1)  Dictionary mining

This method is used by spam bots to guess email addresses, but it can be a valuable technique for online investigation as well.

Subjects will often use the same nicknames for their emails as they do for forums and blogs. So if the person of interest is sweetsparkles02 chances are the person’s email is sweetsparkels02@hotmail.com. An investigator can try sending a test message to that email and wait for a bounce back. If ‘delivery-failure bounce back message’ message is not sent back it means that sweetsparkels02@hotmail.com is real email address. Some hackers try to gain access to those emails by selecting “forgot password” link and guessing the secret question.

Discovering what Aliases a person uses can be done by searching for the person’s name, for example places such as Twitter will show the username associated with the person’s real name. Other tools for checking where the username appears are http://socialmention.com/ and http://checkusernames.com/

2) Reverse Image Tracking through Exif Data/Tineye

Armed with a name it is possible to find web-sites a person visits. Once such a site is discovered it is possible to perform a reverse lookup on the images to A) Uncover additional sites visited by the target B) Discover a person’s location.

A) Profile picture can be used to discover other sites visited by the target by checking which other sites have the same profile image. Web-sites like tineye.com, show all other sites with the same image. This can be particularly revealing for catching cheating spouses which post the same profile picture across multiple dating sites.

B) Smartphones often Geotag pictures with GPS coordinates, which means it’s possible to uncover the location of where a picture was taken by looking inside its EXIF data. Many sites including Facebook delete this information, but sites like Twitter or Photobucket preserve it.

3) Picture fishing

Another way to get pictures of a person is by asking. Fishing out pictures can be done by means of a fictitious dating profile. To get the most recent picture one needs to ask the subject to hold a spoon in order to prove that their profile picture is a recent one. The picture sent by the target may reveal GPS coordinates in the EXIF data.

4) File search

File search can be very effective. There is a special Google search operator which shows files stored on uncovered servers. Using this method it’s possible to discover files belonging to a person, like a CV.

The search is done by typing the following command in Google.com: intitle:”index of” “parent directory” john doe (John Doe should be replaced with subject’s name or alias).

The above search format is known as “Advanced Google Search Operator”.

5) Google Alerts

Setting up a Google alerts on the subject’s name and/or alias (google.com/alerts) is done to get up to date notifications from Google when the name comes up somewhere online.

This is like employing Google to stay on guard for all new mentions of the person’s name/alias. As soon as Google discovers the name online it sends a notification.

6) Search within a site

Oftentimes a person will hang out on certain web-sites. Unfortunately many sites (especially blogs) do not have a built-in “user search” function that shows all pages where the subject has interacted. (left a comment, created a profile etc.)

In that case it’s possible to do the following search in Google site:doman.com John Doe ,while replacing the domain.com and John Doe with name of the site and subject’s name/nickname. This will show all comments made by the subject on a given site, example of a query would be site: pursuitmag.com ”chris says:”

This can be useful for building target’s psychological profile. Oftentimes people mention personal details in comments such as the city they’re in and sites they attend. This a good source of additional leads and a chance to apply other steps described above.

About the Author:

Robert Sinclair is an online investigation enthusiast and chief-editor of http://whycall.me

The FirstVu captures an impressive 133° field of view, recording more of the scene than many body cameras and allowing the wearer to record up close without missing details. Although proprietary software is not required to view recorded videos, the FirstVu includes user-friendly yet powerful back office video management software that allows administrative setup capabilities, playback, searching and retrieving, DVD burning, file integrity checks to detect tampering attempts, chain of custody reports, and more.

Every FirstVu includes: high-quality video/audio recording and the ability to take still images, pre-event recording capabilities to capture footage even before pressing record, an integrated 2.2” color LCD screen, detailed event data with the option to input additional meta information, “Mark” feature that allows for quick return to important events, vibrating notifications, user login and security options, 16GB of internal memory and more. Optional removable microSD cards may be used to add memory or activate redundant recording.

The FirstVu is currently on sale for $200 off list price. Contact Digital Ally at 800-440-4947, sales@digitalallyinc.com or visit www.digitalallyinc.com to learn more.

Digital Ally also provides a complete line of law enforcement grade products, including digital in-car video systems integrated into a rear-view mirror; a waterproof digital video system that is modular to fit motorcycles, boats, or any other motorized vehicle; a digital video flashlight camera and more. Digital Ally’s systems are used by thousands of companies and law enforcement entities in all 50 states and around the world as well as the U.S. military.

