Introduction

Divorce proceedings can be complicated and stressful, especially when it comes to dividing assets between both parties. Unfortunately, some spouses may try to hide assets to keep them from being divided. This can make it challenging to achieve a fair settlement. However, there are ways to uncover hidden assets. One of the most effective methods is to hire a private investigator who specializes in asset searches. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of hiring a private investigator to locate hidden assets.

What is an Asset Search?

An asset search is an investigation that seeks to identify and locate a person’s assets. During a divorce, an asset search can help uncover any hidden assets that one spouse may be trying to keep from the other. The goal of an asset search is to provide a complete picture of a person’s financial situation, including all assets, liabilities, and sources of income.

Why Hire a Private Investigator for an Asset Search?

While there are many online tools and databases available that can help with an asset search, they are not always reliable. In some cases, they may not provide accurate information, or the information may be outdated. Additionally, an online search may not reveal hidden assets that have been intentionally concealed.

Hiring a private investigator who specializes in asset searches can provide several benefits. Private investigators have access to a wide range of resources that are not available to the general public. They also have experience and training in locating hidden assets and identifying any irregularities in financial statements.

Benefits of Hiring a Private Investigator for an Asset Search

Access to Specialized Tools and Databases

Private investigators have access to specialized tools and databases that are not available to the general public. These resources can help locate assets that may be hidden or difficult to find. Additionally, private investigators have access to public records and can perform background checks to uncover any hidden assets.

Expertise in Locating Hidden Assets

Private investigators who specialize in asset searches have the expertise and training to locate hidden assets. They can analyze financial statements and identify any inconsistencies or irregularities that may be a sign of hidden assets. They can also investigate offshore accounts and other complex financial arrangements that may be used to hide assets.

Discretion and Confidentiality

Hiring a private investigator for an asset search can help maintain discretion and confidentiality during a divorce. Private investigators are trained to conduct investigations discreetly, and they understand the sensitive nature of divorce proceedings. They can provide information to attorneys and other parties involved in the divorce without compromising the integrity of the investigation.

Faster Results

A private investigator can conduct an asset search more efficiently and effectively than an individual without training or expertise. They can provide faster results, which can be crucial during a divorce. A private investigator can also present the findings in a clear and concise manner that is easy to understand.

Conclusion

An asset search is an important part of a divorce proceeding. It can help uncover hidden assets and provide a complete picture of a person’s financial situation. While online tools and databases are available, they are not always reliable. Hiring a private investigator who specializes in asset searches can provide several benefits, including access to specialized tools and databases, expertise in locating hidden assets, discretion and confidentiality, and faster results.

If you are going through a divorce and suspect that your spouse may be hiding assets, it is important to work with an experienced divorce attorney who can help you navigate the legal complexities of an asset search. Consider hiring a private investigator who specializes in asset searches to assist with your investigation. With the right tools and expertise, you can uncover hidden assets and achieve a fair settlement.

Introduction

Divorce proceedings can be a difficult and emotional process, especially when it comes to the division of assets. If you suspect that your spouse is hiding assets to avoid sharing them fairly, it’s essential to know how to find hidden assets to protect your interests. In this blog post, we will discuss 5 tips for finding hidden assets during divorce proceedings and emphasize the importance of hiring a professional private investigator to conduct a thorough asset search.

Review Financial Documents

The first step to find hidden assets is to carefully review your spouse’s financial documents. Look for inconsistencies and discrepancies in tax returns, bank statements, and other financial records. Pay special attention to any large transactions or unexplained expenses, as these could be signs that your spouse is hiding assets. While this process can be time-consuming, a professional private investigator can help you navigate through the paperwork and uncover any hidden assets efficiently.

Track Down Offshore Accounts

One common method used to hide assets during divorce proceedings is opening offshore accounts. To find hidden assets, search for any foreign financial accounts, investments, or transactions that your spouse might have. This can be challenging without the help of a professional private investigator, who has access to international databases and resources to locate these offshore accounts.

