The internet is an amazing tool, and as a result of the US Freedom of Information Act, ordinary people like you and me can now use the net to access information previously inaccessible. What does this mean exactly? And where can you go to find this sort of information? Let me explain.
Firstly, there are resources online (often called Online Detective Sites) which combine many databases into one place which enables you to investigate virtually anything or anyone within the United States. You can lookup criminal records, birth records, marriage records, adoption records-the list goes on. On top of this, you can also perform reverse searches on addresses, emails and phone numbers. For example, you can find where someone lives without knowing anything other than their phone number. Interesting, isn't it?
Unfortunately, many websites which offer these services are of low quality and often provide you with very limited or even fake information. In fact, only a small number of the online detective sites out there are legitimate (offering amazing value).
But once you've found a legitimate high quality service, you'll have access to an extensive database with over 98% of the US population listed in it. But how do you differentiate the low quality services from the high quality services? There are a number of websites which can point you in the right direction, which is important seeing as many online detective sites require a fee before you start using their services (usually a small fee of less than US$30).
Mark Hocking is a security enthusiast. Want to find out more? Check out this comparison of the top online detective sites on the net.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Monday, September 03, 2007
Why Use A Private Investigator In A Criminal Defense Investigation?
The police can be of great service to prosecutors when it comes to finding witnesses to a crime and to following the evidence to a suspect. However, sometimes the defense is going to realize that there seems to be key evidence missing or witnesses that have not come forward: the defense attorneys are going to find a basis for reasonable doubt. However, in order to know that their assumptions about their client's innocence are correct, they will need to conduct a criminal defense investigation. A private investigator serves an important role in a criminal defense investigation. In this case, that role is to find witnesses and evidence that will establish reasonable doubt – that will show the jury that there is reason to believe that the defendant is not actually responsible for committing the crime.
When an attorney uses a private investigator in a criminal defense investigation, that investigator will take the time to understand the charges and the laws that relate to the crime. Once there's an understanding of the case in question, the private investigator will go over all of the materials that the defense team has received from the prosecutor. During the course of the criminal defense investigation, the private investigator will go through routine reports from the police, everyday paperwork as well as copies of evidence, photographs, phone messages and witness statements related to the case. The goal of this is to determine whether or not there are any inconsistencies from one witness to the next or between the conclusions drawn and the evidence.
In addition, during a criminal defense investigation, a private investigator may re-visit the crime scene to see if there was anything that had been overlooked. He or she may also interview witnesses to see if their stories have changed or to verify that they do not have anything else that motivated their statements against the defendant. Inconsistencies and ulterior motives that a private investigator discovers during the course of a criminal defense investigation may be able to be used as a part of the client's defense. Similarly, if during the course of the criminal defense investigation a private investigator discovers that there are other witnesses who had not come forward or evidence that was not considered previously, he or she can then look into these developments further. In some cases, that may mean that a search is conducted to find these other witnesses.
In other cases, it may mean conducting interviews or doing background searches. In others, there may be other parts of the criminal defense investigation that are assigned to a private investigator – tasks that he or she is uniquely qualified for and that will keep the defense team free to focus on the legal proceedings and other cases that they have.
During the course of a criminal defense investigation, a private investigator can help to ensure that an innocent client will not be found guilty – all without taking away from a defense attorney's busy schedule. In other words, bringing a private investigator into a criminal defense investigation, defense attorneys are able to focus on the court system while a private investigator conducts the investigation.
About The Author
David Almeida is a licensed private investigator with a degree in criminal justice. He is affiliated with the National Association of Investigative Specialists and the Licensed Private Detective’s Association of Massachusetts. For more information visit http://www.baystatedetective.com
When an attorney uses a private investigator in a criminal defense investigation, that investigator will take the time to understand the charges and the laws that relate to the crime. Once there's an understanding of the case in question, the private investigator will go over all of the materials that the defense team has received from the prosecutor. During the course of the criminal defense investigation, the private investigator will go through routine reports from the police, everyday paperwork as well as copies of evidence, photographs, phone messages and witness statements related to the case. The goal of this is to determine whether or not there are any inconsistencies from one witness to the next or between the conclusions drawn and the evidence.