How hard could it be? There are dozens of sites out there promoting easy-to-use cell phone spyware; I chose one based on features and cost. I won’t specify the name of the particular product I used, but I will tell you about the nightmare that ensued after my purchase.

The first clue that using spyware was the wrong method of gathering evidence for my client was that the installation of the application required jail-breaking my client’s iPhone. We warned him that this would void the warranty be he was insistent. After making the purchase, the second clue there was going to be problems became immediately obvious, overly-complex installation instructions.  I have worked several complicated computer investigations that did not require this level of difficulty and technical know-how; by the time I was done installing this spyware application, I felt like a veteran programmer. This was definitely the best use of my time.

Once I finally got through the installation process and entered the product license information, we were ready to start the fun part of this job… getting results for the client! I wanted to test the installation so I opened the administrative software from my computer to see what information the spyware was reporting and immediately received multiple errors.

Nothing I did would work. I spent hours trying to get the product to work before calling my client and finally convincing him to just let me use my cell phone forensic software to get the information (I ended up retrieving a deleted text message that got my client the evidence he needed in about five minutes).

So, here’s where my experience gets interesting:

My client wanted a refund from the spyware company since the product never worked. Their customer support worked with me throughout the entire installation process and troubleshooting afterward, so they knew it never worked and directed me to their refund policy. I was utterly shocked when I read it. They made it fairly easy to initiate a refund but they warned that if I did, the target phone (I had to enter the target phone number in during purchase) would receive a text message informing them of the refund. Here’s the text they would have sent: [customer-name] has requested the removal of [insert unnamed spyware product here] from this phone” To confirm this request, send an SMS back with text: “refund [product] ok.”

Are you kidding me???!!?! So, the only way I could get a refund is if they could rat me out to my client’s employee about being investigated.

Blackmail is a strong word but that’s the only way I can describe it.

There are so many reasons why investigating cell phones should be done with forensic software from a trusted company but what I can only describe as fraudulent business practices by spyware sellers is probably the biggest reason.

Buyer beware!!!

Nicole Bocra is a registered private investigator in Virginia, and a licensed private detective in New Jersey and Maryland.  Ms Bocra has more than 15 years’ experience as an accountant and securities investigator.  Prior to establishing her own private investigative firm, Infinity Investigative Solutions in 2005, Ms Bocra was an in-house investigator at a law firm and lead investigator with NASD.  Ms Bocra develops complex cases, provides expert investigative services and conducts in-depth due diligence using the latest in technology, financial expertise and investigative experience to ensure the most thorough inquiries.  

Nicole Bocra, CFE
Infinity Investigative Solutions
PO Box 17832, Arlington, VA 22216
Phone: 703 528 5882
Website: www.infinityinvestigative.com

The well documented comprehensive guide Is My Cell Phone Bugged, by Kevin D. Murray, provides well-documented information and research addressing cell phone privacy issues.

I found the book well written and superbly formatted.  Even those who are not technologically savvy will find it to be very user-friendly.  At no time during my reading did I feel bogged down with complicated technical language!  Mr. Murray’s explanation and thorough direction assists the reader in regaining their privacy and the security of their personal information.  Mr. Murray’s guidance ensures the reader that cell phone security and privacy can be achieved even if you are not a counterespionage expert.

I was impressed with the wealth of information and knowledge I gained from this book. Topics include:  communications technology, purchasing secure cordless devices, how to avoid pre-bugged cell phones, understanding and identifying spyware, preventing tapping and information leaks, caller-ID technology, and identifying when your phone is under surveillance.  As an investigator, I was particularly appreciative of the Legal Issues chapter covering privacy laws in a clear and precise manner.

I highly recommend reading this book and after having done so myself, I feel certain I am not bugged. Thank you Mr. Murray!

Publication Date: June 1, 2011 | ISBN-10: 1934572888 | ISBN-13: 978-1934572887

About the Author:

Kevin D. Murray is an independent, professional security consultant. He has been solving electronic eavesdropping, security, and counterespionage matters since 1973 while with Pinkerton’s Inc., and from 1978 to present at his consulting firm, Murray Associates. Services provided include advanced eavesdropping detection, also known as technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) and full counterespionage strategy development services for business, government, and high-profile individuals.

Headquartered in the New York metropolitan area, with services available worldwide, Murray Associates invites inquiries from corporate, government, and professional security entities.

