The Business

Are the Ponzi Schemers Paying Off Their Previous Ponzi Scheme with Your Money?

How to Know for Sure: In Which I Seek Answers from OSINT Lists On April 29, 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil complaint against Kenneth W. Alexander II, Robert D. Welsh and Caedryn Conner, alleging they orchestrated a Ponzi scheme that raised at least $91 million from more than 200 investors

Robert Gardner

27592

Weingarten Rights

If you do workplace investigations, you need to know about this 50-year-old Supreme Court decision that applies to interviewing union members. There are additional legal requirements when the person being interviewed is a member of a labor union. Principal among these are the requirements of NLRB vs J. Weingarten, Inc., 420 U.S. 251, which was

William F. Blake, MS, CPP, CFE

27570

Chasing Lines: A Private Investigator’s Guide to Staying Legal in Canada

The law isn’t the enemy for private investigators. It’s the shield between you and everything that can go wrong. The heater coughed out lukewarm air against the windshield, doing little to cut the frost building along the edges. I shifted in the driver’s seat, the vinyl stiff under my legs, and trained my eyes on

Rebecca Maguire

27557

Unmasking the Harasser: How Modern Investigation Tools Crack the Code on Burner Phones

Burner phones were once a shield for anonymity. Today, they’re just another thread we can pull to unravel a hidden identity. Private investigation has always been about keen observation, deductive reasoning, and following the breadcrumbs left by folks who think they’re clever enough to evade detection. In today’s world, however, the power of technology and

Tom Caliendo

27499

The State of OSINT in 2025 <or> When Do I Lose My Job to AI?

Siri, tell me all the times AI has screwed up background checks. A year or so ago, I was interviewed by Kelly Paxton for her fraud podcast. In talking about research and fraud, AI, of course, came up. I poo-poohed it. My motto since I opened my shop in 1999 has been “Providing Vital Information

Robert Gardner

27466

Investigating Edged Weapons Cases

Understanding the Five Types of Strikes Private investigators might find themselves investigating an edged-weapon case for various reasons: They might be hired by a family seeking closure on a cold case, where an unsolved stabbing crime has lingered without resolution, prompting the PI to re-examine old evidence, interview forgotten witnesses, or uncover overlooked details. They

Clay Kahler

27414

How To Identify Unnamed Women In Historical Records

Because women’s identities have often been intertwined with men’s, it can be difficult to find their maiden names, or even their first names. A deeper dive can uncover those personal details. When I’m searching for birth parents, I often have to reach back in time to unravel complicated mysteries. Part of that unraveling typically includes

Rachele' Davis

27376

This Software Transformed Our Productivity, Efficiency, and Security

We needed a productivity platform to help us communicate better, organize records, and store sensitive materials. For us, Microsoft 365 was the answer. In our field, technology can be a double-edged sword. We rely on spreadsheets, documents, emails, and chat apps to run our day-to-day operations, but juggling multiple platforms can quickly become a nightmare

Richard Ring

27340

Asset Searches: Dos and Don’ts

When you’re tracing hidden assets, cutting corners may be faster. But it’ll put your case — and your career — at risk. There’s a line that every private investigator has to walk. On one side is the pursuit of truth, the kind that cracks open hidden bank accounts and unearths property deeds that weren’t meant to

Tyler Rodgers