PI News Round-up - December 23, 2008

PInow.com Weekly News Round-up

December 23, 2008

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Sacramento PIs Face More Workers' Compensation Cases
SACRAMENTO, CA - Probe Information Services, a PI company in the Sacramento area, specializes in workers' compensation fraud. Since opening for business in 2006, the firm has seen a 20 percent jump in fraud cases. In the past year alone, the company has seen a 30 percent increase in suspicious cases. The company expects to see more such cases as the economy fares poorly, since workers' compensation payments offer more cash than unemployment payments.
	Read full article and comment	Source: The Sacramento Bee, December 22, 2008

Top Ten Tax Tips

What to Spend Before the Year Ends

With the year rapidly coming to a close, now is the time to start thinking about end-of-the-year tax preparations for your business. Go ahead and spend money on your business now for things you’ll need next year so you won’t be surprised with a giant tax bill in April. Remember, while we pay taxes, we’re not tax professionals. Also, state and local tax laws vary. Be sure to consult with your tax professional before the end of the year to make sure you’re not overlooking any deductions, or deducting ineligible items.

To read full article, click here.

PIs in Madoff Case Brace for Lawsuits
NEW YORK and BOSTON - Money manager Bernard Madoff, accused of swindling investors of $50 billion, is still under investigation by PIs and authorities. So far, there has not been a deluge of lawsuits in the Madoff case, although that may change as investigators uncover more of Madoff’s dealings and actions. So far, attorneys say that investors are still in shock, but will start to make legal claims once more information comes to light and investigators uncover information that can be used to build legal strategies.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Reuters, December 19, 2008

Researchers Look to Surveillance Cameras
WASHINGTON, DC - Researchers at Ohio State University are working on a project to develop "smart" surveillance cameras that would scan a crowd effectively and would not rely as heavily on the operators who now pick out most suspicious activity in a crowd. The researchers are working on developing a camera that offers a 360-degree view of a scene and would track an individual through a crowd. Now, scientists are trying to create algorithms that would allow the surveillance cameras to spot unusual behavior.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Wired.com, December 22, 2008

PIs in Cate Investigation
BURLINGTON, VT - Burlington Parks and Recreation Waterfront Manager Adam Cate is under investigation after money was allegedly not accounted for in the Waterfront operation. While PIs and police have not found evidence of missing money, Cate has been under investigation for embezzling money, and for other unrelated charges. Cate was initially fired for inappropriately reading emails, but was reinstated before other charges were made.
	Read full article and comment	Source: Burlington Free Press, December 21, 2008

PIs in Auckland to Hone in on Graffiti
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - The City Council of Manukau City in South Auckland has been using PIs for the past 18 months to crack down on those who deface property with graffiti. The PIs have allowed authorities to arrest more perpetrators for defacing buildings and other property. Now, the City Council is warning would-be taggers that continued use of PIs mean that anyone damaging property is likely to be caught.
	Read full article and comment	Source: TVNZ, December 22, 2008

Government Contract/RFP of the Week

Polygraph Services - Fulton County, GA

The Fulton County Purchasing & Contract Compliance Department is soliciting quotes from qualified vendors to provide polygraph services to the Emergency Services Department for 2009.

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.