Kevin D. Murray – CPP, CISM (NJ PI)
Murray Associates
spybusters.com
IsMyCellPhoneBugged.com

“We know that most people associate surveillance with this type of vehicle, and I was determined to find a way to develop a system that allowed our investigators to blend more seamlessly with their environment,” explained Zach Grove, company president.

After months of testing and re-tooling, Zach developed the Unmanned Video Surveillance Platform.  The system consists of a pan/tilt/zoom camera that is covertly concealed on the interior of a car without any tinted windows or other stereotypical “surveillance” fittings.  The camera is covertly connected to an interior digital video recorder (DVR), which saves all recorded material for later retrieval and editing.  The vehicle is parked in a location within eye-shot of the surveillance location and left alone, seemingly empty.  The investigators then position themselves in a second vehicle nearby to conduct trailing surveillance if or when it is necessary and view all the activity on a laptop via a secure internet connection.

“The beauty of this system is that my investigators can see what is going on in real-time and can control the camera’s movements with the click of a mouse.  We have eliminated the need to place an investigator in a sometimes compromising position without sacrificing any visibility.  It is more covert and much more effective,” stated Grove.

The Unmanned Video Surveillance Platform is utilized in nearly all of Armada Global’s investigations and is only inhibited by lack of vehicle parking or low/no wireless signal since the system operates via wireless technologies.  It has now been used and proven successful in thousands of hours of real surveillance cases.

There are, of course, obvious benefits to using this system like more covert surveillance and increased officer safety since personnel don’t need to be physically present to view and record activity.

“Safety is sometimes a huge concern to us, especially when we’re operating in urban areas known to have a high crime rate.  I feel better knowing that I’m not putting my people out where it would not be safe for them,” said Grove.  “We drop the Unmanned Video Surveillance Platform in place and then move to a location, possibly a public establishment on a busy street, where safety would not be as much of a concern.”

Another advantage to using the Unmanned Video Surveillance Platform is the potential to decrease budgetary requirements.  On cases where trailing surveillance is not needed or required, the system can be placed in position and then monitored and controlled from the home office.  This allows for fewer personnel to be out on the streets and has the potential to cut payroll significantly.  Increased investigator comfort is also another significant benefit, especially when dealing with temperature extremes.

“Anyone who has ever sat in the back of a vehicle to conduct surveillance knows that there is nothing worse than a hot, summer day,” explained Grove.  “Opening the vehicle’s windows or, worse yet, turning the vehicle on to run the AC, largely decreases the covertness of the operation.  The Unmanned Video Surveillance Platform can run effectively in very hot and cold temperatures, which allows the investigator to sit comfortably in air conditioning throughout the day.”

Armada Global’s management team has come to realize during the two-years that they have been utilizing the Unmanned Video Surveillance Platform that it would have a tremendous benefit to law enforcement, especially for narcotics investigations or pre-raid planning.  As such, they are now scheduling demonstrations and making the system available for purchase by law enforcement or licensed private investigators.  The Unmanned Video Surveillance Platform can be customized for specific needs or uses and comes with two pan/tilt/zoom cameras, DVR, battery power, connecting cables, a laptop, and all required software in a rugged Pelican Case for easy storage and deployment.  An Armada Global representative will also provide up to 20-hours of system set-up and training.

For additional information on Armada Global, Inc and their Unmanned Video Surveillance Platform or to schedule a demonstration, please call 1-412-253-2013 or email admin@armadaglobalinc.com.

Armada Global has also set up a closed group for PIs and LE on Facebook for those that want to view demo clips, evaluate the system, etc. You’ll need to send a join request after following this link http://www.facebook.com/groups/135852289865448/

They are only allowing licensed PIs and LE access, so if your FB account doesn’t note this association, please email us in advance with the name of your company or department - admin@armadaglobalinc.com

Helping the Environment

It’s hard to go one day without hearing about “Going Green” or “Reducing our Carbon Footprint” to cut costs and assist the environment.  Also take into account that any industry that has strong associations with the Court systems, Lawyers and insurance companies as private investigators do, that the amount of reports, files and other documents that are handled on a daily basis would be in the large quantities.  Despite this, there is one Private Investigations company doing its bit by utilising all of the advancements in technology to limit the use of paper, reducing its carbon footprint and help the environment and equally important reducing the cost of doing business.   Some of these changes have an initial expense outlay but all of these measures have all assisted in our endeavour to be a ‘Mean Green Investigating Machine’.  How are you are to manage this you ask?

