Friday, May 26, 2006

ScamBusters

Do you know that you're a scam waiting to happen? That's right, scammers and con artists are just waiting to take you for a ride. These people know every possible human weakness, weaknesses that make all of us vulnerable.

Fortunately, there are those who have the expertise and know-how to warn us. Among them are Jim and Audri Lanford. Jim and Audri are Internet pioneers. Over the years they've developed a number of programs and services to promote business and help all of us.

Now, they run Scambusters.org, the #1 Publication on Internet Fraud. Found at www.scambusters.org, the online publication is free. It's supported by inconspicuous ads placed at the end of each newsletter.

The current issue focuses on small, recurring credit card charges, and bounced check handling alerts. Here's an excerpt from "Small, recurring credit card charges:

Have you ever noticed a small charge to a company you don't recognize on your credit card statement?

You then look at last month's statement, and find the same credit card charge. And going back, you see that charge has been there month after month after month...

The charge is often for $9.95, $14.95 or $19.95 each month. These are called small, recurring credit card charges and experts say they have increased dramatically over the past six months.

People often believe that the charge belongs to their spouse.

These charges are more than annoying. Unfortunately, they can add up to hundreds of dollars over time."

The article then goes into detail about these scams, and how you can avoid them.

Notwithstanding that it would hurt our business if more people read ScamBusters, we highly recommend the free, online newsletter.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Bug sweeps: wiretap & bug detection

Can you imagine what people are learning about your personal life or business if they've tapped your phone or bugged your home or office?

Are people finding out your secrets or personal business?

Are you scheduling a highly confidential meeting or conference?

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 covert video surveillance?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be under electronic surveillance. Your home, office, vehicle or computer may be "bugged," or otherwise compromised. Don't go out and order a "bug detector" or "phone tap detector" off the Internet, because most of that equipment is junk. And even the good equipment is useless unless you are highly trained to use it. You need to contact us, the sooner the better.

Sherlock Investigations' clients include politicians, law enforcement, entertainers, attorneys, accountants, manufacturers, publishers, the fashion world, and private citizens.

Besides years of hands-on experience, Sherlock's investigators have been trained at the World Institute for Security Enhancement in TSCM (Technical Surveillance Countermeasures). Using state-of-the-art electronic countermeasures equipment and a thorough physical search, they'll sweep the entire radio spectrum for clandestine transmitters, hidden microphones, wireless video cameras, tape recorders, and phone taps. They'll check your computer for keystroke loggers.

If electronic devices or programs have been placed in your home, office, business, vehicle, or computer network, Sherlock Investigations will locate them, neutralize them, and help you find out who placed them.

Of course, our services are discreet. We'll come to your home or office at a time most convenient to you, and at a time that would arouse the least suspicion.

Sherlock's technical surveillance countermeasures sweep includes the following:

Total RF (radio frequency) spectrum sweep - 200 Hz to 12 GHz
Carrier current sweep - 20 KHz to 400 KHz
Infrared transmission sweep
Laser beam transmission sweep
Microwave (X-Band) transmission sweep
Microphone sweep
Radio transmitter sweep
Video transmitter sweep
Hidden video camera sweep
Audio recorder sweep
Acoustic leakage inspection
Phone taps (includes recorders and transmitters) sweep
Vehicle "bumper beeper" sweep
Vehicle active and passive GPS sweep

Considering what people may be finding out about you or your business, the rates for a TSCM sweep are inexpensive. No job is too large or too small. So contact Sherlock Investigations today.


NOTE: Sherlock Investigations specialize in the New York, New Jersey, Connnecticut, Massachusetts area, but can make arrangements to go anywhere in the continental U.S.

Our rates are $350 an hour. There is a two-hour minimum for vehicles, and a four-hour minimum for buildings. We may impose a $75 an hour travel fee.

Special: Repeat sweeps within 3 months are discounted 50%.

PLEASE NOTE: (1) DO NOT call from a phone or area that you think may be under electronic surveillance. Do not email Sherlock from a computer that you think might be compromised. (2) If you have reason to think that any kind of law enforcement agency has you under surveillance, go somewhere else. Sherlock cannot help you. (3) Sherlock Investigations does not install bugs or wiretaps. Please do not ask.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

People Search

At Sherlock Investigations we like to find people. Among the most popular reasons our clients hire us to locate the current whereabouts of someone is that they're looking for debtors, witnesses/heirs, deadbeat parents (usually fathers), criminals, runaways, birth parents or long-lost siblings.

With a success rate of 98%, Sherlock's private investigators specialize in locating hard-to-find people. You can believe that Sherlock's private investigators are the best in the industry. Unlike some services found on the Internet, we provide you with a valid current address, not just a long printout of matching names. (We never use Net Detective.) We work with you throughout the process of locating someone.

How it works

Initially, Sherlock's private investigators painstakingly search billions of public and non-public records contained in 24,000+ databases. They include:

The three major credit bureaus, utilizing Social Security numbers
Driver's licenses
Voting records
Date of birth files
Social Security Death Index
Current phone numbers
Warranty registration cards
Magazine subscriptions
U.S. Postal changes of address
High school and college alumni databases
Professional licenses
Inmate locator databases
Multiple state, county, and city databases
Newspaper articles and obituaries

If utilizing the resources listed above fails in locating the current whereabouts of your subject - and depending upon our your wishes - Sherlock's private investigators personally contact friends, relatives, former neighbors, former classmates, former landlords, and employers. We'll even go to previous addresses and knock on doors for you.

Sherlock Investigation's rates

Sherlock Investigation's flat rates with no hidden fees provide five weeks of investigative services ... more than sufficient time to locate most people. Sherlock Investigations can usually locate almost anyone in a matter of days, but sometimes it takes weeks or months.

If, after five weeks, Sherlock Investigations haven't located your subject, we close the case. Now, because of Sherlock's high success rate, the cases coming in have become more and more difficult. Sherlock aims to please you, but it's sometimes impractical and costly to continue an investigation. However, Sherlock now offers special "Sherlock Insurance."

Sherlock Insurance

Sherlock Insurance is a consumer protection plan that guarantees that Sherlock will continue to look for your subject until the subject is located. Even if it takes Sherlock six months, or even a year, Sherlock will stay on your case. Now, for a mere $99 one-time additional fee, Sherlock Investigations guarantees that your case will remain active until the subject is located.

In criminal cases, Sherlock's private investigators work closely with law enforcement. In some cases, a county or state will not extradite a wanted felon, mostly for budgetary reasons, so attempts to locate the felon may be futile.

Testimonial

"I literally spent years searching on my own for a biological father I hadn't seen in roughly 30 years. I used all the resources I could find on the web even spending the money on some of the online people finding services. At every turn I was met with nothing but failure and frustration. After reading the testimonials on Sherlock Investigation's website and seeing their phenomenal success rate, I decided to give their private investigators a try. You probably think I'm exaggerating, but in a mere 90 minutes after I emailed Skipp Porteous the very limited information I had, he had found my father! Not only that, he also provided me with a current address and phone number, both of which were 100% accurate. I could have never imagined that Skipp and his private investigators would be able to do such an amazing job so fast. If only they could make the meeting as easy as the finding."

- B.A., North Carolina