PInow.com Investigation News » Asset Search

Repo a Common Ally for Businesses

PInow.com Staff — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:10:36 +0000

DECATUR, IL – Frank Small of Xtreme Towing & Recovery is a repossession agent and he says that in today’s economy business is booming. He notes that often businesses rely on him to do some form of investigative work as well as repossession, since he often has to find delinquent customers – and their assets – before repossessing. He has repossessed everything from kitchen cabinets to cars and tractors. Small works closely with PIs to find and recover property that has not been paid for.

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Elin Nordegren Hires PI

PInow.com Staff — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:56:52 +0000

LONDON, ENGLAND – Elin Nordegren, wife of troubled golfer Tiger Woods, has hired a PI, allegedly to check Woods’ assets and wealth, possibly as a precursor to divorce proceedings. Nordegren will likely divorce Woods in California, where divorce laws tend to be more generous to ex-spouses. Nordegren likely wants to know the full extent of Woods’ wealth before filing. Experts believe the pro golfer is worth about $1 billion.

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A Look at Technology and PIs Over the Last Two Decade

PInow.com Staff — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:10:41 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – IT has shaped the PI industry in the 1990s and the first decade of the 2000s. In the 1990s, some unscrupulous PIs were buying information from people who were using computer technology to legally access the information. By the early 2000s, some experts claim PIs were using Trojan horses to glean information from computers. Experts note that due diligence investigations and investigations for assurance have become more important over the past two decades as high-profile cases of fraud (such as the case involving Bernard Madoff) have come to light. Security cases have also become more important, especially after September 11, 2001. This has meant that PIs have had to hone a whole new set of skills. While in the early 1990s computer technology skills were a nice asset for a PI to have, They are now a mainstay of the business.

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More Information on PIs and Journalists’ Collusion

PInow.com Staff — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:50:21 +0000

LONDON, ENGLAND – For weeks now, PInow.com staff have been following the story of PIs hired by news organizations to gain private information about celebrities. New reports suggest how a network of PIs gained the information. The PIs allegedly were able to gain access to records held by phone companies, social security, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the police and British Telecom. They also allegedly misled the post office, banks, hotels, trade unions and prisons into releasing sensitive information. It is illegal to access much of this information unless there is a public interest to reveal the information. Despite this law, more than 400 journalists made over 17,500 requests for private or sensitive records. British Telecom seemed to be targeted frequently and was often tricked into revealing private numbers and home addresses. Victims who had personal information about them revealed include John Cleese, Prince Charles’ personal assistant, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, Bill Wyman, and others. The case is still being investigated.

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Asset Hunter Abrams

PInow.com Staff — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:43:06 +0000

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – In a recent interview, asset hunter Fred L. Abrams, revealed that he has helped recover tens of millions of dollars. Abrams is an attorney who often helps clients recover money hidden in offshore hideaways. Many clients he works with have been duped through RICO, money laundering, fraud, and other crimes. Abrams notes that many criminals use multiple jurisdictions to slow down the search. By moving between jurisdictions, the criminals can often slow down the progress of regular courts, which rely heavily on correct jurisdictions. Many criminals are also heading overseas, where other nation’s laws sometimes provide a safe haven and where searches are more difficult. Overseas, criminals often set up shell companies or use other means to disguise assets.

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Your Civil Case May Require a Private Investigator

PInow.com Staff — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 21:39:53 +0000

Anyone involved in a civil suit likely has an attorney to represent them legally. More and more plaintiffs, though, are finding that consulting with a civil investigator as well as an attorney can produce better legal results.

In October 2006, 3,000 pounds of seudoephedrine (a substance used to make the illicit and very addictive drug methamphetamine) were sized in a Kearny, New Jersey warehouse by federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents. The tip off that the drug was there came from civil investigators. In October 2006, as well, civil investigations into alleged price fixing by airlines led to the resignation of two high-level directors at airlines.

The truth is, civil investigators get results and often work closely with criminal investigators to uncover fraud, harassment, and other criminal activity. Attorneys often use civil investigators to gather information and evidence needed to win civil cases. However, and increasing number of plaintiffs are hiring civil investigators on their own. By hiring both an investigator and attorney, some plaintiffs are finding they can enjoy better results as well as more control over their cases. For example, plaintiffs involved in a drawn-out sexual harassment lawsuit against Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office were able to gather evidence of inappropriate language through civil investigation.

There are a number of civil cases that can be helped along with a civil investigation:

Child custody and recovery cases. In these cases, civil investigators can uncover evidence of child abuse or neglect that can prove whether one spouse should be entrusted with the children more. Asset searches in these cases can reveal whether one spouse has hidden assets that can be used to support the children.

