Online Research

The difference between research and investigating depends on who's doing it. If Sherlock Investigations is doing it, it's investigating. If Columbia University's doing it, it's research.

Whatever you call it, it's sometimes necessary. If you meet someone online you research/investigate them. If you're going to invest money in a company, you research/investigate them.

Researching something online has gotten easier since the advent of Google and Wikipedia. Before most people knew that you could do it, we used to enter phone numbers in Google and get the subscriber's name and address, and charge $50 for it. Now, most people know about it. Google doesn't have most people's unlisted number so people still come to Sherlock Investigations for that.

Google and Wikipedia have almost everything about everything. You have to be careful with Wikipedia. Anyone can edit it. I've been in Wikipedia for several years. Some of the things it says about me simply aren't true. I used to change them, but someone would change them back again. Now, I don't bother.

One site says I converted to Orthodox Judaism. It's simply not true.

You have to be very, very careful when researching/investigating online. Get at least two sources, but be sure they didn't get the information from each other.

If there is misinformation about you online, forget about correcting it. Anything on the Internet is like Pandora's Box. Perhaps one way to cover your tracks is put a lot of false information about yourself on the Internet. Use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Then someone researching you will not know what to think. Obviously, some of the info is wrong.

DIY Bug Detection Manual

Our do-it-yourself Bug Detection manual, called Bug Off! is popular beyond our wildest expectations. Of course, now it's free, but even when we charged for it we experienced world-wide sales. Now, it's been distributed in over 50 countries.

Using tools you probably already have, you can locate bugs yourself in your home, small office, and car. Best of all, the manual is fully illustrated, so you know what to look for. (Most people don't know what a bug looks like.)

Step-by-step, Bug Off! leads you through the steps you must take. Any TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter-Measure) person will tell you that the most important part of a sweep is the physical inspection.

If your not a do-it-yourself person don't feel bad. We can come in and doing for you. We'll go anywhere, worldwide.

Wiretaps & Bug Checks at Galleon

A week ago, Raj Rajaratnam, 52, of the Galleon Group, was arrested for alleged insider trader. Authorities said he made some $20 million on insider trading deals. The billionaire posted bail of a $100 million.

Mr. Rajaratnam says he's innocent. If convicted, he faces 20 years in prison.

The case evolves from FBI wiretaps. At first, it looked like the FBI got court-ordered wiretaps on Galleon's phones. If so, the FBI places the taps in the Central Office of the phone company, and routes the incoming and outgoing calls to FBI headquarters where they are monitored and recorded. If authorities tap the phones from the Central Office, there is no way the wiretap can be detected, even with the most sophisticated equipment. (There is a device sold on the Internet that claims to detect wiretaps downline at the Central Office, but it's claims are bogus.)

When performing wiretap and bug detection we tell people that if they think the Feds are listening to their phone calls we turn down the job. One time the owner of a chain of supermarkets called me. He wanted his office swept for bugs. Then he told me that IRS agents had raided his office the day before, and he thought that they might have left eavesdropping devices behind. I said, "I'm glad you told me that. We can't do the sweep."

Of course, the Feds don't always tap the phones. Sometimes they install electronic transmitting devices where they think they'll pick up something of interest. If you find and remove a government-placed eavesdropping device, you could possibly get charged with obstruction of justice. It's not worth accepting the job.

Now, it looks like a former employee of the Galleon Group got in caught herself for insider trading. When in trouble, some people cast the blame on another person. So, she agreed to work as an FBI informant. Published reports say that she taped four damning phone conversations with Mr. Rajartnam. Originally, I thought the FBI got a court-ordered wiretap on Galleon's phones. Now, it could be that she just installed a simple recorder on her phone, and recorded the conversations with Mr. Rajaratnam.

I always tell people, never say anything on the telephone that you don't want the world to know about. This includes cell phones, too.

Also, it's better not to break the law.

Charles Manson

Susan Atkins died in prison last week of brain cancer. Atkins, 61, belonged to the infamous Manson Family cult. She, along with others in the Manson Family, was in prison for killing 8 or 9 people. I met Atkins one time, as well as "Squeaky" Fromm, Patricia Krenwinkle, and Leslie Van Houten.

I met Manson earlier, in 1967. As an evangelical preacher (Yes, I've led a checkered past.), I was trying to convert lost souls for Jesus on Sunset Strip. One night I got into a debate with a guy who was also recruiting. Bearded, with a leather-brimmed hat, shoulder length hair that looked unclean, he was very intense.

I used to quote the Bible a lot. I tried that on him, telling him something that Jesus had said.

"I am Jesus, the son of God!," he retorted.

"Whoa!," I thought. This guy is nuts.

In trying to convert people, the law of averages applies, like a salesperson selling something. The more people you pitch to, the more you'll sell, or convert.

I decided to focus on other prospects, because I wasn't getting anywhere with this guy. I told him that my name was Skipp, and held out my hand. He shook it, and said his name was Charlie.

The next time I saw Charlie was on the front page of the Los Angeles Times.

When I met the "Manson Girls" a couple of years later, Manson had been arrested and was being held in the county jail in downtown Los Angeles. The so-called Manson Girls sat on the street holding a vigil just outside the jail. They had a Volkswagen bus that they slept in at night.

To supplement my income, I worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. At lunch time I went on the street to talk to the Manson Girls. One day, they gave me a manuscript that Manson had written and signed. They said they smuggled it out of jail. They gave it to me to read, on the promise that I would return it.

Return it? I was afraid of those girls! Of course I would return it. First, though, I photocopied it, and returned the original. Somewhere I lost the photocopy. All I can remember today is that Manson didn't make any sense at all. Still, I wish I had retained it.

Susan Atkins became a born-again Christian in prison, as well as some of the others in the Manson Family. She tried to get paroled several times. Originally, she was sentenced to death, but the Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for a while, so she was sentenced to life in prison.

When someone is sentenced, I think they should serve their full sentence. (I'm against the death penalty.) There should be no getting out for "good behavior." What about the time they misbehaved? That's what got them imprisoned. So what if they became a born-again Christian, or a devout Jew, or some other thing? Life is short. Eternity is long.

To contact me, or Sherlock Investigations, click here: www.sherlockinvestigations.com

DIY Bug Sweeps

Private Eye Offers Free Debugging Manual

Can you imagine what people are learning about your personal life or business if they’ve tapped your phone or bugged your home, car, or secretly watching you on a hidden video camera?
Skipp Porteous , a Manhattan-based private investigator, has written a fully-illustrated do-it-yourself manual called Locating Wiretaps and Bugs...Without Any Special Equipment! Porteous has lots of experience as he’s been locating electronic listening for corporations and individuals for years. He founded Sherlock Investigations in 1995.
“Any honest TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures) expert will tell you that most wiretaps and bugs in homes and small offices” Porteous says, “are found with a visual inspection, not with high-tech expensive equipment.”
In the free manual, downloadable in PDF form, Porteous shows how you can locate clandestine listening devices without any special, high-tech equipment. “The key,” Porteous says, “is to know what to look for.”
He says that when you finish reading this manual, you’ll know what to look for, and you’ll be ready to check out your own home, vehicle, or small office for bugs, wiretaps and hidden cameras.
Sweeping for eavesdropping devices with advanced electronic equipment can be expensive. Yet, the most important part of any assignment consists of a very thorough visual/physical search.
Locating Wiretaps and Bugs…Without Any Special Equipment! is used in TSCM classes at the World Institute for Security Enhancement.
Note: This manual will not teach you how to install bugs or wiretaps, as that is illegal. If you think that very expensive, sophisticated eavesdropping devices have been employed against you, you should call a TSCM expert.

Contact Sherlock Investigations:
Phone: 212-579-4302
Email: sherlockinvestigations@gmail.com
URL: www.sherlockinvestigations.com

Hunting for D.B. Cooper

Even though I've exchanged e-mails and chatted with Skipp Porteous by phone during the course of a couple years, I have yet to meet him. I'm looking forward to it one day.

Skipp and I have a few things in common: we are both private investigators, and we both spend our free time hunting for DB Cooper. Of course, Skipp has his beautiful angels working with him, I work mostly alone.

Skipp and I do not share a suspect list. We bounce ideas off of each other and examine hypotheticals that could support some of the more credible theories about the DB Cooper case. Skipp was seen on National Geographic's tv special and I was heard on the Coast to Coast radio show. We both believe that the DB Cooper mystery is solveable and we each carry a portfolio of active investigation in the case.

Skipp and I also share the belief that the FBI has not been forthcoming with the public when it comes to DB Cooper. The FBI refers to this case as "NORJAK," the only unsolved case of air piracy/extortion in the United States. Could it be that the FBI is haunted by this case, or does it more resemble a pesky fly that won't leave the dinner table? Take your pick. When it comes to solving bank robberies, the FBI is pretty good. But when a particular robber escapes by company jet and then jumps out the back end into a November storm with a parachute and a bag full of money, the FBI flounders. Sure, the FBI did catch McCoy and others who copied DB, but they were now prepared to defend against known criminal tactics. A criminal with original design is hard to catch, though. For DB Cooper it has been 38 years on the uncaptured list, an eye-sore for the pursuer.

Recently, the FBI announced that it was assembling a "Citizens Sleuth Group" (CSG) to broaden the scope of opportunity to catch DB Cooper. In part, Skipp Porteous can take some credit for this, in part, maybe I can. In 2004, I sued the Department of Justice in a Seattle federal court to release some of the NORJAK file to the public. In 2008, Skipp outed a new DB Cooper suspect through an article in New York Magazine, based on his investigative work for a client. Shortly thereafter, the FBI started releasing more details about DB Cooper and upped their efforts to get the public involved. These arrangements are usually broached through compelling efforts of others................oh, those pesky flies.

Skipp and I have made numerous attempts during the past two years to coordinate with the FBI in certain matters regarding the Cooper case. For the most part, we have been ignored, despite our professional backgrounds and our knowledge about the case. What is puzzling is that the FBI has made public appearances with certain individuals from the CSG. It can be assumed that these individuals have access to the FBI NORJAK files and the evidence room where Cooper-related "material articles" are stored. Skipp and my repeated requests to the FBI for access to these items go ignored.

The question we both ask, then, is on what basis does the FBI discriminate or use discretionary authorization in the sharing of its material evidence to the public?
Skipp and I would like nothing better than to see the DB Cooper case solved. Sure, one of us, or both of us, would like to be in on the resolution to this mystery. But after nearly four decades of tantalizing the public with a brilliant and daring escape, does the real DB Cooper really care who solves his case?

Galen G. Cook
Attorney at Law

Note from Skipp: Although I've been approached by several P.I.s and/or writers, I've never had a guest author on this blog. Recently, when talking to Galen, I invited him to write something. He has a different suspect in mind, but it doesn't matter. Both of us want to see the D.B. Cooper case solved.

Wiretaps & Bugs...How to Locate Them

This is Part 3 in the series of Locating Wiretaps and Bugs....Without Any Special Equipment, by Skipp Porteous.

Basement

Next, go into your basement, or wherever the telephone interface is in your house. This is just opposite the wall where the telephone junction box is on the outside. There is usually a small plastic box (white or beige) with a cable that contains at least one pair of red and green and at least one pair of black and yellow wires coming in from outside.

The next step is very important, and a little tricky. One-by-one, follow all the wire pairs coming out of the interface. They may go directly to one phone, or several extensions in the house. The number of wires will depend upon how many phone lines you have, and how many extensions.

If a wire goes up into a wall, or some other inaccessible place, don’t worry about it. What you are looking for are bugs or wiretaps that are easy to place.

And always be on the lookout for a bug spliced to a phone line. These transmitters are usually wrapped in electrician’s tape, so as you examine the phone lines coming from the telephone interface, look for “fat” sections of the phone wire, covered with black, or another color, electrician’s tape.

This is why you need to follow each wire with your fingers. If you simply eye the wires, a clever wiretapper will splice a recorder or transmitter several feet down the wire and hide that part of the wire under something.
As you follow the paired wires, be sure that they go to a telephone, or just end with nothing attached to them. Of course, paired wires with nothing attached to them are possible places for future possible attack, so you should keep an eye on these.
If you find a pair of wires going to a recorder, bingo! The recorder may be battery operated, or be plugged into the house current.

As a second line of defense, locate all the outlets in the basement. There are two important things to check on the outlets. First, if there is anything plugged into them, follow the cords. You should know what’s on the other end of every plug.
Sometimes you may miss a recorder attached to your phone line when trying to follow all the wires. But, you’ll still catch it when following all the cords that are plugged into outlets.

Remember, if a person uses a battery operated recorder, he’ll have to have access once in a while to change the batteries. Therefore, sometimes running the recorder off the house current is more convenient.

Also, while checking the outlets, you may find a recorder that’s not attached to a phone line. The first bug I ever found was like this. I found a plug in an outlet, and traced the cord to a small wooden box fastened to the basement ceiling. The wooden box had a door and a latch and padlock. Fortunately, it was unlocked. I opened the door and found a tape recorder inside. A wire went from the top of the box and through a hole in the basement ceiling. I knew I was below the living room, so I went upstairs, and slid the couch away from the wall. I discovered a small microphone under the couch, with a cord going to the wooden box in the basement.

In any room where eavesdropping is a concern, take the face plate off all the outlets. Of course, if you find an outlet near the furnace, you probably shouldn’t be concerned about an eavesdropper listening in that part of the basement. But, if you have a home office in the basement, or any kind of room where you fear eavesdroppers, take the face plate off the outlets in that room.

Below is a typical wall outlet. There is often electrician’s tape around the box containing the outlet. This is normal. But you’ll notice that there is nothing else in there. On the Internet one may purchase wall outlets that contain a miniature microphone, transmitter, and antenna.

Train your flashlight carefully, looking at all sides of the outlet. If you see anything attached to it, even a thin wire (the antenna), you may have located a bug. A mismatching outlet would be a strong clue that something is amiss. Unless you know what you’re doings, suspicious outlets should be replaced by an electrician.

There are several other electrical devices that could house a transmitter. They include power strips and plug adapters to expand your outlet for insertion of two or three plugs. If you find any of these attached to an outlet, and you didn’t purchase it, or know where it came from, replace it with one that you purchased.

Remember, you should keep your eye open for any of the devices you see pictured in this booklet, from the Radio Shack telephone recording devices, to the type of bug attached to a 9-volt battery.

Ground Floor

Now, go upstairs.

Here you need to carefully follow all the phone wires as you did in the basement. Know where every wire comes from and where it goes.

Check all the outlets. Inside, start in one corner, and work around the room.Know what is plugged into every outlet.

Next, look in every nook and cranny for:

• Baby monitors (can transmit every sound in a room up to a half mile)
• Recorders
• Unaccounted-for cell phones
• Transmitters hidden in ordinary objects
• Video cameras hidden in ordinary objects

Upstairs

After thoroughly inspecting the ground floor, do the same upstairs, if you have one. Be sure to check all the outlets and trace any phone wires. Remember, bugs are usually placed in areas where you have conversations, whether on the phone or otherwise. So, you’re probably safe in not searching hallways, stairways, etc.

Attic

In the attic, look for antennas, recorders, and receivers. Also, check any phone wires with spliced-in recorders and transmitters.

An antenna could simply be a vertical wire, or a TV-type antenna. An antenna in the attic will transmit conversations for several miles.

Sometimes radio receivers and recorders are placed in the attic, using it as a “listening post.” If you find something suspicious, trace the wire/cable to its source. If you find a radio, turn it on; you might hear a transmission from some other part of your house.

Garage

If you have a garage, you might find receivers and recorders there. Radio receivers may have a recorder attached. If you locate a suspicious radio receiver in the garage or attic, it means that you may have missed a bug hidden somewhere in your house.

Also check for phone wires attached to a recorder or transmitter.

Video Cameras and Transmitters

Video cameras and transmitters are small enough to be hidden in almost any object, from smoke detectors to Teddy Bears. One question that you have to ask yourself: Where did the item come from?

One small office received a Fedex envelope for an employee that just started his vacation. It was thrown on his desk to await his return. Inside was a (bug) small microphone and transmitter. For several days, it picked up the conversation in the office and transmitted it to an unknown listening post.

When doing a sweep, I always check calculators, clocks, and everything with a battery or that is plugged into the wall. Did you receive a calculator as a gift? A plant? A lamp? The FBI frequently uses a lamp with a built-in hidden camera.

If you’re divorced and your child comes home from a visit with the ex with a new Teddy Bear, the plump toy may have a voice-operated digital recorder or transmitter hidden inside. Thoroughly squeeze the Teddy Bear and you’ll find it.

Look at the photo of the door on page four in the PDF. Without a Hidden Camera Finder, it’s very difficult to locate the camera hidden in the doorframe. This is where the magnifying glass comes in. Routinely inspect surfaces, books, and objects, looking for a tiny hole. If you find a small hole, shine a flashlight in the hole to observe a reflection from a camera lens.

Note: Unless you were away for an extended period of time, probably no one had the time to complete a complicated installation.

If you want more efficiency in locating hidden cameras, wired or wireless, you should order a Spy Finder Hidden Camera Detector from www.pigear.com, for just $89. (This is the only suggestion in this booklet for purchasing special equipment.)

Originally developed for the government, the Spy Finder Hidden Camera Detector works on a simple principle. It flashes a beam around its circle of red LED lights. The viewfinder is directly in the center of the lights, so reflections from hidden video camera lenses shine to the center of your eye. When you see a small red light flashing back at you, you’ve located a camera, whether wired or wireless.

The Spy Finder Hidden Camera Detector will also locate hidden cameras that are hidden behind the dark red plastic on a clock radio. This kind of placement of hidden cameras is very common. Of course, if someone recently gave you a clock radio, you should suspect that it contains a hidden camera.

If you happen to have a video camera with the Night Shot, turn on the Night Shot feature and look through the viewfinder. The infrared in the Night Shot will see right through the dark red plastic common on the face of clock radios.

If you’re directly in front of a hidden camera lens, and you shine an ordinary flashlight at it, you’ll also see the reflection from the flashlight. If you don’t want to spring for the Spy Finder Hidden Camera Detector, use this method in your search. Remember though, you have to be directly in front of the camera.

Sometimes I get calls from people who think the person in the apartment upstairs is watching them with a hidden video camera. They invariably say that wherever they walk in their apartment, that they can hear the person following them upstairs, walking in the same places.

Video cameras are almost impossible to place in a floor to spy on a downstairs apartment. In New York City the floors are made of solid concrete. Even if you have wooden floors, it would create a mess in your apartment if someone started drilling in his floor to place a camera.
A note on Computers

The purpose of this booklet is to locate physical eavesdropping objects, devices that you can see. There are programs that can reside on your computer’s hard-drive that only a computer technician can detect.

Here is a rule: Never open an attachment to an email from a person that you do not know. Spyware is typically placed on your computer when you open an attachment. If you receive email, and click on an attachment, and nothing apparently happens, you may have allowed spyware to be placed on your computer.

You also have to be aware of physical key loggers. Unlike spyware, they are something that you can see. Key loggers record every keystroke that you make, including passwords, email, etc. They take a couple of different forms. One, attached between your computer and the cord going to your keyboard is pictured below. While the one pictured is blue, it could also be black or white. (Filters on computer cables look very similar, but you can differentiate them because they cannot be detached.)

When key loggers are employed, the person installing them has to retrieve them at some time in the future. They attach them to their own computer and a program downloads everything you typed on your computer while the key logger was installed.