In addition, during a criminal defense investigation, a private investigator may re-visit the crime scene to see if there was anything that had been overlooked. He or she may also interview witnesses to see if their stories have changed or to verify that they do not have anything else that motivated their statements against the defendant. Inconsistencies and ulterior motives that a private investigator discovers during the course of a criminal defense investigation may be able to be used as a part of the client's defense. Similarly, if during the course of the criminal defense investigation a private investigator discovers that there are other witnesses who had not come forward or evidence that was not considered previously, he or she can then look into these developments further. In some cases, that may mean that a search is conducted to find these other witnesses.
In other cases, it may mean conducting interviews or doing background searches. In others, there may be other parts of the criminal defense investigation that are assigned to a private investigator – tasks that he or she is uniquely qualified for and that will keep the defense team free to focus on the legal proceedings and other cases that they have.
During the course of a criminal defense investigation, a private investigator can help to ensure that an innocent client will not be found guilty – all without taking away from a defense attorney's busy schedule. In other words, bringing a private investigator into a criminal defense investigation, defense attorneys are able to focus on the court system while a private investigator conducts the investigation.
About The Author
David Almeida is a licensed private investigator with a degree in criminal justice. He is affiliated with the National Association of Investigative Specialists and the Licensed Private Detective’s Association of Massachusetts. For more information visit http://www.baystatedetective.com
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Public Criminal Records
According to public records researchers, no more than 20% of public criminal records are available online. This is perhaps due to the fact that not all states have online databases containing public criminal records. In fact, only 22 states have registries for public criminal records and not all are as comprehensive as you would like them to be. The only truly comprehensive public criminal records database is the FBI database and that is not considered public record. Only those from criminal justice agencies have the legal right to access those documents.
So how does one go about finding public criminal records? Well, if you’re a business and you absolutely must get access to the public criminal records of individuals that you are considering hiring, then the best solution for you would be to contact a private detective agency. You see, even if online access of data is not comprehensive, a manual retrieval of public criminal records is quite possible and not only that, it is in fact an integral part of public records research.
How Important is Public Criminal Records Research?
Every business, large or small, is vulnerable threats brought by incidents of liability, litigation, legislation, and aggressive competition. Information and forehand knowledge of what’s going on is important. And for most people, it serves as the first line of defense against incidents that could cause the business to lose revenues. Sometimes, as is often the case, mere data is not enough. What businesses need are highly-refined information and analysis that facilitates decision-making.
Public criminal records come in especially handy during the hiring process of a prospective employee. It does not bode well for a company to hire someone who’s been previously convicted of a criminal offense, especially if such an offense involves an environment which is relative to the position being offered.
The four Types of Public Criminal Records
During the past few years, a new type of pre-employment background check became available. It is called the National Criminal File or NCF. There are actually three NCF databases which spans the whole public criminal records registries of 38 to 50 states. As of today, NCF contains over 60 million to 133 million public criminal records in its three databases.
The National Criminal File contains four different kinds of records which can all be considered as "public criminal records." First on the list are arrest records. These are public criminal records of law enforcement records of arrest. They second type is criminal court records which are public criminal records registered locally, by state or federal. Third are corrections reports. These are public criminal records involving imprisonment for a certain period of time. And the fourth and last type is the state criminal repository records. These are statewide records made up of arrest records, criminal court records, and correction records.
So how does one go about finding public criminal records? Well, if you’re a business and you absolutely must get access to the public criminal records of individuals that you are considering hiring, then the best solution for you would be to contact a private detective agency. You see, even if online access of data is not comprehensive, a manual retrieval of public criminal records is quite possible and not only that, it is in fact an integral part of public records research.
How Important is Public Criminal Records Research?
Every business, large or small, is vulnerable threats brought by incidents of liability, litigation, legislation, and aggressive competition. Information and forehand knowledge of what’s going on is important. And for most people, it serves as the first line of defense against incidents that could cause the business to lose revenues. Sometimes, as is often the case, mere data is not enough. What businesses need are highly-refined information and analysis that facilitates decision-making.
Public criminal records come in especially handy during the hiring process of a prospective employee. It does not bode well for a company to hire someone who’s been previously convicted of a criminal offense, especially if such an offense involves an environment which is relative to the position being offered.
The four Types of Public Criminal Records
During the past few years, a new type of pre-employment background check became available. It is called the National Criminal File or NCF. There are actually three NCF databases which spans the whole public criminal records registries of 38 to 50 states. As of today, NCF contains over 60 million to 133 million public criminal records in its three databases.