Reduce Paper

We have recently decided to run a full paperless office system which firstly involved scanning and digitally storing all of our old files and setting up a case management computer system which has numerous benefits when used in conjunction with Client’s with similar goals.  Firstly if we need to allocate a file to an Agent then all we have to do is log into our system and select the file that needs to be allocated and then select the Agent who we wish to allocate it to and that’s it.  The Agent then has all of our previous work on that particular file available on the system when they log in and when they conduct a period of surveillance then they can upload their logs, photographic schedule and invoices direct to our case manager system.

Internet

In the technological age that we live in most businesses and people in generally have an email account.  With any new Client’s we send out Client Service Agreements and any other documents via email and request that the documents be signed via a E-Sign electronic signature program and then they can be forwarded back to our office again without having to use paper what so ever.   When it comes time to receiving new instructions or sending the final report off to our Client then we use secure email for this purpose.   For very large files there is the ability to use services like “Drop-Box” or even “Google Documents” that allows you to upload, share and download large digital media files like photographs or video files without having to download them to disc or flash drives and mail them to our Clients.   There are numerous other programs that can be beneficial such as creating online forms and having them saved as PDF files which can be again filled out online, saved and then emailed.  Even the smallest thing can assist in the overall scheme of things even the search engine you chose to use.  We use www.blackle.com which uses a Google Custom Search and provides the same options as Google with one slight difference.  That difference is that the screen background is black and not white like Google.  This black version has the ability to save 750 Megawatt-hours a year based on the following studyhttp://enduse.lbl.gov/Info/LBNL-48581.pdf  Blackles catch line is ‘We can saved the environment one search at a time’.

Equipment Choices

When you need to purchase new equipment you should look around for items that are “Carbon Neutral” or ones that have good energy usage ratings.  In our office we have recently purchased a paper shredder which is carbon neutral as is our newest computer printer.  Speaking of the printer, although we have reduced our paper usage as much as possible there is still occasions where we need to print documents, and to assist in this area in a Continuous Ink Supply (CIS) which replaces the standard ink cartridges.  Simply explained the CIS is a self-contained unit with its own cartridges fed by tubing from a large ink reservoir which sits beside your printer. The system acts like a giant cartridge by feeding ink to the printer when required and can save up to 95% of your printing costs and drastically reduces the amount of empty waste cartridges with one CIS being equivalent to over 50 standard ink cartridges.  Also throughout the office we have installed LED lighting throughout including the down-lights and standard bulbs all being replaced with LED alternatives.   When you leave the office of an evening switch off all equipment that is not required to stay on, this includes turning the power off at the main switch as it is known that items left on stand-by can still use up to 85% of the energy as if it was turned on.

Vehicle you drive

Our biggest expense was one that was ultimately required so it was a matter of selecting a vehicle which was more environmentally friendly than our previous vehicle, although still filled all of the check boxes for what was required.  We selected a diesel SUV on this occasion which has an average fuel consumption of 7.6 litres per 100 kms which is a remarkable saving compared to our previous petrol powered sedan which averaged 11.4 litres per 100 kms.  You then must ensure you regularly service your vehicle, regularly check your tire pressure and condition which all assists in your fuel economy as does being alert whilst driving and not Start-Stop driving with regular periods of hard acceleration.

Money back in your pocket

So being smart enough to make the most of today’s technology allowed our business to improve on our overall operating system, ensured that we are keeping the appropriate required records, increasing our accountability and all of this with the added benefit of reducing the cost of doing business and doing our part to help the environment.  There are very tough times ahead for many businesses and Citywide Investigations can now benefit from decreased costs in paper and office supplies, stamps and other postage costs, storage fees and a huge saving on the yearly fuel bill.  SO in our opinion “Going Green” is a smart choice that was easy to make.

This blog article and more are available at http://www.citywideinvestigations.com.au/2011/11/private-investigators-reducing-their-carbon-footprint-going-green/

For those of you who have never heard of Maltego before, let me give you an idea what this tool can do. From the publisher’s website at http://Paterva.com:

“The unique perspective that Maltego offers to both network and resource based entities is the aggregation of information posted all over the internet – whether it’s the current configuration of a router poised on the edge of your network or the current whereabouts of your Vice President on his international visits, Maltego can locate, aggregate and visualize this information.

