PI News Round-up - September 3, 2009

PInow.com Weekly News Round-up

September 3, 2009

If you have contributions for News or Events, please contact us at (888) 997-4669 or email us here.

Brockovich and PIs to Look into Chromium
MIDLAND, TX – Activist Erin Brockovich and her team of investigators are planning to expand their investigation into chromium contamination in well water in the Midland County area. Well water in parts of the area has been found by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and other groups to contain chromium. Brockovich and her investigators note that there is still more investigating to be done to determine exactly how many wells in the area are contaminated.
	Read full article and comment	Source: NewsWest 9, September 1, 2009

Book of the Week

Scene of the Cybercrime

Scene of the Cybercrime, Second Edition is a completely revised and updated book, which covers technological, legal and regulatory information related to cybercrime. This book provides a road map to navigate the legal and technical landscape to understand, prevent, detect and successfully prosecute the criminal behavior that is as much a threat to the online community as "traditional" crime is to the neighborhoods in which we live.

Learn More! | Buy Now!

California Counties Admit to Hiring PIs
SAN BERNARDINO, CA – San Bernardino and other counties in the area are using taxpayer money to hire PIs when government employees are suspected of misconduct. Assessor Bill Postmus notes that the county has pre-approved PI firms they can call on when there is a question of employee misconduct. Riverside County hires PIs for worker's compensation claims, but not for internal personnel cases. Los Angeles County has 20 full-time investigators looking into employee misconduct cases and employee or contractor fraud.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Contra Costa Times, August 28, 20009

More Information on PIs and Journalists’ Collusion
LONDON, ENGLAND – 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. 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.
	Read full article and comment	Source: The Guardian Online, August 31, 2009

PI Questions Highway 16 Finds
PRINCE GEORGE, BC – Private Investigator Ray Michalko has volunteered years of his time investigating the disappearance of women along Highway 16. Now, police have been searching a property on Isle Pierre in connection with the case. Michalko notes that he investigated the area as part of his private investigation, but did not find anything. PI Michalko believes that the nine women killed in the area were not killed by the same person; and also notes that since the high-profile police search, he has gotten more tips and leads.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Opinion250, August 31, 2009

"American Idol" Hires PI
HOLLYWOOD, CA - Adam Lambert, best known as a contestant on the popular TV show, "American Idol," has hired a PI after being threatened by a stalker. The stalker refers to himself as Jose and has allegedly gained access to Lambert’s personal information by hacking into the singer’s email accounts and voice mail. The stalker is allegedly working with an accomplice who impersonates Lambert’s personal assistant in order to gain information about the singer.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Examiner, August 29, 2009

USB Device Offers Surveillance Options
NEW YORK, NY – The new USB Snoop Stick allows computer owners to conduct surveillance on their computers. The stick can monitor internet activity, email activity, web surfing and the computer programs used on a 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.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Coolest Cadgets, September 1, 2009

Book of the Week

The Sourcebook to Public Record Information

Released in 2009, The Sourcebook to Public Record Information: The Comprehensive Guide to County, State, & Federal Public Record Sources will help you locate the data you won't find with online search tools including inside phone numbers, fees, access restrictions and methodology.
Specifications:

Be more effective. Know how to directly contact each agency by mail, phone, fax and online.

Save time. Know how records are indexed, who has public access terminals, what are the normal turnaround times and who's online.

Save money. Know in advance the fees including access, copy, certification, expedited fees also if credit cards are accepted, what types of checks accepted and if a SASE is required.

Learn More! | Buy Now!