The National Criminal File contains four different kinds of records which can all be considered as "public criminal records." First on the list are arrest records. These are public criminal records of law enforcement records of arrest. They second type is criminal court records which are public criminal records registered locally, by state or federal. Third are corrections reports. These are public criminal records involving imprisonment for a certain period of time. And the fourth and last type is the state criminal repository records. These are statewide records made up of arrest records, criminal court records, and correction records.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Free Criminal Records Check
It is a common fact that no individual really wants to go through any unnecessary intrusions into his or her private life. It is termed as invasion of privacy and no one in his right mind would like his or her privacy invaded. However, our society today is highly mobile and for that reason, it is more important than ever for us to know with whom we are dealing with as this could very well mean the difference between really knowing someone and getting fooled into knowing someone.
Free criminal records checks have a legitimate use. This is proven by many tragic results arising from situations, such as employment or investment due diligence, when background checks were not conducted.
Free Criminal Records Checks for a Safer Workplace
Employers have the right to know whether the individual they are prospectively hiring has relevant previous convictions stated in his or her free criminal records checks. Also, employees have the right to a safe and secure working environment. Without access to free criminal records checks, employees could potentially be at risk from their co-workers.
One example of an event which was brought on by the lack of free criminal records checks by an employment agency happened in August of 1990. Twenty-eight year-old Christina Appleton was stabbed to death by co-worker, Arvie Carroll, a convicted murderer. The agency, Iron Horse Vineyards, had not bothered to conduct a thorough background check nor free criminal records checks on Carroll before placing him (SF Chronicle 11/26/92).
Free Criminal Records Checks for Protection against Fraud
Aside from saving lives and mitigating liability, free criminal records checks are also important and critical to the prevention of fraud. For instance, there might be cases in which you or a member of your family has been contacted by a certain person and was asked to make an investment involving a huge amount of money. Free criminal records checks and background checks work to uncover a scam and prevent it from happening.
Other Uses of Free Criminal Records Checks
There are countless other uses of free criminal records checks. Some of the social benefits of background checks include:
-Child support enforcement
-Consumer protection from professionals with suspended licenses
-Criminal investigations
-Insurance fraud investigations
-Risk assessment
-Collecting on judgment via asset identification
Where can you find Free Criminal Records Checks?
There are several research entities that "sell" public information or perform public information research, including criminal records checks for a charge. In such cases, most of the research done is manual as only about 20% of free criminal records checks can be done online; the rest are done manually.
Technorati Tags: free people search, people search, free background checks, online detective, internet detective
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Identity Thief Goes “Phishing” for Consumers’ Credit Information
An identity thief who allegedly used hijacked corporate logos and deceptive spam to con consumers out of credit card numbers and other financial data has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that his scam violated federal laws. If approved by the court, the defendant, a minor, will be barred for life from sending spam and will give up his ill-gotten gains.
The FTC alleged that the scam, called “phishing,” worked like this: posing as America Online, the con artist sent consumers e-mail messages claiming that there had been a problem with the billing of their AOL account. The e-mail warned consumers that if they didn’t update their billing information, they risked losing their AOL accounts and Internet access. The message directed consumers to click on a hyperlink in the body of the e-mail to connect to the “AOL Billing Center.” When consumers clicked on the link they landed on a site that contained AOL’s logo, AOL’s type style, AOL’s colors, and links to real AOL Web pages. It appeared to be AOL’s Billing Center. But it wasn’t. The defendant had hijacked AOL’s identity and was going to use it to steal consumers’ identities, as well, the FTC alleged.
The defendant’s AOL look-alike Web page directed consumers to enter the numbers from the credit card they had used to charge their AOL account. It then asked consumers to enter numbers from a new card to correct the problem. It also asked for consumers’ names, mothers’ maiden names, billing addresses, social security numbers, bank routing numbers, credit limits, personal identification numbers, and AOL screen names and passwords - the kind of data that would help the defendant plunder consumers’ credit and debit card accounts and assume their identity online.
According to the FTC, the defendant used the information to charge online purchases and open accounts with PayPal. In addition, he used consumers’ names and passwords to log on to AOL in their names and send more spam. Finally, he recruited others to participate in the scheme by convincing them to receive fraudulently obtained merchandise he had ordered for himself.
