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Social Media’s Role in the Due Diligence Process

Author: Andrew Hesner Data from the Pew Research Center shows that as of 2021, more than 80% of U.S. adults, aged 18 to 49, have at least one social media profile. In fact, there were more than 2.85 billion monthly active users on Facebook in 2021. Since the early 2000s, social media has been the

Public Records in a Digital Age – The Right to Know vs. the Right to Privacy

Author: Andrew Hesner Over the past several years, courts throughout the United States have been redacting dates of birth and other Personal Identifiable Information (“PII”) from publicly accessible online criminal records. While this was mainly implemented to prevent hacking and to ensure consumer privacy, it has been met with much criticism from due diligence and
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Background Check Industry Standards – The 7-Year Rules

Author: Robert Perez Series: Employment Background Checks – A Closer Look In looking closer at employment background checks, it is important to know there are industry standards…guidelines that are generally followed and accepted in the community of like-minded professionals. Perhaps the most prominent of these in the employment background check industry is the 7-year reporting period. That
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Introduction to Docket Research

Author: Sarah Morris Did you know that access to state court records varies widely based on jurisdiction? While all dockets are a record of the proceedings of a court case, they vary across jurisdictions in the type of information recorded, the level of detail included, and their availability to the public. Some jurisdictions provide free

Investment Due Diligence – Are Divorce Records Important?

Authors: Tina Thomas & Jody Squires Your company’s partners have found investors, you have raised capital, you have generated transaction leads, and now you have a potential deal. Maybe you have gone so far as to do some initial research into the company’s principals. Now what? Now it is time conduct a consented comprehensive due diligence investigation. Investigators are

Will You Be One Step Ahead of Your Defaulting Debtors or Two Steps Behind?

Author: Tina Thomas While we are trying to figure out what the new normal is for us and our businesses, debtors still owe their creditors (your clients) money. How do you help your clients find the money when debtors are defaulting? Is this the right time to be investigating a debtor’s financial viability? What Can

How About a Little Salt for Those Wounds? No Thanks, We’ve Had Enough.

Author: Dan Perez As if COVID-19 hasn’t already caused us enough stress and anxiety with concerns about our health, jobs, money and the future, now comes the next dose – fraudsters and scammers ramping up to take advantage and serve us more pain and aggravation. Just this morning, I read about a CBD oil manufacturer

Investigative Trends Amid COVID-19

Author: Joe S. Bettner As we continue through these uncertain and unprecedented times, now more than ever is it important for each and every individual to do their part in helping contribute to the overall health and safety of the world. For many of us this also means continuing to contribute to our professional fields in

The Fraud Triangle Model: A Theory on Who Commits Fraud and Why

Have you ever considered what kind of people commit fraud, and why? Research has revealed certain behavioral traits that are common among most people who commit fraud, such as living beyond their means, financial difficulties, entitlement, and belief of inadequate pay from their employer. The surprising fact is that these individuals are not typically career

Background Checks: Potential FCRA Updates Heading Our Way

The House of Representatives is reviewing a reform bill that may lead to significant changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), as reported by the Consumer Data Industry Association earlier this month. These changes will directly affect how consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) like Subrosa report information in our employment background checks. Most notably are