Back to basics

Back to basics This editor recently met a young man, interested in becoming an executive protection agent, who asked what handgun he should buy. More recently still was a brief involvement in a case where … Read More

Dumpster diving, is it worth it?

Dumpster diving, is it worth it? This is a basic article about a basic issue of trash and what we as persons and businesses throw out in the garbage or in the recycling bins. As a training exercise, this occasional … Read More

Canadian SIN numbers

Canadian SIN numbers The Canadian SIN is similar to a SSN in that the number is issued to all Canadian citizens and, just like the SSN, it was never intended to be an identifier - but it is. And, just like the … Read More

Option revaluation and the weakness it causes

Option revaluation and the weakness it causes The recent bear market prompted more than 100 companies in October 1998 to cushion the blow of their falling stock prices by repricing their stock options for … Read More

Investing in China? Watch your assets

Investing in China? Watch your assets International Trade and Investment Companies (ITIC) in China are the only companies allowed to borrow funds from foreigners and lend them or invest those funds in domestic … Read More

Business tax ID number prefixes

Business tax ID number prefixes The Service Center of the Internal Revenue Service assigns business Tax ID prefix numbers. These prefixes are normally assigned according to the mailing address of the taxpayer, … Read More

SCAM – Shams, Stings and Shady Business Practices and How You Can Avoid Them

SCAM - Shams, Stings and Shady Business Practices and How You Can Avoid Them Book and Product Reviews SCAM - Shams, Stings and Shady Business Practices and How You Can Avoid Them Peter H. Engle St. Martin's … Read More

Money laundering

Money laundering A well-known and successful businessman owned a burger franchise. He had owned this franchise for over 20 years and, yes, he was known as a pillar in the community. He was also a VERY successful … Read More

A quick $250,000 – please!

A quick $250,000 - please! A Detroit-area auto supply executive is scheduled to be arraigned this week on charges that he embezzled from his former employer. The complaint against Rafael Antonio Fernandez, 38, … Read More

The Economics of Organized Crime

The Economics of Organized Crime Fiorentini and Peltzman - Centre for Economic Policy Research - Cambridge University Press This is book is a compilation of papers presented at a conference on organized crime. … Read More

Radios and finger prints

Radios and finger prints A new company called MOBILTRAK uses advanced-technology radio frequency scanning and detection, which logs the commercial frequencies being tuned into by passing cars through detecting … Read More

Crank calls and threats

Crank calls and threats When we think of workplace violence ─ particularly workplace homicide ─ most of us imagine either crazed or incensed employees going berserk, or crazed or incensed customers running … Read More

Simple, but effective, basics

Simple, but effective, basics Some excellent places to gather intelligence on both an industry and the competition are: Trade Shows - Focus on the salesmen and discuss new technologies and upcoming news releases. … Read More

YBM Stock and cheap prevention

YBM Stock and cheap prevention Trading of YBM Magnex International shares was halted on the Toronto Stock Exchange, following the company’s failure to file audited financial statements. The investigation by US … Read More

Traveling with owner blind credit/debit cards

Traveling with owner blind credit/debit cards Our firm was recently asked if we could provide the financial portion of anonymous travel into the Zaire for a senior executive of a world-class mining company and his … Read More

Expert Economic Testimony: Reference Guide for Judges and Attorneys

Expert Economic Testimony: Reference Guide for Judges and Attorneys Thomas R. Ireland, Ph.D. et al Lawyers and Judges Publishing Co., Inc. Civil Litigation is primarily about assigning economic damages, qualifying … Read More

Casablanca, an Epic Money Laundering Story

Without bankers knowing it, for three years there was a time bomb ticking in a nondescript storefront export-import business 15 miles south of Los Angeles, in a city called Santa Fe Springs. The massive operation, … Read More

Finding and Getting Rid of Non-Critical Data

Finding and Getting Rid of Non-Critical Data We spend a good deal of time identifying data critical to our business and protecting it. We spend very little time identifying data that we dont need and which … Read More

New “Know Your Client” Rules Have Banks Forming Intelligence Departments

New "Know Your Client" Rules Have Banks Forming Intelligence Departments Are you a potential criminal? Are you a threat to banks or airlines, a potential spy, or perhaps an IRS tax protester? The government would … Read More

Listen to Your Gut

Listen to Your Gut A due diligence investigator had been engaged to prepare a comprehensivebackground report on a real-estate developer and the associated projects. Thefunding was for $22 Million and represented a … Read More

Investigating Computer Crime

Investigating Computer Crime Frank Clark and Ken Diliberto CRC Press 228 pages This book is aimed at law enforcement and the criminal justice system,including attorneys general and prosecutors. It might also be a … Read More

A German Used Car Dealer Emigrates

A German Used Car Dealer Emigrates Some times the little things really do matter. A Used car dealer borrowed the equivalent of $3 million dollars from a German bank and left Germany with the funds. The German bank … Read More

Y2K: New and Fun Stuff

Y2K: New and Fun Stuff BSRMJ apologizes for berating this issue - but this story is a bit different.The State of Wisconsin has the National Guard on standby for Y2Kproblems. They are concerned about the way a … Read More

A Very Sad Story

Chechnya's top anti-kidnapping official was executed 10/25/98 when a bomb tore his car to pieces on the very day he was to launch a majoroffensive on kidnappers in the breakaway rebel Chechen Republic. … Read More

Aerial Surveillance

Aerial Surveillance Recently a semiconductor manufacturer was constructing a new plant in Arizona. As the construction began the onsite management noticed a planeflying overhead several times a week. They wrote … Read More

A bad deal that kept getting worse

A bad deal that kept getting worse This is story is of a recent due diligence investigation of a proposed acquisition. The client intended to acquire the company and hire its owner. The owner was an experienced … Read More