Showing posts with label private detective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label private detective. Show all posts
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Russia and Ukraine Investigators

Elevated Risk Levels Warrant Extra Caution










Since the 2008 free fall in prices of crude oil, and the near collapse of the global economy, Russia and the Ukraine have entered somewhat dire straights, economically. These are nations that are crippled with fraud and corruption in a strong economy. A recession, unfortunately, always seems to bring out the worst, or in this case, the best of frauds, scams and criminals.

Scammers and criminals operating from the Ukraine and Russia have taken full advantage of the current global conditions, baiting individuals and investors around the world via the Internet. Among the tactics used are fake investment or company websites, inheritance scams, romance scams via match-making websites, and endless others. Scams are becoming more sophisticated, and in some cases, actual government documentation is even used. Scammers target businesses and use business acumen and vocabulary to build confidence in victims. Both romance and business fraud is becoming more difficult to detect.

Investors, individuals and companies are urged to obtain a professional background check or due diligence investigation prior to investing capital, serious time, or emotions in Russia or the Ukraine. Avoiding this verification can be costly.

While the number of PI services in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kiev is still somewhat limited, there are reputable investigation and background companies available. Consumers should consider a professional investigator based in the U.K. or U.S., but with field operations in Russia or the Ukraine for reliable service.

Lastly, business deals and relationships that require an advance fee or line of credit in Russia or the Ukraine are especially suspect, and should be verified. Be safe and smart.

Best of luck,

A. Hathaway
© 2006-2009 A. Hathaway
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Thursday, February 12, 2009
Nigeria Investigation and Scams

The rush for background checks in Lagos













Nigeria has been hit hard by the recent global economic downturn. Police have worked hard to take down fraud rings and criminal groups operating scams from Nigeria. With commerce at a near stand still, and opportunity hard to come by, the fraud is on the rebound. Nigeria is not alone. The FBI in the United States has reported a similar rise in fraud cases as criminals get more desperate to bring in the money during the depression.

Corporations continue to operate in Lagos despite the rising cases of fraud, and the risks that come with it. Business and investment activity is down, but deals are still getting done, and international ties continue to exist with individuals and businesses in Lagos. One industry that is booming is there is private investigation, since verifying businesses and individuals is essential.

Selecting a private investigator or background check firm in Lagos can be just as risky. Many corporate and individual clients report having their money stolen, or receiving unacceptable work. Paul Fletcher of Wymoo International urges clients to check references and to do their homework prior to choosing a Nigeria investigator. Wymoo is based in the U.S. with a new field office in Lagos. "Choosing a firm based in Europe or the U.S. with a field office in Lagos offers the best chance for quality work."

Nigeria will continue to develop, and as the global economy recovers, Nigeria law enforcement may once again be successful at shutting down the fraud and scams. For now, businesses and individuals are advised to proceed with caution.

Best of luck,

A. Hathaway
© 2006-2009 A. Hathaway
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008
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Background checks and the services available.

A Rise in Demand
With more people around the global accessing the Internet, and the global population itself exploding exponentially, the world is making a fast transition to online. Businesses around the world now make their hiring decisions based on candidates they find on the Internet. New websites for match making or online dating are popping up daily. These days, it's not uncommon to find a business partner or even find a spouse on the Internet. In this brave new world, come some sizeable risks.

Verifying the Story
How does an individual in Paris verify a boyfriend's story who lives in Brazil? Or how does a small business in the United States verify a new supplier located in Singapore? And when looking for romance, just how do we know if he or she is really who he or she claims to be? These questions are becoming more common and so is the demand for background checks. The following section describes some of the services available to learn the truth.

Knowing your Options
The services offered for background checks vary greatly. Some websites offer simple searches for public records, while others combine public records searches with actual investigation. We prefer the latter, as real investigation has real results in most cases. Among the top 3 players in the United States are Kroll, Owens Online and Wymoo International. Wymoo has been expanding its market share by concentrating on customer service and custom investigations. All 3 companys have a strong global presence, while Wymoo offers personalized service, surveillance, local investigators and complete narrative reporting. For the Philippines, contact Wymoo's affiliate, Philippine PI.

Pricing the Market
An average background check can cost between $200 and $800, depending on the country of origin and the information needs of the customer. An average background investigation to verify a small business or foreign romance usually ranges between $400 and $600, again depending on the country and specific need for information. Always shop around for service quotes.

Filling the Need
Is it really worth having your international romance, or foreign business partner verified? Absolutely. This is the age of identity theft, relationship scams, advance fee fraud, and these scams are on the rise. Think of a background check investigation as an insurance policy. One can cross his fingers and hope for the best. We recommend contracting an international background check service, and sleeping well at night knowing the truth.

Best of luck,

A. Hathaway
© 2006-2008 A. Hathaway
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Friday, March 9, 2007
Why all the Buzz About Wymoo?

  • 3/09/2007
  • 1
A look at how the firm is changing the industry












If you haven't heard the name yet, and you're familiar with the background check industry, you will. No other player is making waves in the international investigation market like Wymoo®. In less than two years the firm has emerged from a limited website operation to a full scale global player, putting pressure on well-placed corporations to rethink their strategy.

What's behind the phenomenol growth and rapidly increasing market share? Our report covered several factors comparing Wymoo International to its competitors, but one area clearly stood out as their secret. Simply put: client service. While many websites and companies have focused on obtaining data via increasing automation and technology, Wymoo seems to have done the opposite. For example, when a client uses Wymoo's international investigative services, he or she is assigned an investigator to personally handle that client's case until and after completion. Reports are then emailed to clients 5 to 7 days later, in narrative reporting with personal attention, that well, we haven't seen in years. And, it hasn't gone unnoticed.

Estimates of market share are hard to determine, as Wymoo is a privately held company and closely guards all of its proprietary information. We do know, however, that it has increased more than 500% in 2006, with inception just in early 2005. In an interview with the firm's Vice President, David Wilkerson, our industry expert Danny Olson asked Wilkerson if this growth could continue, and whether or not he could shed any light on Wymoo's growth strategy. "We've built our firm on providing confidential and personalized professional investigations. Our global focus is strongly on client service and narrative reporting, not generic database search and automated reports. More companies today are geared towards outsourcing and automation. We prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, and there's no replacement for professional field investigators and real investigation."

Private investigators agree. Many developing countries don't have computerized public records, and the only way to obtain evidence in many international cases is to have an investigator on the ground. Local field investigators speak the same language and have contacts in the area, and can obtain records from local offices and courts. Having a local investigator means real investigation can be done, i.e. interviews and surveillance. Wymoo has field investigators in over 100 countries.

Client satisfaction is reportedly the highest in the industry at Wymoo, and it's no wonder that the firm has rapidly become a global competitor. As growth continues, keeping the personalized service and fending off competitors will be a real challenge. Asked about this concern, Wilkerson replied "our goal is to be the best, not the biggest. If we ever start to lose quality, we'll put the brakes on." So far the company's stategy is clearly working.

We'll follow up on the investigative firm in 2008.

All the best,

A Hathaway
© 2007 A. Hathaway
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