In January of this year, two couples, let’s call them the Jensons for good measure, contacted us to investigate a fraud issue for them. The Jensons loved to invest in enticing opportunities and this time, they had invested $100,000 in a software venture. The only problem was now they could not get a hold of the owners of the venture. After having realized this may have been a con, the Jensons decided to hire a fraud investigator from Santoni Investigations to help them with this issue.

Fraud Investigator Catches Con ArtistFraud Investigation: Who Con Artists Target

Those who commit fraud can target anyone, but their common targets are people who live alone, especially women or young couples.  They also target elderly people who are without any support from their family. Such people are their easy prey, as they very easily get convinced about their schemes and they do not see the crooked plans ticking in the con artist’s mind. Targets that smell a suspicious deal going on should immediately contact a fraud investigator to help them with their decision making.

How Con Artists Commit Fraud

Con artists commit fraud so naturally that their action seems almost genuine. They are most often pathological liars that find no fault in lying outright to people that trust them. Con artists use your sympathy as their main tool. Then they use other emotional devices in their armory to get your trust. They further try to make you feel that you are secure with them and will somehow convince you that they are right. Con artists have a charm that draws you in because they know how to use their emotional tools to keep your attention. If you consult your relatives or friends and they try to show you the real picture con artists will negate what they say and create a rosy picture of themselves in front of you. Always remember that their primary goal is to make you dependent on them. Slowly and steadily they will use this dependency for their own benefit.

Common Types of Fraud

The most common frauds done by con artists involve financial scams, religious scams, medical scams, insurance scams etc. In a financial scam, the conman will tell you that you should not talk to a banker or any other person with financial knowledge, as they fear that the banker will tell you the truth about the con and the plan will fall through. In a medical scam the doctors will hide the actual problem you have and will not tell you the easy cures available and in doing so will try to prescribe you the most costly procedure which may not actually be required, but through which he can fatten up his wallet. In religious scams the conman acts like a religious man and will tell you that he has powers which can heal you or can give you the desired object or service you want. In insurance scams, the conman can do as much as murder a person for life insurance money. The list of the fraudsters and what they will do can go on and on.

How to Save Yourself From Fraud

To avoid fraud, you can follow the below points to stay away from the con artists:

  • Never ever give any cash to any strangers. Even if the person is a person you know after a few meetings. Unless you have absolute proof that a company you are hiring is not a fraud, don’t trust them with your money.
  • The con man has a tendency to easily convince you to become part of their scheme, if you are not convinced don’t take part in their proposal. They will try to rush you into making a decision, don’t ever rush and use your own thinking to decide.
  • Try to avoid talking to strangers about money, never disclose how much money you have, especially while travelling in public transport, because that’s where the con artists try to find their prey.
  • You might receive many emails about winning the lottery or getting inheritance money. Don’t fall into such traps.

What the Jensons do About the Fraud?

As we have seen earlier the Jensons have lost a vast fortune to a financial scam.  They were told that the software venture was the next big thing and that the money they invest would double up in no time. The conman had earned their trust and sold them to the idea of getting extremely wealthy in a short time so long as they invest now. Wanting quick money they invested their savings of $100,000 without consulting their financial advisor or attorney. Now they were at a loss. The Jensons found Santoni Investigations who immediately registered their complaint with the right associations, and started their case. Santoni Investigations was able to gather up enough evidence to convict the criminal, and the help the Jensons file a lawsuit against him to get their money back. Yet another case solved successfully by Santoni Investigations.

**Names have been changed to protect clients

The Case of a Wife’s Affairprivate investigator finds cheating wife

Nathan and Jenny Smith had been married for a couple of years now. They  lived very happily in their single-family home until Nathan began to suspect that Jenny was seeing someone else.  He began to notice that she would often walk out of the room to answer her calls. Her phone was almost always hidden away and her eye contact became skiddish at times. Jenny also complained of frequently being tired.

Nathan thought of discussing his suspicion with his closest friend, Edward, but decided against it. Every night he watched her to see if he could pick up a trail. Concentrating at work became hard for Nathan because the picture of his wife snuggling up against another stupid man kept coming into his head. His work performance began to drop and he decided it would be best to hire Santoni Investigations, top private investigator to handle this case. After all, he wasn’t a professional when it came to investigation.

