Many people think that hidden assets are buried in offshore accounts or maybe it's stashed in a mattress. But there is a lot more hidden right here in the United States than people realize. Hiding assets is done in many ways such as failing to report income, hiding money in foreign bank accounts, creating trusts using an alias, using offshore companies, and more. In fact, it actually seems to be easier for debtors to [...]
When it comes to online scams, the phishing email scam is probably the most common and well-known type of scam. You may think because it's been around for so long, you can't possibly fall for a phishing email. However, with the increased sophistication of cybercriminals, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a legitimate email from a reputable company from an almost identical carbon copy scammer. The scam goes something like this: [...]
Do you need to conduct a corporate asset search? If you have a judgment against someone who owns an LLC or against a corporation as a whole, it's important to look for hidden assets within the debtor's company. An LLC and its owner are separate entities. If you have a lawsuit against a person that owns an LLC, it's imperative to establish the connection to prove their involvement. Piercing the corporate veil Piercing the [...]
The romance scam is a particularly cruel type of online scam where money is stolen from the victim during an intimate relationship they have with a stranger they have been communicating with over the internet. Romance scams are becoming more and more popular as more people turn to the digital world to find love. Many victims do not associate this type of crime with romance and are not aware that they have become victims [...]
We've all seen them: the email invites you to a “free” investor’s webinar taught by an “investment guru” promising to teach you how to invest. You get access to their “exclusive investment secrets'' so you can have guaranteed success in any market. How great is that? It’s not really that great. The presentation may be slick and there are lots of fancy images but it’s nothing more than a ploy to get your money. [...]
One of the biggest issues in probate cases is the alarmingly frequent occurrence of fraud. Probate is a legal procedure that takes place after someone passes away and has to do with the distribution of their assets. Sometimes the fraudster is a family member, sometimes it's part of your legal team, but the outcome of these crimes can cause irreparable damage to the emotional state of the family and their rightful wealth. When a [...]
An asset search is the research, analysis, and documentation of various types of records to determine the assets owned by an individual, group of individuals, or organization. Asset searches are used for a number of reasons including determining the wealth of individuals who owe you money from a judgment or determining the assets of an estate or searching for hidden assets in a divorce case. An asset is anything that has monetary value and [...]
Embezzlement is a type of financial fraud that occurs when an employee diverts their employer's assets for their own personal gain. This occurs when the employee steals assets which include company property, cash, or inventory. This can lead to several problems including loss of revenue, serious legal consequences for the employee, and damage to the company's reputation. Learning how to spot the signs of embezzlement can help save your business from financial hardships. The [...]
Conducting a bank account search can provide you with very valuable information about a debtor’s wealth for pre-litigation and divorce cases. There are other reasons to request a bank account search, but in regard to using the bank account search to identify assets, this is typically seen most in pre-litigation and divorce cases. If you have a judgment against someone and plan to collect funds from the defendant, it’s important to conduct a bank [...]
A good partnership between private investigators and attorneys can be a real benefit to their shared client. Private investigators and attorneys have been working together for years to help collect evidence and conduct behind-the-scenes investigations. But what exactly do private investigators do for attorneys? Surveillance Private investigators for attorneys are paid to uncover information about the other party involved in a legal case. While most cases involve some form of information-gathering, most attorneys don't [...]