Investigate Real Estate and Business Holdings

Another way spouses may hide assets is by transferring ownership of real estate or businesses to third parties or family members. To find hidden assets, it’s crucial to investigate the property and business records associated with your spouse. A professional private investigator can help you uncover any hidden real estate or business holdings by researching public records and utilizing their extensive network of contacts.

Monitor Social Media Activity

Social media can be a goldmine of information when trying to find hidden assets. Keep an eye on your spouse’s social media profiles for any clues about hidden assets, such as expensive purchases, vacations, or property investments. A professional private investigator can use advanced tools and techniques to conduct a comprehensive online search, which may reveal additional information about your spouse’s financial activities.

Obtain a Lifestyle Analysis

A lifestyle analysis is an effective method to find hidden assets by comparing your spouse’s reported income with their spending habits. If their spending exceeds their income, it’s a strong indicator that there are hidden assets. A professional private investigator can conduct a thorough lifestyle analysis by examining bank statements, credit card statements, and other financial records to identify any discrepancies.

Conclusion

Finding hidden assets during divorce proceedings can be a challenging task. However, by following these 5 expert tips and hiring a professional private investigator to conduct a thorough asset search, you can ensure a fair division of assets and protect your financial future. Don’t leave your financial well-being to chance—invest in a private investigator to find hidden assets and secure the outcome you deserve.

In a recent article for Claims Management, Beacon CEO Mike Orchard explains five common misconceptions involving criminal background searches — and what you need to know to avoid costly mistakes when conducting a criminal record search.

He observes: “Whether the criminal search is conducted by an internal special investigations unit (SIU) or an outside firm, there are a number of pitfalls to avoid when managing or contracting these kinds of investigations. Even experienced claims managers will be hard-pressed to interpret correctly the results of an incomplete, ambiguous, or contradictory work product. Faulty assumptions can lead to costly mistakes for insurers.”

Mike Orchard is president and CEO of Beacon Investigative Solutions, a national investigation agency with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Beacon specializes in surveillance, criminal background investigations, and corporate investigations. Beacon is licensed in 45 states and Washington, D.C. Mike can be reached at morchard@beaconinvestigation.com or 800-535-2136.

Federal charges of child exploitation have been filed against 32-year-old Ryan Stevenson of Lansing, MI, who was arrested in August 2014, following an investigation by Beacon Investigative Solutions.

Stevenson has been indicted by a federal Grand Jury and he remains incarcerated, pending trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. He has been charged with (1) Coercion and Enticement; (2) Receipt of Child Pornography; and (3) Possession of Child Pornography.

“On behalf of our clients, I want to express our deep and sincere gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI for immediately recognizing the threat posed by this child predator, and moving as efficiently as possible to bring him to justice,” said Mike Orchard, President and CEO of Beacon. “The fast response and diligent coordination by federal law enforcement in this case led to the safe return of our client’s daughter. Our clients could not be happier with the outcome.”

Beacon was retained by the parents of one of Stevenson’s victims in July 2014. An intensive investigation was conducted with a focus on computer forensics and surveillance. Beacon’s investigators also conducted an in-depth background investigation that yielded compelling evidence regarding Stevenson’s online and business activities.

Extensive research revealed Stevenson had been attempting to solicit underage girls on the Internet during the past 10 years. In comments posted online under various aliases, Stevenson referred to himself as a “sexslavetrainer,” “sex addict,” “perv” and “crazypsychorapist” and made explicit statements regarding sexual activities with underage girls.

Stevenson owns a Lansing company that sells Taser weapons, and he also established an adult-services company, Masters Empire Inc., which purportedly “specializes in erotic arts and photography in Michigan and nationwide.”

Upon completion of a comprehensive 200-page investigative report, Beacon contacted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, and briefed the Assistant U.S. Attorney on the findings. Beacon also coordinated directly with Special Agents of the FBI. A search warrant was executed, and the subject was promptly arrested.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, if convicted, Stevenson faces a mandatory minimum of at least 15 years.