How to sweep a small office

A small office sweep is similar to doing a sweep in a house. One of the main differences is that an office probably will have more electronic equipment, such as telephones, calculators and other small electronic equipment.
You should especially be careful of gifts you’ve recently received. I said “recently” because of what I wrote earlier in this booklet: that all bugs must have a power source. The power either comes from the wiring in the building, or batteries (in the case of phone taps, the phone line). Batteries do not last forever, so either someone has to get in to change them, or they’ll just go dead.

If you received a gift calculator just a few days ago, you should be suspicious of the gift. If you received one six months ago, if it had a bug, it’s dead now, so you don’t have to worry about it. (If you’re suspicious about, say, a calculator that you received as a gift, simply remove the batteries.)

You should be wary of any gifts you receive that you’re likely to use in the office, even plants. A transmitter can be placed in almost anything.

While this manual doesn’t tell you how to tell electronically if a telephone is tapped, you still can know with a reasonable amount of certainty whether your phone is safe. Employing the same method described for tracing phone wires in a home, you’ll want to do the same in an office. This will likely be more difficult in a small office than in a house, as there may be more phones. Also, you should start your search in the phone closet.

The phone closet will vary from office to office. It may literally be in a closet, or in a room dedicated to phone and computer equipment. At first, looking at the phone panel may be overwhelming.

Again, just like with the telephone interface on the outside of a house, what you’re looking for here are recorders and transmitters. Remember, electronic eavesdropping equipment needs a power source, either the buildings current, batteries, or the power in the DC-powered phone wires.

First, look at all the electrical outlets in the phone closet. Trace every plug in an outlet back to it source. Be sure that there are no plugged-in recorders. I’ve found cassette recorders in phone closets, but they were on Play, not on Record. They were playing music when the phones were on hold.

Next, look for recorders and transmitters on the phone lines themselves. These will be powered either by batteries or the phone lines themselves. This step may be time-consuming, but worth it. And remember, batteries are sometimes larger that the bugs or taps.

Systematically, follow every wire. If a wire goes into the ceiling or wall, follow it as far as you can. Use your flashlight if needed.
When following wires, look for “fat” taped wires...a small bulge in a phone wire. Carefully examine any that you find, as they could contain transmitters powered by the phone line’s direct current.

Examine the telephones themselves by taking the cover off. Some phone covers snap off, but most have about four screws on the bottom that will have to be removed. If there are any alligator clips in the phone, such as black-plastic-enclosed clips as in the photo below, know that your phone is tapped. There should be no alligator clips or electrical tape on any wires. All the wires should have a permanent look. There should be no loose wires or sloppy wiring.

Offices often have more than one phone that are identical in outward appearance. If there are two or more phones, take the covers off all of them and place them next to each other. All the phones should look identical on the inside. If one phone has “extra” parts, the phone is probably tapped.

(To be continued.)

If you would like the fully-illustrated PDB, free, Locating Wiretaps and Bugs....Without Any Special Equipment, click on our website site and then click on the photo by Electronic Sweeps and Wiretap Detection. Click here to start www.sherlockinvestigations.com

Locating Wiretaps and Bugs...Without Any Special Equipment!

This is part 2 of Locating Wiretaps and Bugs...Without Any Special Equipment

By Skipp Porteous

A Brooklyn rabbi always knew the latest gossip on his neighbors. He parlayed this into a thriving counseling/advice business. One day someone from his building went to the basement. He found the rabbi sitting on a wooden crate jotting notes on a pad. Between his ear and shoulder he cradled a “butt set,” with alligator clips attached to one of his neighbor’s phone lines.

(A “butt set” is simply a telephone handset. You see telephone service people carrying them on their belts. They’re usually yellow, orange, or blue.)

How people learn information about you

There are a number of ways that people can learn information about you. Probably number one (surprise!) on the list is gossip. Almost everyone has one friend that they feel that they can trust. Of course, that friend, in turn, has a friend that they can trust. Pretty soon, something confidential you uttered to your closest friend is shared with her closest friend (which may not be you), and on and on. Suddenly, the whole world knows (at least, those whom you didn’t want to know) what you think you shared in confidence with your friend. Be very careful who you share confidential information with, if anyone.

I did a sweep in upstate New York. My client’s maid caught someone going through the trash behind the house. Many people think that once they throw something in the trash, it’s gone forever. Not so! Private investigators garner valuable information about people through “dumpster dives.” Notes, receipts, credit card bills, drug paraphernalia, condoms, etc., are often found in people’s trash. This is why you should shred or burn confidential information before tossing it out.

Sometimes people swear to me that their cell phone is bugged, because something that they said on their cell phone was found out by someone else. One way that this can happen is through lip-reading. That’s right, lip-reading. There are several ways that this can be done. A lip-reader can “hear” what you say on your cell phone from 12 feet away by observing your mouth, and even further when using binoculars. A person who wants to find out what you’re saying on your cell phone when out in public simply has to videotape you. This can be done from quite a distance. Then all they have to do is show the video to a lip-reader to get the “translation.”

Along this same line, people can simply overhear you when in public. You might be talking to a person next to you, or having a conversation on your cell phone. Recently, while in the supermarket I heard a man talking on his cell phone. Standing near him, I learned where he’d be that night with whom, what time, and quite a bit about their sex life.

Finally, and why you bought this booklet, there’s electronic eavesdropping.

Equipment you need to have.
• Good flashlight
• A mirror with handle (see photo below)
• A large magnifying glass
• A Phillips and a Flathead screwdriver

I use the mirror on the left to look under cars, high shelves in homes and offices, etc. The mirror on the right is ideal for looking under dashboards. TO AVOID POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHOCK, BE SURE YOUR MIRROR IS PLASTIC, NOT METAL.

A simple magnifying glass is handy to have.

Additional Useful equipment:
• Spy Finder Hidden Camera Detector ($89)
• Butt set (homemade or purchased)

Spy Finder Hidden Camera Detector

With alligator clips purchased from Radio Shack, and a regular handset, you can make your own butt set. Simply cut the plug at the end of the cord, strip the wires, and attach alligator clips to the red and green wires.

How to sweep a house.

1. Outside
2. Basement
3. Ground floor
4. Upstairs
5. Attic
6. Garage

Whether sweeping a house, small office, or vehicle, always be consistent and methodical. In a house, I always start with the outside.

Outside

Determine if the phone cable coming to the junction box on the outside of your house comes directly from the telephone pole, or from an underground conduit. If it comes from an underground conduit, then you must locate the telephone junction box in your neighborhood.

In rural areas the phone line to your house likely comes directly from the telephone pole. In urban areas there is probably a junction box close to your house.

Typical junction boxes are pictured in the PDF. Some modern ones are round. They can be opened with a flat-bladed screwdriver. (It is not illegal to check your telephone line for wiretaps.)

Inside you’ll find rows of terminals with red and green or yellow and black wires attached to the terminals. You’re looking for your telephone line. Occasionally, the terminals are labeled with the corresponding phone numbers. If they’re not, using your butt set (purchased from Radio Shack, Home Depot, the Internet, or your homemade butt set), attach the alligator clips to each pair of wires (green and red). If you hear a dial tone, dial 1-800-444-4444. A computerized voice will tell you the number that you’re calling from. Do this until you find your phone number. (No dial tone indicates that the terminal is not in service. If you hear conversation on a line, disconnect quickly.)

(Don’t do this exercise in the rain. Phone wires carry only about 48 volts of direct current, but that still can produce quite a kick.)

When you find your line, mark it for the future. If there are other pairs of wires attached to the terminal on your line, and they go to another terminal, your phone is tapped. Follow the wires to the other terminal. Then clip your butt set to the terminal and dial 800-444-444. Now you’ll know the number of the person who tapped your phone!

Look carefully at your terminal. Compare it to the other terminals in the junction box. See if there is anything unusual about yours, or that anything is attached to your line.

Second, go to the phone junction box on the outside of the house. This is also a very easy place to tap your phone.

If you open the phone junction box, you’ll see the main cable coming into the junction box from the telephone pole distributing box, or the neighborhood junction box. There will be a ground wire leaving the box to a water pipe or other suitable ground. This wire will likely go into the ground and may be attached to a visible pipe driven into the ground. There are also red and green, and yellow and black wires going into the house. Landlines, including cordless phones, use these wires once they go into the house, at the telephone interface, which is described later.

There are two things to look for. First, look for colored (they may be enclosed in a gray or black cable) wires going into the ground, a bush, or to your neighbor’s house. The colored wires should be going into the house and nowhere else.
Also, look for anything attached to any of the colored wires in the junction box. What you’re looking for is a transmitter. If the transmitter happens to be powered by the phone line there will be no battery attached. The transmitter could be quite small, and wrapped in black, or other-colored tape. A transmitter will contain small circuit board, diodes and other parts that may be unfamiliar to you. (See example in the PDF.)

Again, this is a popular place to tap a phone. Some eavesdroppers will actually bury a recorder in the ground below the junction box, or place it under the porch or deck. Be sure there are no colored wires going anywhere besides in your house.
Note: A person could also go to your junction box at night, clip a butt set to your phone line and eavesdrop on your phone conversations in the dark.

If you live in an apartment, go to the basement and locate the phone closet. You’ll find a telephone junction box there. It may be locked, so you’ll have to get someone to open it. Most of them are unlocked. Using your butt set, follow the instructions above regarding the neighborhood junction box.

(To be continued.)

If you would like a full-illustrated version of this PDF, go to our website and click on the pic called Electronic Sweeps and Wiretap Detection. To go to our site click here www.sherlockinvestigations.com.

Locating Wiretaps and Bugs...Without Any Special Equipment!

In the days ahead, I'm going to reproduce the entire PDF I wrote titled "Bug Off! Locating Wiretaps and Bugs...Without Any Special Equipment!"

Bug Off! Locating wiretaps and bugs –
without any special equipment.

By Skipp Porteous

Can you imagine what people are learning about your personal life or business if they've tapped your phone, bugged your home, car, or office, or are secretly watching you on a hidden video camera?

• Do people know your secrets or personal business?
• Does someone always know where you go in your car?
• Are you scheduling highly confidential meetings or conferences?
• Is confidential information about your business leaking out?
• Does your phone often ring once and then stop?
• Did you have a break-in at your home or business and nothing was taken?
• Do you have an overly suspicious spouse or significant other?
• Do others know about your conversations even when you talk from the privacy of your vehicle?
• Do you think you might be under video surveillance?
• Are you going through a divorce?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your home, office, vehicle or computer may be "bugged," or otherwise compromised. Don't order a "bug detector" or "phone tap detector" off the Internet. This equipment is mostly junk. And even the good equipment is useless unless you are trained to use it.

A little-known secret

Any honest TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures) expert will tell you that most wiretaps and bugs in homes or small offices are found with visual inspection, not with high-tech expensive equipment.

In this manual I’m going to show you how you can locate clandestine listening devices without any special, high-tech equipment. The key is to know what to look for. When you finish reading this manual, you’ll know what to look for, and you’ll be ready to check out your own home, vehicle, or small office for bugs, wiretaps and hidden cameras.

When I conduct an electronic sweep in the New York Metro area, I typically charge up to $600 an hour, and most sweeps take two to six hours! While I employ advanced electronic equipment, the most important part of any assignment consists of a very thorough visual/physical search.

You, too, will be able to conduct your own sweeps, saving you hundreds, and even thousands of dollars.

This manual will not teach you how to install wiretaps or bugs, as this is against the law in every jurisdiction in the United States. And, if you have reason to think that any kind of law enforcement agency has you under electronic surveillance, your best bet is to purchase a pre-paid cell phone. Use it for a month, then toss it out and get another one.

Why? Law enforcement agencies wiretap a landline telephone at the phone company’s central office, not in a home or office. There is no way that you or I, or anyone else can detect it. They will even tap the pay phones in your neighborhood, or anywhere else that you’re known to hang out. If you have cell phone service, they have the authority and equipment to tap your cell phone too.

Buy a prepaid cell phone with cash so that there is no paper trail to you. If you find yourself in this position, this manual will not help you, and neither will any legitimate TSCM person.

We constantly receive inquiries from people who think that their cell phone is tapped. I’ll go into that later, but the chances are that your cell phone is not tapped. (Increasingly, smart phones, such as the iPhone and Blackberry, are vulnerable.)

Wiretaps, “bugs”, and video cameras

There is a difference between wiretaps and bugs. A wiretap is a device attached to the telephone or telephone line that either records both sides of a conversation, or transmits the conversation to a listening post, where it is usually recorded. A wiretap always involves a telephone, and may or may not have a microphone. A wiretap either picks up the conversation directly from the phone line, uses the self-contained microphone in the telephone, or uses a special microphone that is installed in the phone.

In this booklet you will learn how to locate wiretaps on the telephone line, or in the telephone set.

A “bug” is a listening device placed in a room, vehicle, etc. A microphone is always one of its components. The microphones in these devices can be very small. A simple example of a bug is a tape recorder, utilizing a built-in microphone or an external microphone. A bug can record the conversation in the room or vehicle itself, or can transmit the conversation to another location, where it can be recorded or simply listened to.

In this booklet you will learn how to locate bugs whether placed in a room, vehicle, or some other location.
Color video cameras can be as small as a dime, but you usually don’t see the camera itself. If anything, all you see is the lens, or the hole it sees through. The hole can be as small as 1/16th of an inch. The 9-volt battery is often larger than the wireless camera! While some cameras can easily be found, others are so cleverly hidden that they can only be found after a careful search. They are typically found in clock radios, lamps, plants, smoke detectors, books, stuffed animals, etc.

Although video cameras can be hard-wired, they usually are wireless. In some places that I’ve swept, there were large potted plants. It was evident that something was peculiar about the plants, as they had a black wire coming out of the back. It wasn’t hard to find the video camera hidden among the leaves. I followed the wire and found a hidden long-play VCR that recorded everything that transpired in the room.

Hard-wired cameras are more difficult to install, since the wires need to be hidden. The wires usually lead to a monitor somewhere and a video recorder. Hard-wired cameras are powered by the house current.
Wireless video cameras are often harder to find. They can be put in almost anything and placed quickly.
In this booklet you will learn how to locate hidden video cameras, regardless of where they are hidden.

(To Be Continued)

If you want to download the fully illustrated PDF, click here www.sherlockinvestigations.com and click on the photo labeled Electronic Sweeps and Wiretap Detection.

FBI Fumbles Again

The strange kidnap and rape case of Jaycee Lee Dugard has grabbed the attention of people from around the world. The suspect, Phillip Garrido, was convicted and jailed for rape in the past. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison, but he served much less time. He wore a GPS tracking bracelet so authorities could know his whereabouts at all times. He reported regularly to his parole officer.

A neighbor reported him to the sheriff a couple of years ago because of the makeshift tents and buildings in his backyard. Yet, when they investigated they didn't find anything unusual.

Furthermore, Jaycee Lee Dugard worked for Garrido at his home-based business card printing company. Several of his customers said that they even had talked to her, with her using a different name. Now, we all know about the Stockholm Syndrome...but still.

I came across the following last week:

"SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- An FBI agent who spent 18 years on the Jaycee Lee Dugard case says the Antioch couple charged in her 1991 abduction were never considered suspects.

Special Agent Chris Campion said the bureau exhausted thousands of leads about Dugard's whereabouts, sometimes with the help of confidential informants and court-ordered wiretaps.

Yet Campion said in the interview posted on the FBI Web site Friday that Phillip and Nancy Garrido ''just did not come up on the radar screen.''"

Here was a man who had been arrested for kidnapping and rape, and he was under observation, yet he was not a suspect in the kidnapping.

Now, I ask you, if the FBI never had Garrido on their suspect list, how can the FBI possibly find D.B. Cooper when they've lost evidence and mismanaged the case for so many years?

Some time ago, the FBI asked us for DNA evidence from our suspect in the D.B. Cooper hijacking, Kenneth Christiansen. We readily provided it, but didn't know that they had lost the most probable DNA evidence in their possession, the cigarette butts that D.B. Cooper smoked on the plane.

Last month, National Geographic TV aired a documentary on D.B. Cooper. They even duplicated the jump wearing what "D.B. Cooper" was wearing at the time, to see if it could be done successfully. The stuntman duplicated the caper flawlessly.

Kenneth Christiansen was featured prominently, but the show concluded that perhaps D.B. Cooper drowned in a river and was dragged 20 miles upstream by a ship's propeller, where they found a little of the money he got in his ransom.

Even the FBI hasn't come to that conclusion! The FBI does feel that he died when he parachuted from the plane, but they've never found and body or the parachute. Maybe that explains it, but I don't think so.

Counterfeit Merchandise

Counterfeit merchandise is the nemesis of owners of Intellectual Property. Intellectual Property owners are aware that the Internet has replaced Canal Street as the leading market in counterfeit merchandise.

Whether counterfeiters have posted on eBay, message boards, or their own web sites, Sherlock Investigations locates the sellers of fake bags, sunglasses, watches, and other luxury goods. We purchase the product, tag it, create a chain of custody, send it to our client's legal department, and, most importantly, find out who is really behind the sale.

We know all the tricks sellers use to hide their true identity.

• Our investigative reports give you everything you need to deliver a Cease and Desist letter, shut down a site, or initiate other legal action.

• Additional services include locating a current address to serve an individual, and "brick and mortar" investigations...from the buy to the confiscation of counterfeit merchandise.

Contact us now, we'll work within your budget. Stop the rip-offs!

Sherlock Investigations supports the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC).

Please note: If you purchase counterfeit merchandise, you are likely supporting terrorism and organized crime. Fake merchandise is for fake people.

To contact Sherlock Investigations click here www.sherlockinvestigations.com

Cause Stalking

“Cause stalking” and “gang stalking” are one in the same. “Gang stalking” simply means that many people are involved in the stalking. People who believe in certain causes often feel powerless because popular opinion and/or the laws of the land are against them. The causes they support range from anti-abortion to anti-gay rights. Of course, all people who believe in these causes are not stalkers.

Many stalkers are bullies. They practice the grown-up version of schoolyard bullying. They know of no other way to express themselves. Therefore, they heap psychological warfare on helpless victims.

Some victims have nothing to do with the causes that stalkers espouse. Still others are outspoken and against the particular cause. Some victims are corporate whistle blowers. Stalkers are angry and revengeful and they take their anger out on the innocent.

If you’re a stalking victim, your friends and relatives may think that you’re crazy. Stalkers want to make you crazy, to make you insane, and even drive you to suicide. Destroying you gives them power.

After being stalked for some time, you may start to act crazy, so you can’t blame your friends and relatives for thinking you are.

Stalkers may constantly follow you, videotape you, harass you, spread rumors about you, break into your home and move little things around, place electronic eavesdropping devices in your home, or vandalize your vehicle or home.

We can help you. We’ll listen to your story. We’ll investigate your claims.

Sherlock Investigations doesn’t take every case involving alleged stalking. But don’t fear. Tell us your story. If we think you’re credible, no matter how off the wall you seem to your friends and family, we’ll take the case.

If we take your case, Sherlock Investigations will:

• Conduct counter-surveillance to gather evidence that you are truly being stalked.

• Try to identify and expose the stalkers (this often causes them stop).

• Sweep your home and vehicle for electronic eavesdropping devices.

• Suggest things that you can do to thwart the stalkers.

