War on Terror
Backed by the Pentagon, scientists are recruiting insects, shellfish, bacteria and even weeds to act as "bio-sentinels," which give early warning of biological and chemical attacks, detect explosives or monitor the spread of contamination.

New Web Site Finds & Downloads

IPNetInfo v1.01
IPNetInfo is a small utility that allows you to easily find all available information about an IP address: The owner of the IP address, the country/state name, IP addresses range, contact information (address, phone, fax, and email), and more.
This utility can be very useful for finding the origin of unsolicited mail. You can simply copy the message headers from your email software and paste them into IPNetInfo utility. IPNetInfo automatically extracts all IP addresses from the message headers, and displays the information about these IP addresses.

Surveillance Image Flyover
This is a little slow loading but worthwhile. You can input any address and do a satellite flyover for any address and control the direction you go. Note: If may take a few minutes for the front page to load.

Disk Investigator
Disk Investigator helps you to discover all that is hidden on your computer hard disk. It can also help you to recover lost data. Display the true drive contents by bypassing the operating system and directly reading the raw drive sectors. View and search raw directories, files, clusters, and system sectors. Verify the effectiveness of file and disk wiping programs. Undelete previously deleted files.

Delete Doctor
Delete files that are difficult to delete, such as some files left by viruses and trojans, or files with corrupted file names. This program can also delete files like the "index.dat" files, which store Internet history, by scheduling them for deletion upon system restart. Select a file to delete from the built-in file browser or drag a file to the application's icon or window from Window's Explorer.

Domain Dossier
Investigate domains and IP addresses. This place gives you detailed info on any domain name like who owns in. Who reinserted it. What service it resides on.It will also give you a service scan and a trace route.

Tiny URL
Tiny URL gives you a way to massively shorten a long domain name so you can manage them better. It's great for news articles and other web pages that tend to have very long URLs. Just input the URL address one time, and you are given a shortened version to use.

Quick Find City And State To County
Just input the city and state, and this page quickly gives you the county. You can then click on the country and get a vast set of helpful investigative links within that county.

Quickfind Zip Code To County Search
Input a zip code and you will get back city, country and state info. The results will also give you area code data, Latitude and Longitude and time zone.

Past Employee Search
Input the name of a company and obtain a list of past employees. Good way to find sources of information on a company.

Financial And Banks Tools
Here is some online tools on banks and financial services that will be helpful.

Mail Drop Search
Input an address into this page and it will tell you if the address you have is a mail drop.

Turbo10.com
Turbo10 is a search engine for information on the 'deep web', which is usually not found by normal search engines.

ixQuick.com
ixQuick.com is a new meta search engine that searches ten different search engines at once and then ranks the results for tight ranking. Try it, you will like it.

National Do Not Call Registry Search
You can verify if a phone number has been registered with the National Do Not Call Registry. Up to three phone numbers can be verified at a time, and the results, including registration dates and expiration dates, will be sent you users with a valid email address.

Salvation Army Tracing Service
From family tracing to disaster response, The Salvation Army offers a wide variety of services Worldwide.