About Beacon: Beacon Investigative Solutions is a full-service private investigation firm licensed in more than 40 states and Washington, D.C. Beacon conducts criminal, civil and financial investigations for private, corporate, government and legal clients. To discuss a potential investigation, please contact our corporate offices at 800-535-2136. You can also contact President Mike Orchard at morchard@beaconinvestigation.com.

In a recent article for Property Casualty 360, Beacon CEO Mike Orchard explains how young “millennial” fraudsters are utilizing new technology to commit fraud and other cyber-crimes — and how they have learned to cover their tracks online to remain anonymous.

He observes: “Young people are no more corrupt than baby boomers, but the younger generation has far more advanced technical skills than the greying population and some are using those talents to commit criminal acts.”

It can be difficult for insurance executives and security professionals to keep pace with the constant push of emerging technologies, and their role in an expanding digital black market. Yet while young, tech-savvy fraudsters may be quick to adopt the latest online and mobile tools — from web anonymizers to digital currencies to encrypted communications — they can also be caught with diligent investigative work that mixes both computer forensics and standard fraud investigation practices.

Read the entire article here.

Mike Orchard is president and CEO of Beacon Investigative Solutions, a national investigation agency with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Beacon specializes in fraud investigations, surveillance, background and corporate investigations. Beacon is licensed in 45 states and Washington, D.C. Mike can be reached at morchard@beaconinvestigation.com or 800-535-2136.

Beacon has conducted multiple investigations in the past six months for clients who were victims of phishing attacks that utilized the “Google Docs” platform as a ploy to persuade victims to provide password and sign-in credentials for their email accounts.

The phishing attacks were followed by bank and wire fraud, resulting in serious financial repercussions for our clients.

The attacks were initiated when the victims received emails from a friend or close associate, whose accounts had already been hacked without their knowledge. The text of those emails differed in specifics, but the basic message was as follows:

Dear John, I tried to send this document to you before. Did you receive it? VIEW HERE and sign on with your email to access it on Google.doc. Then get back to me so we can discuss! Regards, Jim

Recipients of the phishing email who clicked on the “VIEW HERE” link (which has been disabled in this post) are redirected to a website controlled by the fraudsters, which mimics a legitimate-seeming sign-in screen for Google Docs. The recipients are asked to “sign in” to their email account to receive access to the purported Google Docs. (Needless to say, the Google Docs either don’t exist, or are entirely blank.)

As soon as the victims submit their password at that site, their email accounts — and all the personal and financial information they contain — are compromised.

The attackers immediately access and search their victims’ email accounts for bank accounts and related financial information. They then use that information to make unauthorized wire transfers and ATM withdrawals. Posing as the victims, they send email instructions to the victim’s own bankers, accountants, and investment advisors, instructing them to transfer the funds to various foreign and domestic accounts.

After draining all available cash and assets, the fraudsters then use their victim’s hacked email accounts to send more phishing emails to all of the victim’s personal contacts. The victim’s friends, family and coworkers receive emails supposedly from the victim — asking them to click on the link and sign into Google Docs. And the process begins all over again.

This is a global exploit with many copycats. Our forensic specialists and financial investigators tracked leads in Singapore, India, Switzerland and South Dakota. We followed a trail of hacked servers, phony emails, and ghost financial accounts. Hackers working abroad are facilitated by local criminal associates in each country who facilitate the cash withdrawals.

“Google Docs has been used to distribute malware in the past. Now it is increasingly being used as a lure for phishing,” observed Larry Seltzer at ZDNet in November 2013.

When an email appears to come from a trusted source, and has not been red-flagged by antivirus software or spam filters, most people — even trained security professionals — will often click without hesitation. We recently discovered that a similar attack had duped other private investigators in the popular “PI Cases” user group on Yahoo!

