Even if your company is not involved in classified activities, you may still be the target of espionage activities by foreign governments. 

There are a number of laws restricting the export of materials such as encryption software or advanced electronics. Foreign governments will seek other avenues to get access to these products. Any organization that handles restricted items should have a counter intelligence program in place. While this may sound farfetched, there are numerous examples of these operations. For instance, many model rocketry clubs have implemented criminal background checks on new members because terrorist organizations try to infiltrate them to obtain explosives. 

If you have strong evidence of espionage, particularly if criminal or foreign intelligence activities are suspected, then the police or the FBI would be the place to go. However in most cases, companies have no idea that this is happening. Implementing a counter intelligence office sweep is an important first step in discovering these activities.

In

Employee theft can range from the occasional box of paper clips to millions of dollars in securities. Embezzlement schemes can be hard to discover, often shielded behind confusing arrays of false identities and fictional bank accounts. Surveillance companies are experts in asset searches that will track the activity. 

Not all counter intelligence is about actions aimed directly at your company. Sometimes your organization can be an incidental victim to other criminal activities. Criminals may be stealing employee Social Security numbers or customer credit card information. Hackers can create hidden areas on your servers to host pirated software, child pornography or other illicit files. Again, it can be difficult to discover these operations without the help of experienced counter intelligence specialists.

When performing a physical security evaluation of a surveyed area, a starting point must be established. It might be the door or a corner of the room. No mater where it is, a SYSTEMATIC examination must be performed of everything on or against the walls, progressing in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction until a complete 360 degree circuit of the room has been completed. When checking items, they should be compared with like items whenever possible for weight and composition. If an item doesn’t seem correct, perform a critical examination, to include X-Ray if necessary.  

Industrial espionage is as old as business itself. Anytime there is competition, each company will try to discover the strengths and vulnerabilities of rival vendors. Some methods have changed while others are basically the same as they were centuries ago. If a competitor always seems to be one step ahead of you, maybe it’s because they know more than they should. 

Modern counter intelligence includes complete background checks on employees to discover moles in the organization, office sweeps for electronic listening devices, scans of computers for spyware, and more. The very same information technology that has made it easier to share information within the company and with approved vendors can open doors to allow unauthorized

Most of the time when a process server goes out to deliver a civil document there was never a question of safety, but a question of will the subject avoid service.  Recently, a process server was killed after trying to serve divorce papers on a subject.  The subject became angry and killed the process server all because he did not want a divorce from his wife. 

There are questions that we have to ask the client to keep us safe and to have successful service.  Ask your client about the person you are serving.

Is the subject known for having a temper? 

Is the service in a dangerous area?

When will this person be home? 

Can we serve them at work?

Get as many details as possible. If it is a domestic case, try serving the person at work. They are less likely to become violent or give you a problem if there are at work.  Keep your cell phone handy in case you run into a hostile situation.

If you are an attorney or paralegal reading this PLEASE warn your process server if you believe the subject is violent.

Over the last few years, there have been several incidents of child and teenage abduction cases.

My question is what can parents do to stop the rise of this sometimes brutal and unnecessary crime?

As a private investigator, I always recommend that parents should monitor their children’s internet access and pay close attention to what types of things that are in their room.  Parents should focus on what the kids are saying and who they are hanging out with.

I also recommend that parents have photos and fingerprints taken of their children.  Some schools now give students inkless fingerprint kits, a DNA kits, and some also have photo cards with recent photos of kids from picture day.  All of these are important in he event that the worst happens, these photos and fingerprints will help the police with there investigations.  

In Texas, there are thousands of people in prison awaiting trial or an appeal for a criminal offense they did not commit.  If you gave the majority of those people a choice between hiring a “Great Lawyer with No Private Investigator” or a “Good Lawyer with a Great Private Investigator”; most would hire the “Great Lawyer with NO Private Investigator”.  Most criminal defendants think that lawyer can also be their investigator.   A great criminal defense lawyer knows about 85% of what happens at trial is a direct result of the work done outside of the courtroom before the trial begins.  Don’t let your attorney or anyone else tell you that you don’t need your own investigator.

Being a former Police Officer and FBI Agent, I know there are always two sides to the truth. During my 20 year career, I have seen many people get prison and probation sentences because there was no one willing to investigate their side of the truth.  I have seen lawyers all over the state work out plea bargains, probation and prison sentences for clients when they were not always necessary.  

Here are some facts to consider when you are facing criminal charges:  

Approximately 70% of all criminal defendants do not have a private investigator working for them. 

In every case, the District Attorney has the police investigating for them.  Do you think the police will investigate on your behalf?

Hiring your own private investigator gives you a better chance of charges being reduced or dismissed.

Even if you have a court appointed attorney, you may have the right to request that the court appoint a private investigator to investigate your side of the truth.

If your case goes to trial, your defense lawyer will be at a big disadvantage going against  the District Attorney if you do not have a private investigator working for you.

Having an experienced private investigator working with a good lawyer will increase the chances of your case being dismissed or the charges getting reduced.

It may seem like doing criminal background checks is something that only large employers do.  Some people think that if they are hiring a nanny or maid, you do not need to bother doing a doing criminal background check.

Or do you? 

Some maid agencies do background checks on their employees, but some private citizens  prefer to save money by hiring private investigators rather than going through an agency.  When you let a person into your home, you are exposing your possessions, your financial records, and even your children to that person. Oftentimes all you know about this person is what was revealed on a resume during an interview.  This information could easily be false.  

Hiring a Nanny on the Internet? 

There was a

Could This Happen to You? 

Most people would say they would never leave a stranger with their child, but many of these same people leave their wallets, check books, and credit cards lying around. Be aware that there are a number of agencies who offer to run inexpensive background checks, but most only offer a quick internet search.  Once you decide to protect yourself with a background check, be sure to use a licensed private investigator. Get the peace of mind that goes with hiring a professional check.

Trying to find people who do not want to be found is not easy. The internet makes it easier to find someone, but it is rare that the average citizen will be successfully finding someone who does not want to be found.  Your best chance for success is hiring a professional who specializes in finding people who don’t want to be found. 

What is Skip Tracing? 

In the private investigation industry, a “Skip Trace Investigation” is the fact of finding a missing person. It refers to “tracing” a person who has “skipped” town.  In a broader sense, skip tracing is commonly used to find anyone who has defaulted on a debt. The client could be a business owed the debt or a collection agency, but the skip tracer can also be hired by individuals seeking personal debts. Skip tracing is used by law enforcement to find suspects or witnesses in criminal actions and by attorneys in civil actions.  Private Citizens hire skip tracers for reasons such as locating a parent defaulting on child support or tracking down the owner of a company. 

Let the Pros Handle It 

Skip tracing is an art and it takes many years of experience to get it right. An experienced skip tracer can find just about anyone.  Avoid all those online “Find Anyone Anywhere” services.  These companies simply scan public databases to present information you could get yourself.

The only advantage is you get your result quicker.  For the best skip tracing you need a private investigator.  Not only do you get years of experience in locating missing persons, but you get access to information you wouldn’t be able to get otherwise.  As a private investigator, we have access to many databases of information that is not opened to the public or an online service.  Skip tracing fees can vary between $125- $500 depending on the difficulty of the job.