Carolina Investigator Blog is Back

Thanks to our loyal readers! I promise to be a better blogger and editor in 2010. I appreciate the loyal readers who have hung in there with me through my sporadic postings. Thanks.

But we hope to provide interesting articles and links going forward.

Changes, are necessary. Our free NC criminal record search located at http://recordsearch.cir-nc.com is still available for all investigators that need to look up a NC criminal record. I have been working on enhancements as I also use this database. I think you will appreciate the change I have added a $1 fee to defer costs while providing you with an enhanced product. Please check out our NCRecordSearch.

Research Search

Human Trafficking

Just what is Human Trafficking? We heard about the case down in Moore County, NC which resulted in the Mother selling her daughter for prostitution.

From the Bureau of Justice, “Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents”,  Human Trafficking has occurred if a person was induced to perform labor or a commerical sex act through force, fraud, or coercion. Any person under age 18 who performs a commercial sex act is considered a victim of human trafficking, regardless of whether force, fraud or coercion were present.

It is defined as, “The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for one of 3 purposes:

1) Labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery

2) a Commercial sex act through the use of force, fraud or coercion

3) Any Commercial sex act, if the person is under 18 years of age, regardless of whether any form or coercion is involved.

See http://www.ncjrs.gov/app/publications/bjspubs.aspx

Related articles by Zemanta

• North Carolina Mother Accused Of Human Trafficking After 5-Year-Old Daughter Disappears [Sicksadworld] (jezebel.com)

We now conduct searches to help prevent this

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

CIR is providing a complimentary criminal record check for NC Realtors. Please see www.cir-ncrec.com The search is currently free.

Every Realtor’s Nightmare: Part 1

by Mark Spencer

Editors Note: This article was originally published on November 10, 1997.

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This four-part series focuses on the personal safety issues facing the real estate professional as illustrated by the disturbing experiences and subsequent coping responses of two Realtors who each were viciously attacked while showing homes to what they assumed were prospective buyers. One stayed in the real estate business, determined to educate other Realtors how to protect themselves from similar crimes. The other left the profession, too traumatized by her ordeal to return. Also included in Mark Spencer’s informative series are life-saving tips for how Realtors — who assume considerable risk every day — can avoid becoming the next tragic statistic. Parts 1-4 will run in installments today through Thursday this week.

Neither woman ever thought it could happen. But it did.

Both of them were attacked while showing houses to a prospective buyer. Now, both of these women want to spread the word that it can happen to any real estate agent — anytime, anywhere — and that agents who take a few preventive measures now will reduce the likelihood of becoming the victim of an assault.

The changes these two Realtors made in their lives will be examined in this four-part series, and their ideas for improving safety in the profession will be offered alongside safety guidelines from professional organizations and associations. But the overriding message is simple: Realtors are vulnerable. They travel alone to vacant properties with strangers. Men are robbed; women are robbed and sometimes raped. And both sexes are murdered. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), about 70 real estate agents were killed on the job between 1980 and 1992, the last year for which statistics are available.

“Seven-zero?” asks Jim Massey in Decatur, Ill. He sadly remembers the 30-year-old single mother who worked in his real estate office. She was slain in 1994. The sheriff’s office told Massey they have a suspect in the case, but so far, no arrest has been made. Charlotte Fiminano will also be included in the NIOSH statistics. Fiminano was strangled and shot in the head in September 1996 in an upscale area outside Bethlehem, Pa. Police say they have determined whether Fiminano’s killer was a stranger or an acquaintance, but that information has not yet been released to the public.

In recent years, Realtors have become increasingly wary about holding open houses. It’s a valid concern, considering that 71 percent of home sales come from sources other than referrals and friends — meaning strangers.

Perhaps most alarming is that statistics aren’t available for the attacks which didn’t result in death. But efforts to collect that information would be futile, Malone says; she believes a large number of incidents are never reported because victims fear embarrassment or worse, retaliation.

“Unfortunately, we’re dumb,” Malone says. “We all end up forgetting about the things that happen … I would never have thought anything like that could happen to me. It can happen.”

Part 2 of the series, Realtor Joan Malone recounts her terrifying ordeal.

To read the rest of the article, please visit Realty Times

Technology and the Cheating Spouse

From the Washington Post.-Cheating?  Watch that e-trail.

By Monica Hesse

How has technology affected cheating spouses? According to this article,

In an age of iPhones, TMZ and standard-issue personal GPS devices, is technology killing the affair?

Here’s a potentially apocryphal anecdote, submitted via e-mail to game forum GoNintendo.com: The e-mailer, a soldier, came back from Iraq and settled down to play some Nintendo Wii. He found an unfamiliar avatar lurking in his console. It was the Mii created by his wife’s lover.

