Confirming what you know and finding what you don't
Have you ever run a background check on yourself? I’m not talking about just googling your name. I’m talking about checking court and other public records, news, and even social media, and taking a deeper dive into your digital footprint to see what others might find out about you. At a recent social event, I […]
A previous post described the differences between a due diligence background investigation and a basic background check and why you shouldn’t settle for less than what you need. After that post, a colleague made a great comment in a Twitter conversation that should be addressed. Fellow Certified Fraud Examiner Robert Gardner, pointed out that “…there’s […]
People often confuse a due diligence background investigation with other types of background checks, including employment, tenant, and regulatory checks. Unfortunately, this confusion can lead to a false sense of security. For example, some may feel that, since U.S. securities law requires broker-dealers to “fingerprint certain associated persons working in a non-registered capacity who may […]
On February 6th, The New York Times reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) fired contractor Tiffany Brown, sole owner and employee of Tribute Contracting LLC. The agency hired Brown’s firm after Hurricane Maria to supply food for hungry residents in Puerto Rico. It appears that, instead of the agreed-upon 18.5 million meals, Brown […]
In due diligence, investigators look for different types of warning signs, often categorized as red flags or yellow flags. I’ve already talked about red flags, issues that turn up in the background check which, on their own, could jeopardize the investment or partnership. In this post, I’ll cover yellow flags – warning signs that individually may […]
Running a due diligence background checks is a great way find out if if someone is not as honest as they appear – before you agree to do business. To do this, investigators look at past and current behavior to help predict the likelihood of future fraudulent activity. It’s the “once a crook, always a […]
When I need to keep up with the latest information sources, I can always count on ResearchBuzz‘s Tara Calishain , an expert on new and little-known online databases. And, thanks to Tara, I now have a great new resource to add to my due diligence investigations. This one caught my eye because it’s difficult to […]