The agency charged the defendant’s practices were deceptive and unfair, in violation of the FTC Act. In addition, the FTC alleged that the defendant’s practices violated provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act designed to protect the privacy of consumers’ sensitive financial information.
“Phishing is a two time scam,” said Timothy J. Muris, Chairman of the FTC. “Phishers first steal a company’s identity and then use it to victimize consumers by stealing their credit identities. This is the FTC’s first law enforcement action targeting phishing. It won’t be the last.”
The settlement would bar the defendant from future violations of the FTC Act and the Gramm-Leach- Bliley Act. It also would bar the defendant from sending spam in the future. In addition, the order would require the defendant to give up $3,500 in ill-gotten gains.
An FTC Consumer Alert, “How Not to Get Hooked by a ‘Phishing’ Scam” warns consumers who receive e-mail that claims an account will be shut down unless they reconfirm their billing information not to reply or click on the link in the e-mail. Consumers should contact the company that supposedly sent the message using a telephone number or Web site address they know to be genuine. More tips to avoid phishing scams can be found at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/spam/coninfo.htm
The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the complaint and stipulated final judgment and order was 5-0. It will be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles and is subject to court approval.
This case was brought with the invaluable assistance of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Squad, the United States Postal Inspectors and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s High Technology Crimes Unit.
NOTE: Stipulated final judgments and orders are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation. Consent judgments have the force of law when signed by the judge.
Copies of the complaint and stipulated final judgment and order for permanent injunction are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint, or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1 877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Credit Information.
The FTC alleged that the scam, called “phishing,” worked like this: posing as America Online, the con artist sent consumers e-mail messages claiming that there had been a problem with the billing of their AOL account. The e-mail warned consumers that if they didn’t update their billing information, they risked losing their AOL accounts and Internet access. The message directed consumers to click on a hyperlink in the body of the e-mail to connect to the “AOL Billing Center.” When consumers clicked on the link they landed on a site that contained AOL’s logo, AOL’s type style, AOL’s colors, and links to real AOL Web pages. It appeared to be AOL’s Billing Center. But it wasn’t. The defendant had hijacked AOL’s identity and was going to use it to steal consumers’ identities, as well, the FTC alleged.
The defendant’s AOL look-alike Web page directed consumers to enter the numbers from the credit card they had used to charge their AOL account. It then asked consumers to enter numbers from a new card to correct the problem. It also asked for consumers’ names, mothers’ maiden names, billing addresses, social security numbers, bank routing numbers, credit limits, personal identification numbers, and AOL screen names and passwords - the kind of data that would help the defendant plunder consumers’ credit and debit card accounts and assume their identity online.
According to the FTC, the defendant used the information to charge online purchases and open accounts with PayPal. In addition, he used consumers’ names and passwords to log on to AOL in their names and send more spam. Finally, he recruited others to participate in the scheme by convincing them to receive fraudulently obtained merchandise he had ordered for himself.
The agency charged the defendant’s practices were deceptive and unfair, in violation of the FTC Act. In addition, the FTC alleged that the defendant’s practices violated provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act designed to protect the privacy of consumers’ sensitive financial information.
“Phishing is a two time scam,” said Timothy J. Muris, Chairman of the FTC. “Phishers first steal a company’s identity and then use it to victimize consumers by stealing their credit identities. This is the FTC’s first law enforcement action targeting phishing. It won’t be the last.”
The settlement would bar the defendant from future violations of the FTC Act and the Gramm-Leach- Bliley Act. It also would bar the defendant from sending spam in the future. In addition, the order would require the defendant to give up $3,500 in ill-gotten gains.
An FTC Consumer Alert, “How Not to Get Hooked by a ‘Phishing’ Scam” warns consumers who receive e-mail that claims an account will be shut down unless they reconfirm their billing information not to reply or click on the link in the e-mail. Consumers should contact the company that supposedly sent the message using a telephone number or Web site address they know to be genuine. More tips to avoid phishing scams can be found at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/spam/coninfo.htm
The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the complaint and stipulated final judgment and order was 5-0. It will be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles and is subject to court approval.
This case was brought with the invaluable assistance of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Squad, the United States Postal Inspectors and the Los Angeles District Attorney’s High Technology Crimes Unit.
NOTE: Stipulated final judgments and orders are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation. Consent judgments have the force of law when signed by the judge.
Copies of the complaint and stipulated final judgment and order for permanent injunction are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint, or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1 877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Credit Information.
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