• Take your case to the authorities if there is hard evidence.

To contact Sherlock Investigations click here www.sherlockinvestigations.com

Cell Phone Bugs

It's official. Cell phones can be bugged. And a lot of people are calling Sherlock Investigations about it.
For as little as $59, you can buy spyware on the Internet and place it on almost any cell phone.
People ask, "Is this legal?" No, it's not. I'm sure that the U.S. authorities will crack down on the vendors of this spyware pretty soon. Even when they do, they'll still sell it outside of the U.S. on the Internet.
Remember, modern cell phones are like computers. They can can infected with viruses and have spyware placed on them.
What does spyware do? Well, the person who placed it on your cell phone can listen to both sides of every conversation. They can read your text messages. They can view the photos stored on your phone, and tell where you are at any time. But wait, there's more.
If your cell phone is bugged, the person doing it can call your cell phone (it won't ring) and turn on the microphone. Then they can listen to conversations in the room or car where you are located.
You say, "Well, I'll just turn the phone off when I'm not using it." You might go through the motions of turning it off, but it won't really be off. The only way to really turn it off is to remove the battery.
If your cell phone is bugged it's working overtime. The battery won't last nearly as long as it did when you first got it. Also, the phone will stay warm if the battery is being used.
The Technical Division of Sherlock Investigations has a new service to check cell phones for activity when the phones are supposedly not being used. If you want to take advantage of it, we must have physical possession of your phone for 24 hours. The fee to check your cell phone is $150, plus Fedex charges to get it back to you. We provide free pickup and delivery in Manhattan.
To contact us please click on www.sherlockinvestigations.com
Don't call from a cell phone that you think is infected.

Bug Sweep in Westport, CT

Recently, the Technical Division of Sherlock Investigations conducted a bug sweep in Westport, CT of a large house and two cars. The house was clean, but we found a microphone in one of the cars (see photo). It was hidden beneath the steering column. We followed the wire from the microphone to a small space under the console. There was nothing attached to the other end, but there was a cell phone connector on the cable. So, at one time the microphone had been attached to a cell phone.

The woman who hired us said that she never had a car phone, and didn't know how the microphone got in her car. Obviously, at one time her car had been bugged, but the person removed it before we checked the car. It was probably after the battery died in the cell phone. With this kind of bug, the person placing it in the vehicle can call the cell phone at any time. The cell phone doesn't ring. They can hear everything that goes on in the car, including one side of the conversation if the driver is talking on her own cell phone.

This kind of car bug is very common. Although the microphone was not very well hidden, sometimes they take quite a while to locate. If the phone is not transmitting at the time, these bugs can only be found with a very careful physical search.

To learn more, or contact Sherlock Investigations, click on www.sherlockinvestigations.com

Can Psychics Know Your Financial Future?

In this recession psychics are reporting a phenomenal increase in business. In good economic times, women go to psychics to find out the future of their love life. Now, men and women are frequenting psychics. Men mostly want to find out if they're going to get laid off, or if their stocks are going to turn around.

Can psychics know this? I say, unequivocally, no. All they can do is guess.

When you go to psychic for a $10 reading the psychic may tell you something that piques your curiosity. The next reading is $100, and so on. By this time your hooked.

Sherlock Investigations has had clients who lost as much as $50,000 to psychics in two years. Some psychics might have a gift, or they might truly want to help people. The only gift they have is understanding human nature. In the end, they want your money, and they know how to get your money.

The first step, is going in for a $10 reading. Don't be a sucker.

Bug Sweeps

Spy Shops are reporting a major increase in sales, including listening devices, wireless video transmitters, and easy-to-hide GPS units. The president of one major distributor of these goods said sales were up 141% over last year.
Oprah recently did a show on infidelity in America. She, too, affirmed that Americans are spying on each other. In fact, she even promoted GPS devices to keep track of spouses and boyfriends/girlfriends.

At Sherlock Investigations, we don't promote GPS devices or tap phones. In fact, we're on the defensive. We find and disable them.

Yesterday I talked to four people about sweeps, and scheduled two. Today, the phone has been ringing again with people calling about sweeps.

I also do electronic sweeps for other private investigators who don't have the training or equipment to do it themselves. In the trade, it's called TSCM, technical surveillance counter measures.

Of course, every sweep doesn't involve matrimonial or infidelity cases. About half of my work involves businesses, including some major corporations. Sometimes there's an important board meeting and the officers of the corporation just want to be sure there are no eavesdropping devices in the boardroom.

Recently, I swept a conference room in a hotel in Washington, DC for a pharmaceutical company that was planning a conference. After I swept the room, a security company placed a guard at the door 24/7.

A couple of weeks ago I flew to Portland, Maine to sweep a mansion, two smaller houses, and a business. No, nothing was found, which is the case more often than not. The people just want to be secure.

Last week we swept a corporate headquarters in mid-town Manhattan. The company suspected disloyalty by one particular employee. The employee was retired from the FBI. Before I arrived, the suspected employee was fired. At the time of the firing, security guards escorted him out, allowing him only take personal belongings.

Upon sweeping his office, we found a device that recorded all the company's phone conversations to his company-owned laptop computer. It seems that they were right to fire him.

To contact Sherlock Investigations click on www.sherlockinvestigations.com

Private Investigators: Right Time to Hire One

Yes, the gas prices have gone down, but the economy is still in very bad shape. Millions of people have been laid off this year and many companies have gone out of business. 

Sherlock Investigations has been in business since 1995. The recession is affecting us, but we don't plan to quit now. As a result of the recession, we're willing to work with you, and we'll make every effort to make our fees affordable.

Not only have we lowered our prices, we have more time to conduct investigations. In both cases you win!

If you've been thinking of hiring a private investigator, now is the time. Whether it's to locate someone who owes you money, to sweep your office for electronic listening devices, conduct surveillance on someone, or to conduct pre-employment screening for your company, now is the right time.

Remember, we accept the challenge of unusual cases.

Contact us today at www.sherlockinvestigations.com; investigators are standing by.

D.B. Cooper's DNA

Last year the FBI asked Sherlock Investigations to supply DNA evidence for Kenneth Christianson, whom we believe was "D.B. Cooper." We sent them envelopes and stamps that Christianson had licked. We also sent them a right thumbprint from his Army discharge papers where he was a paratrooper.

All this is probably in a box in the basement of the FBI headquarters in Seattle.

Today we learned from a credible source that the DNA the FBI has from a clip-on tie that they found on a seat in the 727 that Cooper hijacked is in a "severely decomposed state," probably from mishandling. The DNA is probably not good enough to stand up in court, and probably not good enough to match any DNA supplied to the FBI from possible suspects.

The only other DNA evidence that the FBI had was 8 cigarettes that Cooper smoked during the skyjacking. We understand that over the years the FBI lost them.

The FBI lifted about 66 fingerprints that couldn't be identified. We don't know whether or not one of them was a right thumbprint.

Until New York Magazine came out with the story of our suspect last fall, the FBI had all but buried D.B. Cooper. We caused them to reopen the case.

The recent discovery of a parachute in the area where Cooper jumped looked like an amazing new clue. The chute turned out to be silk, when the one operable one that Cooper used was nylon.

If Cooper lived, he must have told someone about his feat. But it was almost 37 years ago, and Kenneth Christianson is deceased, and anyone that he told may also be deceased.

Broadway Buffs

From time-to-time our readers help us with locate cases. Once again, I need your help.

We're looking for a Broadway actress who was quite attractive and renowned about 50 years ago. Her name is Rosemary Williamson. Sometimes she went by Rosemary Williams. She's about 80 now, if still with us.

Williamson, we believe that's her birth name, was from, we also believe, Ohio.

Williamson was the subject of a provocative TIME magazine article called "I Never Knew..." on March 19, 1951.

There is also a photo available from LOOK magazine in 1949. It shows Rosemary Williams putting on makeup. Stanley Kubrick was the photographer.

Rosemary Williamson was listed as a show girl in the 1949/1950 comedy/musical "As the Girls Go" in New York.

We don't know what other shows she was in, if any.

If any of our readers know the current whereabouts of Rosemary Williamson, we'd really like to hear from you. Email us at sherlockinvestigations@gmail.com

D.B. Cooper Identified

Sherlock Investigations just obtained letters written by suspect Kenneth Christiansen, before the 1971 hijacking in which he describes himself physically, and offers a motive for the hijacking. The daring hijacking was carried out by a man identifying himself as D.B. Cooper. We believe that Christiansen could very well be D.B. Cooper.

Christiansen frequently flew to Hawaii and enjoyed sunbathing on Waikiki Beach. Indeed, in one letter he wrote, "Spent all afternoon in the sun, sure changed the color of my skin."

Yet, the FBI claims that Christiansen was "pale."

In other letters he reveals a possible motive for extorting $200,000 from Northwest Airlines. He writes of frequent strikes that caused him to get laid off.  In one, he says that "the peanut butter jar is getting low," so he'd better get a job. He worked various odd jobs during the strikes.

When working at Northwest, Christiansen got $150 a week. Yet, a year after the hijacking he bought a small house in Bonney Lake, Washington with cash.

When Sherlock Investigations first identified Kenneth Christiansen as the most likely suspect for being D.B. Cooper, Ralph Himmelsbach, the retired FBI Special Agent who had worked on the case for years said that if he were still on the case he would investigate Christiansen.

When Florence Schaffner, the stewardess (then not yet called flight attendants) who Cooper handed the hijack note to, saw the photo of Christiansen, she said that he looked more like Cooper than any photos the FBI ever showed her. She, and Tina Mucklow, the other stewardess, thought Cooper was about 45.

Kenneth Christiansen, then 45, was 170 pounds, 5'10" in shoes, and was dark-complexioned through constant sun tanning. But Special Agent Robbie Burroughs in Seattle said, "He's not a viable suspect."

The FBI claims that Kenneth Christiansen was 5'8" and 150 pounds, and pale, when Cooper was described as 5'10" to 6' tall, up to 175 pounds, and dark-complexioned.

Also, the FBI asked, why would he hijack a plane from his own company? Somebody would recognize him, they said.

Well, Florence Schaffner, who worked for the same airline, in the same capacity as Christiansen, didn't recognize the photo of him. Neither did Bill Rataczak, the co-pilot in the hijacked Northwest plane.

Kenneth Christiansen, before working for Northwest as a steward, was mechanic for the airline. He knew the planes. Recently, Bill Rataczak said that Cooper "knew the airplane."

Kenneth Christiansen's drink of choice was bourbon, and he chain-smoked. During the hijacking, Cooper ordered bourbon, and chain-smoked. The cigarettes he smoked on Flight 305 would yield valuable DNA evidence, but the FBI lost them.

Sherlock Investigations has a copy of Christiansen's Army discharge papers, where he was listed as a paratrooper. Many skydivers have said that the jump could have easily been pulled off. In fact, a few years ago the jump was duplicated. Yet, the FBI still believes that Cooper died when he jumped. Still, no body or parachute was ever found.

Kenneth Christiansen lived until 1994 in his house in Bonney Lake, Washington.

Locating Wiretaps and Bugs...Without Any Special Equipment!

Requests for bug sweeps come into Sherlock Investigations from all over the country. Electronic eavesdropping detection is expensive, especially so if I have to travel outside of the New York metro area. The truth is, (and this is a trade secret) most bugs and wiretaps are found through a visual inspection.

The key is, knowing what to look for. Thus, the manual, Locating Wiretaps and Bugs...Without Any Special Equipment!, by Skipp Porteous. In the manual, I tell, and show, you exactly what to look for. It has about 36 full-color photos, and full descriptions on how to conduct a sweep of a home, small office, or vehicle.

I'm a well-known TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures) expert. In my manual, I reveal some of my trade-craft that will give you all you need to know about locating bugs and wiretaps.

If you suspect your spouse has bugged your home, or your neighbor has tapped your phone line, I'll show you how to find the bug or wiretap. And you'll save hundreds of dollars!

For more information, click here.

Surveillance On Couple of Chicks

Ten Maxims for Private Eyes

Skipp Porteous, owner of New York City's Sherlock Investigations, has been a private eye for years. Now, he shares the top ten things he's learned over the years.

1. Question everything.

2. Assume that your phone is tapped.

3. Look both ways on one-way streets.

4. Look both ways when the light turns green.

5. Make use of your rear-view mirror.

6. Never think that you're above the law.

7. Trust is earned, not assumed.

8. TV private eyes are fictional.

9. Don't make problems for yourself when solving other's problems.

10. Keep a sense of humor.

Ban Cell Phones at Meetings

Some companies now ban laptops at meetings to battle against multitasking. Cell phones should also be banned, but to prevent spying, not multitasking.

Corporate spying is growing along with technology. Perhaps the most common "bug" today is the cell phone. Not a bug in the cell phone, but the cell phone itself. If given $10,000 in cash, a lot of employees would dial a number on their cell phone before going into a confidential meeting.

That's all a competitor would have to do to learn a company's secrets. The cell phone would pick up all the conversation in a meeting and transmit it to whoever is listening, and, perhaps, recording.

Before high-level meetings, Skipp Porteous, of Sherlock Investigations, often sweeps a conference room for electronic listening devices. "I can assure them that the room is clean," Porteous said, "until the people attending the meeting arrive." To prevent eavesdropping from cell phones, Porteous says that all staff members should leave their cell phones in their desks.

While most employees are trustworthy, "You never know for sure," Porteous said.

Chute NOT D.B. Cooper's

Earl Cossey, who owned and packed the original parachutes that were supplied to the man known as D.B. Cooper on Thanksgiving eve in 1971, said that the chute recently given to the FBI was not one of the one's supplied to Cooper. "Not even close," Cossey said.

There's been inconsistency about the parachutes given to Cooper. The FBI said recently that Cooper's parachute was white, while other reports long ago said that the parachute was yellow and red. In his book on D.B. Cooper, Max Gunther said that "Clara" knew that the parachute Cooper used was red and yellow, when this fact hadn't been released to the media.

The discovery of the parachute in a field in Clark County, Washington by a contractor building a road revealed another inconsistency. The FBI believes that Cooper didn't even open the parachute when he jumped, plunging him to his death. This is pure speculation on the FBI's part. Even he was able to open the chute, the FBI says that he would have died anyway, due to the rough terrain in which he would have landed.

When I first learned about the parachute that was found in a field near Amboy, Washington, I google-earthed the location. Clark County, to my surprise, is largely fields, not forest. The chute was found right where they think Cooper jumped. I still maintain that Cooper survived the jump, as no body or parachute was ever found.

D.B. Cooper's Money

In some of the stories about D.B. Cooper's parachute possibly being found, the extortion money is mentioned. Now the FBI is claiming that none of the $200,000 made it into circulation. Some $5800 was found on the banks of the Columbia River years later. 

Why do they think that none of the $200,000 from the 1971 crime never made it into circulation? Well, the FBI believes that Cooper died when he jumped out of the plane. They don't think he even opened the parachute. Of course, this is purely speculation on the FBI's part. Therefore, if D.B. Cooper died, then he didn't spend any of the money.

At the time, several rewards were offered for returning  any of the money, and the serial numbers of all the $20 bills were distributed to banks. In his 1985 book, "D.B. Cooper, What Really Happened," Max Gunther wrote:

"Bank people feel in general that their chances of participating in any meaningful way in such rewards are slim. If an alert teller or bookkeeping clerk spots a listed bill, that is typically the first minor step in an investigation. The bill may have changed hands many times since it was originally spent by the criminal being sought. Tracking the bill back to that criminal would involve a long chain of people, most of whom will feel they have a greater claim on the reward than the teller who first spotted the bill. In most cases the biggest share of the reward--if not all of it--goes to the detective or witness who makes the final connections leading to the arrest. The teller, if lucky, gets ten bucks and a letter of official gratitude. More often, the teller gets forgotten."

It's doubtful that any serious attempt was made to spot any of the bills.

Now, Kenneth Christiansen, who was employed by Northwest as a flight attendant, purchased a house with cash about a year after D.B. Cooper carried out his daring crime. Also, his lifestyle was seemingly beyond the means of most Northwest employees.

I recently talked with Bill Rataczak, the co-pilot of Flight 305, the Boeing 727 that Cooper hijacked. He told me that Cooper insisted that the wing flaps be tilted 15 degrees, to slow the plane down. "He knew that airplane," he said. "A flight attendant wouldn't know to do that." I reminded him that Christiansen was a Northwest mechanic before he became a flight attendant. He said that he didn't know that. He also didn't know that Christiansen was a former paratrooper.

The FBI asked Sherlock Investigations to submit DNA evidence from Kenneth Christiansen. We did about nine months ago. It's probably in a box with all the other evidence from the case, in the basement of the FBI office in Seattle. 

D.B. Cooper's Parachute?

We got word today that the FBI in Seattle has had a parachute that a farmer dug up in a field in Clark County, Washington for 3 weeks now. Larry Carr, the Special Agent in charge of the case, said that the FBI is looking for parachute experts to help them determine whether the chute they have belonged to D.B. Cooper.

This is odd, because the FBI should have in their case files all the information they need on the parachute to readily identify it. I've maintained for some time that the FBI is dragging its feet, and some wonder if they really want to solve this case.

If the parachute was the one used by D.B. Cooper, it proves our contention that he survived the jump, something the FBI denies. It still doesn't prove that our suspect, Kenneth Christiansen, was D.B. Cooper, but we're still working on that. The FBI won't even investigate our claim because they think Cooper died when he bailed out of the plane. They think that he didn't even open the parachute. No body, or parachute (until now) was ever found.

The parachute was found exactly where it is believed that D.B. Cooper jumped from the 727 in 1971 with $200,000 in cash. A farmer was building a road through a field and his plow hit the buried shoot.

Private Investigators, Private Investigators, Private Investigators

If you googled private investigators you got 4,270,000 listings! That's a lot of competition. Somewhere not too far down the list you found Sherlock Investigations.

But, if you googled ny private investigators, private investigators in new york, new york private eyes, or any combination thereof, you found that Sherlock Investigations comes up near the top, even though there are a lot of private eyes in New York.

Why is that? For one thing, we've been around since 1995. That should tell you something. From the beginning in 1995, we've been on the Internet. In fact, besides word of mouth, and the occasional publicity in the media, the Internet is the only place we're listed. Once in a while we run ads on Google's Adwords.

However, coming up first in "natural" order is better than an ad appearing when you google a search term.

We've been around for a few years, and intend to be here a few years from now. So, if you need a private investigator to locate someone, run a background investigation, conduct surveillance, or perform a bug sweep, drop us an email at sherlockinvestigations@gmail.com

Also, we welcome unusual investigations, and believe me, we've had them.

People Search

We do a lot of things at Sherlock Investigations. I like to think that what we do, we do well.

It's always so rewarding when we locate a person for a client. About of a third of our business involves finding people. We've located all kinds of people. From deadbeat dads to runaway teens. We've located people in Africa, and even under a bridge in Tucson, Arizona.

We take personal pride in locating people. Generally, we never give up until we find the person. Often, in hours or days we can find someone. In rare instances it takes a year or two. The main thing is that we never give up.

If you've tried Net Detective, or companies using computerized services to locate people, and still haven't found who you're looking for, let Sherlock Investigations handle your locate. We're pleased that you trust us with your business.

Contact Sherlock Investigations by clicking on www.sherlockinvestigations.com

Bug Detectors and Sweeps

I've always been interested in electronics. I found my first bug at 15. Since then I obtained my amateur (ham) radio license, KC2PYP, and even today, I have an amateur radio station in my home.

