Practical Handbook for Private Investigators

✍ Scribed by Rory J. McMahon CLI CFE

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 280
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Since the trial of O.J. Simpson, the ''profession'' of private investigation has risen to a new level of respect among both the legal community and the public at large because the success of O.J.'s '' Dream Team'' was largely a result of the brilliant work done by defense investigators. Private investigators are often called upon to provide information for cases that are not criminal or when regular law enforcement cannot fit a more in-depth investigation into its criminal caseload. Investigators are called upon to conduct surveillance, asset searches, and background checks on individuals and corporations. While most books on private investigation tackle specific field-related topics, Practical Handbook for Private Investigators provides the first comprehensive coverage. Rory McMahon, a recognized leader in the industry, clears up many misconceptions about the world of private investigation as he guides experienced private investigators, as well as those wishing to enter the field. This practical handbook is a compendium of the work performed, with descriptions of the various types of investigations, case studies, and practical tips. Besides showing you how to conduct every kind of investigation, the book also offers advice on how to testify, how to set up practice, and how to get licensed.

✦ Table of Contents

EEn
......Page 0
Practical Handbook for Private Investigators......Page 1
Back Cover
......Page 2
PREFACE......Page 6
ABOUT THE AUTHOR......Page 7
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 8
Table of Contents......Page 9
DEDICATION......Page 13
JOB OUTLOOK......Page 14
EARNINGS......Page 15
WHAT IS AN INVESTIGATOR?......Page 16
Curiosity......Page 17
Ability to Obtain the Cooperation of Others......Page 18
Ability to Speak at the Level of the Audience......Page 19
Self-Confidence......Page 20
TYPES OF INVESTIGATION......Page 21
Negligence Investigations......Page 22
Insurance Claims/Insurance Fraud......Page 23
Employment Investigations......Page 24
Shopping Services......Page 25
Records and Documents......Page 26
Informants......Page 27
Paid Informants......Page 28
Public Library......Page 29
Cross Reference Directories......Page 30
Fictitious Filings (DBA)......Page 31
Building Department......Page 32
County Recorder’s Office......Page 33
Property Assessor’s Office......Page 34
Professional and Licensing Bureaus (Department of State)......Page 35
U.S. Postal Service......Page 36
Social Security Administration......Page 37
Credit Reporting Agencies......Page 38
Personnel Offices......Page 39
Phase One — The Initial Interview......Page 40
Motive......Page 41
Check the Bad News Sources......Page 42
Follow-up Investigation......Page 43
Motives......Page 44
Investigations......Page 45
A Friend’s House......Page 46
The Located Runaway......Page 47
UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS IN BUSINESS SETTINGS......Page 48
INTRODUCTION TO INTERVIEWS......Page 52
STRATEGIES......Page 53
Empathy......Page 54
Preparation for an Interview......Page 55
Interviews of Complainants, Victims, and Witnesses......Page 56
The Interrogation......Page 57
Subterfuge......Page 58
Summary of Body Language Skills......Page 59
Posture......Page 60
Postures of Agreement and Disagreement......Page 61
Eye Contact......Page 62
Reading Facial Expressions......Page 63
Tip-Off Movement of the Body......Page 64
TAKING STATEMENTS......Page 65
Confessions......Page 66
Contents of Statements......Page 67
Identifying Data......Page 68
Admissibility of Confessions......Page 69
Psychological Constraint......Page 70
Article I......Page 74
Article VII......Page 75
The Fourth Amendment......Page 76
Due Process of Law......Page 77
Public Law......Page 78
Private Law......Page 79
Civil Trials......Page 80
The Wrongful Act......Page 81
The Concept of Crime......Page 82
The Authority to Arrest......Page 83
Interrogating the Accused......Page 84
Motion for a Bill of Particulars......Page 85
The Guilty Plea......Page 86
Selecting the Jury Panel......Page 87
Qualifying the Jury Panel......Page 88
Opening Statements......Page 89
Motion for Judgment of Acquittal......Page 90
Instructions to the Jury......Page 91
Jury Deliberations......Page 92
Sentencing......Page 93
Incarceration......Page 94
Writ of Certiorari......Page 95
Defendant......Page 96
Circumstantial Evidence......Page 97
Chain of Evidence......Page 98
The Five-Step Sequence: Documenting the Crime Scene......Page 99
CHAPTER 6: FRAUD INVESTIGATION......Page 103
CORPORATE FRAUD......Page 104
Corporate Fraud Investigations......Page 105
Detection Techniques......Page 106
Advance Fee Scheme......Page 107
Planned Bankruptcy Scheme......Page 108
Home Improvement, Debt Consolidation, and Mortgage Loans......Page 109
WHITE COLLAR CRIME......Page 110