Schadenfreude-by-Google, as related in a column written by a London attorney: His client was apparently tooling around on the Google Maps Street View option and looked up a friend’s house. Parked outside was her husband’s Range Rover, identifiable by its custom rims. He was supposed to be on a business trip.

We’re not talking the end of cheating altogether. There will forever be opportunities for hook-ups in bars or incidents of ex-sex. The social scientists who research infidelity say that the Internet is good for adultery. Sites such as cheating portal AshleyMadison.com have made it easier than ever to find some sleazy person whose interests include long walks on the beach and home-wrecking.

Read the full article here

When to hire PI for cheating mate

When should you hire a private investigator to check out a cheating mate?

September 3, 6:31 PMInfidelity ExaminerRuth Houston

Photo:  istockphoto.com / Lobke Peers

 

As an infidelity expert, and the author of a popular infidelity book packed with signs of infidelity suspicious spouses and significant others can find on their own, I rarely recommend using a private investigator to find out if you have a cheating mate.

Especially since my book, Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs documents practically every known sign of infidelity, including the subtle signs people usually overlook. Despite the title, most of the signs in the book apply to both cheating women and cheating men.

All the cheating signs documented in Is He Cheating on You? can easily be found using nothing more than your own eyes and ears, your personal knowledge of your mate, and the information in the book.

In fact, as the cheater’s spouse or significant other, you’re in an ideal position to find signs of infidelity that a private investigator would be unable to find without your help. And there are no special skills or fancy surveillance equipment required.

Obviously, knowing what to look for is the key.

What You Need in Addition to a Knowledge of Telltale Signs

But, to make an accurate assessment of whether or not your spouse or significant other is cheating on you, you’ll need more than a knowledge of the signs of infidelity. You also need to be able to objectively assess the infidelity signs you do — or do not — find. Nothing can ruin a relationship like the false accusation of an innocent mate.

Who Should Hire an Investigator Instead of Looking for Signs on Their Own

There are certain people who should hire a private investigator, despite the fact that with a good infidelity reference book, they can easily find most of the signs of infidelity on their own.

Some suspicious spouses and significant others should never to attempt to find proof of infidelity or look for telltale signs. Certain character traits or personal idiosyncrasies will cause some people to view even the most innocent behavior as a sign of infidelity. And they’ll end up falsely accusing a perfectly innocent mate.

You could be one of these people if one or more of the statements below apply to you.

• You are suspicious by nature.

• You have a natural distrust of the opposite sex.

• You have issues with jealousy.

• You are emotionally insecure.

• You suffer from low-self esteem.

• You are paranoid.

• You have an overly active imagination.

• You always think the worst.

• You havea tendency to overreact in adverse situations.

If any of the above statements apply to you, it may be best for you to engage the services of a licensed private eye. It will be impossible for you to remain objective or open-minded about whatever you may or may not find. Rather than run the risk of falsely accusing an innocent mate, or jeopardizing the safety of yourself or someone else, let an experienced professional do the work.

Is it Intuition or Insecurity?

Intuition can be a very powerful indicator of infidelity. In one infidelity study, 85% of the women who had a “gut feeling” their husbands were cheating, turned out to be right. There are several infidelity studies that bear that out.

But be sure you know the difference between intuition and insecurity. Your suspicions could be totally without merit. Falsely accusing your spouse or significant other of infidelity can be as damaging to your marriage or relationship as infidelity itself. So you need to be sure you’re on solid ground.

If there’s a chance of legal action , you also need to build a solid case.

Circumstances Which Warrant the Use of a Private Eye

You should always hire a licensed private investigator if there’s a chance that your spouse’s infidelity will cause you to end up in court. If there’s a possibility of divorce, separation, child custody, alimony, an alienation of affection lawsuit, or any related legal action, you will require court-admissible proof.

A licensed professional can conduct an impartial investigation, and provide you with the documentation you will need.

The Cost of Hiring a Private Eye

Private investigators are not cheap. Expect to spend several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the services you require. Hourly fees can begin at $75 and can go as high as $200 or more. Most investigators will require a retainer up front equivalent to a minimum of several hours, or several days work. So you’ll need at least $1000 or more to get your infidelity investigation off the ground. Some cases take longer than others to solve.

Look for a licensed investigator who specializes in infidelity, spousal, matrimonial, or domestic investigations, as they are sometimes called.

An Affordable Alternative to a Private Investigator

If you’re reluctant, or can’t afford to spend that kind of money, then your best bet is to get a copy of Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs because it lists practically every known sign of infidelity. Unless you, or your circumstances fall into categories mentioned above, why pay someone to find out something you can easily discover for yourself?