Formally trained in TSCM (technical surveillance counter measures) I've been doing wiretap and bug sweeps in the New York-metro area for a few years. My clients have ranged from ordinary people to celebrities, politicians, police, lawyers, accountants, hedge fund managers, socialites, and a famous auction house.

One thing that struck me a few years ago is that almost all bugs are found with a visual sweep. At least this is true where there is a fairly low threat. Of course, if the government taps your phone or bugs your office, it's going to be thoroughly professional and top notch. Even I probably couldn't find it, nor would I want to.

Most of my cases involves so-called infidelity cases. Jealous or suspicious spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, tap a phone, or place some bugs where they want to eavesdrop. Some of them do it themselves, others hire unethical P.I.s to do it.

In almost all these cases, the wiretap or bug can be found with a visual inspection, if one knows what to look for. With this realization, I wrote a manual so that people could learn to do it themselves. While it was aimed at my typical client, other P.I.s, who don't know anything about TSCM, could benefit too.

"Locating Wiretaps and Bugs...Without any Special Equipment" is a how-to manual for the do-it-yourselfer. It has about 36 full-color photos and describes in detail what to look for. I'm confident that almost anyone could find most wiretaps and bugs by following the steps in this manual.

Years of experience and knowledge have gone into this manual. In handy PDF form for downloading, it's only $29.95. TSCM work is expensive, but this little instruction booklet could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. To order, just click here.

Now, if you suspect the authorities are tapping your phone or have bugged your office, you need a lawyer, not a manual.

To contact the Technical Division of Sherlock Investigations click on www.sherlockinvestigations.com

Cell Phone Bugs

If you think that your cell phone is bugged, it's probably not. However, for a mere $59, you can now buy software on the Internet to bug someone else's cellphone. If fact, there are over 400 programs available to bug cellphones.

There are certain signs to tell that a cellphone is bugged, or has spyware. Does your battery last half the time it used to when you first got the phone? When the battery is being used to make or receive a call, it tends to get warm. Is your cellphone warm when you are not using it? If so, it may be bugged.

The Technical Division of Sherlock Investigations has developed a method to tell whether a cellphone is sending out messages when you are not even using it. If it is transmitting, it is a sure sign that it is bugged. If you turn it off, it's possible that it isn't really off. Eavesdroppers can listen in on the conversations in the room or car where the cellphone is.

One lady who contacted Sherlock Investigations was sure that her cell phone was bugged. I asked her where she usually talked on it. In her car, she said. Her soon-to-be-ex knew too much about her plans and life that I knew something fishy was going on.

After two hours of searching, I found the listening device cleverly hidden in her car. Whenever she talked on her cell phone in her car, her husband could hear her side of the conversation. I removed the device and she gave it to her lawyer.

The chances of your cell phone being bugged is slim. We can check it out, though, to be really sure.
Contact us at  www.sherlockinvestigations.com

K-9 Detective

A couple of years ago notices were posted on all the doors leading to the stairwells in the 29 story building where I live. It seems that someone was letting their dog urinate on the landing of a particular floor. The management suspected a dog owner, so instead of going to the dog owners on that floor, they implicated all of us dog owners.

I know all the dog owners in my building and didn't believe that any of them would let their canines pee in the stairwell. So, I called the superintendant of the building and asked for him to call me if an incident ocurred again.

About two weeks later he called. A porter had discovered a puddle of pee on a stairway landing. I immediately put a leash on my dog Sparky, a Llhasa Apso, and headed to the elevator. We met the super on the designated floor and he showed me the puddle.

My theory was that Sparky would be very interested in dog urine, because when I walked him three times a day he sniffed every tree, bush, and everything that didn't move. He could identify every dog in the neighborhood by the urine he smelled. However, if it were human urine in the stairwell, Sparky would have no interest.

I walked him by the puddle and he paid no attention. He just wanted to go down the stairs. Then I actually walked him through it. He still paid no attention. If it were a dogs', he would've sensed it as soon as he walked through the door and become very interested.My conclusion, I told the super, was that a person, a human being, peed in the stairwell. Understanding my reasoning, he agreed with my premise.

Soon, Sparky proved to be a good detective, as a woman with Alzheimer's disease was found to be the culprit.

Sparky suffered a massive stroke on Saturday, November 10, 2007. He was 15 years and 7 months old. He's missed.

D.B. Cooper, New York Magazine

This week's New York magazine has another column dedicated to the mystery of D.B. Cooper. An FBI spokesman said that our suspect, Kenneth Christiansen, was dismissed as a suspect because he did not meet "the threshold of the basic physical description" of the hijacker.

New York says, "Really?" Geoffrey Gray, the author, responded, "One of the FBI's primary witnesses to the crime, stewardess Florence Schaffner, told New York that of all the suspects the FBI has ever shown her thoughout the years, the suspect that look the most like D.B. Cooper is Ken Christiansen. Why would the FBI discount the observations of their own witness?"

What is the FBI's basic description of the hijacker? Here it is: Race: White. Sex: Male. Age: Mid-40s. Height: 5'10'' to 6'. Weight: 170 to 180. Build: Average to well built."

We have a Washington state driver's license that belonged to Kenneth Christiansen. He was 45 years of age in 1971, and according to the driver's license weighed 170 pounds, and was 5'8" in bare feet, which could easily make him 5'10" in shoes. He was white, probably with a suntan, and as a trained paratrooper, well built. And his photo looks astonishing like the FBI composite drawing.

Since Sherlock Investigations revealed the name of Kenneth Christiansen, the FBI has not only reactivated the case, but also gone to the media. They believe that the hijacker plunged to his death after bailing out of the Northwest 727 in 1971. So, any theories of a man surviving the jump are automatically rejected by them.

To this day, they haven't called Sherlock Investigations, or Lyle Christiansen, Kenneth's brother who turned him in. However, several months ago they asked for DNA samples, which we supplied. We're still waiting.

FBI and D.B. Cooper

Since New York Magazine broke the name of our suspect, Kenneth P. Christiansen, in the infamous D.B. Cooper saga, the FBI reactivated the 36 year-old case. However, they say that our suspect, Christiansen, is not D.B. Cooper.

The FBI is convinced that "Cooper" failed to open his parachute when he jumped, so they automatically eliminate anyone who was alive after November 24, 1971. They have no evidence of the parachutist's death, since no body, or red and yellow parachute has ever been found.

Our suspect, Kenneth Christiansen, was trained by the Army to jump with 90 pounds of equipment strapped to his body. Twenty-one pounds of cash would have been easy for him. Also, many skydivers acknowledge that an experienced paratrooper or skydiver would know what to expect on a jump like that, and could easily survive it.

They do suspect that Cooper was from the Seattle area. Christiansen lived in Bonnie Lake, Washington, a Seattle suburb.

They say, though, that Cooper apparently didn't know that much about flying planes. So? How many flight attendants and mechanics do? Christiansen worked as both for Northwest Airlines. At least he knew enough to instruct the pilot to fly the plane lower and slower than usual.

When Lyle Christiansen first suspected his brother and went to the FBI he didn't give them any evidence. He even tried to hide his brother's name from them, and his story was just one among many hundreds that they received. To this day, they've obtained NO evidence directly from Christiansen. At Sherlock Investigations we've gathered lots of evidence, including DNA and Christiansen's thumbprint.

Most importantly, the FBI maintains that Cooper was 6 feet tall and weighed 175 to 180 pounds, had brown eyes, and a tan or swarthy complexion. Kenneth Christiansen was 5'10 in shoes, and according to his driver's license, 170 pounds. (Many people lie on their driver's license applications, so he could have been a few pounds heavier.) He also had hazel eyes. Many people confuse brown eyes with hazel eyes. Christiansen also loved the sun, and spent as much time in tropical places and beaches as he could.

At their request, we provided the FBI with DNA from Kenneth Christiansen and his brother. Only when the FBI conclusively eliminates him based on that evidence will it prove that Christiansen wasn't Cooper. Meanwhile, he is the leading suspect, and to reject him as a suspect because the FBI didn't bother to obtain a copy of his driver's license is negligent.

The truth is, the FBI hasn't a clue who D.B. Cooper was, so they like to say that he died when he parachuted from that plane.

We'll wait for the DNA results.

DB Cooper in New York Magazine

After months of investigating the identity of the notorious DB Cooper, Sherlock Investigations reveals the culprit's identity in a major article in New York magazine (Oct. 29, 2007 issue), on the news stands on October 22, 2007.

In the piece, you'll learn about how we came across his identity, and why we think this man is the infamous DB Cooper. This case has baffled the FBI for almost 36 years. Now, the true story of DB Cooper comes to light.

Click here to view article: http://nymag.com/news/features/39593/

DB Cooper Identified!

For months now, Sherlock Investigations has been working on the notorious DB Cooper case. DB Cooper, in case you don't know, hijacked a Northwest Orient plane in 1971 and extorted $200,000 from the airline, saying that he had a bomb in his briefcase. He also demanded four parachutes along with the money. After the plane was airborne, he did the unheard of...he bailed out, with the cash strapped to himself.

Years later, some $5800 in cash was found along the Columbia River in Washington, but his yellow and red parachute, and more importantly, DB Cooper, were never found.

The man buying the ticket for that flight used the name Dan Cooper. After the heist, the media interviewed a man named D.B. Cooper. Somehow the name stuck, and DB Cooper became sort of a folk hero.

For almost 36 years now (the hijacking took place on Thanksgiving Eve, November 24, 1971) the FBI has been trying to solve the case. They've interviewed thousands of people and have had many leads, but have come up empty-handed.

Professional and amateur sleuths have followed the case for years. Several people have come forward and said that they're DB Cooper. Others have said that their deceased loved-one was DB Cooper.

Sherlock Investigations has been investigating a man who fits the profile more than any other suspect, and we believe that our suspect was the real DB Cooper.

Very soon, a major weekly magazine will feature our suspect, and how we found him. The article includes photos. Watch your newstand!

People Search

The Internet is a great way to locate someone. Often, just entering someone's name in Google will come up with an address, phone number, and sometimes even an email address. Then there are specialized sites like classmates.com, anywho.com and a number of others.

When the going gets rough, people often click on the various ads found on Google and Yahoo. Most of these companies have access to databases such as the "headers" provided by the three major credit reporting companies. The headers contain basic information such as name, address, date-of-birth, Social Security Number, and often a phone number. Sometimes they include a place of employment.

When running a name through one of these companies that advertise on the Internet, you usually have to give your credit card information to see the results of your search. Many times, you'll get a long list of names, and you'll be left to figure out which one, if any, are the person that you're looking for.

Some companies offer Free People Locators. This will work if the person that you're looking for is in "plain sight" and not hiding from you or anyone else.

People contact Sherlock Investigations after they've tried all of the above. We specialize in finding hard-to-find people. Sure, we have access to all the databases that the other companies have. Too often, though, the person we're looking for is not on a database, or if they are, the data is old. People move a lot, and it takes months for the paper trail to catch up.

Sherlock Investigations offers hands-on service, and we work closely with our clients until we find the person you're looking for. You don't get this kind of service from most of the companies advertising on the Internet.

Some people, for any number of reasons, just don't want to be found. That's where Sherlock Investigations comes in. Based in New York City, we've gone in person as far as Tucson, Arizona to locate someone. In that case, we found her living under a bridge.

Free People Locator services may work fine for some people, but not hard-to-find people. Our rates may be higher than those of some agencies, but how many offer a guarantee? Not many, believe me. Our guarantee is that we will keep a case open and active until we locate the person you've hired us to find. We locate heirs, witnesses, deadbeat dads, runaway teens, fugitives, debtors, lost siblings, parents, and children.

If you're still looking for a free people locator, remember, you get what you pay for.

Ask the Private Investigator

The phone rings all day long and the email keeps coming in to Sherlock Investigations. Most of these callers and emailers ask questions about the nature of investigations, our rates, or just ask us to take their case.

But, if you have questions of a general nature, you can ask them on this blog. We monitor the blog constantly, and will post an answer to your question asap.

Just click on Comment, and then wait for our answer.

You can also make Comments about the subjects we write about, and also Comment on other people's Comments.

So, whether you have a serious question, or just want to join the fun, leave a note on Comments.

Phishing PayPal

We recently received an email from "PayPal." Only it was not from PayPal.


Of course we didn't recognize the $93.12 charge, and had we not be aware of these kinds of scams we would have clicked on the "Cancel this payment." To do so, though, we would have been asked to share passwords or personal or company financial information that would have led to identity theft, and likely caused great financial loss.


A couple of things about this email made us suspicious. The first one is the sender's email address. Even though it says "PalPal" before the email address, the email address of aw@ppl-dpt.com is not a genuince PayPal email address. Their email is always ........@PayPal.com.


Also, genuine PayPal email will not have typographical errors. Note that European is "european," all lower case.

Just to make sure, we went to our PayPal account and clicked on History. There never was a transaction made for the amount of $93.12.

There are also other problems with the email. See if you can spot them.

We forwarded this email to PayPal at spoof@PayPal.com and received the response copied below. PayPal acknowledged that the email we received was not genuine, and is known as "phishing."


Be aware that phishing comes in many forms. Examine unknown emails carefully.

Never open attachments if you're not sure who sent the email. Even then, you have to be careful. If you open an attachment, and apparently nothing happens, you may have just placed spyware on your hard drive.

This is the bogus email that we received:

PayPal aw@ppl-dpt.com
To: Sherlockinvestigations@gmail.com

We recorded a payment request from "Internet Safe-Shopping - shopsafe.com -" to enable the charge of $ 93.12 on your account.

Because the order was made from a european internet address, we put an Exception Payment on transaction id #PayPal-T2254 motivated by our Geographical Tracking System.

THE PAYMENT IS PENDING FOR THE MOMENT.

If you made this transaction or if you just authorize this payment, please ignore or remove this email message. The transaction will be shown on your monthly statement as "Internet Safe-Shopping -shopsafe.com-".

If you didn't make this payment and would like to decline the $ 93.12 billing to your card, please follow the link below to cancel the payment:

Cancel this payment (transaction id #PayPal-T2254) [link removed by Sherlock]

NOTE: Because email is not a secure form of communication, please do not reply to this email.

Copyright 1995-2007 PayPal Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Our response from the real PayPay:

RE: Q510 - Thank you for your email to PayPal
"spoof@paypal.com"

Thanks for taking an active role by reporting suspicious-looking emails.The email you forwarded to us is a phishing email, and our security team is working to disable it.

What is a phishing email?

Phishing emails attempt to steal your identity and will often ask you to reveal your password or other personal or financial information. PayPal will never ask for your password over the phone or in an email and will always address you by your first and last name. Take our Fight Phishing Challenge at https://www.paypal.com/fightphishing to learn 5 things you should know about phishing. You'll also see what we're doing to help fight fraud every day.

You've made a difference. Every email counts. By forwarding a suspicious-looking email to spoof@paypal.com, you've helped keep yourself and others safe from identity theft. Thanks,

The PayPal Team

Scam-proof Passwords

One night last year I swept an accountant's office in midtown Manhattan. By "swept," I mean TSCM, or an electronic surveillance countermeasures job, or, in other words, bug sweep.

I found a video camera hidden in a plant. It was easy to find because most plants don't have a wire leading to them. In this case, the owner placed the camera as part of his security system.

I was part of a team. The other part were Israeli computer geeks. They had a disk that they shoved into the computers in the office and, literally, in two seconds, uncovered all the passwords in each computer.

Most hackers and identity thieves don't have such sophisticated software. They don't need it. Many people use their pet's name, their first name, nicknames, "password", "123456," "qwerty," "abc123," "letmein," "monkey," their birthdate, or part of their Social Security Number, as their password. Hackers and identity thieves know this.

Obviously, any password stored on a computer is obtainable. However, the best passwords...ones that people cannot guess...are random passwords. Examples are: 4kC?l0*, or 4ilJH%, or #Ikn*M. These were created randomly by hitting different keys blindly.

Of course, if you have passwords like this, and I recommend it, you have to write them down, because you'll never remember them. Just don't tape them to your computer.

Junior McFadden

Once again we ask our reader's assistance in locating someone. Several times recently Sherlock Investigations has received tips that led to the person that we were looking for. So, amateur sleuths, go to it!

The photos below were taken in Japan in 1973. The subject was in the U.S. Army, Camp Fuji in Japan.

He was born in Missouri, and 18 or 19 years old at the time, which means he was born in 1954 or 1955.

At one time that we know of, he went t0 Yamashita Park and Camp Honmoku, both in Japan.

His friends called him "Junior," and the handwriting on the pictures may read "Junior McFadden," but that is open to interpretation.

The jeep pictured has a sign reading, perhaps, "FDO."

"Junior McFadden," if still living, is not in any kind of trouble. We just have a client who would like to find him and has given permission for us to post this search on our blog.

If you think you know the identity of this person, please email us at sherlockinvestigations@gmail.com or call us at 1-888-354-2174. All responses will be strictly confidential.

Whitey Bulger Update

In locating hard-to-find people for many years now, I've learned that it's easy to widen your scope. Instead of just trying to find the person that you're looking for, try to find someone who knows where that person is. Almost no one completely disappears. There are usually a number of people who know where that person is.

I recently posted on this blog a request to help me find two flight attendents who dealt with D.B. Cooper when he skyjacked a Northwest Airlines plane in 1971, then bailed out with the ransom money, never to be seen again. As a result of that posting, we've located both women through informants who read the blog and got in touch with me. Even though both women had changed their names, people knew them, and where they were.

I first posted this "sighting" of Whitey Bulger on Monday, August 28, 2006, more than a year ago. He still has not been located, and the FBI never got back to me about my "tip." As a government agency, I think the FBI is cumbersome and too often careless.

It's my hope that someone will come forward with some valid information on Whitey Bulger. I know, all sorts of kooks may come out of the ether and contact me. That's a chance I'm willing to take. I know that people know where Whitey Bulger is, and may have reason to turn him in.

James "Whitey" Bulger has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List since 2000. They're offering a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest. A Boston mob figure, Bulger worked for years as an FBI informant. Now he's wanted in connection with several murders. He's considered armed (a knife) and dangerous. Photos of the white-haired Bulger are on the FBI's web site.

To this day, I believe that I spotted him on Saturday, September, 2003. Here's my story: At approximately 1:25 p.m. I arrived with a friend at The Zipper theater at 336 W. 37th Street in New York to see a show called "Berkshire Village Idiot," a one-man comedy about Western Massachusetts. After picking up our tickets at the box office, we sat in the waiting area for about 15 minutes until they opened the theater. Then we were ushered to our seats, which were second row center. The show began about 10-12 minutes later.

About 2:30 p.m., a half hour into the show, I noticed a distinguished-looking man sitting about 10 yards away from me, diagonally on the right. He was sitting at the far end of the front row. There were four people sitting to his left.The physical appearance of the man caused me to do a double take. My first thought was that he looked like Whitey Bulger. His white hair was closely cropped on the sides. He appeared to have no hair on top. He was dressed in black slacks, a black short-sleeved shirt, and thick-soled black sandals, with no socks. While he appeared very trim, his arms were somewhat muscular. He looked to be in his late 60s to early 70s. On the floor to his right was a medium-sized black, nylon backpack.

