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Home Security And Safety Tips For Grandma & Grandpa

1/26/2023

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Colorado Springs Elderly Private Investigator
 Senior citizens, unfortunately, are the most targeted segment of society by criminals/fraudsters. During my 24+ years in federal law enforcement, I had many cases where senior citizens contacted us with information regarding this scam or that one. Unfortunately, often by the time I got involved their money or property was long gone along with the criminal who fleeced them. Not only do the dregs of society target senior’s wallets, but they also target their homes. Grandma & grandpa have a high rate of fear of being victimized, and rightfully so, and can easily fall into isolating themselves as a means of protection. 

Why are seniors more vulnerable to being taken advantage of? There are many reasons including the fact that many of them live in isolated conditions and may not get the kind of communication with others that they can run things by. Senior citizens also have, naturally, a decline in their cognitive and physical abilities to varying degrees and may not know about the latest technological advancements, such as residential security systems which could make them safer and less prone to being taken advantage of. 

The FBI lists the following schemes that senior citizens should be aware of:

Health Care Fraud or Health Insurance Fraud

Medical Equipment Fraud

Equipment manufacturers offer “free” products to individuals. Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered.

“Rolling Lab” Schemes

Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals at health clubs, retirement homes, or shopping malls and billed to insurance companies or Medicare.

Services Not Performed

Customers or providers bill insurers for services never rendered by changing bills or submitting fake ones.

Medicare Fraud

Medicare fraud can take the form of any of the health insurance frauds described above. Senior citizens are frequent targets of Medicare schemes, especially by medical equipment manufacturers and distributors who offer seniors free medical products in exchange for their Medicare numbers. Because a physician has to sign a form certifying that equipment or testing is needed before Medicare pays for it, con artists fake signatures or bribe corrupt doctors to sign the forms. Once a signature is in place, the manufacturers bill Medicare for merchandise or service that was not needed or was not ordered.

Tips for Avoiding Health Care Fraud or Health Insurance Fraud:

• Never sign blank insurance claim forms.

• Never give blanket authorization to a medical provider to bill for services rendered.

• Ask your medical providers what they will charge and what you will be expected to pay out-of-pocket.

• Carefully review your insurer’s explanation of the benefits statement. Call your insurer and provider if you have questions.

• Do not do business with door-to-door or telephone salespeople who tell you that services of medical equipment are free.

• Give your insurance/Medicare identification only to those who have provided you with medical services.

• Keep accurate records of all health care appointments.

• Know if your physician ordered equipment for you

Counterfeit Prescription Drugs

Tips for Avoiding Counterfeit Prescription Drugs:

• Be mindful of appearance. Closely examine the packaging and lot numbers of prescription drugs and be alert to any changes from one prescription to the next.

• Consult your pharmacist or physician if your prescription drug looks suspicious.

• Alert your pharmacist and physician immediately if your medication causes adverse side effects or if your condition does not improve.

• Use caution when purchasing drugs on the Internet. Do not purchase medications from unlicensed online distributors or those who sell medications without a prescription. Reputable online pharmacies will have a seal of approval called the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS), provided by the Association of Boards of Pharmacy in the United States.

• Be aware that product promotions or cost reductions and other “special deals” may be associated with counterfeit product promotion.

Funeral and Cemetery Fraud

Tips for Avoiding Funeral and Cemetery Fraud:

▪ Be an informed consumer. Take time to call and shop around before making a purchase. Take a friend with you who may offer some perspective to help make difficult decisions. Funeral homes are required to provide detailed general price lists over the telephone or in writing.

▪ Educate yourself fully about caskets before you buy one, and understand that caskets are not required for direct cremations.

▪ Understand the difference between funeral home basic fees for professional services and any fees for additional services.

▪ Know that embalming rules are governed by state law and that embalming is not legally required for direct cremations.

▪ Carefully read all contracts and purchasing agreements before signing and make certain that all of your requirements have been put in writing.

▪ Make sure you understand all contract cancellation and refund terms, as well as your portability options for transferring your contract to other funeral homes.

▪ Before you consider prepaying, make sure you are well informed. When you do make a plan for yourself, share your specific wishes with those close to you.

▪ As a general rule governing all of your interactions as a consumer, do not allow yourself to be pressured into making purchases, signing contracts, or committing funds. These decisions are yours and yours alone.

Fraudulent “Anti-Aging” Products

Tips for Avoiding Fraudulent “Anti-Aging” Products:

▪ If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Watch out for “Secret Formulas” or “Breakthroughs.”