Many people want to find out the truth about their partner, simply for their own peace of mind.

The signs of infidelity documented in Is He Cheating on You? are conveniently grouped into 21 major categories so you can easily find the signs that apply to your circumstances or your mate. As mentioned before, despite the title, most of the signs in the book apply to cheating women, as well as cheating men. For a free special report on the 21 major categories of infidelity signs, e-mail InfidelityInfo@gmail.com  with 21 categories – Xm in the subject line.

Another Option to Lower Your Costs

Even if you decide to hire a private investigator, you may still want to do some discreet digging on your own. Just make sure you don’t alert the suspected cheater to what’s going on.

The evidence your investigator uncovers, as well as the final cost of your infidelity investigation will depend largely on the quality and the amount of the background information you provide.

The more background information and basic facts you provide the investigator with at the start, the more quickly and efficiently he or she can work. So give your investigator any and all relevant information concerning your case, including possible locations, dates, times, persons, and circumstances in which the infidelity may be taking place.

Many private investigators around the country use, or recommend Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs to help their clients zero in on the pertinent facts. The less time it takes your investigator to gather the evidence you need, the lower the cost of your investigation will be.
*** © copyright 2009 Ruth Houston

PI needed for American Idol Stalker

Image by thatlunagirl via Flickr

Report: American Idol’s Adam Lambert hires private investigators to track stalker

August 29, 12:22 AMCrime ExaminerCindy Adams

Last season’s American Idol runner-up, Adam Lambert, has reportedly hired a team of private investigators to track an obsessed fan who hacked into his voicemail and several email accounts—gaining access to Lambert’s private information and contacts list.

Sources said “The stalker, who calls himself ‘Jose,’ acts like he is totally obsessed with Adam,” according to an upcoming issue of ‘The National Enquirer,’ due to hit newsstands on Sept. 7.

The report goes on to say, “What makes this assault on his privacy even scarier is that the guy’s in cahoots with a female accomplice, who’s passing herself off as ‘Lane,’ Adam’s real-life personal assistant.”

On Aug. 1, Lambert was reportedly whisked away after a Tampa concert, where a girl who was armed and dangerous was said to be stalking him.

If you need assistance with stalking, please contact an investigator who is a member of the NC Association of Private Investigators.

Alleged NC Ponzi Schemes

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According to the Smithsonian,  “Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul is a scheme made famous by Charles Ponzi.”

Many of these computer-savvy crooks have taken their cue from an Italian immigrant named Charles Ponzi, a dapper, five-foot-two-inch rogue who in 1920 raked in an estimated $15 million in eight months by persuading tens of thousands of Bostonians that he had unlocked the secret to easy wealth. Ponzi’s meteoric success at swindling was so remarkable that his name became attached to the method he employed, which was nothing more than the age-old game of borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. The rules are simple: money taken from today’s investors is used to pay off debts to yesterday’s investors. Typically, these investors are lured by promises of exorbitant profits—50, even 100 percent. Often, they are coached to recruit more investors to enrich themselves further. The problem is that there is no actual investment going on; the only activity is the shuffling of money from new investors to old ones. Everything is fine until the scheme runs out of new investors and the whole house of cards comes tumbling down.”

The Charlotte Observer provides a breakdown of 5 Ponzi Schemes. Click here

For more about NC Ponzi Schemes,  read the following story from the Charlotte Observer

Authorities: Ponzi scams unraveling with economy

By Kirsten Valle
kvalle@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Friday, May. 29, 2009

Investigations surge as times spur questions from investors about where money is going.

Following the headline-grabbing Madoff case and stock market meltdown, authorities say they’re investigating a growing number of investment-fraud cases and finding common threads. The scammers usually live large, spending millions on sports cars, sprawling homes and lavish lifestyles. They target members of the same community, church or ethnic group.

The schemes thrive on investors’ greed, promising rates of return of 18-20 percent or higher. More recently, they’ve capitalized on fear, too, luring investors who wanted out of the volatile stock market. Many investors are retired or nearing retirement.

There have been at least four high-dollar investment-fraud cases in the Charlotte area in the past year – and authorities warn there might be more to come.

To read more about the unraveling of the Ponzi Schemes , click here.

West Virginia Man found not guilty of burning down his house

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Here is an interesting story from The Morgan Messenger, the jury determined the greedy insurance company had a “paid investigator”

Jury finds man not guilty of arson

- by Kate Shunney – 6/3/2009

After four hours of deliberation, a Morgan County jury found a Hedgesville man not guilty on Monday afternoon, June 1, of arson and trying to defraud an insurance company by setting a fire at his home in April 2006.