Difficulties in the Use of Criminal Sanctions......Page 111
Federal and State Fraud Statutes......Page 112
Types of Violations......Page 113
STEPS IN THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS......Page 114
Compounding a Felony......Page 115
Reasons for Leniency in Corporate Frauds......Page 116
LEGAL ASPECTS OF INVESTIGATIVE WORK......Page 117
Crimes for the Company......Page 118
For the Company......Page 119
Frauds from Within the Accounting System......Page 120
Frauds from Outside the Accounting System......Page 121
COMPUTER CRIMES......Page 122
COMPUTER FRAUD......Page 123
THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS......Page 125
TELECOMMUNICATION CRIMES......Page 126
Trojan Horse......Page 127
Piggybacking and Impersonation......Page 128
INVESTIGATION OF COMPUTER FRAUD......Page 130
Investigative Procedures on Malicious E-mail......Page 132
The Risk Matrix......Page 133
Report Writing......Page 134
THE INTERNET AND THE WORLD WIDE WEB......Page 136
Collection......Page 138
Identify the Offender......Page 139
REASONS FOR INVESTIGATING CRIME......Page 140
Lack of Ability to Solve a Crime......Page 141
Documentary Evidence......Page 142
Elimination of Nonsuspects......Page 143
Interrogation......Page 144
Phases of the Investigation......Page 145
Proving Guilt......Page 146
Elements of the Offense......Page 147
Communicating with the Informant......Page 148
Admissibility......Page 149
RULES OF EXCLUSION......Page 150
Evidence Concerning Character and Reputation......Page 151
Entrapment......Page 152
Chain of Custody......Page 153
Protection......Page 154
Identification......Page 155
Patrol......Page 156
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES......Page 157
CONDUCTING A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION......Page 158
COMPONENT METHOD™ OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE INVESTIGATION......Page 159
THE GRAND JURY......Page 163
What Do Insurers Do?......Page 166
Probability......Page 167
Ideal Requirements for Insurability......Page 168
Insurable Interest......Page 169
Estoppels......Page 170
Components of the Insurance Contract......Page 171
Requirements for Negligence Liability......Page 172
Loss Payment......Page 173
Fire Insurance......Page 174
Misrepresentation......Page 175
Employer’s Liability and Worker’s Compensation......Page 176
Financing of Benefits......Page 177
Benefits......Page 178
Automobile Insurance Coverage......Page 179
Uninsured Motorist......Page 181
Automobile Insurance Claims......Page 182
Government Regulation of Insurance......Page 183
FIRE AND ARSON INVESTIGATION......Page 184
Investigative Checklist......Page 185
Vehicular Fires......Page 186
Arson......Page 187
Location, Extent, and Direction of Flames......Page 188
Witnesses......Page 189
Point of Origin of the Fire......Page 190
Insurer......Page 191
Motive for Setting the Fire......Page 192
Proximate Cause......Page 193
No-Fault Law......Page 194
CHATPER 10: DOMESTIC INVESTIGATIONS......Page 195
DUE DILIGENCE INVESTIGATIONS......Page 199
APPLICANT BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION......Page 201
Criteria for Employment......Page 202
Authorizations and Agreements......Page 203
Prior Employment......Page 204
References......Page 205
Legal Constraints......Page 206
Screening Problems......Page 207
Relevant Federal and State Statutes......Page 211
Interviews......Page 212
Public Records......Page 213
Database Resources......Page 214
Government Records......Page 215
Internet Sites......Page 216
DEFINITIONS......Page 223
Pre-Surveillance......Page 224
Automobile Surveillance......Page 225
Stake-Outs......Page 227
Tactics......Page 228
Camcorders......Page 229
Formats......Page 230
Holding the Camcorder......Page 231
Monitoring Movement of Vehicles and Items of Commerce......Page 232
Procedures for Interception of Wire or Oral Communications......Page 233
TYPES OF SERVICE......Page 237
PITFALLS TO AVOID......Page 238
THE TRIAL......Page 241
CROSS-EXAMINATION......Page 242
CHAPTER 16: ETHICS......Page 243
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY......Page 244
BUSINESS CONDUCT......Page 245
TREATMENT OF COMPETITORS......Page 246
RENDER ONLY SERVICES THAT MATCH YOUR QUALIFICATIONS......Page 247
ADVERTISING......Page 248
EQUAL RIGHTS......Page 249
CHAPTER 17: FINDING A NICHE......Page 250
Who Are You?......Page 252
Who Are Your Prospects?......Page 253
DOUBLE CHECK YOUR CHOICES!......Page 254
Partnership......Page 255
LOCATION......Page 256
BOOKKEEPING......Page 257
Purpose of Financial Statements......Page 258
Marketing Tips......Page 259
KEYS TO SUCCESS......Page 260
NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS......Page 270
California......Page 271
Indiana......Page 272
Michigan......Page 273
New Mexico......Page 274
Rhode Island......Page 275
West Virginia......Page 276
Wisconsin......Page 277
CHAPTER 20: GETTING LICENSED......Page 278
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 280