PI News Round-up - March 20, 2008

PInow.com Weekly News Round-up

March 20, 2008

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Here are the industry news stories that PInow.com staff were reading and talking about all week:

PIs Take on Payroll Scam
WAUKEGAN, IL - At Waukegan High School, PIs have been hired to investigate a possible payroll scam involving two school security guards. PIs from Probe International will report any conclusions to the school board. The investigation stems from January, when two security guards were charged after a Waukegan Police Department investigation found that the guards allegedly arranged to be paid for time they did not actually work.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Lake County News-Sun, March 13, 2008

RFP of the Week

Background Screening Services - Conway, SC

Coastal Carolina University seeks to secure the services of a firm to provide out-of-state background screening services on potential faculty and staff employees. Maximum of a five year contract period.

To view more details click here. Please note: To view this you must be a member of the PInow.com Yahoo! Group - membership is FREE! State and government contracts can provide investigators with steady, recurring revenue. Many PInow.com advertisers have been awarded contracts such as these as a result of being listed with us. Government agencies advertise RFP's (request for proposal) for these contracts. As a free service to you, we provide the details of these contracts as they become available in the PInow.com Yahoo! Group.

PIs and Wyoming Workers' Compensation Fraud
CASPER, WY - New studies show that while levels of workers' compensation fraud are difficult to estimate, 1,621 Wyoming employers -- or about 9 percent of employers in the area -- have been delinquent in premiums to workers' compensation. According to the Workers' Compensation Division this has created a delinquency of about $1.4 million. In recent years, no employers or workers have been prosecuted for workers’ compensation fraud, but the system spends $229,482 annually on fraud investigations. This money goes toward hiring PIs to spy on those who have filed claims, as well as other investigative costs.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Casper Star-Tribune, March 16, 2008

PI Tackles Unsolved Inge Lotz Case
NEW ZEALAND - The murder of Inge Lotz has remained unsolved for three years, but now PI Niel van Heerden has taken on the case. The former police officer has sworn to find the murderer in order to help the family and Lotz’s boyfriend. The PI has some leads from two years ago that he claims authorities did not follow up on and which he feels might crack the case. Van Heerden is taking on the investigation at his own cost.
	Read full article and comment	Source: The Times, March 18, 2008

PI Agitates to Make Insurance Fair
CALIFORNIA - In California, some questions are being raised about Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. Specifically, it is being asked why he has never prosecuted a workers' compensation insurance carrier for fraud. Some critics allege that Poizner has been looking the other way when cases of fraud have been placed before him. In response, an Insurers Fraud Task Force has been established. The group aims to expose fraud and illegal activities perpetuated by insurers. PI Ray Polly is foremost in the group calling for more accountability among insurers.
	Read full article and comment	Source: California Progress Report, March 2008

Save the Date!

PAWLI Annual Training and Conference

The Professional Association of Wisconsin Licensed Investigators (PAWLI) Annual Training Conference is April 3-5 at Ho-Chunk Casino Hotel and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells-Baraboo.

Scheduled Speakers include:

Brandon A. Perron

Paul Bucher

John Lajoie

Bill Vincent

Al Cavasin, President NCISS

For more information, click here.