What does Maltego do?

Maltego is a program that can be used to determine the relationships and real world links between:

• People
• Groups of people (social networks)
• Companies
• Organizations
• Web sites
• Internet infrastructure such as: Domains, DNS Names, Netblocks, IP Addresses, etc.
• Phrases
• Affiliations
• Documents and files

These entities are all linked using open source intelligence and provides you with a graphical interface that makes seeing these relationships instant and accurate – making it possible to see hidden connections, even if they are three or four degrees of separation away.

What can Maltego do for me?

Maltego can be used for the information gathering phase of all security related work. It will save you time and will allow you to work more accurately and smarter.

Maltego aids you in your thinking process by visually demonstrating interconnected links between searched items.

Maltego provide you with a much more powerful search, giving you smarter results.

If access to “hidden” information determines your success, Maltego can help you discover it.“

For me, the beauty is in being able to run large lists of people, websites and companies through the visualizer and find hidden connections between them all! The real power is that I can input all kids of data into it: People, Email Addresses, Websites, Company Names, Dates and Times of Events, Addresses, Telephone Numbers, Business Networks, etc. etc. and it magically finds ways to correlate all of this disparate data in VERY interesting and eye-opening ways.

I’m seriously not kidding! I would go as far to say that Maltego is changing the way I conduct Corporate and Economic Intelligence assignments altogether.

“Maltego lets just about anybody do the kind of data mining that in the past only fraud investors, government specialists and hackers typically could do.”

Perhaps The Ethical Hacker Network said it best “”Maltego, is an open source intelligence and forensics application. It allows for the mining and gathering of information as well as the representation of this information in a meaningful way. Coupled with its graphing libraries, Maltego, allows you to identify key relationships between information and identify previously unknown relationships between them. It is a must-have tool in the forensics, security and intelligence fields!“

TEHN also has a great set of instructions (though a bit dated now that v.3 was released) and actual case studies on Maltego’s practical applications at http://www.ethicalhacker.net/content/view/202/24/

Essentially, this is data-mining and data-correlation (finding the connection) which is the basis for the Intelligence Development Cycle!

Rick Gurley of Risk Management Research & Investments, Inc., a private investigation agency in Columbia, MO, has always been the guy I call when I not only want to add a new technology or forensics tool to my repertoire, but to understand its application as well. Adopting Maltego has been no different and he was kind enough to create this extremely useful video for me and then allow me to pass it along to all of you. It covers all of the basics of setting up and understanding the Maltego interface and how to work with some hidden features. This 15 minute video will save you weeks of banging your head against the wall trying to get the software working and moving in the right direction, should you decide to start using this powerful intelligence and networking analysis tool, too.

The video is actually best viewed in high definition on YouTube and at a larger screen size than I can include on this page, so click on the video and you will be taken to YouTube.

Thanks for the tutorial, Rick!

For all intents and purposes, phones have become fully functional handheld computers. So now that we have these powerful technological idols shaping the future of our existence, to what end can they serve those of you in the fields of private investigation, serving of process, and bail enforcement?

Today we will look at a wide range of useful smartphone applications on multiple platforms, and how they can serve you in the field.

TrueServe – Android/iPhone – http://www.truthinservice.com

TrueServe is a professional process serving platform from JJL Technologies. It provides businesses and clients with a web based record of all serving attempts, and photographs, complete with time stamps and geolocation data.

According to a description of the service, “The TrueServe iPhone app will route your daily run for you, locate the closest paper to your location (using GPS technology), keep a log of all service history for each and every server, as well as create a level of accountability for you and your clients that has never been offered before in the process serving industry.”

While the app itself is free, it requires a subscription from http://www.truthinservice.com. There is a $79 lite version for “independent process servers who need to track their serves with pictures and gps.” which gives you its most basic functionality for storage of up to 1,000 images. Or the $300 Pro version which has a more features including multiple-servers tracking and document storage. There is also an Enterprise edition for businesses that want more control over the TrueServe functionality.

VehiCal / aCar – iPhone/Android  (respectively)

VehiCal and FuelLog are both applications used to keep track of your vehicle’s performance, mileage, maintenance, and business trip expenses. These apps are great for keeping the most accurate records possible.

Beyond that they keep extremely informative statistics about your vehicle, so you can know if its performance is degrading, when it should ideally get a tune-up or oil change, and how much you drive in an average month.