▪ Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the product. Find out exactly what it should and should not do for you.

▪ Research a product thoroughly before buying it. Call the Better Business Bureau to find out if other people have complained about the product.

▪ Be wary of products that claim to cure a wide variety of illnesses—particularly serious ones—that don’t appear to be related.

▪ Be aware that testimonials and/or celebrity endorsements are often misleading.

▪ Be very careful of products that are marketed as having no side effects.

▪ Question products that are advertised as making visits to a physician unnecessary.

▪ Always consult your doctor before taking any dietary or nutritional supplement.

Telemarketing Fraud

If you are age 60 or older—and especially if you are an older woman living alone—you may be a special target of people who sell bogus products and services by telephone. Telemarketing scams often involve offers of free prizes, low-cost vitamins and health care products, and inexpensive vacations. There are warning signs to these scams. If you hear these—or similar—“lines” from a telephone salesperson, just say “no thank you,” and hang up the telephone:

▪ “You must act now, or the offer won’t be good.”

▪ “You’ve won a free gift, vacation, or prize.” But you have to pay for “postage and handling” or other charges.

▪ “You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier.” You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider the offer carefully.

▪ “You don’t need to check out the company with anyone.” The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone, including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.

▪ “You don’t need any written information about the company or its references.”

▪ “You can’t afford to miss this high-profit, no-risk offer.”

Tips for Avoiding Telemarketing Fraud:

It’s very difficult to get your money back if you’ve been cheated over the telephone. Before you buy anything by telephone, remember:

▪ Don’t buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply.

▪ Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity. If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review them. But, unfortunately, beware—not everything written down is true.

▪ Always check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, state attorney general, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortunately, not all bad businesses can be identified through these organizations.

▪ Obtain a salesperson’s name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false names, telephone numbers, addresses, and business license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items.

▪ Before you give money to a charity or make an investment, find out what percentage of the money is paid in commissions and what percentage actually goes to the charity or investment.

▪ Before you send money, ask yourself a simple question. “What guarantee do I really have that this solicitor will use my money in the manner we agreed upon?”

▪ Don’t pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered.

▪ Be wary of companies that want to send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any trace of who they are or where they can be reached.

▪ Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won’t pressure you to make a snap decision.

▪ Don’t pay for a “free prize.” If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law.

▪ Before you receive your next sales pitch, decide what your limits are—the kinds of financial information you will and won’t give out on the telephone.

▪ Be sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a trusted friend, family member, or financial advisor. It’s never rude to wait and think about an offer.

▪ Never respond to an offer you don’t understand thoroughly.

▪ Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown persons.

▪ Be aware that your personal information is often brokered to telemarketers through third parties.

▪ If you have been victimized once, be wary of persons who call offering to help you recover your losses for a fee paid in advance.

▪ If you have information about a fraud, report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies.

Internet Fraud

As web use among senior citizens increases, so does their chances to fall victim to Internet fraud. Internet Fraud includes non-delivery of items ordered online and credit and debit card scams. 

Investment Schemes

As they plan for retirement, senior citizens may fall victim to investment schemes. These may include advance fee schemes, prime bank note schemes, pyramid schemes, and Nigerian letter fraud schemes. 

Reverse Mortgage Scams

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG) urge consumers, especially senior citizens, to be vigilant when seeking reverse mortgage products. Reverse mortgages, also known as home equity conversion mortgages (HECM), have increased more than 1,300 percent between 1999 and 2008, creating significant opportunities for fraud perpetrators.

Reverse mortgage scams are engineered by unscrupulous professionals in a multitude of real estate, financial services, and related companies to steal the equity from the property of unsuspecting senior citizens or to use these seniors to unwittingly aid the fraudsters in stealing equity from a flipped property.

In many of the reported scams, victim seniors are offered free homes, investment opportunities, and foreclosure or refinance assistance. They are also used as straw buyers in property flipping scams. Seniors are frequently targeted through local churches and investment seminars, as well as television, radio, billboard, and mailer advertisements.

A legitimate HECM loan product is insured by the Federal Housing Authority. It enables eligible homeowners to access the equity in their homes by providing funds without incurring a monthly payment. Eligible borrowers must be 62 years or older who occupy their property as their primary residence and who own their property or have a small mortgage balance. 


Tips for Avoiding Reverse Mortgage Scams:

▪ Do not respond to unsolicited advertisements.

▪ Be suspicious of anyone claiming that you can own a home with no down payment.

▪ Do not sign anything that you do not fully understand.