Dismissing my "sighting" as someone who looked coincidentally like Bulger, I let it go, but I occasionally glanced over at him. One time, our eyes met, and momentarily locked. After that, I avoided letting him see me look at him. For the next few minutes he acted figidty. Although the show has some funny lines, I never observed him laughing, or even smiling to the extent of revealing his teeth. In one scene, the lights were extinguished and the theater was almost completely dark. When the lights came back on, I noticed that the man had disappeared. His black bag was also gone. It was about 2:45 p.m.I sat for a few minutes wondering what to do. It made sense to me that Bulger, being from Massachusetts, would find a show about Massachusetts of interest.

My adrenaline began to rise. The seat in front of me, which was the front row, was empty. I quickly climbed over it and hurried out of the theater. I spoke to an usher who was seated on a folding chair outside. I asked her if she had seen a man leave, and I described him. She said that she had, and mentioned that he had left in a hurry, and didn't look at her, or say anything. I also spoke to the person in the ticket office. He had also noticed the man leave in an apparent rush. I went outside and looked up and down 37th Street, but didn't see the man, and found no one else who had noticed him.

Then, I called a contact at the FBI. My friend took my verbal report and suggested that someone would get back to me. I imagined that the FBI would first question me, and then go down to the theater and fingerprint the area where the man sat. If Bulger's fingerprints were found, then the sighting was real, and they would know at least that he was in New York.I never heard from the FBI about this. Either they knew that Bulger was in some other location, or they're just slack in looking for him.

Internet Scams

People contact Sherlock Investigations every week who have been robbed by someone they met online. To make matters worse, the recipients die off before their generous benefactors even realize that they've been had.

We've all heard of the Nigerian scams (Still, it's amazing how many people still fall for them.). They contact you by email claiming to be the wife, husband, son, or daughter of someone who had control of a lot of money. They want you to help them retrieve the money. If you help them, they'll give you, say, a 20% commission.

The other day we had a guy who fell for this. He contacted us because he wanted to know if a certain person was the head of The Bank of Africa. He was already in over his head when he emailed us. He had called a number in Africa and spoke to a "lawyer." The lawyer assured him that he could help him negotiate the red tape to retrieve his money. His only fee would be $850, in advance.

The idiot sent $850 to Africa by Western Union. A week later, the lawyer said that he needed another $5500. That's when the idiot contacted us.

I told him that he'd be had, and not to go to Ghana to try to find the guy and get his money back. People have been murdered while trying to do this.

There are many, many scams on the Internet. Some people list themselves on dating sites or other social places. After weeks or months sending back and forth engaging email or instant messages, they win your heart. Then they ask you if you'd help them out. One potential client sent a guy $6000 for knee surgery.

When our would-be client started to get suspicious, he got an email from someone saying that the guy who had knee surgery died of a blood clot. Without a doubt, it was the same guy who received the money. Time to move on, he thought.

This week alone we received pleas for help concerning three different people who "died" during the course of an Internet relationship. One woman was told, "It was all your fault."

Young men often fall victim to scams because they engage in online chat with young females who are charming and beautiful. Of course, the photos they send are not usually themselves. One person was sending out photos of an Italian porn star. We tracked him down and found a fat kid living with his mother. We even got a surveillance photo of him.

In one case, which was unusual, a guy had been having a relationship with a girl from the Phillipines. He hired Sherlock to check her out. She actually turned out to be who said she was, and he went to the Phillipines and proposed.

A lot of people are greedy, and think that they can get something for nothing. It ain't gonna happen folks. The bottom line: Don't give money to someone you don't really know. Maybe you shouldn't even give money to someone who you do know. You can be the judge of that.

Was Brooke Astor's Office Bugged?

Last fall I received a call for technical surveillance countermeasures at an office on Park Avenue. The office belonged to Brooke Astor, who died on August 13, 2007 at the age of 105.

Of course, Mrs. Astor, 104 at the time, wasn't there when I went to her office. In fact, it looked like she hadn't stepped foot in there for many years. The almost-quaint office had all sorts of Astor memorabilia, photos on the walls of exotic places, and several dusty books that Brooke Astor had written.

I got the call to sweep the office right after Astor's grandson, Philip Marshall, sued his father, Anthony Marshall, for neglecting to care for his mother while allegedly trying to help himself to some of her wealth.

The court put JPMorgan Chase in charge of Brooke Astor's financial affairs. It was through JPMorgan Chase that I was brought in to sweep the office for listening devices or phone taps. That office, apparently, handled some of her financial affairs.

Before Anthony Marshall became a Broadway producer, he was employed by the CIA. I have no idea whether he had the knowledge to bug an office or tap a phone, or whether the financial overseers at JPMorgan Chase were even worried about him. When I do these jobs, I just do my job and don't ask many questions.

The office was clean; I found nothing unusual. Just another routine job.

Criminal Investigations

Some states do have repositories, which are supposed to contain the records of convictions from every county in that state. The truth of the matter is that very few state repositories are accurate or up to date. Why? Because the information on convictions comes, typically, from the court clerk's office. In some states, law enforcement agencies have to specifically request that conviction records be sent to the state repositories. Even at that, only the more serious felony convictions are submitted. Less serious offenses like fraud and battery are seldom, if ever, reported. Even when a request is made, busy clerks may or may not get around to sending the information in a timely manner.

Beyond the state repositories, there is no requirement for any court to report conviction information to any state or federal agency. There is the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) in Washington, which collects information on arrests and convictions. But access to their files is limited essentially to law enforcement agencies and a few other institutions, such as banks, which, by law, have been given access to the information. The average employer does not have access to NCIC information, nor do any agencies that claim they can do nationwide court checks.

No central, up-to-date location exists that provides the average employer with conviction records. A nationwide court check can be done, but it is nationwide only in a very localized sense. Anybody can contact a county clerk in any county, one at a time, to check a candidate's criminal history. But that raises a myriad of other questions. How many counties do you check? How many years do you want to cover? Which court systems -- circuit, county or municipal -- do you want to check? What about neighboring counties? A candidate could be a saint in his county of residence and have a conviction record a mile long in the next county over, but you'd never know it unless you check there also. Do you just conduct the check in the current county of residence, or do you check all the contiguous counties, or all former counties of residence? The list of questions goes on and on.

Why do a criminal court check at all? There are only two legitimate reasons: 1) because the nature of the position for which the candidate is being considered requires it or 2) because there is some doubt or suspicion about the candidate's background. There is a third reason why many companies insist on doing a court check. They believe that by doing so they can demonstrate that some measure of care was exercised in the employment process that will protect them from possible claims of negligent hiring. Conducting a court check, in other words, is a cheap way for them to cover the company's backside in case a charge of negligent hiring is brought against them.

Companies interested in more than "backside covering" should be doing reference checks to evaluate past job performance as it relates to the requirements of the position to be filled. They should be talking to work-related references who are familiar with the candidate's job performance over time. What, afterall, can a court check tell a prospective employer about a candidate's management style or ability to work effectively with others?
A court check falls into that same marginally useful category of cursory checks, such as verifying employment dates or job titles. Just confirming that a candidate really worked at the XYZ Company for three years obviously says nothing about the quality of the job that was done or much of anything else.

Beware of anybody who claims to do nationwide court checks. What they're offering to do is call the candidate's current county of residence and talk to somebody in one local courthouse. And as author and critic John Ruskin once said, "There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse or sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey."

First published by Tracersinfo.com. Used by permission.

Myspace.com Promoted on Fox

Sherlock Investigation's Sherry Hart appeared on Fox's "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet" on Monday, July 30th, to discuss locating people on myspace.com.

Billed as "Myspace Reunions: Finding loved ones online," the program was clearly formulated to promote myspace.com, a Murdoch company. Amid much laughter, the hosts, Mike and Juliet, said, "Myspace.com is owned by our company Newscorp." Indeed, myspace.com and Fox TV are owned by Newscorp, Rupert Murdoch's conglomerate.

The program featured a father-daughter, who were reunited after being separated years ago, and a brother-sister who were split up when they were kids. All had found each other through myspace.com. Most of the segment was spent on the lifeless brother and sister, who looked like zombies. Mike tried valiantly to add some life to their testimonies.

Sherry was introduced as "an expert on online investigations." The hosts asked Sherry, "Is myspace.com and these other sites putting you out of business?"

"People are pretty savvy these days," Sherry said, "about trying to find people on their own before they hire an investigator." She added that the process is so time-consuming and laborious that people often turn to a private investigator.

She warned about the fake entries on myspace.com, and that you have to be careful about what you believe when you read on myspace.com. She also mentioned the pedophiles in the news on myspace.com, to which Mike interjected, "But they've really cleaned up their act!"

Sherry also warned that after you go to myspace.com "you'd better run your Ad-aware and keep your Norton up to date," because of the junk that infects your computer. She said that going to myspace.com is "like walking barefoot in a Port Authority rest room."

Normally, Fox puts the segments from The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet on their website later that day. In this case, they failed to add this segment. Hmmm, wonder why?

D.B. Cooper Update

You may have ended up here by googling D.B. Cooper. If not, google the name to learn more about this famous case. Now, we believe that this 36 year-old case is about to be broken by Sherlock Investigations.

D.B. Cooper is a name erroneously attached to a man who hijacked a Northwest 727 in 1971. He said that he had a bomb in a cheap plastic suitcase he carried. The man bought his plane ticket under the name Dan Cooper. The media later interviewed a D.B. Cooper. The name stuck forever to the case.

"Cooper" had the plane land, unload the 36 passengers, and picked up $200,000 in $20 bills, plus four parachutes. Soon after taking off again, he bailed out, never to be seen again. Even the yellow and red parachute was never found.

Many articles, some books, and even a movie, starring Treat Williams and Robert Duvall, have been inspired by the D.B. Cooper case.

Working on a lead we received, we've been on the case for several months. All the evidence we have fits the clues gleaned from the various articles and FBI press releases. We have photos, a fingerprint, and DNA evidence.

We believe that "D.B. Cooper" worked for Northwest Airlines (Northwest Orient at the time), was an experienced parachutist, lived in a Seattle suburb, grew up in the midwest, and was single. He even bought a house for cash two years after the famous hijacking.

Stayed tuned for more!

D.B. Cooper

On November 24, Thanksgiving eve, 1971, a unknown man hijacked a Northwest Orient Boeing 727 in Portland, Oregon, said he had a bomb in his briefcase, and demanded $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. He had the plane land, unload the 36 passengers, and picked up the cash and parachutes.

A little while after taking off with only the crew members, he lowered the backstairs and bailed out with the money. He's never been found since, dead or alive. However, some $5800 in cash was found along the Columbia River some years later.

The purpose of this telling is not to reiterate the story, but to announce that we think we know who D.B. Cooper was, and to solicite some help. Anyone who googles D.B. Cooper will find many accounts of the episode.

Our suspect was 45 years old at the time of the hijacking, an employee of Northwest Orient, and an experienced parachutist. He was a bourbon drinker, and a heavy smoker, as was Cooper, who ordered a bourbon on the plane and chain-smoked.

Our suspect lived in the Seattle area, but was originally from the Midwest. Although he retired from Northwest, he never had a bank account. Two years after the hijacking he purchased a house in the Seattle area, for cash, in $20 bills.

We have photographs of our suspect, one in a Northwest Orient flight attendant's uniform, and a mugshot that closely matches the FBI's composite drawing. We also have a thumbprint from his Army discharge papers (where he learned parachuting) and some DNA evidence.

There were two stewardesses on D.B. Cooper's (a fictitious name given to the hijacker by the media). They were Florence Schaffner and Tina Mucklow. We understand that Ms. Mucklow became a nun and is now sequestered in a convent.

First Officer Bob Rataczak, and the flight engineer H.E. Anderson also got a look at Cooper, as well as at least two passengers, Richard Simmons and his wife Barbara Simmons. The pilot is deceased.

If you're following this case, and know the whereabouts of any of the individuals listed above, we'd love to hear from you. Better still, if you're any of the people we listed, call today. We'd like to send these people copies of the photos we have and see if they recognize our suspect as being the man known as D.B. Cooper.

The FBI is also interested in this, but we're not ready to give up the information we have.

Gotham Private Eye Experience

Private investigator wannabes regularly contact Sherlock Investigations for employment or interships. We encourage people not to bother sending resumes because we don't read them. Instead, email us a letter explaining what you can do. If your letter excites us you might just get a job with us. Others have.

Still, the need is great for those who've always wanted to be a private eye and wondered what the experience is really like. As a result, we recently launched Gotham Private Eye Experience, a two-day, intensive, hands-on workshop in New York City.

A week ago we had our first student. After spending two days in the Big Apple working with us she exclaimed, "I had the experience of my life!"

In the workshop we reveal many of Sherlock's secrets. We explain how we locate people, conduct background investigations, run a surveillance operation, and teach people how to locate electronic eavesdropping devices...bugs, wiretaps, hidden video cameras, and much more.

Participants receive a copy of The Idiot's Guide to Private Investigations, required reading for Sherlock's investigators, and lunches at two of New York's Upper West Side Cafes.

So, come to New York City for the experience of your life.

Visit our sister-site www.gothamprivateeyeexperience.com to learn more!

Private Investigators: who uses them, men or women?

Generally, in domestic cases, women call Sherlock Investigations more than men. Lately, though, more men have been calling. Perhaps it has something to do with Spring's arrival. Women seem to cheat on their spouses or boyfriends as much as men do.

Women seem to have greater intuition than men. If a woman thinks a guy is cheating on her, the chances are great that she's right. Men don't seem to have that sense as much as women.

Same-sex couples also call us about their significant others. Women cheat on women and men cheat on men, just like straight people. We recently had a case where our client was a husband, who was suspicious that his wife having an affair with a woman. She was.

Our business clients are about equal as far as men and women go. This is true whether you're talking about attorneys or corporate types. The real exception are those involved with hedge funds. We regularly perform electronic sweeps for hedge fund companies in New York City. It's always a man who calls.

Our surveillance teams are usually women. This is effective because most people never suspect that women are following them. It's proven to be disarming in a lot of cases. Women seem to be able to get away with things that a man can't.

Cell Phone Bugs

Cell phone bugs, and/or roving cell phone bugs are hot in the world of bug detection. People contact us every day about the possibility of their cell phone being bugged. Sure, some of these people are just paranoid, but with the NSA spying on American citizens, and computer hackers setting their sites on cell phones, who isn't paranoid these days?

Can a cell phone be bugged? In short, yes. Actually, any transmission that is sent through the air can be intercepted. While not going into the technicalities of cell phone bugs, I will say this: If you don't want the world to know about something you say, don't say it on the telephone. And I mean landline, cordless phone, or cell phone. However, it's always good to have your phone inspected.

That's why Sherlock Investigations is offering to check cell phones for bugs. The way it works is you overnight your cell phone to us. We'll check it out electronically and physically, and send it back to you by Federal Express, along with our inspection report. Sure, you'll be without your cell phone for two days, but when you get it back, you'll know whether it's safe to use or not. You can't go wrong. For pricing, and our mailing address, contact us at sherlockinvestigations@gmail.com, or 212-579-4302. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Andy Barker, P.I.

I tried to tape NBC's new show Andy Barker P.I. last week. With my trusty old VHS recorder on Channel 4, I pressed Record, and then switched to Channel 7 to watch Grey's Anatomy.

A couple days later, we rewound the tape to watch Andy Barker P.I. and found Grey's Anatomy on the tape. I thought that once I hit Record, I could then switch to another channel and watch that channel and still record on the first channel. Guess not.

Even though private investigating is what I do for a living, watching P.I. shows is sometimes interesting, especially P.I.'s with a good sense of humor. Most TV and movie P.I.s seem to get involved in criminal matters. In reality, criminal cases seldom come through our door, unless you count various kinds of Internet fraud and identity theft.

Missing the first episode is like being late for a movie. I hate to watch a movie if I missed the beginning. Maybe when the series is available on DVD I'll order Andy Barker P.I. from Netflix.

How to Hire a Private Investigator

Most people who contact Sherlock Investigations have never before talked to a private investigator. This isn't unusual at all. After all, in the course of most people's life-times they'll never need a private investigator.

However, when you do need a private eye, you need to explain your situation as concisely as possible. Keep in mind: what, why, when, where, and how.

If you contact an investigator, state your problem and list all the facts. For example, if you're trying to locate someone, don't just say you have limited information. Say that you have a first and last name, and last known address, but that's all. If you have a SSN and DOB, say so. State precisely what information you do have.

We actually have people contact us who are looking for someone but don't even know their name! Near miracles can sometimes be done. We have located people with just a first name, but if the name is common, it can be real difficult.

If you're having marital problems and think you need surveillance done on your spouse, tell us briefly about the situation. Sometimes surveillance isn't the best option. If you have an attorney, it's best to consult with your attorney before contacting us.

The main thing that you want to avoid is sending a long, drawn-out email elaborating what you've been through for the last two years. Again, be concise, and state facts.

Free People Locator

The Internet is a great way to locate someone. Often, just entering someone's name in Google will come up with an address, phone number, and sometimes even an email address. Then there are specialized sites like classmates.com, anywho.com and a number of others.

When the going gets rough, people often click on the various ads found on Google and Yahoo. Most of these companies have access to databases such as the "headers" provided by the three major credit reporting companies. The headers contain basic information such as name, address, date-of-birth, Social Security Number, and often a phone number. Sometimes they include a place of employment.

When running a name through one of these companies that advertise on the Internet, you usually have to give your credit card information to see the results of your search. Many times, you'll get a long list of names, and you'll be left to figure out which one, if any, are the person that you're looking for.

Some companies offer Free People Locators. This will work if the person that you're looking for is in "plain sight" and not hiding from you or anyone else.

People contact Sherlock Investigations after they've tried all of the above. We specialize in finding hard-to-find people. Sure, we have access to all the databases that the other companies have. Too often, though, the person we're looking for is not on a database, or if they are, the data is old. People move a lot, and it takes months for the paper trail to catch up.

Sherlock Investigations offers hands-on service, and we work closely with our clients until we find the person you're looking for. You don't get this kind of service from most of the companies advertising on the Internet.

Some people, for any number of reasons, just don't want to be found. That's where Sherlock Investigations comes in. Based in New York City, we've gone in person as far as Tucson, Arizona to locate someone. In that case, we found her living under a bridge.

Free People Locator services may work fine for some people, but not hard-to-find people. Our rates may be higher than those of some agencies, but how many offer a guarantee? Not many, believe me. Our guarantee is that we will keep a case open and active until we locate the person you've hired us to find. We locate heirs, witnesses, deadbeat dads, runaway teens, fugitives, debtors, lost siblings, parents, and children.

If you're still looking for a free people locator, remember, you get what you pay for.

Online Dating Warning

Pity the newspapers that run "Personals." Online dating is really hot. Unlike ads in newspapers, you can communicate instantly with a person who piques your curiosity online. But beware!

Dating sites, like match.com, jdate.com, and eharmony.com, etc., post almost anything you'd want to know about someone. Of course, the members write their profiles themselves, and nothing is checked out. I know that there are a couple of sites that purport to do a background check on their members, but believe me, the background check is very sketchy and incomplete. No one can afford to do a background check for $30.

When responding to an "ad" online, prepare to be surprised. Women often lie about their age, especially if they're over 50. Some subtract as many as 10 years from their real age. And the photos they put up are often several years old, and some are even of other people. They also may cheat a bit, even quite a bit, in the weight category.