The jury of seven women and five men found Robert E. Booth, 52, not guilty of the charges following a five-day trial in the Morgan County Circuit Court, with Judge Gina Groh presiding.

Defense attorney Ken Ford called only three witnesses on Booth’s behalf — Booth, his wife and a neighbor.

Statements by Booth’s wife, Pamela Armstrong Booth, following the fire triggered an investigation both by the Erie Insurance Company and the West Virginia Fire Marshal’s office. Both investigations deemed the fire to be purposefully set.

On April 10, 2006, Pamela Booth gave a sworn statement to representatives of Erie Insurance that her husband had made comments about burning down the couple’s house, which was under contract to be sold.

Testimony from three real estate agents and the Booths also described various ways that Robert Booth tried to obstruct the sale of the couple’s home, including interfering with the scheduling of a home inspection and making angry calls to agents and brokers.

Two of the witnesses for the prosecution testified that Booth said he would burn the house down before he let Pamela Booth sell it.

Ford ended his closing argument by returning to a theme of insurance company greed.

“Mr. Booth is a victim of circumstance. He’s innocent of these charges,” Ford insisted.

“All of the spinning, the dog he loved in the house, the fact that the only investigator that found anything wrong was bought and paid for by the insurance company — when you add that all together, there’s doubt all over the place,” said Ford.

To read the full story click here.

Spyware on your cell phone?

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From Tom Slovenski, of Cellular Forensics

How do you protect a client and their information from thieving eyes and stalking ex-lovers?  How do you protect your own phone as well.  Here are a few simple tips.

1. Never let anyone you do not know use your cell phone.  Don’t loan it out.
2. If the phone is lost or stolen and  then recovered, do not use it to transmit sensitive date until it has been thoroughly checked by a cellular professional as it could have become infected.
3. Turn off the “Bluetooth” when not is use. There is no need for an “open door” when you are not using a secure headset. For added security, use a wired headset.
4. Do not accept any connection with which you are not familiar.  If you are sitting in a Starbucks and your phone is asking permission to hook on to a device with which you are not familiar…refuse the connection.
5. Do not open attachments from a party you do not know
6. Password protect your phone. This will eliminate 95% of problems. If the phone is locked down, the bad guy can’t get into it.

What if the person thinks the phone is already “bugged”? What are some of the signs?

1. Are there too many “coincidences” in the client’s life? Is the information being transmitted from their phone seemingly winding up in someone else’s  hands. In a conversation, does the other party relate confidential information you did not disclose to them?
2. Was the phone recently lost and then recovered?
3. Has the person recently been through a traumatic experience with an ex-lover, spouse or business partner?
4. Is the person in the midst of a highly charged court battle?
5. Is the battery area hot to the touch? (The extra transmissions of the spyware to the other party pulls on the battery power)
6. Does the battery drain quicker than it used to? (Again, more transmissions, less power)
7. Does the phone light up for no reason?

For the complete article, see PI Magazine, June 2009 edition, or Tom’s website, www.cellularforensics.com, then click on Articles.

Fraud Investigations-13 Schemes to Know

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From Bank Information Security

Fraud Update: The 13 Hottest Schemes You Need to Prevent

From Credit Bust-Out to In-Session Phishing, Fraudsters Are Finding New Ways to Ply Old Tricks

May 26, 2009 – Linda McGlasson, Managing Editor

Here are 13 of the most prevalent ruses

#1 — Credit Bust-Out Schemes By definition, credit bust-out schemes are a combination of a credit and fraud problem, although many organizations are not always sure where the losses sit – or who might be the party responsible. How it works: According to Michael Smith, manager of the Fraud and Market Planning division at Lexis Nexis, consumers apply for credit from lenders using similar last names, oftentimes Eastern European or Balkan, in an intentional effort to capture financial access vehicles to cause delinquency.

#2 — Customer Loan Account Takeover

This type of fraud occurs online, and a recent case study related by Avivah Litan, distinguished analyst at Gartner Group illustrates how customer loan account takeover happens.

#3 — Corporate Account Takeovers

Corporate account takeovers are becoming more prevalent says Gartner’s Litan. “Corporate banks are reporting that criminals are targeting their cash management customers and moving money out of their accounts via innocent consumer accounts,” she says. The owners fall for phishing e-mails that promise lucrative commissions for participating in the schemes

#4 – Cross-Channel Call Center/Online CD Purchase Scam

A fraudster purchases multiple CDs online from one bank, funded by ACH Transfers from multiple compromised third-party accounts at other institutions, says Ori Eisen, former worldwide fraud director for American Express. How it happens: The perpetrator contacts the Call Center within 48 hours of the CD purchases to cancel the CDs and transfers the funds to yet another institution to liquidate. “Variable email addresses are used in an effort to mask identity,” Eisen says. “Current procedures and safeguards at most financial institutions may not preclude the success of this type of cross-channel attack.”