Santoni Investigations listened to Nathan  and gathered all the pertinent details and suspicions, and took note of everything via recordings and manual note taking. The investigator then told Nathan to tell Jenny he would be coming home late. Following this, the qualified investigator followed Jenny everywhere: from home to work, and from supermarket to cafes where she met her girl friends. There was nothing truly suspicious until the third day when she drove home from work, earlier than normal. The investigator was parked across the street at a corner observing the scene when he noticed that a man was waiting in a car across the street.  The man smiled when he saw Jenny pull up to her driveway and they slightly embraced. Then looking around they went into the man’s car and drove off to a lavish hotel. They walked into an elevator and entered into a room. The investigator timed how long they were in there, and the man was out a few hours later smiling as he held open the door for her. They kissed lightly walking into the elevator and went down stairs. As quick as they are, Santoni Investigations was able to clearly capture that moment on video.

Now, the private eye had something to show Nathan. He arranged for a meeting with him and told him what he had discovered. He showed him the video he had shot and Nathan swore under his breath, but was advised him not to take any actions yet. He asked him to fake a trip so they could get more concrete evidence.

The next day Nathan told Jenny he was going on a business trip with some colleagues from work.

“Really,” was Jenny’s reaction, “how long will you be away?”

“Three days,” Nathan said.

It was on a weekend that Nathan packed a bag and drove out of the house. Jenny called him an hour later to make sure he was at the airport safe. Nathan told her he was about to board the plane. Then, Jenny got off the phone to call her lover. At this time, Santoni Investigations was with Nathan in a car a few blocks away waiting for the fish to swallow the hook.

Barely one hour later, the same strange man pulled up in their garage and an excited Jenny ran out to welcome him. She grabbed his hand and dragged him along like a school boy.

Santoni Investigations and Nathan decided to approach the home after dinner to catch the wife and lover. Sure enough, when the two entered into the home, they were able to catch the wife and lover red handed in the bedroom, and was able to catch the evidence on camera and film.

Needless to say this marriage ended in a divorce, but the case was solved. Yet another successful investigation by Santoni Investigations.

*Names have been altered to protect parties. For immediate assistance in your case, fill our our contact form and find us at: http://santoniworldwide.com/

According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, a typical fraud case costs the business 5% of its annual revenue. Many instances of fraud are not discovered until some time later due to a lack of internal audits that gives the employees committing the fraud a false sense of security. Your business may require fraud investigations if you notice any of the following signs occurring.

5 Signs of Fraud in Your Business#1. Accounting reports are regularly not completed on time

Accounting reports that are rarely completed on time could indicate an employee is committing fraud, and using the delay to cover up his or her actions.

#2. Your profit margin is significantly lower than what you expected it to be

Just because your profit margin is slightly off doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is committing fraud. However, if it is significantly lower, there could be a problem, particularly if you haven’t had a sudden decrease in sales.

#3. There has been a sudden increase in balance sheet accounts

A common method of committing fraud involves creating “ghost” accounts for someone to funnel money into. If you notice a large number of new accounts, especially ones you cannot identify, this could be a sign that something is amiss.

#4. Certain transactions correspond with a particular employee’s schedule

Do you tend to have more returns whenever a certain employee is working? Do customers complain about past due notices after stating they have submitted payment to a particular individual? If unusual things seem to happen more often whenever a certain person is working, this may indicate you need to watch that individual a little closer.

#5. You have an employee who is possessive over his or her job duties

Your business could also be a victim of fraud if an employee regularly works long hours, never takes a vacation, and insists on handling all your accounting functions. Your employee may worry that if responsibilities are shared, he or she will no longer be able to perpetrate fraud, or that others will discover past misdeeds.

Asset Searches: Putting Together The Puzzle of Who Owns WhatAsset Searches Putting Together The Puzzle of Who Owns What

We’ve all had acquaintances who’ve been in a tight spot and needed a loan. Maybe you wanted to help, but you just weren’t sure this person could pay you back. So you asked around to try to figure out if he had savings, what his bonus checks looked like, and whether or not he had any other sort of resources that would let him pay you back when everything was said and done.

Asset searches are like that, except on a much larger scale.

The point of a professional asset search is simple; to uncover any and all resources someone has so you can adequately judge their wealth for the purposes of a business deal. For example, if you’re a private lender and someone comes to you for a loan, you want to know whether or not this person has property you can put a lien on in the event you have to. It’s just smart business.

For a thorough asset search that leaves no stone unturned, it’s best to leave the job to the professionals. A licensed and experience investigator that has handled thousands of asset searches.

So if you’ve been burned before, or if you just want to make sure you never go through the experience of getting into a deal with someone you shouldn’t, let a professional find things that a party might be trying to sweep under the rug.

For more information on what Santoni Investigations and Backgrounds can do for you, simply contact us today!