▪ Do not accept payment from individuals for a home you did not purchase.

▪ Seek out your own reverse mortgage counselor.

Many seniors grew up in a time when their families left their doors unlocked and never had to worry about someone breaking in but, unfortunately, those days are long gone. No matter how safe the neighborhood they live in is, even a gated community, there are certain precautions grandmas and grandpas should take:

• Make sure all doors and windows remained locked at all times.

• Make sure every externally facing door has some type of peephole. I also recommend the Ring video doorbell for seniors as they can see who is at the door and be notified before someone actually reaches the door. 

• Make sure all exterior doors are made of solid materials such as metal or wood. As part of those, make sure that extra long screws are used in the strike plate and that security door pins are also in place.

• Make sure windows that could be potentially breached, have security film on them, which makes it much harder to break. I’m seeing this used more and more and not just on senior citizen’s residences. 

• Make sure any gates leading to fenced in areas are always locked and secure. I recommend using a good padlock with a key. Combination locks will also work, but a senior citizen will have to remember the code and who needs another number to remember?

• Make sure that grandma/grandpa always answers a door with a telephone in hand. If they absolutely must open the door they can tell whoever is on the doorstep that they are on a call. This will give any burglar or other creep pause and will usually be enough to make them move on to another target.

• Remember the good old days when you could leave a key outside under the rug or under a flowerpot? Forget them! Those days are over. Never leave a key outside. They are far too easy to find and you’re just providing a key to your castle. It’s much better to leave one with a trusted neighbor.

• Make sure grandma and/or grandpa have a home security system. This, alone, will provide peace of mind and really is a must in my opinion. Home security systems can also be tied in with medical alert systems that a senior citizen can activate should they have an accident or fall in their home.

• Make sure that all of your exterior lighting has motion detection capabilities. I recently wrote an article, here, about how motion sensors work if interested. Motion detector exterior lighting is a great way to keep burglars from operating in the dark. I also recommend making sure any entry pathway is covered by these types of lighting. They are readily available and can be purchased and installed for less than $100 in most cases
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• Whenever leaving your residence, make sure you do two things. Arm your security system! You’d be surprised how many people don’t arm them and thieves know this. And leave a television or radio on to give the appearance that someone may be home. 

I hope these security tips will make grandma and grandpa just a little more secure as they go through their daily lives.

If your a senior who would like advise on any of the topics listed, or just have a question about anything, please give us a call. We offer security assessments of residences/businesses and can work with you to make things more secure. We also offer presentations to senior citizen groups on a regular basis and would love to present to your group.
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At your service.

Lee Walters
President/Lead Investigator
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
719.208.4088
​Colorado Springs, Colorado
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KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN AN UNSAFE WORLD

1/24/2023

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Today’s article is going to go over some tips for trying to keep your children safe in a world that is becoming more unsafe with each passing day. Not to be an alarmist, but these common sense ideas can make the difference between tranquility and disaster.
 
  • Make sure your kids are taught to never admit strangers, under any circumstance, into the home whether or not you or another adult family member are home. They should be taught to never open the door to a stranger, even if they look like they are friendly and just may be selling something. Have them go to a door if there’s a knock/ring and ask anyone on the other side what they want or need. They should respond to any conversation with, “My dad is upstairs on a business call, but I’ll make sure he knows you’re out here.” They can then go out of ear range of the front door and call a trusted neighbor to come over and assess the situation if a parent isn’t actually in the home.

  •  Teach your children local emergency phone numbers, primarily 911, and make sure younger children memorize their name, address, and parent's phone number. 

  • Make sure your teenagers truly understand that they should never meet with anyone they do not know, especially someone they met on the Internet. Monitor their online activity if you suspect anything and even if you don’t! Many of parents have been shocked to learn that their straight A student is corresponding with what their child thought was a fellow teenager, but who turned out to be a 45-year-old pedophile. Teach younger members of your family not to open mail or packages.

  • Go over how to answer the telephone with your young children and teach them not to give our information such as their address, whether or not an adult is home, their names, etc. Play-act this with them, as practice is the best teacher at a younger age.

  • Teach your children that it’s okay to say no to strangers, especially adults. Go over the different scenarios that pedophiles use to prey on your kids. Ploys such as “I’m looking for my lost dog” or “Can you help me find my little boy/girl” are two such approaches a pedophile will use. Once again, play-act is the best teacher of this.

  • Have an escape plan should your children need to exit the residence in case of emergency. As I’ve written before, have drills, both during the day and in the middle of the night, so they’ll know exactly what to do should a real emergency ever occur.