These phishing attacks are a very simple, and very persuasive, form of fraud. For victims, unfortunately, the recovery of stolen funds can be exceedingly difficult because local law enforcement agencies are rarely equipped to investigate schemes that cross numerous international borders. Moreover, the “ghost accounts” controlled by the fraudsters are often established under stolen identities at smaller regional banks and credit unions, or in foreign countries, where internal fraud departments may lack the institutional resources to identify and pursue the perpetrators. In light of these facts, we expect we will be investigating many more of these types of attacks in the months ahead.

About Beacon: Beacon Investigative Solutions is a full-service investigative agency licensed in 45 states and Washington, D.C. We provide investigative services for private clients, major corporations, law firms, insurers, investors, and government agencies.

Beacon Investigative Solutions is pleased to announce that one of our business clients in South Dakota recently obtained a $775,000 summary judgment for tortious interference, in a decision that was supported by evidence obtained during our investigation of the defendant.

While business owners and executives may expect that a successful investigation for tortious interference, defamation and disparagement could potentially cost thousands of dollars, experienced private investigators are capable of delivering cost-effective results. The total bill for our services was equivalent to only three hours of investigative time. Clearly, our client made a smart investment. He also significantly increased the odds of a successful outcome by collecting all necessary evidence before filing suit.

Beacon was retained in December 2010 by the principal of a pest control and exterminator service firm in Rapid City, SD. Our client’s older brother owned and operated a competing company in the same market, and had reportedly been making false statements about our client’s firm.

One of our senior investigators contacted the competing firm, and over a period of time developed the confidence of its owner, who made numerous disparaging statements about our client and his firm. These comments were recorded and documented in accordance with applicable laws and rules of evidence.

Our client subsequently filed suit in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Pennington County, SD (All Seasons Pest Control Co. et al. v. Michael Williams; case #CIV 11-46).

Facts obtained during our investigation and interview of the defendant were presented to the court. The judge found in favor of plaintiff, awarding damages of $250,000, plus punitive damages of $500,000.

About Beacon: Beacon Investigative Solutions is a full-service investigative agency licensed in 45 states and Washington, D.C. We provide investigative services for major corporations, law firms, insurers, investors, and government agencies. 

In a recent article for Consumer Law Magazine, Beacon CEO Mike Orchard discusses what business owners should do to ensure that holiday cheer does not turn into trouble — as well as important steps to take if any there are any employee incidents that create potential liability for the company.

He observes: “By implementing a plan to deal with any issues that could affect the reputation and working environment of your company, you enhance your corporate culture and provide a safe working environment for all your staff.”

Read the entire article here.

Mike Orchard is president and CEO of Beacon Investigative Solutions, a national investigation agency with headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Beacon specializes in surveillance, background investigations, and corporate investigations, including employee misconduct. Beacon is licensed in 45 states and Washington, D.C. Mike can be reached at morchard@beaconinvestigation.com or 800-535-2136.

Corporate America has become a frontline for foreign espionage. Yet executives, inside counsel, corporate investigators and security professionals seeking to protect their company’s proprietary information may find there are more immediate threats — much closer to home — to their enterprise and its competitive edge.

Corporate strategy, R&D, financials, and operational data may all be, to some degree, chapters of an open book. Major competitors – not covert spies or Chinese hackers – are the ones most likely to flip through the pages.

Read the complete article by Beacon director John Powers at TheLawInsider.com.

About the Author: John Powers is director of Beacon Investigative Solutions and co-founder of Beacon Strategic Advisors. He has been featured in AOL Money & Finance, Huffington Post, Competitive Intelligence Magazine, and The Legal Investigator. Contact him at jpowers@beaconinvestigation.com or follow him on Google+ and @JohnPowersPI.

About Beacon: Beacon Investigative Solutions is a national private investigation agency that conducts high-level investigations for corporations, law firms, private clients and government agencies. Beacon also advises on competitive intelligence and trade secret protection through its consulting division, Beacon Strategic Advisors.