Upvise – iPhone/Android – http://www.upvise.com/

Upvise is a handy little piece of business management software. It allows you to basically run a paperless office right off of your iPhone or Android device. You can keep your books, maintain records of expenses, keep timecards and just about anything else.  It’s fairly customizable as well so you can create your own in-app forms that can help you with your investigation.

It stores all your data in their cloud-storage service, so you don’t have to worry about grabbing the information off of your phone.  With a free account you get limited functionality, but for $49 a year you get the fully featured app plus 1GB of storage on their cloud.

Hootsuite – iPhone/Android – http://www.hootsuite.com/

Hootsuite is the ultimate in social media management. It’s a tool you simply must have if you’re doing your own online marketing and community management.  With HootSuite you can manage multiple Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Ping.fm, WordPress, Myspace, FourSquare and mixi accounts from one centralized hub.  With the app you can write updates, schedule when they will post, check analytics on your various profiles, and interact with your customers. The app is free, and Hootsuite only costs $5.99 a month for a pro account.  However they have a few extras that cost more if you really want them.

IRBmobile – iPhone/Android – http://www.irbsearch.com/mobile.shtml

Last year IRBSearch announced the launch of the IRBmobile for iPhone and Android. By simply logging into your IRBSearch principal account at www.irbmobile.com using your smartphone you can run person searches while out in the field.

According to their website, if you activate IRBmobile right now, you get your first 15 searches for free during the first week. They caution that it is only fully tested with the iPhone, iPad, and a few select Android devices, but having used IRBmobile personally, I can tell you that this app offers an essential tool to any professionals information needs while in the field.

GoToMeeting – iPhone/Android – http://www.gotomeeting.com

GoToMeeting is a popular web-conferencing system. It allows you to have a remote meeting with anyone you invite. It’s fairly simple, inexpensive, and feature rich. With GoToMeeting participants can view presentations and share desktops. Now with the iPhone and Android apps you can participate in meetings and view presentations from anywhere, even the back of a van during a stakeout.

GoToMeeting can host up to 15 people at a time, and it’s totally free for everyone except the person hosting the meeting. There’s a 30-day free trial available, but after that it’s $49 a month. If you have employees you would like to host meetings with spread out over a large area it is an ideal solution.

DropBox – iPhone/Android – http://www.dropbox.com

DropBox is about as simple and straightforward as you can get.  It is a shared folder of computer files that synchronize on the web in a cloud.  So you essentially have a folder on your computer that you can share with your co-workers or employees and everyone will automatically download and have the same version of all the same files.  Whether they’re word documents, audio recordings, photographs, etc. There’s nothing more to it.  And with the iPhone or Android app you can gain access to those files on the go.  So if you’re in the field and need a copy of some notes or a photograph you can get to it.  Likewise, if you want to immediately share a photograph you’ve just taken it’s simple.

It’s also great to have just for yourself, as your documents will immediately be present on all of your computers and devices.

And it’s free.  For $0 you get 2 GB of free cloud storage which is usually more than enough if you’re sharing simple documents and small compressed images. However if you have need more storage they have 50GB accounts for $9.99 a month or 100GB for $19.99 a month.

Dragon Dictation – iPhone – http://www.nuancemobilelife.com/

Dragon Dictation allows you to write hands-free e-mails, text-messages and documents. If you find yourself trailing a target and need to make notes, there’s no reason to let the thought escape you while you wait for a convenient time to write it down. Now you can just tell your iPhone what you want, and it will write it down for you. Best of all, it’s totally free!

This application isn’t available on the Android platform, because Android phones have this functionality built in as the voice-to-text input.

Evernote – Android/iPhone – http://www.evernote.com

Evernote is an amazing platform for keeping track of notes, thoughts, photos, ideas, and anything else.  It’s great for your everyday life, and it’s extremely useful for organizing information during an investigation.

First you have to setup an account on the Evernote website at www.evernote.com.  Then you get the app for either your iPhone or Android. Everything is kept in a centralized platform so everything you save is available from everywhere else. So if you make notes about an investigation on your PC in the evening, you can review those notes the next day from your phone.

Evernote also scans all notes and images for text, making them searchable later. Even if it’s a photograph or scan of a document, Evernote’s OCR function will make it searchable by text.

You can categorize information based on whatever criteria you wish. You can create a folder for each case and keep all your photos, notes, and information organized inside that folder.