#5 — Wire Fraud Account Grooming

Financial institutions are exposed to very high levels of risk within their online wire transfer processes. “Traditional methods of detection are very labor intensive, yielding high false positive rates and low recovery of stolen funds,” Eisen says.

#6 — In-Session Phishing

A somewhat recent tactic being perpetrated by fraud rings — “in-session Phishing” — has emerged as one of the chief threats to the breach of secured online assets. These attacks utilize vulnerabilities in the Javascript engine found in most of the leading browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox and even Google’s Chrome, notes Eisen.

How it happens: Utilizing a host website that has been injected with malware acting as a parasite, this parasite monitors for visitors with open online banking sessions or similar protected asset sites (such as brokerage or retirement planning sites).

#7 — ATM Network Compromises

The industry is seeing breaches at all stages in the payment process, including merchant terminals, the communication links between merchant acquirers, and (worst of all) core elements in ATM networks, according to Paul Kocher, Cryptography Research Institute’s president and chief scientist. “Once the perpetrators have the contents of magnetic stripes and the corresponding PINs, the data is then sold to people who write the data onto counterfeit cards and drain customers’ accounts,” Kocher observes. Because other fraud targets are strengthening their defenses while ATM networks remain a soft target, “we’re expecting ATM fraud losses to grow rapidly, and eventually financial institutions will be forced to switch the ATM infrastructure to chip cards,” he predicts.

#8 — Precision Malware Strikes

The most common defenses against malicious programs work by comparing programs against the signatures of known malware, says CRI’s Kocher. As a result, attackers have learned that they can breach high-value targets’ computer systems relatively easily, provided that their attack software does not spread so widely that antivirus companies get a copy and add it to their databases. “Attackers clearly have their crosshairs aimed at individuals with non-public information about publicly traded companies, sensitive government data, and systems involved in processing payment transactions,” Kocher states.

#9 — PIN-Based Attacks

For the past 10 years, Verizon Business has tracked metrics and statistics from IT investigative cases, including incident response, computer forensic and litigation support, across the globe. The Verizon Business’ just-issued 2009 Data Breach Investigation Report, shows more electronic records were breached in 2008 than the previous four years combined, fueled by a targeting of the financial services industry and a strong involvement of organized crime, says Bryan Sartin, director of forensics and investigative response at Verizon Business.

#10 — Account Manipulation

Aside from the five or six massive individual compromises that took place across the globe in 2008 is a vastly larger population of data breaches, also targeting financials, that garnered little public attention, Sartin notes. “Much of these involve unusually small populations of compromised records, yet massive fraud in terms of total dollar losses, resulting in significant impacts to the institutions affected. By and large, these cases appear in two forms: insider manipulation and application manipulation,” he says.

Insider manipulation involves organized crime groups infiltrating a target financial entity, not through a systems-based intrusion but via its personnel, Sartin explains.  Application manipulation is somewhat different and involves moderately sophisticated application-based attack techniques.

#11 — Fraud Pattern Changes

Fraud patterns changed dramatically in 2008 as a result of both reduced percentage of successful fraudulent transactions and arrest of individuals involved in organized fraud activity, says Verizon Business’ Sartin. The new fraud patterns can be divided into two categories: random fraud patterns and global ATM transactions.

#12 — Foreclosure Prevention Schemes

Homeowners facing the threat of foreclosure and nearing eviction are contacted by these “foreclosure specialists” who promise to work out their loan problems or buy their home and offer the homeowners tenancy. “Unfortunately for the homeowner, the fraudster has no intention of following through with these promises and instead will manipulate the homeowner into deeding the property to them.”

#13 — Builder Bail-Out Fraud

This fraud involves securing funds for condominium conversion or planned community development properties that, unbeknownst to the investor (financial institution), will not be completed, says Butts of the Mortgage Asset Research Institute. The scams entail multiple purchases from would-be investors or false identities on fabricated loan transactions. “Investors are lured by photos or inspections of a few converted units used as models with promises of further rehabilitation of remaining units. Once the contracts are in place, the fraud continues as the perpetrator secures funding for the contracts,” Butts explains. However, she adds, no additional work is done and the investors and lenders are left with incomplete and, in some cases, uninhabitable dilapidated buildings.

For the complete article, click here.