Corporate cases. In these cases, civil investigators can use due diligence investigations, asset searches, surveillance, witness location, and computer investigations to uncover the sometimes complicated details of company management. These investigations can be a big help for companies facing due diligence, fraud, or other lawsuit cases. Businesses affected by theft of trade secrets or trademark infringement can also benefit from civil investigators, who can find the evidence needed to start a lawsuit that can mean compensation for businesses.

Marital infidelity cases. Civil investigators can gather evidence of infidelity that can help in civil suits and lawsuits in court.

Missing person’s cases. Civil investigators can use skip tracing and missing persons investigations to locate people who are lost. In cases where foul play is suspected, investigators can gather the evidence that may be needed in a criminal investigation.

Personal injury cases. For anyone injured by a defective product or accident, civil investigators can be a big help. They can uncover evidence of neglect or recklessness, and this can help victims get compensation for their medical bills and other costs associated with the personal injury.

Workers compensation cases. Civil investigators can use surveillance and other methods to gather evidence of workers compensation fraud for companies who may be unwittingly paying benefits to workers who are, in fact, fit to work. For individual workers, civil investigators can gather evidence of incomplete compensation pay or other problems.

Anyone involved in a civil suit should speak to their attorney to find out what steps are being taken to gather evidence for the case. Plaintiffs may want to spend extra time talking to an investigator on their own if they need additional evidence or worry about the quality of evidence gathered by the attorney’s own investigative team.

Finding a civil investigator to help in these cases is not difficult. Anyone can find a qualified investigator in their area through the PInow.com Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators. The PInow.com Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators offers the facts and listings that can help anyone find an experienced investigator fast.

About PInow.com
PInow.com (http://www.pinow.com/) is a Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators that enables law firms, corporations and the general public to find investigators anywhere. PInow.com strives to be the most trusted resource on the web to locate qualified investigators. All investigators listed on PInow.com are pre-screened and must meet specific listing requirements.

PInow.com was developed by the team that brought you the ServeNow.com Process Servers Directory (http://www.serve-now.com/).

Visit PInow.com to find investigators who can help with all your investigation needs.

Asset Investigators Have Ways of Finding Money that is Owed to You

PInow Staff — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 22:29:53 +0000

Don’t be a victim you can get the money owed to you

Maybe you are a creditor who is owed money by a debtor - and you are told that the debtor has no money to pay his or her debt. Or, maybe you are getting a divorce and your spouse is claiming that they have no assets and so should not have to pay you support or alimony. Or, maybe you are an employer who notices some unusual patterns in the account books.

In each case, are you stuck with accepting the situation at face value - even if it means losing money? Of course not.

Today, you can turn to asset investigators to help you uncover assets and money that others claim are not there. If you are owed money or suspect that you are being defrauded, asset investigators can do a number of things to help you recover your money:

1) They can help you run economic crime investigations, investigations of corruption, investigations of money laundering, and other types of financial investigations using surveillance equipment as well as forensic computer investigation techniques that can recover lost or erased computer data.

2) They can trace ownership of assets, uncover camouflaged assets and trace property.

3) They can identify, find, and evaluate the assets owned or managed by a business or by an individual to determine their worth.

4) They can use information brokers and corporate insiders to uncover attempts to hide assets.

5) They can use online and electronic resources as well as surveillance equipment to uncover money fraud. By using tax liens, real estate records, change of address data, state motor vehicle data, and other types of online tools, investigators can often trace where assets have gone.

Do you need asset investigations?

If you have a nagging feeling that someone is lying to you about their assets, consider these common signs that investigators have found may indicate asset fraud:

1) Someone has a history of bad credit, lying, criminal activity, tax evasion, fraud, and padded résumés. Few people simply start hiding money. Many businesses, employees, and creditors who are dishonest with you have also tried to defraud others of money owed.

2) A sizable difference between lifestyle and asset claims. If your former spouse is claiming that they have no money to pay child support or alimony but have the money to drive at fancy car or make large home purchases, they may be hiding assets.

3) A changing story. Those who try to claim that they have no assets when they actually do have money will often slip up and make mistakes about how much money they actually have. The creditor who at one moment claims they have only $100 but upon further pressure admits that they have $300 may well be lying about assets as well. Those who really do have few assets have an excellent idea of how much they actually own.

If you notice any of these signs of asset fraud or asset lying, contact a private investigator today. The chances are good that those who owe you money have the assets to pay you upfront but are refusing to do so. With a qualified private investigator on your side, you can reclaim that money that is rightfully yours.

About PInow.com
PInow.com is a Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators that enables law firms, corporations and the general public to find investigators anywhere. PInow.com strives to be the most trusted resource on the web to locate qualified investigators. All investigators listed on PInow.com are pre-screened and must meet specific listing requirements.

PInow.com was developed by the team that brought you the ServeNow.com Process Servers Directory.

Visit PInow.com to find investigators who can help with all your investigation needs.