When you make notes with your phone, it stores the geolocation data which is viewable from your PC later, so you can see exactly where you were when you made the note. The same applies for audio, photos and videos. Everything you create is immediately uploaded to the Evernote server.

BluffMyCall – Android/Jailbroken iPhone/Any Phone – http://www.bluffmycall.com

BluffMyCall is an amazingly clever tool that allows you to mask where you’re calling from by allowing you to put in any phone number you’d like to have show up on the target’s caller ID. The service is free provided you don’t mind sitting through a couple of advertisements before the call begins, but there is also a paid version that allows you to get a set amount of calling time as well as voice-changing and call recording functionality.

There is an app for the android, but it isn’t available from the Android Market.  Instead you have to visit http://www.bluffmycall.com/g1/download with your Android phone to get the installation file.  It also requires you to turn off the security function that all Android phones have preventing them from installing unauthorized software.  Likewise, for the iPhone it must be jailbroken and installed from the Cydia app store.

If you don’t want to install an application though, there is another option:  If you’re in front of a computer, you can set up the call from their website and then simply dial the number they give you to begin your call. But the apps make it more convenient out in the field.

Square – Android/iPhone – http://www.squareup.com

Square is a marvel of simplicity. It begins with a small free piece of hardware that you attach to your iPhone, which allows you to scan credit cards. Square then processes the payment for you, takes 2.75% off the top, and deposit it into your bank account the next day. They accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

Square also allows you to paperlessly e-mail or SMS receipts to your customers, accept signatures, easily apply necessary tax, and keeps analytics and records of your transactions on your phone. The data can all be easily exported as a CSV file which can then be imported into your bookkeeping or spreadsheet software.

CallMynah – All Bluetooth Enabled Phones – http://www.callmynah.com

The CallMynah is not an application, but a piece of hardware. It is basically a recording device that uses your phone’s bluetooth functionality to capture your conversations and record them with total clarity. It’s not a high-tech spy device, as you certainly wouldn’t be able to intercept other people’s phone calls, but it is an extremely useful tool that has finally made it easy to record your own cell-phone conversations.  Whether it’s an interview or what have you.  It saves the date and time the call was made, and you can set it up to automatically record or not record calls from a specific number. The device can store up to 340 hours of audio.

Just make sure that you follow all state and federal laws governing your right to record conversations.

The Minox camera is now a fascinating relic of a bygone era. The purpose they once served has become laughably simple. Today, millions of people have access to far more sophisticated and advanced document copying capabilities, even if most of them don’t even realize it. Anyone with a smart-phone, such as an iPhone or Android-based phone, has access to cheap and effective document copying software using their phone’s standard built-in camera. The world has gone from Microfilm to MicroSD. But now not only can you photograph documents, the software can:

• Correct the perspective of the document if the photo is taken at an angle.
• Clarify and enhance poorly lit photographs with brightness and contrast manipulation.
• Analyze the image of the documents and convert it into an editable plain-text format.
• Automatically upload the photograph to the internet. So even if a spy is captured, his valuable intelligence can still make it back to his employers.

There are numerous applications for all smart phone platforms that handle this task. Some are better than others, though a lot of the basic functionality is present in all of them. Sometimes the biggest difference is price. Here I will cover three such applications for the Android and two for iPhone.

Apps for the Android OS

Name – Droid Scan
Price – Free/$4.99
Droid Scan comes in both a free and $4.99 version. The basic difference is that the paid “pro” version lets you create PDF files, which is great for multi-page and professional documents. The free version only lets you create compressed JPG images.

Droid Scan has really intuitive edge finding. You simply drag the selection to the corners of the documents in order to correct the perspective on the document, as well as crop out superfluous background nonsense.

Like many of these document scanning apps, it lets you share or send your images to Google Docs which will try to process it using an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) algorithm. That is to say it will attempt to figure out what is written in the document and reproduce it in an editable format. This only works well if you have really good lighting.

Droid Scan also lets you share the document over any media sharing applications you have on your Android phone. You can share over numerous applications and platforms- from Dropbox and Evernote to Facebook and Google+.

Name – Document Scanner
Price – Free/$3.98
Document Scanner scans directly to PDF and has built in E-mail, DropBox, Evernote, Google Docs and Box.net sharing support. It won’t let you chooses other sharing methods built into your phone like Droid Scan, but it is $1 cheaper. Also unlike Droid Scan, the free version is fully functional but it only lasts for 7 days. For the slight savings you get over Droid Scan you would be sacrificing a lot of functionality. If you want to become a paperless business it is probably better to spend the extra dollar and get more options.

