Background Investigation

Background investigations can be used to verify an individual’s identity, employment history, education, criminal records, credit history, and more.  We utilize a combination of background investigative methods and resources*, including national and global private detective networks, subscription databases, Open-Source Intelligence Techniques (OSINT), Social Media (SOCMED) research tools, courthouse research, personal interviews, and surveillance.

Some of the background cases we investigate include:

• Corporate Due Diligence
• Dating and Pre-marital
• Litigation Support
• Elder & Nanny Caregivers
• Pre-employment
• Scam Prevention
• Tenant Screening

Elder Abuse

Elder abuse and caregiver fraud have become a serious problem in recent years. With the aging population, more and more elderly people are relying on caregivers to help them meet their daily needs. Unfortunately, these caregivers can sometimes take advantage of their vulnerable position and exploit the elderly for their own gain. Elder abuse is defined as any intentional act that causes harm or distress to an elderly person. It can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and sexual abuse. Caregiver fraud is a form of elder abuse that occurs when a caregiver takes advantage of an elderly person’s trust in order to fraudulently divert money or property from them. Caregivers can also be guilty of neglect, such as not providing adequate care or failing to provide necessary medical attention. Elder abuse and caregiver fraud can have devastating consequences. It is important to take steps to protect the elderly and to ensure that they are properly cared for and not taken advantage of.

Financial Scams

The age of technology has ushered in a whole new resource for thieves to steal from us, and its called the internet.  Internet scams have grown to become one of the most common methods for criminals to rob you of your hard-earned money, resulting in billions of dollars in loses in this county every year.  These scams include bogus romances schemes, tax and debt collectors, pretending to be a family member in need, and even selling specialty services being offered to the elderly and disabled.  There is clearly no shame for the perpetrators of these crimes. 

The best way we can tell you to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a financial scam is to be aware of the potential and of how these criminals operate. You must remain vigilent at all times and be extra cautious about sharing any personal information and who you give money to.  Even meeting someone in person is no guarantee they are who they say they are, and that their stated intentions are true. We like tell people to trust their gut and when in doubt… check them out! 

Scam artists are very skilled at pretending to be whomever they need to be to convince you that they are acting in your best interest.  Know that the typical scammer will often use an initial offer or act of generosity to gain your trust and confidence, before slowing turning the tables on their victim and asking for something they want in return, such as money. Some will even go so far as to steal the identity of another to earn the victim’s trust and to cover their tracks.  The latest tools being employed by the tech savvy scammer are the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep fakes, allowing the crook to both look and sound like someone the victim already knows.

If you think you may be dealing with a financial scammer, do not feel ashamed. Get in touch with us instead so that we can help you verify the person’s identity.   You should also not hesitate to contact your local law enforcement agency if you believe you are the victim of a financial crime or scam.

Resources

As licensed private investigators we have access to database resources* that go beyond what the public can access. Among these are investigative database services that provide an abundance of personal identification information, such as previous names used, dates-of-birth, social security numbers, address histories, nationwide court records, driver’s license and motor vehicle records, credit bureau listings, bankruptcy and financial information, property records, and relationship information. Because a background investigation can only be as good as the information you are using, it is important to know everything you can about the person before you start. Otherwise, you are typically not going to find records that were filed under the person’s other identifiers.   

*Resources are only used for lawful cases being worked for contracted clients. Some legal restrictions may apply.