Reasons to Use a Private Investigator in Chicago for Infidelity SurveillanceReasons to Use a Private Investigator in Chicago for Infidelity Surveillance

There are many reasons why you might think your spouse or significant other is being unfaithful to you. It might be a feeling you have or a number of unexplained phone calls or texts. Either way, it is eating you up. There is no need to go it alone or simply accuse the other person. A private investigator in Chicago can provide you with top-notch infidelity surveillance. Here are some reasons to turn this problem over to a professional.

Proof You Can Use in Court

If you find your spouse is cheating on you, a private investigator will conduct a detailed surveillance on them. The investigator will provide you with more than dates and names. They will ensure you have the proof you need to take the other person to court to get a better settlement in a divorce case.

Care and Compassion

Your investigator knows this is a difficult time for you. They will take all the time needed to listen to all of your concerns and offer you the services you need to take care of the problem. This professional will be compassionate during the investigation, and in the way they present their findings to you.

Confidentiality

There is a possibility that you could be wrong. When hiring a private investigator for infidelity surveillance, you get complete confidentiality. No one ever needs to know about your suspicions or the investigation. This is a lot better than getting friends and family involved. Even if the surveillance turns up positive proof, you get to decide whether or not to use the information.

At Santoni Investigations & Backgrounds, you are our first concern. We will take the time to conduct a thorough investigation and present the findings in a compassionate way. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you at this difficult time.

Fighting insurance fraud with private investigation

Insurance FraudFighting insurance fraud with private investigation

There are many domains of application for private investigation. In each one of them, private investigators are hired to shed light on matters arousing suspicions from at least one party. This article is written from the perspective of insurance companies and explains how private investigation can be used to fight insurance fraud.

How Fraud Occurs

Because fraud is a rampant problem in our society, insurance firms need to protect themselves against policyholders who are always trying to gain access to the benefits to which they aren’t normally entitled. For instance, if a policyholder is covered for a list of accidents related to work but contracts an injury while at home, then they may try to file a fraudulent claim to avoid spending their own money. Another example is when an insured person exaggerates on an injury report to maximize their insurance benefits.

Deterring fraud

As you might know, insurance claims must be submitted along with several documents substantiating the financial request of the policyholder. For example, after a work-related injury the employee will undergo medical examinations and use the reports generated to submit a claim to their insurer. Once the claim has been submitted, the insurer will review it and assess its legitimacy. What may raise suspicions on the claim is the amount requested, especially if it seems to be disproportionate compared to the injury itself. This is usually going to trigger a private investigation, and ultimately the filing of a lawsuit by the insurer’s attorney.

Investigating the claim

The goal of the private investigation will be to gather evidence strengthening the suspicion that the claim is fraudulent. The private investigator will have at their disposal a number of tools to complete their mission such as placing the claimant under surveillance. For example, if the policyholder claimed that their injury prevents them from performing any kind of physical activity but is spotted lifting objects in their backyard, the investigator will know that the claim is a scheme.

Get legal assistance

Fraudulent claims are considered crimes nationwide. This means that there are specific legal sanctions for those who are found guilty of such schemes. Every time that a fraudulent claim is uncovered, the insurer needs to contact a lawyer who will make sure that the fraudster gets punished to the fullest extent of the law.

If you’re an insurer and believe that you’re being victim of fraud, please contact us today and we’ll help you prepare a solid fraud investigation case.

Infidelity Surveillance

Infidelity is an unfortunate reality for many people. It is one of the most destructive things that  take place in a relationship. Trust is one of the most important foundations for a relationship to function properly.  Suspicion of infidelity is often  just as destructive as infidelity itself. Believing your partner has broken the bond of trust causes much chaos within a relationship. It is important to know, without a doubt if your partner is cheating. If you discover that your partner is not stepping-out on the relationship, you have peace of mind and are able to relax. If you find out that your partner is cheating, you have the proof and ability to make a clear decision about the future of your relationship. Infidelity surveillance may be the best option for your situation. Here are a few ways to know if it is right for you.

Evaluate how your suspicions are affecting your life. Are you constantly worried and anxious? Do you stay awake at night thinking about the possible infidelity? Are you treating your partner as if he or she is cheating? Is your relationship strained due to your suspicion? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes” then it is time to consider some type of surveillance. Doubting if your partner is faithful causes huge levels of stress. If this stress is interfering with your life, you should seriously consider surveillance so that you can know for sure what is happening.

The next thing to look at is your available time. How much time do you have available to devote to finding out what your partner is doing? Most people have a career and a life to live. There is not a lot of free time to spend playing detective. If your time is limited, hiring a professional is the best option. Professional surveillance takes the responsibility out of your hands and they devote their time to getting answers for you. A good professional will be discreet and keep your information anonymous. Your partner will never know they have been watched, unless you choose to tell them.