Name – ScanToPDF
Price – Free/$.99
Scan to PDF is fully functional for free, but if you enjoy it the developers let you pay $.99 to show your appreciation. Pardon the cliché, but you get what you pay for here. It’s quick and simple but it has severely limited cropping functionality. Unlike Droid Scan and other document scanning applications it doesn’t have edge finding or perspective correction. Even the limited cropping function it has is awkward. But then again, it is free and lets you convert to PDF. It’s great if all you really want is to make PDFs out of photos you take and you hate spending money.

Apps for the iPhone

Name – JotNot Scanner/Pro
Price – Free/$4.99
JotNot Scanner provides most of the useful functionality of other document scanners. It can save multi-page PDF documents and has built-in sharing functionality with all of the major services like Evernote, Dropbox, Google Docs, and iDisk. It is currently on-sale for $.99 but usually retails for $4.99 which is just about in line with all fully featured document scanners.

Name – Genius Scan
Price – Free/$2.99
Genius Scan comes in a free and paid version as well. The main difference with Genius Scan is that it has a very simple and attractive user interface. It’s downfall is that you have to get the paid version to get any of the same sharing functionality almost all the other scanning applications have for free. It won’t share over Google Docs, Dropbox, or even Wifi without the paid version. However for just $3 it is the cheapest fully-featured document scanner on the list. If you’re looking to efficiently and cheaply move to a paperless business, Genius Scan would be an ideal solution for iPhone users.

For many these apps are a blessing, but for others it can be a nightmare.

It’s wonderful for investigators who often find themselves hunched over a filing cabinet in the middle of the night with a flashlight in their mouth flipping through folders of incriminating documents. Even in those low-light situations they can quickly snap a few photos of the information they need, compile it into a multi-page virtual format, put everything back the way it was, and sneak back out the window before anyone’s the wiser. Then they can quickly share copies of those documents while out in the field when there’s no computer or fax machine around. These applications can also be used to catalog receipts and business cards while out on the road. It’s a godsend for agencies moving towards a paperless business model.

However, it’s a nightmare for corporate security officers whose job it is to make sure critical confidential documents don’t make it into the wrong hands; especially these days, when it’s such a commonplace behavior to be sitting looking at your phone. A security officer or co-workers would be forgiven for assuming that an employee is simply being unproductive playing Angry Birds while they’re actually making covert paperless copies of the confidential document sitting in front of them.

“We’ve been working very hard to create searches that combine the freshest, most complete data at the best prices,” stated Terry Kilburn, Tracers Chief Operating Officer. “Our Premium People searches combine data from hundreds of unique sources. Traditional sources of data are becoming increasingly less reliable as more people’s day-to-day transactions occur online rather than in brick and mortar establishments. Also, in this troubled economy, fewer people are applying for and receiving credit, which makes them more difficult to locate. We’ve incorporated unique data into our products that addresses those issues.”

Because of the unique data Tracers combines with more traditional data sources, its Premium People search product, priced at 25-cents, is considerably better at identifying and locating people than similar products that are currently offered by some of its competitors, who are remarketing, private-labeling or reselling other providers’ data at prices ranging from $1.00 to $3.00 per search.

“The difference, “Kilburn explains, “is that we collect and aggregate the data ourselves rather than purchasing it on a per-search basis as our customers order it. This significantly reduces our data costs. It’s important to understand that cost is not necessarily an indication of quality. Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

Kilburn continued, “We have a proud, fifteen-year history of passing cost savings on to our customers. Over the last year, our business has grown considerably. The combination of lower fixed expenses and higher search volumes has allowed us to cut our prices while continuing to improve the value of our information products.”

Tracers’ databases, which include both public and proprietary information, are among the nation’s most comprehensive and up-to-date. Tracers’ products can be accessed easily in several ways, through a standard web browser, through batch application, or through XML-based APIs.

Tracers is one of the nation’s leading providers of identification and credential verification data for legitimate businesses with an established need for access to its data, including law enforcement agencies, government agencies, law firms, licensed investigators, insurance companies and other qualified businesses. Tracers’ products are designed to assist customers in managing risk through fraud detection and prevention, risk evaluation, identity verification, pre-screening and due diligence.

For more information about the company, or for a full list of Tracers products and prices, please call 1-877-723-2689