Another privacy issue, another reason to hire a private investigator

Continuing with our theme of internet safety, personal computer safety, and fraud protection, we have another odd case to report on. Again, this news only highlight why private investigators are becoming more important and how they can assist domestic and corporate clients.


An Ohio teacher recently sued a computer tracking company for sex spying. In this case, as described in the article and summarized below, the Ohio substitute teacher, Susan Clements-Jeffrey, had a webcam chat of a sexual nature with her boyfriend. This was at her home, in private.  Little did she know, her laptop was actually stolen property being aggressively monitored by Absolute Software, a private company that specializes in tracking stolen computers. 

Clements-Jeffrey had purchased the a used laptop from one of her students for $60 in 2008. Not only is this ethically questionable, but it should have at the very least raised a red flag. According to Clements-Jeffrey, she was unaware that the laptop was stolen. Supposedly, neither did the student. He or she had purchased for $40 at a bus stop and passed it along for a quick buck.

The computer was actually property of Ohio's Clark County School District, which uses Absolute Software to install hidden tracking software on all of its machines. This assists in recovery in the case of theft. As noted in the referenced article, "Absolute's software, known as LoJack for laptops, gives the company total remote access to the computer's data, which it records. LoJack is a highly-rated security service — and an entirely legal one — but in this case, Absolute is under fire for potentially violating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Stored Communications Act, which details guidelines for virtual privacy." The issue is that Absolute's theft officer recorded Clements-Jeffrey's keystrokes and snapped three sexually explicit screenshots, and passed these along to the Springfield, Ohio police department. Clements-Jeffrey and her partner are currently suing Absolute, Magnus, the city of Springfield, and two police officers for violating their Fourth Amendment rights.


This is certainly an alarming story--one that does not reflect well on the private security industry. However, as with all news--good or bad--about a profession, much can be learned by unpacking the story's lessons. In this case, it should lead individuals to consider the following two things:

1. Consider contracting with smaller companies. Small investigative and security firms can do many of the things that Absolute does. Need your computers monitored or stronger internet security? A professional, private investigator can do this for you. In many cases, the smaller company subcontracts with companies that offer global property tracking services. So the service coverage is the same. However, with a smaller company you get higher quality, safer, and monitoring free of legal error.  Though you may not get the same cost advantage as going with a larger firm, you do get the benefit of a more personalized service. Smaller companies often only employ a few investigators, who are micromanaged. Direct supervision of employees or the actual work of a licensed, bonded, and experienced investigator (who is required to know laws and take continuing education) mitigates the possible poor judgment of lower-paid or low-skilled agents. In the end, piece of mind is worth the extra expense up front. In the case that it leads to a lawsuit, the minor additional costs of contracting with a small company will far exceed the costs of errors caused by larger firms.
2. Hire an investigator to check sellers, buyers, and products. Sometimes, a good deal is not too good to be true. However, if you are suspicious that one is (e.g., a $60 laptop) then spend an extra $100 to check the deal out. A private investigations company can do a background check on the equipment, check it for spyware, do a background check on the seller (or buyer) and so on. Obviously, for more expensive items, or when selling online, you definitely want to consider hiring a private investigator to facilitate and guide the process.

In today's economic climate. People are looking to take advantage of others. One group of people has been reducing domestic, professional, and corporate risks for centuries. A professional investigator can be an excellent way to avoid having to sue, or being sued by people. In this case described in this post, everyone seems to be a loser in the deal. A smaller investigative company could have been the unforeseen solution.

Some notes on identity theft

What are the odds that you’ll be a victim of identity theft this year? About 1 in 6, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

What is the expense of identity theft? Depends on the severity; however, the FTC estimates that the average victim spends $1,200 in out-of-pocket expenses and an average of 175 hours in his or her efforts to resolve the many problems caused by identity thieves. (Source) 

What are the most common types of identity theft? According to the ID Theft Data Clearinghouse, the following are the most common types of identity theft:

• Using or opening a credit card account fraudulently
• Opening telecommunications or utility accounts fraudulently
• Passing bad checks or opening a new bank account
• Working in another person’s name
• Getting loans in another person’s name

People could also use your identity to obtain a driver’s license, medical services, or to cover up both violent and non-violent crimes. As a result, you could find yourself in a situation where you have unpaid fees and fines or an arrest warrant issued in your name.

There are several ways in which an identity thief can steal your information. Here are just a few of the more obscure ways:

• Dumpster diving – As the saying goes, one person’s junk is another’s treasure.
• Your mail box – An unlocked mail box receives delicious pieces of mail everyday, usually while people are not at home.
• Computer hard drives – Don’t sell or recycle your computer without taking out the hard drive!
• Stealing customer details from a business – A disgruntle employee, for example.
• Email phishing scams – Don’t click on links embedded in emails!
• TMI-O! – Too Much Information Online! Posting all your contact information online along with your resume, bio, and picture can give an identity thief enough nuggets to assume your identity.
• Pre-texting – Some identity thieves pretend to be telemarketers and get unsuspecting victims to give them many details. If a legitimate representative of a company wants you to upgrade, they’d never say, “to verify your account, could you please provide your number and password?” Hang up!
• Outright theft – Yes, there are still those old-schoolers out there who’ll just steal your wallet or purse.
• Threats that you may not even know about -- Like this one:

Please do not become overly paranoid. People still have to take risks in order to function in our society. Being a member of an online social network can help you stay in touch with friends. Posting your resume online could be vital to getting yourself a job. Offering your biography online could solicit new clients. But be diligent whenever you put information online. Do an on-line security assessment from time to time.

How can you protect yourself? There is no shortage of information on the internet offering advice for protecting yourself (e.g., frequently change your online passwords). Here are a few good ones: FTC ID Theft Help, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, and Identity Theft Resource Center.

In the event that you should be a victim of identity theft, you need to take action immediately. 

Hiring a private investigator can save you time and money; here is a real life example:

An investigator I know was recently retained by an individual (the victim) whose social security number had been used to open an account with a large mobile phone provider in Austin, Texas. Without notice, the victim started to receive harassing phone calls from a collection agency attempting to collect approximately $500. The identity thief had cleverly altered the last name of the victim and used a fictitious billing address to open the account. (This suggests it was likely an inside job.) The victim never received notice of the debt accumulating against his social security number. By the time the collection agency received the debt, more than a year had passed. It was the collection agency who eventually posted the delinquent account to the victim’s credit history; consequently, the victim’s credit monitoring company did not flag this because it was technically non-existent. (This also means that had the issue not been resolved quickly, the collection agency could have claimed the victim had himself committee fraud and reported him to the police.)

Due to the fact the credit added this alias to the victims credit history, the victim had an alias for several months and a lower credit score. After the victim repeatedly suggested to the collection agency that he was a victim of fraud, that his last name and date of birth were different than that of the supposed alias, and that he had never lived in Austin, Texas he tired of dedicating so much time to this simple issue. The victim wasted at least 40 hours or more trying to resolve the problem himself when he retained the private investigator. For less than $150 and in just a few days time, the issue had been resolved. The investigator simply provided proof that no such address was in existence—a demonstration of negligence on the part of the mobile phone provider—and contacted the collection agency and the large mobile carrier on behalf of the victim. With specific details, a comfortable understanding of laws and legal jargon, the name of attorney, the investigator motivated both organizations to provide the proper forms for the victim to resolve the issue. According to the victim, the professional investigator saved him a lot more time. Since time is money, the $150 turned out to be a great return on investment.  

Your identity and financial credit history are important matters. Take precautions and contact the appropriate people who have the knowledge and experience to help you.

The following books may also be helpful: