ProofNet Investigative Agency

09/13/2019

https://guardiangroup.org/
Absolutely fantastic organization. Please join the fight and donate!

06/24/2019

Are you in need of some facts? Do you have difficult circumstances that need help from an experienced investigator? We are here to help.

08/06/2018

Please help us spread the word about Montrice Hinson out of Huntsville, Alabama by sharing this report. HUNTSVILLE — The Huntsville Police Department is asking for the local public's assistance in locating missing 17 year old Montrice Hinson

06/19/2018

Carriers forced to make changes after leak of real-time phone location data.

05/18/2018

05/04/2018

Digital forensics are quickly becoming a must-have capability for concerned parents, attorneys, and spouses.

     There are several reasons you might want or need to recover text messages deleted from a mobile device. Depending on your reasons and your degree of access...

05/04/2018

Twitter says account passwords were not hacked but users should still change them to be safe.

05/02/2018

Filling the Gaps

With mothers day right around the corner, investigative agencies experience an increase of inquiries concerning the locating of birth parents. Our parental relationships help forge our sense of self from an early age. The notion of belonging, or social identity, is a central aspect of how we define who we are. Despite our emphasis on individualism, our belonging to a group is what constructs our sense of identity.
In late December 2017, AncestryDNA reported to have sold 1.5 million testing kits that give insight into ethnic and familial connections. With an increase in technological advances, genealogy has become a popular hobby among Americans throughout the last decade. Alongside the collection and curation of objects and stories relating to families and individuals, technology now enables people to trace and study their line of ancestors. While inherited stories and objects have always been an important component of a families’ memory and history, the once lost genetic foundation of a family can now be determined, thus adding a vital component to the sense of identity and belonging.
As the word genealogy indicates (from Greek, genea-generation and logos-knowledge), the study of familial lineage has been practiced since ancient times. Hellenistic dynasties such as the Ptolemies, used their lineage to show that their ancestors were gods. Chances are, no individual these days will find to be a direct descendant of Zeus. With the exception of few individuals seeking to understand their lineage for medical purposes or to gain status as part of a ethnic group to gain special benefits from their government, most people want to know more about their heritage out of sheer curiosity.
In other situations, where a person does not know his/her parents for example, finding such information holds tremendous value. Even though many adoptees experienced a loving upbringing with their parents, the knowledge of having a different set of birth parents can often interfere with an individual sense of belonging and identity. It is important to recognize that this feeling is justified and does not undermine or disrespect the love and connection to the adopted parents. Once answers to these fundamental and weighing questions are found, light is shed on the past and it’s circumstances without threatening current relationships. The gaps in the perceived self identity can be filled.
Today, there are many resources available for individuals seeking their birth parents. Depending on the given situation, the search for birth parents can either be fairly easy or tremendously time consuming and costly.
Investigative agencies can aid in the monumental tasks of tracing a person's heritage. The tools accessible to investigative agencies are of much higher caliber than simple Internet search engines that are available to the general public. Investigators know where to look and which steps to take to locate sources. Add to that, Investigators can help to deal with the tremendous amount of red tape between adoption agencies and bureaus on county and state levels. Also, private investigators are practiced interviewers and may be able to solicit information from knowledgeable persons such as the adopted parents in ways that are more subtle and discreet than they would be if asked by the adoptee. Considering these advantages, the process of finding birth parents can be accelerated by hiring an experienced investigator.
But most importantly, it also allows time to remain focused on what matters most, spending time with friends and family, in disregard of any genealogical bloodline. Knowing one's ancestors can fill the gaps in one's sense of social identity. It cannot fill more than gaps. The foundation for self identity and belonging is layed by the people invested and consistently present in our lives.

04/29/2018

The new applicant walks in. He is well groomed, speaks eloquently, and his enthusiasm is contagious. He knows what he wants, what he can do, and what he is worth. He must be competent. Within minutes, he is hired. As co-pilot. As head surgeon of an emergency room. As lawyer. That this candidate has neither studied medicine nor has any experience flying an airplane is left unnoticed. And thus, Frank Abagnale's multi million dollar career starts.

Nearly everyone has done it at some point in their lives. Even if no major implications followed and most of us do not become millionaires by doing it, sprucing up the resume has become the norm. One Spanish class in high school translates into “business Spanish” on the resume, the unpaid internship at the law firm becomes extensive experience in law, and vacation trips to Europe turn into “language immersion”.

While the above mentioned resume discrepancies provide disappointment at best to most employers if ever discovered, not all applicants are as humble about their embellishments on a resume. Purchased licenses, fake degrees, made up professional memberships, and exaggerated job experience are increasingly reported by Human Resource Agencies.

In 2007, the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology admitted that she claimed degrees she did not earn and in fact never graduated from college as reported by the New York Times. In 2012, the CEO of Yahoo stepped down after it became known that his credentials were embellished. In 2015, Walmart’s spokesman David Tovar resigned after his lie about a bachelor’s degree came to light during a background check while he was considered for a promotion.

Granted, these examples stand out among the crowd due to the prestigious positions these individuals held. One might argue that resume fraud has much more detrimental implications in positions of status and power, but is that really the case?

A study by Christine A. Henle, Brian R. Dineen, and Michelle K. Duffy examined resume fraud across the international business landscape. In utilizing three resume fraud dimensions (fabrication, embellishment, omission) the authors found that these three dimensions are directly related to character traits such as machiavellianism, moral identity, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and agreeableness. In addition, results of this study indicate that individuals engaging in resume fraud show reduced job performance and increased workplace deviance once they are hired.

Despite the fact that most employers are aware of the link between resume fraud and character traits / work ethic and the effect this can have on the work environment as well as the bottom line of business, investigating resume fraud can be time consuming and expensive. In general, human resource departments do not have sufficient resources to investigate applicants resumes thoroughly enough to rule out fraud.

Should you find yourself wondering about resume fraud when hiring your next employee, contact ProofNet Investigative Agency. We will be glad to verify the truthfulness of any application.

04/17/2018

RUSSIAN INVASION

Media sensationalism aside, there are quite literally thousands (if not tens of thousands) of hackers, of both the state-sponsored and solo practitioner variety who have the equipment, the skills, and the determination to access the files on the device you are using to read this post.

If your router's network ID and password are still set to their default settings, you are an easy target.

Set aside 10 minutes to customize your settings. Everything you need to know is on the documentation that came with your router. If you are no longer in possession of this documentation, call your internet service provider or router manufacturer. Alternatively, call a friend or relative who is "good with computers."

This small investment in time and energy will go a long way toward protecting your private information, and accordingly, your checking, savings, and investment accounts.

04/05/2018

All's fair in love and war. Especially state-of-the-art surveillance techniques and equipment. Get the facts, the truth, and the evidence you require. Mil-spec investigative services at just $55/hr.

03/22/2018

As an attorney in a particular field, you are the quintessential specialist . Building a case that applies both stare decisis and statute to new, unique, and of...