The last thing to consider is the evidence you already have. Something has given you reason to believe your partner is cheating. Take a close look at the facts. Sometimes it is helpful to get an objective viewpoint. Present your evidence to a trusted friend or professional and let them be the judge. Also, trust your own instincts. If you have a “hunch”, take this seriously. After evaluating all of the facts and listening to your own intuition, consider whether your suspicions appear valid. If they do, then infidelity surveillance is likely  right for you.

The bottom line is that there is no substitute for knowing. Having the facts will unlock the mystery and allow you to have peace of mind. Knowing what is really going on gives you the freedom to  make relationship decisions based on facts. There is simply no substitute for the truth.

Contact us for more information.

Infidelity Surveillance

Two studies by Condom manufacturer Durex, The Sexual Wellbeing Survey and Face of Global Sex study, which were overseen by Harris Interactive, provide fascinating facts and figures about sexuality and infidelity all over the world.  For both studies, the condom manufacturer conducted interviews with over 29,000 people in 36 countries. Although the survey covered a wide variety of issues concerning sexuality, the results for questions relating to infidelity are the most eye-opening.

Of the 36 countries surveyed, Nigeria ranked the highest for both male and female cheating. The United States was not far behind, at eighth of 36. The survey found that 10 to 15{2f3748b5ca5ab0ef62f1154c571df9c56b0d52fa28ba96fa4f869e5919b9e929} of American women and 20 to 25{2f3748b5ca5ab0ef62f1154c571df9c56b0d52fa28ba96fa4f869e5919b9e929} of American men are unfaithful at least once in their lives. Other studies, conducted in the United States from 1980 through the mid-2000’s report similar findings: about 25{2f3748b5ca5ab0ef62f1154c571df9c56b0d52fa28ba96fa4f869e5919b9e929} of Americans in committed relationships report that they have cheated.

Many observers believe that the advent of the Internet and the expansion of new means of communication like texting have led to an increase in infidelity, by making it easier to conduct secret conversations. But the same is true about new equipment and infidelity surveillance: an ever-expanding array of new technologies make it easier for professionals to discreetly ascertain whether a partner is being unfaithful and if so, whether he or she is also hiding assets.

Though many who suspect an affair begin by downloading various apps that provide information about a spouse’s online habits, professional investigators have access to high-end technology plus expertise in professional surveillance that those who fear the worst about a partner need. Many of our clients contact us after using some form of at-home surveillance. Their suspicions raised, they turn to professional investigators, who can conduct a thorough inquiry and provide confirmation and hard evidence.

The next major study of sexuality and infidelity around the world is scheduled to be conducted by the end of the decade. It remains to be seen whether infidelity rates will rise and, if so, how technology will keep up with increasing unfaithfulness.

Claimant – Plaintiff Profiles

What don’t you know about your Claimant-Plaintiff?

As soon as you have seen red flags or at the onset of litigation you need all the facts on your claimant or plaintiff.  Creating a baseline profile on the claimant/plaintiff will provide valuable insight into the validity of the claim and the credibility of the claimant/plaintiff. If you can develop credibility issues early on you can get the leverage you need to settle the claim more quickly and cost effectively.  Litigation is a costly endeavor.

When everyone on the claims team (Examiners, SIU & Attorneys) have a profile on the claimant/plaintiff they can make better decisions about where to look for medical records from a pre-existing injuries/conditions, when to set depositions, when and if surveillance should be conducted, etc.

We recommend that you conducting the following searches to uncover the background information that will give you the best possible profile of the claimant/plaintiff.

  • Verification of Identifiers (SSN, DOB, Address, Drivers’ License)
  • Driving Record
  • County Civil Search
  • County Criminal Search
  • Professional Licenses & Business Affiliation Search
  • Prior Claims Search
  • Social Media Search (FB, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn)
  • EDEX
  • Identify and profile plaintiff’s counsel
  • Asset & Liability Search

When you are working with an investigation firm it is crucial that they have access to all of these types of searches, understand the system of records in all jurisdictions and understand the context in which the searches should be conducted. A licensed private investigation firm will give you access to all of the above searches and more and insure that the information has been obtained in a legal and admissible manner.

9 Signs of a Cheating Spouse

  1. Changes in Appearance (Excessive Grooming, Cologne, New Clothes/Attire)
  2. Business Trips / Work Schedule Changes
  3. Secret Accounts (Credit Card & Bank Accounts)
  4. Mail from strange financial institutions
  5. Unexplained Items in the Car
  6. Odd Text Messages (Coded/Abbreviated)
  7. Phone calls at odd hours & quick hang ups (Guarding the cell phone or a second cell phone)
  8. Changes in Habits
  9. Spending Long Hours on the Computer

Relevant Posts: