Investigations

• ASPS investigators assist individuals, businesses, and attorneys by finding and analyzing information. We connect small clues to solve mysteries or to uncover facts about legal, financial, or personal matters. ASPS investigators offer many services, including executive, corporate, and celebrity protection; pre-employment verification; and individual background profiles. ASPS also investigates computer crimes, such as identity theft, harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyrighted material. In addition, ASPS provides assistance in criminal and civil liability cases, insurance claims and fraud, child custody and protection cases, missing person’s cases, and premarital screening.

• ASPS investigators have many methods to choose from when determining the facts in a case. Much of our work is done using a computer, recovering deleted e-mails and documents, for example. ASPS performs computer database searches. Computers allow investigators to quickly obtain huge amounts of information such as a subject’s prior arrests, convictions, and civil legal judgments; telephone numbers; motor vehicle registrations; association and club memberships; and even photographs.

• ASPS investigators also perform various other types of surveillance or searches. To verify facts, such as an individual’s income or place of employment, we make phone calls or visit a subject’s workplace. In other cases, especially those involving missing persons and background checks, investigators interview people to gather as much information as possible about an individual. ASPS investigators work undercover in many situations.

• The duties of ASPS investigators depend on the needs of our clients. In cases that involve fraudulent workers’ compensation claims, for example, our investigators may carry out long-term covert observation of a person suspected of fraud.

• ASPS investigators offer specialization. ASPS can focus on intellectual property theft for example, investigate and document acts of piracy, help clients stop illegal activity, and provide intelligence for prosecution and civil action. ASPS investigators also specialize in developing financial profiles and asset searches. Our reports reflect information gathered through interviews, investigation and surveillance, and research, including review of public documents.

• ASPS computer forensic investigators specialize in recovering, analyzing, and presenting data from computers for use in investigations or as evidence. We can  determine the details of intrusions into computer systems, recover data from encrypted or erased files, and recover e-mails and deleted passwords.

• ASPS  investigators assist in preparing criminal defenses, locating witnesses, serving legal documents, interviewing police and prospective witnesses, and gathering and reviewing evidence. ASPS investigators also may collect information on the parties to the litigation, take photographs, testify in court, and assemble evidence and reports for trials.

• ASPS corporate investigators conduct internal and external investigations for corporations. In internal investigations, we may investigate drug use in the workplace, ensure that expense accounts are not abused, or determine whether employees are stealing merchandise or information. External investigations attempt to thwart criminal schemes from outside the corporation, such as fraudulent billing by a supplier.

• ASPS financial investigators develop confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies that are prospective parties to large financial transactions. These investigators often are certified public accountants(CPAs) who work closely with investment bankers and other accountants. ASPS also searches for assets in order to recover damages awarded by a court in fraud or theft cases.

• ASPS Investigators also work for retail stores and hotels and are responsible for controlling losses and protecting assets. Asset Investigators, also known as loss prevention agents, safeguard the assets of retail stores by apprehending anyone attempting to steal merchandise or destroy store property. They prevent theft by shoplifters, vendor representatives, delivery personnel and even store employees. Asset investigators also conduct periodic inspections of stock areas, dressing rooms, and restrooms, and also assist in opening and closing the store. ASPS may prepare loss prevention and security reports for management and testify in court against people they apprehend. Hotel agents protect guests of the establishment from theft of their belongings and preserve order in hotel restaurants and bars. We also keep undesirable individuals, such as known thieves, off the premises.