Men lie too. Men are more apt to lie about their marital status than anything. A close runner-up are lies about their weight and height. Some men join dating sites just looking for sex, and sometimes money.

Men, be aware that scammers from other countries are likely to contact you. (In many cases, they're men posing as women.) They'll try to get you to become infatuated with them, even sending phoney pictures. When they've got you hooked, they ask you to send them some money so that they can come over here. You send the money and they'll keep it and stay put.

If you meet someone online, they'll probably just give you their cellphone number. This is fine for starters. After a while, though, they should be willing to give out their home number, espeically if you've had a few dates. Be very, very suspicious of people who you've dated, but won't give you their home phone number or home address. What are they trying to hide? Believe me, it's something.

Keep track of all the information a person tells you. Good liars have to have superb memories just to keep track of all their lies. Most are bound to trip up sooner or later.

If you feel that someone is right for you, but you still remain suspicious, contact Sherlock Investigations. We can find out a person's true age, address, workplace, and marital situation, and more.

Having said all that, I endorse online dating as a great way to meet people. Just be very careful.

Wire Transfer Scams

Who wouldn't want $5000 for doing almost nothing? Say you get an email from someone in the United Kingdom. He says that he has three $5000 U.S. Postal Money Orders and can't cash them in the U.K., and he desperately needs the money.

He makes you an offer that's hard to refuse. He says that he'll mail you the money orders and asks you to deposit them in your bank. So far, so good. After you make the deposit, he asks you to wire $10,000 back to him. You get to keep $5,000 for this little gesture of good will.

Don't do it! Within a few days the bank will learn that these money orders are counterfeit. Meanwhile, the bank will have already sent the money to your contact in the U.K. Not only will your $5,000 earnings be no good, you'll owe the bank $10,000 for the money they transferred to the scammer.

Does this actually happen? Yes, every day.

This scam works in many different ways. Maybe you sold a $500 item on eBay and you receive a $3,000 check in the mail. The buyer asks you to send back $2,500. Don't do it! You'll soon discover that the $3,000 check is no good. And you've been scammed of $2,500.

If you receive a suspicious check or money order in the mail, contact your local Postal Inspectors. Check www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-is.html for more information.

Private Investigators

Because of TV and movies, a lot of people have misconceptions about what private eyes do. Most of us don't carry guns, and most of us don't even investigate criminal matters.

At Sherlock Investigations, our areas of expertise lie in several areas. While we do investigate crimes, especially Internet fraud, counterfeit merchandise sales, and the location of fugitives, we specialize in wiretap and bug detection, surveillance in the New York-metro area, background investigations, and the location of people for any number of reasons.

Much of our day is spent at the computer. Our access to non-public data bases enables us to find information that the suckers who buy NetDetective hope to find. Still, there is much information not found on data bases. Often, we are called upon to locate a person's place of employment. While social security searches sometimes come up with this information, it is usually out-dated. Then, we have to find it the old-fashioned way, sometimes even following somebody to work.

Several times a week we're asked to obtain a person's cell phone records. The only way to do this is to call a cell phone carrier and pretend that you're the person that you need the cell phone records for. Plain and simple, this is identity theft, and we don't do it.

There are a couple of other areas that we won't touch: obtaining medical records and how much people have in their bank accounts. Also, we do not place wiretaps, although we're often asked to. We locate them, but don't install them.

A lot of our requests from clients are unusual, but we welcome unusual requests, as long as they're legal.

Roving Bugs

The big news in the eavesdropping world is so-called "roving bugs." As a result, we've gotten calls from people who think that their cell phone is bugged. Before you call us, let me first tell you that your cell phone is very, very likely not bugged.

An article appearing in CNET News.com has generated all the buzz. Many bloggers picked up the story. Many of these bloggers subscribe to numerous conspiracies.

The article said, "The FBI appears to have begun using a novel form of electronic surveillance in criminal investigations: remotely activating a mobile phone's microphone and using it to eavesdrop on nearby conversations.

"The technique is called a "roving bug," and was approved by top U.S. Department of Justice officials for use against members of a New York organized crime family who were wary of conventional surveillance techniques such as tailing a suspect or wiretapping him.

"The FBI is apparently using a novel surveillance technique on alleged Mafioso: activating his cell phone's microphone and then just listening."

If you Google "roving bugs," you'll find the full story.

It's my opinion that a cell phone cannot be turned on remotely if the power is off. Even if it could, the microphone isn't sensitive enough to pick up conversation more than a few feet away anyway.

I think the story is really based on a judge's decision to allow roving phone taps. In other words, say the FBI gets permission to tap a mobster's phone. Well, he's not going to be in his home all the time. He travels. So, the newest thing in taps, is tapping every phone where the mobster might be, including payphones in his neighborhood. That's a roving tap, or roving bug.

In the CNET article, one TSCM expert (bug sweeper) whom I respect, affirmed the gist of the story. I still disagree with the article.

However, if you think that a program can be downloaded to your cell phone to turn it on and eavesdrop on you, there are several things you can do.

Pull the battery out. Get a prepaid cell phone. Put your cell phone in a clam shell-type glasses case (You'll still be able to hear it ring, but it will muffle the mic enough so that an eavesdropper won't hear a word.

But ask yourself, are you really important enough for the FBI to place a roving bug on your phone?

Background Check on YOU!

At Sherlock Investigations we commonly have clients ask us to check them out. They want a background check on themselves.

A recent client was applying for a Small Business Association loan. Before he sent in his application, he wanted to know of any adverse information that the SBA might find on him.

Frequently, we have clients send us their resume and ask us to check with their former employers to learn what they have to say about them. Often, the most that they'll answer is, "Is he/she eligible for rehire?" If the answer's "no," he or she has real problems. "Yes," of course, is a good sign

When inquiring past employers for a recent client, I heard "Interesting," when I mentioned his name. I knew that it was going to be all downhill from there.

Sometimes clients admit that they had a past criminal conviction, and wonder if it will show up on a background check. Generally, if it occured more than 7 years ago it won't, BUT, you never know.

It's best to be very honest on job applications and resumes, because if the company to which you're applying for a job hires a P.I. to do a background investigation, the chances are that your untruths will be exposed!

Western Union Warning

Western Union is a very safe way to send money....if you personally know the person to whom your sending it. However, scammers and con artists also use Western Union to receive money. You might think that you know who you're sending money to, but anyone can come up with a fake I.D. to use for picking up money from Western Union.

I've picked up money from Western Union for Sherlock Investigations, and I know that they don't check my I.D. very closely. As long as it looks official, and has my name on it, it'll do. A person could set up a website, lift someone's wallet and use his name on his website, and then use his license when customers send him money through Western Union for something they'll never get.

Western Union is advising people to help prevent consumer fraud. Here is what they're saying:

"Are you sending money to claim lottery or prize winnings, or on a promise of receiving a large amount of money?" (If you didn't enter a lottery, you didn't win the lottery. And if you did enter a lottery, you don't have to pay more money to get your winnings. Duh.)

"Are you sending money because you were 'guaranteed' a credit card or loan?" (Don't pay money to get a credit card or loan.)

"Are you responding to an Internet or phone offer that you aren't sure is honest?" (Never spend more than you can afford to lose on eBay.)

"Are you sending money to someone you don't know or whose identity you can't verify?"
(Don't.)

Now, here is something really special that you should know about Western Union. Suppose you just read this blog, and it just happens that you sent money to someone yesterday and now you wish that you hadn't? Well, you might be able to get your money back if you hurry.

Go to Western Union and ask them to stop your money transfer immediately, or call them at 1-800-325-6000. If your money has not been picked up yet, it will be returned to you.

More on Gypsy Psychics

Since I posted Gypsy Psychic Scams some time ago, I've gotten quite a few responses from those identifying themselves as Gypsies. All of it has been angry.
In another posting, I apologized to Gypsies, because I did not mean to offend Gypsies as a people. Some have pointed out that Gypsies are involved in legitimate professions and businesses. That may well be.

Yet, I abide by my original contention: Shops with neon signs in the window that say Spiritual Advisor, Psychic Reader, or whatever, are fraudulent. A few of these women (most are women) may think that they have supernatural powers. What they have is the keen ability to read people, question people, and extract a great deal of information from them. Maybe they're convinced that they have supernatural abilities..

And, yes, most of these places are run by Gypsies. That certainly doesn't make all Gypsies bad, but it doesn't change the fact that most "fortune tellers" are Gypsies. I'm sure that there are many good, law-abiding Gypsies.

Most of the angry Gypsies who respond to this blog quote scriptures or use relgious terminology. None though, have said to me that it is wrong to lie, steal and cheat. And that's what goes on in these places.

Child Abuse

A social services office in New York frequently refers people to us who are trying to locate birth parents. Although these people usually have little money, we try to help them.

Today, a social services agency that helps homeless people called us. The case worker had a man there who was looking for the mother of his child, and the child. The social worker called Sherlock Investigations to see if we could help.

My associate, Sherry, talked to him. Right away, she asked the social worker if the homeless man had a criminal record. While still on the phone, the social worker asked the homeless person.

"Yes, he does," he said.

"For what," Sherry asked.

"Child abuse," he said.

Of course we're not going to help him find his child when he's been arrested for child abuse! You'd think that the social worker would have asked him himself.

Investigate Before You Invest

At Sherlock Investigations we get many cases from people who've invested their life savings with some "Wall Street" firm. In every case, they invested just a few thousand dollars for starters. Within a short time, the return on their investment reaped a great harvest. After they had taken the bait, and, yes, that's what they did, they invested a much larger sum.

When the time came to reap their great reward, the investor was gone. Then they hired Sherlock Investigations to find the person. In some cases we found the person, and when we did, they were arrested.

When I mentioned a "Wall Street firm" above, I didn't really mean it. Anyone can have a nice web site designed, and anyone can rent a phone, a desk, or a cubbyhole from firms located on Wall Street who rent to such fly-by-night companies.

In New York there are a number of such companies. They're on Wall Street, Madison Avenue, and the Empire State Building. Anyone can have a prestigious address.

Most of the time, our cases involving scam artists are past-tense. But, last week we had a client from Italy who was interested in investing with a New York-based company. Fortunately, he hired us to check out the company first.

It turned out that the company was run by scam artists, and two of the people involved were wanted by authorities in Europe.

Always investigate before you invest. If you don't, you could lose your retirement, your life savings, and your home.

New York Taxis

It's amazing how many people leave personal items in New York City taxis. Most of the time they never see them again.

One time a client took a cab to our office. On the cab seat he found a woman's wallet, so he brought it to us. From the driver's license inside we learned that a woman from Texas lost it. Included with the driver's license were credit cards (an identity thief's dream), and over $100 in cash.

To make a long story short, we tried for an hour to locate her. We finally found a phone number in Texas and left a message. In a little while, panic stricken, she called us. She didn't even know that she had lost her wallet until she checked her voice mail at home.

She took another cab to our office; I gave her the wallet, and she darted off with hardly a "thank you." Most Texans I know are more gracious.

We've had a number of clients who've come to us to report that they left something in a cab...everything from wallets to laptop computers. I don't think we've ever been able to track down the lost item.

This brings up one of my rules. Just like I have an eBay rule (Never spend more than you can afford to lose.), my New York taxi rule is, "Always get a receipt."

New York cabs have an automated receipt printer. If you don't take your receipt, the cabby will just throw it away. If you take your receipt, and you absent-mindedly leave something in a cab, you can easily track the cab and cabby and locate what you left behind.

Secret Video Taping

Yesterday I came across a story about a former police dispatcher who was charged with a felony for secretly videotaping his ex-wife. His ex-wife happens to be a deputy sheriff in upstate New York.

The man, Michael Alteri, was accused of hiding a video camera in his ex-wife's home. Ticonderoga town police obtained a search warrant for Alteri's home and found videotapes from a hidden video camera allegedly installed in his ex-wife's home. He was charged with felony eavesdropping.

This brings up several questions. Did Alteri place the camera in his ex-wife's home before the divorce? Or, did he trespass in her home after the divorce?

Where was the camera? In her bedroom or bathroom? Since the grand jury indicted him for felony eavesdropping, it was probably in one of them.

The article I read didn't say why the town police got a search warrant, but somehow the man's ex-wife must have suspected something was going on. Perhaps she had her home swept for eavesdropping devices.

New York state has very stiff penalties for audio eavesdropping, or wiretapping, as it's called. The laws regarding video eavesdropping are somewhat vague. In any case, a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy in their home, which makes this type of video taping problematic.

Victim of Identity Theft?

Recently I posted a couple of stories about a close friend of mine who was the victim of identity theft. Her JP Morgan Chase checking account was raided, and the thief was processing $6000 every-other-day through PayPal.

When she learned of it, she called Chase, who closed her checking account. Then, two weeks later, someone went into four different Chase banks and started withdrawing money from her savings accounts. (You'd think Chase would have had some safeguards in place by then, but they didn't.)

My friend did all the things that you're supposed to do when one becomes a victim of identity theft: notify the bank, the credit bureaus, and file a police report. When she filed the police report with the NYPD, a Detective Ramos said that the perp probably knew her.

When I heard that, I said, "Yeah, right." I didn't believe if for a moment. Well, to make a long story short. My friend's accountant noticed that four of her clients have recently become the victims of identity theft. In one case, the police called her to run a name by her, to see if she recognized it.

"Yes, I fired that person a couple of months ago," the accountant said. The police had come up with a name in one of the cases, and it turned out that the same woman stole the identities of four different women, and was raking in thousands of dollars a week.

Detective Ramos was right on when he said, "It's probably somebody that you know."

DivorceNet

If you're going through a divorce, thinking about divorcing, or have a friend in either situation, you need to know about divorcenet.com. DivorceNet is the Internet's largest divorce resource, offering state-specific articles, an online community and a nationwide directory of divorce lawyers, mediators and financial professionals.

DivorceNet has over 16,000 registered users. Registration is free. There are over 70 Community Forums, where members help each other. Each forum has a Community Moderator; a professional who will answer reader's questions.

"Ask the Private Investigator" is one of the forums. I'm the Community Moderator. I enjoy answering online reader's questions. We've enjoyed thousands of visitors at Ask the Private Investigator.

There are many helpful sections on divorcenet. com. Here are some of them:

Collaborative Law - Avoid going to court.
Divorce Mediation - Negotiate your agreement.
Financial Planning - Understand your finances.
Real Estate - Your home, your future.

eBooks & Forms - Our most popular self-help tools:
Predivorce Document Checklist - Find hidden income.
Divorce Financial Worksheet - Organize your divorce.

News:
Divorce News Blog - Nationwide news and editorials on divorce and separation, updated daily.
Paternity Testing & Family Law News
Community:
Community Forums - Support network with over 70 forums.
Daily Answer Desk with Jim Gross, Esq. - Divorce advice from an experienced attorney.

Related Resources:
Child Support & Alimony
What are the support guidelines?

Custody & Visitation
How often will I see my kids?

Property Division
Will I need to sell my home?

Military Divorce
Is this the same as a civilian divorce?

Divorce & Taxes
Are you aware of tax-related divorce issues?

Stages of Divorce:
Considering Divorce
Planning Divorce
Filing & Litigation
After Divorce

State Resource Pages - Divorce law is different in each state.
Please visit the state in which you and your spouse currently reside or last lived together.

Begin Your Divorce Online - Customized online divorce forms. Fast, affordable and easy.

Save Money on Legal Fees - Software suite designed to help you take control of your finances.

If you, or someone you know, needs help with a divorce, I highly recommend divorcenet.com.

Media Hurts Private Investigator's Image

Once in a while the media presents something positive about private investigators. Most of the time, though, it's either sensationalist or negative. In our field, just like any other field, whether it's politics, banking, or education, there are bad apples.

Fictional TV shows about P.I.s either make us look like wonder-workers (and do everything for free, for you never see a P.I. taking money from a client in a TV show), or sleezeballs. Some P.I.s add to our sleezy image with their own TV shows.

Private investigators do a lot of good for society. We reign-in fugitives and deadbeat dads, we bust bogus psychics (and most of them are bogus), and find sellers of counterfeit merchandise and perpetrators of eBay fraud.

We help people from making costly mistakes when we do background investigations, we reunite loved ones, find birth parents for medical reasons, and do a number of things pro bono...just for a good cause.

Private investigators know how to dig for information, and know what to do with the information we find. (Yes, sometimes we do work wonders.) Some of us use it for good, others for not-so-good things.

Cost of Iraq War on Families

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are taking a toll on families. Besides those being killed and wounded, being apart from loved ones months at a time (and several times in a row) creates great stress on relationships.

Every week we at Sherlock Investigations get email from soldiers serving overseas who think that their spouses, or boyfriends or girlfriends, are having affairs while they're away serving our country. Sometimes we even get calls from Iraq or Afghanistan via satellite phone. These calls are from both men and women.

A soldier's pay is so little, that there is often very little we can do in these situations, as surveillance is usually required to prove infidelity. And surveillance is expensive. It's usually best if the soldier serving overseas enlists help from a friend or family member.

The best thing "family values" politicians can do for these families is to bring our troops home.

How to Locate a Cell Phone Bug

Cell phone bugs are the most popular means of electronic eavesdropping today. When I talk about cell phone bugs, I don't mean a bugged, or tapped, cell phone. While the government has equipment that can pick up your cell phone conversations, you're probably not a major criminal or a threat to national security, so the government has no interest in you. If you think otherwise, you're probably paranoid.

Most people who are interested in what you say on your cell can't afford $75,000 for the electronic equipment to do the job, and the manufacturer wouldn't sell it to them anyway.

However, there is a real threat with cell phone bugs. In this case, a cell phone itself is the bug. While you can purchase a specially equipped cell phone to use as a bug for around $1000 on the Internet, you can just go to your nearest cell phone store.

One or two things make these cell phones unique. First, when you call them, they don't ring or vibrate. Calling them simply turns on their microphone. Now the person calling can hear every word that's spoken within a certain proximity. Most cell phones have a pretty good microphone (mouthpiece) that serves quite well for eavesdropping. Some cell phones, though, are equipped with a highly sensitive mike that will easily pick up a conversation twenty feet away.

Think about the possibilities. A person could visit an office and drop one in a plant, under a bed, or, using double-sided tape, stick one under a conference table or desk. Then go on their merry way, and call the phone anytime they want to listen to the sounds in that room.

The best kind of phone to buy for eavesdropping purposes is a pre-paid cell phone that has a feature to shut off the ringer. These phones can't be traced to the purchaser. But, the number the person calls from would still show up if it was a published number.

There's another adaptation of these phones that you should know about. Eventually, the battery's going to die. Cell phone bugs placed in a vehicle have a wire going from the phone to the car's battery. This means unlimited listening time. They also have a seperate, sensitive microphone. The tiny mircrophone is often hidden several feet from the phone.

Thus, the phone could be hidden in almost any place in a vehicle. The wires to the battery and microphone are hidden very carefully, usually in interior trim or molding. These cell phone bugs often have a tiny circuit board about the size of a postage stamp attached to the mic wire.

Now, how to locate them. (Professionals have sensitive equipped that can locate a cell phone that is powered on.) First, any unclaimed cell phone in an office or home should be suspect. This is especially true if you find that they are turned on. To disable one, simply remove the battery.

If you go in a room, think about where you would hide a cell phone if you wanted to eavesdrop. Use your imagination. Don't forget to look on top of the tiles of a room with a dropped ceiling. Look under tables, chairs, in plants. Thoroughly search the room.

