LONDON, ENGLAND – François Eales has made many online purchases with no problem, but when he recently tried to buy a Sony Vaio laptop he found that the seller disappeared after collecting money for the purchase. While police are investigating, Eales hired a PI to track the seller. The PI found that the seller’s account is filled with money and is located in Nambia. The PI Eales hired also noted that while many online transactions are legitimate, Eales seller appears to be part of a larger syndicate of fraudsters, possibly involved in money laundering.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Digital Forensics in Michigan takes on document destruction cases, computer surveillance and data recovery cases. Their clients range widely. Photographer Tovis Bratsburg called the PIs after he accidentally deleted wedding photos belonging to a client and Digital Forensics were able to recover the pictures. Dan Wells and Michael LaFeldt, who own Digital Forensics, also recover deleted emails, tax documents and other files. In many cases, they recover data for court cases. However, they also offer digital shredding services, which correctly and completely destroy online files for a company’s security. The company also tracks down stolen computers and equipment, accesses the computer business accounts of fraudsters and criminals, and works with companies who have had their computers compromised.

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AUSTIN, TX – Ads on Craigslist and other classified ads are advertising a software that allows anyone to be able to hack into any cell phone for less than $30. Reporters in Texas investigated the program and found that they were able to hack into cell phones as promised. PI Greg Parsons notes that such software is used by law enforcement but usually retails for hundreds of dollars. These software programs are now easily bought online and are shipped from abroad, since they are not legal in the US. Now, police are dealing with stalkers who have access to this technology. Experts note that cell phone users who are victims of the software may find that their minutes increase or their batteries drain more quickly. In addition, most people using the software often send threatening messages to their victims.

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NEW YORK – The new USB Snoop Stick allows computer owners to conduct surveillance on their computers. The Snoop Stick can monitor internet activity, email activity, web surfing and the computer programs used on the specific computer. The device allows computer users to remotely shut off the computer, disable the internet or even to alert the computer owner when specific websites or keywords are accessed. Sounds like a perfect PI tool.

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SAN JOSE, TX - Retired Lieutenant Robert H. Rahn, now Director of investigations at Management Resources, spoke about the benefits of utilizing social media while at the SES San Jose conference. Recently, social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and personal blogs have become increasingly popular. Rahn emphasized the importance of using social media tools to create public awareness of missing person cases considering fresh interest often translates into new leads.

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BEIJING, CHINA - Allegations have surfaced that a computer spying network dubbed “GhostNet” has infiltrated more than 1,000 computers globally and is based in China. The Chinese government denies involvement in the hacking operation. Canadian researchers found the network when investigating the Dalai Lama’s organization for malware. Researchers found that the targets of the network are political and virtually all the servers are located in China. So far, researchers have not been able to conclude whether the network is supported by the Chinese government. Several researchers have voiced concerns that the same methods used by the network could be adopted by criminals for online spying, surveillance and crimes.
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A little-known law passed by the Texas Legislature last year affecting computer repair technicians is stirring up a fresh wave of controversy.
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Computer Forensics: Evidence Collection and Management examines cyber-crime, E-commerce, and Internet activities that could be used to exploit the Internet, computers, and electronic devices.
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The Center for Computer Forensics (CCF), a Michigan-based electronic litigation support and evidence
gathering firm, announced today that it has received a PI License from the state of Michigan following the recently passed Michigan House Bill 5274, which requires computer forensic vendors to hold an active private investigators license. The law passed on May 28, 2008 and went into effect immediately.
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The elderly man in the emergency room was covered with bruises, some purple and others fading to yellow.

Despite signs of dementia, he told the same story over and over: His wifes burly home health aide had beaten him. But the health aide and the wife insisted he had fallen. Now it was up to the members of Orange Countys Elder Abuse Forensic Center to decide which story was true.

As the man lay on a gurney, he was interviewed by a team from the center: a geriatrician, a social worker and an investigator from the sheriffs office. The bruises on the mans chest, they determined, were the result of being punched. There were bloody outlines of a shoe on the mans leg. His clear, consistent story, and cognitive tests, persuaded the prosecutor to charge the aide with a felony.

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