In a vehicle, do the same thing. The most likely place to hide a cell phone bug in a car is within a few feet in front of the driver. Look in the air vents, under the dash (use a mirror and flashlight), and under the seats.

If the cell phone bug is equipped with a seperate microphone, the search is much harder. Look for any screws, trim, or molding that may have been tampered with. Look in the map light, the air vents. Look at the battery and see if there is an extra wire that's not original equipment. The same with the fuse box.

It once took me two hours to locate a cell phone bug in an SUV. The microphone was in the maplight. I followed one wire up into the roof where I found a Motorola cell phone. Another wire went from the cell phone to the battery for power.

When someone calls a cell phone bug, they can hear everything up to twenty or more feet from the device. Cell phone bugs are the easiest and cheapest eavesdropping devices to install. No wonder they're so popular.

Plane Hits New York Apartment

When a single-engine plane slammed into a 50-story apartment building this afternoon everyone immediately thought of terrorism and 9/11. Apparently, it was a tragic accident.

Let's suppose for a moment that it wasn't an accident. There is virtually no security at the nation's hundreds of small airports. A person could easily steal a plane from one of them. In fact, in some small airports that rent planes, it's possible to obtain one without even displaying a pilot's license.

Taking this scenario further, let's suppose that someone rented or stole a plane, landed it in a field, and filled it up with explosives. Then they took off and literally flew below the radar to any chosen target.

In the immediate aftermath of today's tragedy, I wondered if this small plane could have been targeting the nearby United Nations. It probably wasn't, but it could happen in the future.

Spy vs. Counterspy

This week's New York Magazine has an article called Spy vs. Counterspy. The subtitle reads: "Two private eyes face off on getting the goods and keeping your secrets." By Sarah Bernard, it's a fun piece that came in the wake of the Jeanine Pirro revelation about her wanting to bug her husband's boat.

The article focuses on five areas, Eavesdropping, Stalking, Digits, Visual Contact, and Cybersecurity. I'm the spy in the article. Todd Morris, of Brickhouse Security, is the counterspy.

Of course, I want you to go out and buy New York Magazine, so I'm not going to reveal any more about the article. However, there is one point that the writer, or the fact-checker, misunderstood.

Under Eavesdropping, the article says, "Inexpensive scanners pick up wireless calls easily." This is not true. The older 900 MHz cordless phones (and baby monitors) can be picked up easily with a Radio Shack scanner. Even the first analog cell phones had this weakness. Today, it's very difficult to eavesdrop on a cell phone. I know of one company that has a scanner that will pick up cell phone conversations. They sell it to the government for about $75,000, something the average person can't afford (They wouldn't sell to the average person even if they could afford it.).

Anyway, I'll write a Letter to the Editor about the misunderstanding. In any case, you heard it here first.

Surveillance

When most people think of private detectives they associate us with tailing. And we do a lot of that. Even in the age of the Internet, where all sorts of information can be found online, old-fashioned surveillance is still the name-of-the-game. Some private investigators, and, especially, information brokers, do everything online. There are some things you can never find online.

The Sherlock Investigations' surveillance teams are busy every week. Sometimes we don't have enough personnel to cover our needs, so it becomes first-come, first-served.

Most of our surveillance involves what we call domestic cases...infidelity cases. As long as people think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence we'll be in business.

Some of our cases involve Indians or Pakistanis whose families practice arranged marriages. They might have, for instance, a daughter that they have arranged to marry a young man who currently lives in New York. They want to know what he's really like when certain others aren't around.

The best way to find out someone's comings-and-goings is to follow them. You can also find out if they smoke, drink, gamble, or what-have-you.

In other cases, we follow people around who come to New York, America's playground. They think that if they're 1,500 miles away from home that they can get away with things they can't do at home.

We'll follow them to restaurants, bars, and even when they pick up a prostitute and bring her back to their hotel. I've sat in a hotel lobby for 8 hours, and across the street from the Trump Plaza in the middle of winter on a park bench dressed like a homeless person, with my camcorder in a paper bag, looking like a bottle of beer.

Our surveillance teams have digital video cameras, hidden cameras, and a specially equipped surveillance van. One investigator even has a kayak that he said we could've used if Jeanine Pirro had hired us to conduct surveillance on her husband's boat.

Surveillance is expensive. One detective for 4 hours costs $600. Two detectives costs about $800. We did a surveillance that lasted for 10 weekends and ran into the thousands of dollars. Often, though, surveillance is the only way to conduct an investigation. What we see is what you get.

What Private Investigators Do

While we list our services on our web site in menu-style, we actually do a lot more than what we list. The only thing we won't do is anything illegal. For example, we're asked all the time to plant a bug or tap a phone. We'll find one in a business or residence, but we won't place one.

Of course, we do all the normal things PIs do such as tailing an unfaithful spouse, run background investigations on people, and locate missing people. Once is a while we are asked to perform countersurveillance. In other words, people think that they are being followed hire us to follow them to see if they're being followed.

Some of our assignments brings us to the New York Public Library where they have phone books going back to Alexander Graham Bell's time. A lot of useful information can be found in old phone books.

We have some smart people working for us. We know how to conduct research, whether on the Internet, or real physical places.

With the advent of the Internet, I worried about our business. After all, anyone can access the Internet. I've found that my worries were unfounded, as most people don't know where to go on the Internet to get the information they need.

Most of all, we're problem solvers. Contact us if you've got a problem that you think we can solve.

Witness Protection Program

The so-called "witness protection program" is administered by the United States Marshall's Service. The U.S. Marshall's probably apprehend more fugitives than any other law-enforcement office.

The U.S. Marshall's are generally in charge of prisoners, from the time they're arrested, throughout the trial, and until they are put away.

The U.S. Marhall's are also often in charge of protecting witnesses. Some witnesses risk life and limb when agreeing to testify against suspected criminals. Some criminals are so dangerous that after the trial a whole new identity needs to be set up for the witness. This includes a new name, address, occupation, and sometimes even plastic surgery to change the witnesses appearance.

At Sherlock Investigations we sometimes get calls from people who know the whereabouts of a fugitive. They're afraid to report this themselves, so they call upon us to do it.

Using our extensive contacts in law-enforcement, we're more than happy to provide this service. And it is a service. Putting dangerous people behind bars is a good thing.

Bugging a Spouse

Since the Jeanine Pirro investigation involving her desire to bug her husband's boat, a lot of people have asked me if it's legal to bug your spouse. The reasoning is, that you should be able to bug your own home or marital property, or tap your own phone.

I won't do it for anyone, and I always discourage people from doing it. Not being a lawyer, I can't argue the fine points of the law. Generally, if you're not a party to the conversation, you can't record it.

If Pirro did bug her husband's boat, and the FBI says it was illegal, then her discussion of it with a private eye was illegal too. It's conspiracy to commit a crime.

As a former district attorney, she should have realized that she was treading on dangerous ground. Also, the person she discussed it with on the phone was someone to be careful with, as he was the target of investigation. A good rule to follow: never discuss anything on a phone, landline or cell, that you don't want the world to know about.

Pirro Bugging Case

The FBI dropped a bombshell on Jeanine Pirro, the Republican candidate for Attorney General of New York State, by letting her know that she was the target of a federal investigation as a result of her wanting to bug her husband's boat.

The revelation was leaked to WNBC/Channel 4, in New York, after the FBI learned of her discussion with private eye Bernie Kerik after tapping his phone while conducting an investigation of Kerik. Kerik is a former Police Commissioner of New York City.

Yesterday, Pirro held a press conference in an attempt to save her faltering campaign. Pirro called the investigation a "political witch hunt and smear campaign," to ruin her politically.

She demanded an investigation into why sealed documents were leaked to the public. She said that her marriage was personal and not part of her campaign. She added that there's nothing illegal about one spouse taping another.

Jeanine Pirro, a former District Attorny of Westchester County, should know better. Wiretapping without a court order is illegal, period. Electronic eavesdropping, unless you're a party to the conversation, is wiretapping, and illegal.

On the FBI tapes, Pirro is quoted as saying, "What am I supposed to do, Bernie? Watch him fuck her every night? What am I supposed to do? I can go on the boat. I'll put the fucking thing on myself."

I can understand a woman's outrage at an unfaithful spouse. We get calls all the time from women in similar circumstances. The answer though, is not bugging. Surveillance would have probably done the trick for Pirro. Now, it's too late. Her political career is over, and probably her marriage too.

While the leak of the FBI tapes to the media was probably a political thing, the FBI's investigation into Pirro is not. Whenever the FBI suspects that a crime has been committed, or may be, it is bound to investigate.

In this case, they didn't know if private investigator Kerik went ahead with it, or not. They didn't know if Pirro found some other way to bug her husband, including doing it herself, as she had suggested.

The FBI is blameless. The person who leaked the tape transcript probably is not.

New York Post & Background Investigations

In their section called "Pulse," my interview about background investigations with the New York Post came out this morning. It looks like it'll land me on the Today Show tomorrow. We'll see.

The article focused heavily on online dating. Because of the frequency of calls we get about online dating, I decided to do something about it. As much as 50% of the posts you find on online dating sites are exaggerations, if not outright lies. People lie about their looks, age, marital status, and their employment.

So, a couple of years ago I started an online dating site. The unique feature of the site was that every member underwent a background check. If we found that they lied about something, we kicked them off.

I lost my shirt with the dating site. I got out before I lost my pants, too. The project was underfunded, and I don't know the business of online dating sites. However, I do know about background investigations. So, I decided to stick with that.

Now, background checks are becoming quite common on online dating sites. I heard about one company that does background checks for $25. That's like jumping out of a plane using a handkerchief for a parachute. I don't see any way a $25 background check would be of any use.

Background Investigations

Today, a reporter from the New York Post interviewed me about conducting background investigations. Her particular angle was employing background investigations in checking out a boyfriend. The article is supposed to appear in tomorrow's paper. We'll see.

I've written about background investigations several times on this blog, and I'm sure I'll write about it again. There's always more to say about background investigations.

There are several tiers to background investigations. First, there is the case where you have a lot of information to start with; things that the client tells you about the subject of the investigation. The investigator then verifies the information provided. Often, we're unable to verify the information because it's false.

These investigations cost the least because we have somewhere to start. We simply compare what's provided with what actually is.

The most difficult, and expensive, background investigations are when you have little to start with, and have to discover everything through investigating. Clients sometimes want to find out everything they can about a person's "lifestyle." In other words, does he smoke, drink, carouse, hang out, and who are his friends? The only real way to get this kind of case done is through surveillance. Surveillance costs a lot of money.

Whatever you're looking for on a person, we can find it, if you've got the money.

Detective Novels

I don't read many private detective novels, mostly because they fail to depict reality. But, several years ago I visited Partners & Crime mystery bookstore on Greenwich Avenue in New York. I asked for any books about private investigators in New York City.

They pointed me to Lawrence Block's series on Matthew Scudder. Since that time, I've read them all, and enjoyed them. Some were better than others, of course. Familiar places made me feel like I was part of the stories. There were some locations, though, that I couldn't quite figure out.

Later, I met Block. He confessed that he made up some of the locations, a sort of composite.

The main difference between private detective novels and the real world is that the private detectives in these books usually work on criminal cases. Most private detectives don't work on criminal cases. Yes, there are some that specialize in criminal matters, but not that many. About 10% of our cases at Sherlock Investigations involve criminal matters.

Also, many private investigators don't carry guns. Those who are ex-cops sometimes do, but even some of them have hung up their weapons. I stopped carrying a pistol years ago, before I actually shot someone.

In most states, private detectives aren't allowed to carry badges. Along that line, in Massachusetts, where I'm also licensed, we're called Private Detectives. New York, though, thinks that "detective" sounds too official, so we're called Private Investigators here.

Private detective novels are often a fun read, but just don't believe everything you read.

What's in Your Wallet?

"What's in your wallet?" is a well-known credit card company's advertising slogan. I know one thing that's not in your wallet. That's your proof of citizenship. It's not there because there really is no such thing, unless you're a naturalized citizen and you have a certificate issued by the government.

I have no proof of citizenship other than my birth certificate, and I don't carry that around in my wallet. My driver's license simply has my name, address, and date of birth. So, if I were arrested on suspicion for being an illegal alien, I couldn't defend myself on the spot.

At Sherlock Investigations we get quite a few inquiries either about a person's citizenship, or their immigration status. Since INS won't cooperate with us, and there is no database listing citizens, these cases are very dificult.

I don't think I'm in favor of a national identity card, but I am in favor of noting citizenship on a person's driver's license, or state ID card. It could just be two little boxes, and the state would just check one, citizen, or non-citizen.

Paranoia

"Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean that someone isn't watching me," goes the saying. And it's true. However, many paranoid people are totally convinced that some sort of electronic eavesdropping or harassment is being employed against them. They're so convinced that they relay convincing stories to investigators.

Most of the calls to Sherlock Investigations from truly paranoid people are from women over 60 who live alone. They're convinced that a neighbor, or someone else, is beaming some sort of radiation into their apartment. Some spend all their waking hours dwelling on this.

I've heard stories that go on and on with detail. Some people purchase radio frequency meters over the Internet and point them in their neighbor's direction. If they get a reading, they believe that they have proof. Even if the equipment is of decent quality, one needs to know how to use it.

With some callers I've said, "Have your doctor or lawyer call me. If they request our services, I'll be glad to help you." Lately, we've been limiting our domestic, individual cases, and restricting our technical surveillance countermeasures to businesses only.

While I mentioned women over 60 who live alone, I don't want to discount women living alone who are going through a divorce. Estranged husbands often bug their wives residences or tap their phones.

Not being a psychiatrist, I don't know if it's possible for a person suffering from mental illness to acknowledge that electronic eavesdropping is a figment of their imagination. If I believe that there's any possibility of a person being under electronic surveillance, I want to help. Therefore, I'll listen to your story, to a point.

The Secret Life of Private Investigators

Under "Buzzwords" in The Week in Review, Sunday's (9/17/06) New York Times featured an article titled "The Secret Life of Private Investigators." Spawned by the recent Hewlitt Packard scandal over pretexting, the piece briefly touched on what we do as private investigators.

Most private investigators employ pretexting, defined as posing as someone you're not. Usually, this is completely legal. However, when someone poses as the person they're trying to get information on, especially when it's to banks, phone companies, and utility companies, it becomes illegal.

The Times article gave away some of our secrets, but not all of them, fortunately. It also mentioned some of the legitimate reasons that we are hired to locate people, such as finding deadbeat dads, debtors, and runaways. I would add to that, witnesses who could testify in a court action, heirs, and fugitives.

While we do have a lot of tricks up our sleeves, most of our work requires persistence, an active imagination, and patience.

$500 Background Check

There is a difference between a background check, and a background investigation. Most of our clients can afford a background check, but not a full-fledged investigation.

When we perform a background check for $500 we don't leave the office. We search many public and non-public online records for information on the subject. We search newspapers online to find any possible articles written about the subject.

We also perform an in-depth Internet search, often coming up with very hard-to-find items. We also may employ some private investigator's "tricks-of-the-trade".

A $500 background check includes an address history, a search for criminal records going back 7 years, in any states and counties the subject has lived in during that time. It includes a search, again online, of relatives, associates, and may include anyone the subject has lived with, including a spouse. It includes bankruptcies, liens and judgments, and vehicle, boat and plane ownership. We also check to see if the suject is a registered voter, and if so, what party affiliation.

If we've been given a resume, we'll verify past employers and education claimed. Generally, a $500 background check won't include present employment (although it may come up in a routine search, and if it does, we include it). Of course, anything that comes up in the course of the background check is given to the client (However, we don't usually give out Social Security Numbers.)

I think that that's quite a lot for $500. However, some clients want much more than that. OK, now we're talking about a background investigation. An investigation includes all of the above, but more. An investigation may take us out on the street. We may interview neighbors, past employers, relatives...whatever it takes to get the job done.

One problem with this type of investigation is that the subject of the investigaion may learn about it. Sometimes great care needs to be taken to prevent this, which makes things even harder.

Background investigations may cost in the thousands of dollars. Telling us what information you specifically want will help keep down the costs. In any case, being specific about yours needs is always helpful.

Rick Ross and Destructive Groups

Rick Ross is in hot demand. I'm not talking about Rick Ross, the rapper. I suppose he's in hot demand too, but only to people who enjoy rap. I'm talking about Rick Ross the exit counselor.

An exit counselor is a person who helps people get out of cults. It's a profession with a lot of job security. Cults have been around forever, and because of our human foibles, they always will .

Exit counselors have varying degrees of expertise and integrity. I've known Rick Ross for almost 20 years. Rick is dedicated to his work and extremely professional. As a result, he's help a lot of families get their loved ones out of destructive groups.

I think I have a pretty good knowledge of various religions and cults, but Rick knows much, much more than I. In fact, I believe Rick Ross knows and understands cults, or destructive groups, as well, if not better, than anyone else in the world.

Interventions, i.e., the process of convincing a person to leave a destructive group, aren't always successful. The reasons range from a person being mentally ill, to simply bad timing.

Because of Rick Ross's successes, groups such as Scientology and others, have viciously attacked Rick. They've hired private investigators to follow him around and go through his trash. They've dug up indiscretions from his youth, and sued him in various courts around the country. Rick Ross still stands.

Because of his sincerety and dedication, and often because they feel his First Amendment rights are being violated, powerful lawyers have stepped in to help him out when he's challenged by destructive groups.

Rick Ross runs a not-for-profit educational foundation. His web site is among the most popular sites in the world, as it contains a wealth of information about destructive groups. Visit it at www.rickross.com.

Ann Richards

A great woman, former Governor of Texas, Ann Richards, died yesterday. The only thing that this has to do with private investigations is airports. Let me explain.

I've always admired Ann Richards. She was outspoken, witty and fiesty. She's the one that quipped that George W. Bush was "born with a silver foot in his mouth." While there isn't much to admire about most politicans, they should at least entertain us. She did that, and more.

So, when I spotted her standing alone in Chicago's O'Hare airport a few years ago, I just had to approach her and tell her how much I admired her. She accepted my compliments with grace, but had nothing funny to say at the time.

OK, so I previously lumped Ann Richards, airports and private investigation together. Sherlock Investigations constantly conducts surveillances in the New York metro area. Many times we've had to start the surveillance assignments at the New York airports.

This has always been a challenge, and has become more-so since 9/11. Security is tight at airports (but not at US ports...what's wrong with this picture?). Security is also tight in New York Hotels. That's one reason that we require clients requesting hotel surveillance to book us a room. You need a room key to be able to hang around a hotel lobby for long periods.

Anyway, life goes on. I'll always remember Ann Richards. Her sense of humor and pointed remarks did us some good.

Wiretap and Bug Detection

In the business, we call it TSCM, which stands for Technical Surveillance CounterMeasures. To most people, it's simply wiretap and bug detection. By "bug," of course, I mean electronic eavesdropping, not insects. The bugs we look for are not cockroaches. If so, they'd be easy to find, especially here in New York.

There are numerous reasons why people want our services. A company many be hosting a conference in which confidential information will be shared. They want to be sure that no one has placed a listening device in the conference area to learn their trade secrets.

In one case, a big city mayor just assumed office after an election. Sherlock Investigations was hired to sweep his office, conference room, and limousine. He wanted to be sure his predecessor didn't leave any listening devices behind. He didn't, but when I saw wires attached to the battery with alligator clips, I at first thought they were power for a transmitter. It turned out that they were for the mayor's car siren.

In a recent case, a high-profile socialite had us sweep her office for bugs. None were located.

In another case, a woman found that her husband, whom she was divorcing, knew a lot about conversations she had on her cell phone. She thought her cell phone was tapped. While this is possible, it's improbable unless the FBI is spying on you.

It turned out that her husband had placed a cell phone bug in her SUV. It took me two hours to locate it, as it wasn't turned on at the time of the search. Finally, within the maplight above the rearview mirror, I located a tiny microphone attached to a postage-sized circuit board. Two wires were attached to the circuit board. One led to the battery. The other led to a cell phone hidden in the ceiling of the vehicle.

The husband would call the cell phone from various places in the U.S. and listen to his wife's side of the conversation as she talked in her vehicle. The hidden cell phone didn't ring, but turned on the sensitive microphone.

Of course, once I found the cell phone, all I had to do is look at the phone numbers that had called the phone. All of the numbers were the husband's.

Cell phone bugs are probably the most common type of bug now. A specially prepared cell phone can be left on a desk, taped under a conference table, placed in a plant, or under a car seat. The eavesdropper can call at will and listen to the conversation in the room or vehicle.

Of course, we can locate cell phone bugs, and other eavesdropping devices, including hidden cameras, whether they be wireless or wired.

Pretexting

Hewlett Packard's scandal has put "pretexting" in the daily news. Until recently, only private investigators and information brokers knew about pretexting. According to today's Wall Street Journal, pretexting is "obtaining information by hiding one's identity." It's a lot more than that. It's not only hiding one's identity, it's pretending to be the person that you're trying to get information on.

When an information broker, or a private investigator, calls a phone company and says he's Bob Smith, when he's not Bob Smith, and that his house burned down and he lost all his cell phone records, and could they fax them to him, that's pretexting. Because it's identity theft, it's unethical, and, in many cases, illegal. At the very least, phone companies can sue a person for obtaining private information by fraudulent means.

We private investigators are equipped to employ pretexting because we can readily get a person's Social Security Number, date of birth, and mother's maiden name. With this power, though, comes responsibility. And because of the careless actions of some, private investigators continually lose their access to important information.

I know of at least two cases in which investigators provided home and work addresses to clients, who then went out and murdered the women that they had been stalking. That's why we at Sherlock Investigations are very careful to whom we give information. One of our policies is to never give out someone's Social Security Number unless there are legal grounds to do so.

We sometimes run a background check on our clients, for our own protection, and the protection of the public. Also, we sometimes ask clients why they want certain information. If their answers convince us, then we provide the info they want.

So, if you contact us for an investigation, don't be offended if we ask you some questions. If you have legitimate reasons, and there are many reasons, to order an investigation, you have nothing to worry about.

Employment as a Private Investigator

At Sherlock Investigations we are flooded with inquiries about employment. Some people call, others send email, and others send regular mail. Most applicants have no prior experience as an investigator, and most have no skills applicable to the field.

This leads me to believe that most applicants are on unemployment, and contact us just to meet their quota. It's obvious that none of these people have read the Employment section on our website.

If you're serious about getting into the field of private investigations, then learn some attractive skills. You don't have to have previous experience in law enforcement. I've seen librarians and geneologists become private investigators. That's because they know how to conduct research.

Take a look at our home page. See the kind of investigations that we conduct. How would you go about investigating these topics: locating someone, backgrounding a person or company, counterfeit merchandise investigations, finding a wire tap or other hidden eavesdropping device, investigating a cult, etc.?

If you have the skills to perform any of the above, you might make it as a private investigator.

Finally, please read our Employment column found at our home page.

Free People Search

Are people who get something for free called free-loaders? A while back Sherlock Investigations offered a free people search once a month for a worthy case. Our heart was in the right place, but it didn't work out because the people behind the cases we took were either unappreciative, or uncooperative.

You'd think they would be both, since they're getting hundreds of dollars worth of absolutely free services. But, that never seemed the case.

I don't know if TV has helped private investigators or hurt us. Television has focused on our industry to the point that people often think of us when they have a problem. The only problem is, TV doesn't present private investigators in reality.

The biggest point that they miss is the financial aspect. If you see a docudrama about private investigators, you never see a client signing the contract and handing the private investigator a check or credit card. In fact, no show about private investigators show such a thing.

Who's paying the bills on these shows? In the case of a docudrama the production company pays the investigator for his services. The so-called client gets everything free.

In programs like CSI, or other fictional shows, whether or not they're based on reality, some unseen and unmentioned entity pays the bills. In real life, the government foots the bills for investigations. Sometimes, though, they don't have the budget. That's why many crimes are never solved, because no one has the money to pay the detectives.

Criminal cases and civil cases are not solved by entering information into a data base and pushing a button. There are very specific steps an investigator must go through in solving a case.

We'll still take pro bono cases, but very, very seldomly. We don't have the time or the budget. Sorry.

William Koch's Investigation

William Koch is a billionaire, and most well-known for winning the Americas Cup in 1992. Koch collects wine. In fact, in the basement of his Florida mansion he has 17,000 bottles of it. Several bottles were alleged to be rare French wines once owned by our third president, Thomas Jefferson.

However, the legitimacy of this claim was challenged by several sources. Koch purchased the alleged rare wine from a German collector named Hardy Rodenstock. Since doubt was cast upon the authenticity of the wines, and knowing full well that the authorities had little interest in the plight of a billionaire and his rare wines, Koch himself launched an investigation of the wines and Rodenstock.

He hired former FBI agents to head the investigation. They concluded that Koch had been taken by a con artist. Now, Koch is suing Rodenstock. Koch footed the bill for the investigation, which cost over a million dollars.

Among other things, the private investigators learned that Rodenstock used to go by another name, and he apparently faked documents, among other misdeeds.

This brings us to the issue of the cost of investigations. A million dollars. Just to prove the legitimacy of a few bottles of wine.

People contact Sherlock Investigations for background investigations on various individuals. Among the things they ask us to find out are the number of bank accounts a person has, the amount of money in each account, properties owned, the person's place of employment and employment history, his marital status, how many wives he's had, the number of children, his educational background, and on and on.

When we tell them what we can actually do for their budget of, say, $500, they balk. Well, first of all, it's illegal to get most financial information. We can get information on certain assets, such as property, vehicles, boats, and planes.

Private Investigators can get a lot of information on a person. If there's anything detrimental, they can get that too. However, it's going to cost the client.

When the FBI does a background check on a person it takes at least 6 months, and costs the government thousands of dollars. Yet, people often want the same thing from us for $500, and done in five days.

As much as possible, we like to quote flat rates for investigations. To do so, we have to determine how many hours it will take us to gather the information. We roughly figure our fee at the rate of $150 an hour. So a ten-hour investigation would cost $1500. In reality, most of our background investigations go for $500. To do the kind of work many clients demand would cost in the thousands.

So, the truth is, you get what you pay for.

Con Artists

It never ceases to amaze me how often people are taken in by con artists. It shouldn't amaze me, though. The word "con" comes from "confidence." A con artist, whether a man or woman, builds up your confidence in them to the extent that they can rob you blind with a smile...and you'll smile right back while they're doing it.

Con artists are often complete strangers. You can meet them anywhere. They're always on the lookout for an easy target. Or, they can be members of your family.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal had an article about family members who take advantage of elderly family members. Like all con artists, one of their techniques is to try to separate the person being conned from other family members or friends.

The reason, of course, is that others can see what's going on more easily than the person being conned. So, the first sign that one should watch out for is that the person you trust so much tries to keep you from your friends or family. Another sign that you're being conned is that the person you trust keeps financial records from you, such as your check book. They assure you that everything's being taken care of.

The elderly are often afraid to report their suspicions about being conned, because they think that others will think that they've become incompetent. Actually, recognizing a con is a sign of competence.

At Sherlock Investigations we've conducted many background checks of con artists. Often though, the person being conned will never admit it, especially when others have pointed it out to them. Denial is costly.

JP Morgan Chase Security

Recently I wrote about a close friend whose savings account at JP Morgan Chase, or just Chase for short, was hacked into online. The final damages were that the hacker got $64,000, processed through PayPal. Every other day they extracted $6000.

Of course, my friend called Chase immediately upon finding out that her money was disappearing. Well, actually, that's not quite accurate. She received a letter from Chase verifying that she had changed her address. But she hadn't. So she got on the phone with Chase and within a few minutes they found out that a chunk of money had disappeared from her account.

Chase quickly put a stop to the leaking funds, or at least that's what my friend thought. Yesterday, she found out that $6000 was now missing from her checking account. How Chase failed to catch that I don't know, but it underscores my belief that online banking is unsafe. Sure, the accounts are insured, but it's still a pain in the ass to straighten everything out.

Prostitution in New York

New York City is known as America's playground for entertainment.
This also applies to illegal entertainment and the city's abundant underground sex industry. There are more than 250 brothels in New York City's five boroughs.

Prostitution may be illegal in New York, but there's no shortage of sex workers plying their trade. Working out of an individual's apartment or apartments converted to many small bedrooms, they advertise "in call" services on cable TV and several free weekly newspapers. For those unwilling to go to a brothel, the same services are just a phone call away. Many hundreds of escorts provide "out call" services to hotel guests. Of course, prostitutes still work the streets, especially near every hotel.

At Sherlock Investigations, we've researched the industry, and made a map of NYC's brothels. When conducting a surveillance, and when the alleged philanderer is followed, investigators are be able to identify an existing brothel, even though on the outside it appears to be just a regular apartment building or business.

Unfortunately, in the course of our work, we have a high demand for surveillance, and have the ability to track and investigate subjects frequenting brothels. Most people have no idea the prevalence and popularity of these establishments---what is known as the world's oldest profession is a thriving business in locations throughout the city that you would never be aware of.

Our maps of brothel locations in Manhattan was formulated after many hours of research, including phone calls to many of these establishments, surveillance, and information from company case files. We used to have this map on our web site, but we removed it so that we wouldn't cast shadows on any neighborhoods.

Whitey Bulger Sighting?

James "Whitey" Bulger has been on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List since 2000. They're offering a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

A Boston mob figure, Bulger worked for years as an FBI informant. Now he's wanted in connection with several murders. He's considered armed (a knife) and dangerous. Photos of the white-haired Bulger are on the FBI's web site.

To this day, I believe that I spotted him on Saturday, September, 2003. Here's my story:

At approximately 1:25 p.m. I arrived with a friend at The Zipper theater at 336 W. 37th Street in New York to see a show called "Berkshire Village Idiot," a one-man comedy about Western Massachusetts.

After picking up our tickets at the box office, we sat in the waiting area for about 15 minutes until they opened the theater. Then we were ushered to our seats, which were second row center. The show began about 10-12 minutes later.

About 2:30 p.m., a half hour into the show, I noticed a distinguished-looking man sitting about 10 yards away from me, diagonally on the right. He was sitting at the far end of the front row. There were four people sitting to his left.

The physical appearance of the man caused me to do a double take. My first thought was that he looked like Whitey Bulger. His white hair was closely cropped on the sides. He appeared to have no hair on top. He was dressed in black slacks, a black short-sleeved shirt, and thick-soled black sandals, with no socks.

While he appeared very trim, his arms were somewhat muscular. He looked to be in his late 60s to early 70s. On the floor to his right was a medium-sized black, nylon backpack.

Dismissing my "sighting" as someone who looked coincidentally like Bulger, I let it go, but I occasionally glanced over at him. One time, our eyes met, and momentarily locked. After that, I avoided letting him see me look at him. For the next few minutes he acted figidty.

Although the show has some funny lines, I never observed him laughing, or even smiling to the extent of revealing his teeth.

In one scene, the lights were extinguished and the theater was almost completely dark. When the lights came back on, I noticed that the man had disappeared. His black bag was also gone. It was about 2:45 p.m.

I sat for a few minutes wondering what to do. It made sense to me that Bulger, being from Massachusetts, would find a show about Massachusetts of interest. My adrenaline began to rise. The seat in front of me, which was the front row, was empty. I quickly climbed over it and hurried out of the theater. I spoke to an usher who was seated on a folding chair outside.

I asked her if she had seen a man leave, and I described him. She said that she had, and mentioned that he had left in a hurry, and didn't look at her, or say anything.

I also spoke to the person in the ticket office. He had also noticed the man leave in an apparent rush. I went outside and looked up and down 37th Street, but didn't see the man, and found no one else who had noticed him.

Then, I called a contact at the FBI. My friend took my verbal report and suggested that someone would get back to me. I imagined that the FBI would first question me, and then go down to the theater and fingerprint the area where the man sat. If Bulger's fingerprints were found, then the sighting was real, and they would know at least that he was in New York.

I never heard from the FBI about this. Either they knew that Bulger was in some other location, or they're just slack in looking for him.

Google Earth

If you haven't discovered Google Earth by now you're really missing out on a fun and useful Internet tool. Google Earth is a great way to learn geoography. They list a number of fun sites that you can "fly" to. You can type in a location, including almost any address in the United States, and then Google Earth zooms in on it just like you're flying there. They even have a DaVinci Code tour, taking you to sites mentioned in the book and movie, which Google calls "a little-known and obscure book and movie."

At Sherlock Investigations, we use Google Earth as an investigative tool. It's useful in preparing for many surveillance assignments, as you can literally scope out the land. You can spot trees, buildings, lakes, and ponds. If fact, it is so detailed that I can see my parked car in New York. (The up-close details in some rural areas are somewhat obscure.)

Google Earth is comprised of satellite photos taken at least two years ago. It is not real time, but still very useful.

In one case, we found that the subject of an investigation had a large house with an olympic-size swimming pool. This was useful information as we were conducting a background investigation.

When trying to locate a person recently, Google Earth solved the case. No, we didn't see the person standing in front of his house. Through other means, we located the person and his phone number, but no one ever answered the phone there, and there was no response to a Fedex envelope sent to the address.

So I ran the address on Google Earth and noticed that it was a large complex in Florida near a golf course. Next, I ran the address on Google and found that it was a large retirement community. I Googled the name of the retirement community and found their contact number. I called their office and inquired about the subject of my investigation. Right away they told me, "Oh, he's on vacation up north and won't be back until the end of October." But they knew where he was and put me in touch with the subject.

So, besides being a lot of fun, Google Earth has numerous useful purposes.

Private Investigator's Q&A

If you have questions relating to private investigations, you can post them here anonymously and I will try to answer them on this forum. They could relate to personal problems that an investigator might help you with, or a general question.

We get many emails and calls a day at our office, but with caller I.D. and email IP addresses revealed it's difficult to remain anonymous. Now you can.

So, whatever your question, post it here, and I'll try to answer it in this column.

Cell Phone Records

On June 21, 2006, I appeared before the United States House of Representatives' Committee on Engergy and Commerce in Washington to ostensibly testify about "information brokers" who advertise cell phone records for sale on the Internet. If you Google my name, Skipp Porteous, you'll read on the Committee's website: "Mr. Porteous invoked his 5th Amendment right against self incrimination & declined to testify and answer the committees' questions."

The Committee is chaired by Congressman Joe Barton (R) of Texas, and had already passed a law that could land a person in prison for 20 years if they used deception to obtain a person's cell phone records. This was the first time I had ever heard of Congress holding a hearing after they had passed a law.

Earlier, they had invited me to testify. I politely declined. Then they subpoenaed me to appear. I would have gladly testified had they not kept me in the dark about why Sherlock Investigations was included in an investigation concerning what information brokers advertise on the Internet. Sherlock Investigations is not an information broker.

When our lawyer inquired why they included Sherlock Investigations in their investigation, as we have never advertised the procurement of cell phone records, the Committee's attorney said, "Are you sure?" Well, we were as sure as we could be.

When I was called upon to testify, the Committee posted a document on a large overhead flat-screen monitor. The document was a copy of a posting that a former employee had placed on the Internet...advertising a sale he was running on obtaining cell phone records. And he included Sherlock Investigations in his post.

After my initial shock, I said to myself, "So, this is what it was all about." Now, in a trial one has a right to "discovery." That means you have a right to know what the other side has on you. In a Congressional investigation you're kept in the dark, as it's not a trial.

We receive many inquiries about obtaining cell phone records. As useful as they might be in an investigation, we don't do it, period. I think you can understand why.

Identity Theft

A person very close to me learned last night that she is the victim of identity theft. She received a letter from Chase about her recent address change, and that if the information was incorrect to notify Chase immediately.

She's lived at the same address for 15 years, and hadn't notified Chase of any change. After a call to Chase, she learned that someone went online and changed her address to a Brooklyn one, and changed her online login and password. Then they proceeded to launder her money through PayPal at the rate of $6000 every other day. So far, we know of $36,000 taken. Fortunately, accounts are insured up to $100,000. Still, it's a pain in the neck to straighten everything out.

I checked out the Brooklyn address and found that it was a fake one.

Meanwhile, she's closing all her accounts at Chase, and I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that online banking is unsafe. As a private investigator I know that it's easy to get someone's Social Security Number, mother's maiden name, address, phone number, and any other info a thief would need to steal your identity.

I think to be safe, you should have the bank flag your account with a notice that says that you have to go to the bank in person to change anything on the account.

To learn more about protecting yourself against identity theft, go to the Federal Trade Commission's web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Is your phone bugged?

I sweep homes and businesses for clandestine listening devices two or three times a week. Our clients come from every walk of life. Recently, I swept the office of a very famous socialite. Before that, I swept the office, conference room, and city-owned vehicle of a well-known mayor. But, most of the people who call Sherlock Investigations are ordinary people. They may be other private eyes, accountants, lawyers, or housewives.

For every case I accept, there's one that I turn down. About half the people who call have a legitimate reason to have their place of work or home swept for electronic bugs. They may be going through a divorce and the soon-to-be-ex knows too much about what is going on. Others may have a high-level conference scheduled and they want to make sure eavesdroppers aren't listening in.

I'll turn down a case if I feel a would-be client is mentally unstable. People who hear strange sounds in their head, or see red lights in the bathroom are quite common, but a little off. In almost every other way they're normal. Still, they're paranoid.

In some cases, people have convinced me to sweep their apartment or house, only to tell me afterwards (after I found nothing suspicious), that "they knew you were coming and turned off the devices."

Believe me, I want more business, and love doing what I do, but I can't take advantage of people. If you think your place is bugged, ask yourself who would go to such extreme lengths to plant listening devices or cameras in your house? Do you have a landlord or neighbor who might want to spy on you? That could be a good reason to suspect something.

Do you think the CIA has placed computer chips in your head? If you do, please don't call me, call a psychiatrist. I'm not being cute, I'm serious.

Sometimes paranoia or an obsessive compulsive disorder is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Medication may relieve this sympton, as these things are usually treatable.

Sometimes our fears or suspicions are self taught, from the messages we tell ourselves. We tend to build a case about some fear until we really start to believe it.

Many of us have phobias. I've always been afraid of heights. To help get over this fear, I started climbing 30-foot ladders. I'm still somewhat afraid, but it's more on the side of caution than fear. Sometimes we have to systematically desensitize ourselves about our fears. Little by little, we can replace the fear with the truth.

Most people don't have to worry about the FBI conducting surveillance on them, or the CIA tapping their phone. If you can think of a real good reason why someone would place a bug in your car, office, or home, call me. I'll locate and disable it.