  • Make sure your home Wi-fi network is secure. Having a whole house Wi-fi network allows kids to get on the internet from anywhere in the house making it harder to know what they are doing on their computer, mobile telephone or gaming system. Put a rule into affect that all computer use must be done in a common area of the home where you can see what they are doing. Not that you have to stand over their shoulder at all time, but a quick surprise peak can be very revealing. Also, go back and check their history of websites they’ve visited. This is very easy and can be found on any browser in use today.

  • Teach your kids, once they are old enough, the importance of safety when using social networking sites. In my opinion, no kid under the age of 15 has any business being subscribed to ANY social network. I’m sure you’ll hear that all of their friends are on Snapchat or Instagram, but don’t cave to pressure. There will be plenty of time in the future for them to waste countless hours on the internet! When they do reach an appropriate age for social networking interaction, teach them not to use their full names, birthdays or addresses on their profiles. The less personal info the better and caution them about mentioning any vacation plans on their social media sites, posting any identifiable locations, vehicle information, etc. and not to “check in” using some of the popular features of many of the social media apps.

  • Monitor. And I do mean, monitor, your kid’s online game activity such as the type that occurs on platforms such as Xbox Live. These gaming systems allow them to interact with friends from all over the country and, in fact, the world, but they can also expose them to online predators. Many pedophiles have been discovered to use these systems where they masquerade as young teenagers in attempt to gain the trust and confidence of actual children. Once they’ve gained their trust, it’s not long before they are convincing the child to meet in person somewhere.

  • Install software that allows you, the parent, to block access to websites. Google has a free option where you can block keywords in searches and I strongly recommend implementing that on all of your computers. Search is the gateway to finding websites on the internet you’d rather them not find.

  • Implement a family rule that says only a parent can download ANY thing from the internet. Many of the games, music and other software that is out there to tempt an unsuspecting child contains spyware and other types of malware that can infect your entire system and lead to identity fraud and worse.

Let me know if me, or any of the investigators here at EXCALIBUR Private Investigation, can ever be of assistance to you.

Lee Walters
President
Colorado Springs, CO
719.208.4088

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4 SCAMS THAT MAY, OR MAY NOT, BE HAPPENING

1/17/2023

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Scam article by Colorado Springs Private Investigator
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Every once in awhile I get something that hits my email inbox that makes me smile and which has just enough truth in it that quite possibly, and I emphasize quite, may be true. I can’t imagine that any criminal is smart enough, at least none that I’ve dealt with in 30+ years, to think of these ideas for which the email warned me about. Some of these are also a little dated. Take a look at see if you agree. Could this really be happening?

1.  THE LONG-TERM PARKING SCARE

The story goes that someone left his or her car in the long-term parking in San Jose, California, and while away from the car, someone broke in.  Using the information on the car's registration in the glove compartment, they drove the car to the person's home in Pebble Beach and robbed it.  If you are going to leave your car in long-term parking, you should NOT leave the registration/insurance cards in it, nor your remote garage door opener. A simple answer to this? Either lock this information in the glove compartment, or leave it in a locked box in the trunk. 

2.   THE GPS SCARE

So the story goes someone had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green, which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans.  Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS, which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard.  When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen.  The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house.  They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house.  The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish, and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house.  It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents. My answer to this one? First, why are you still using a GPS? There’s something called Waze or Google Mpas you can download on your cell phone and never have to use a GPS again. And same goes for using the built-in GPS in your new car. Don’t put an address in there and label it as home, just in case there’s a really smart car/house thief in your part of the country.

3.     THE CELLULAR TELEPHONE SCARE

An unknown lady had her purse, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., stolen.  Twenty minutes later when she called her significant other, from a pay phone telling them what had happened, and they say, "I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago."  When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn.  The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and got ahold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the lesson:

a. Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc....

b. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.

c. Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them.  If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet "family and friends" who text you.

4.     THE PURSE IN THE GROCERY CART SCARE

A lady supposedly goes grocery-shopping at a local store and leaves her purse sitting in the children's seat of the cart while she reached for something on a shelf... wait till you read the WHOLE story!  Her wallet was stolen, and she reported it to the store personnel.  After returning home, she received a phone call from the store to say that they had her wallet and that although there was no money in it, it did still hold her personal papers.  She immediately went to pick up her wallet, only to be told by the store manager that they had not called her. By the time she returned home again, her house had been broken into and burglarized.  The thieves knew that by calling and saying they were with the store, they could lure her out of her house long enough for them to burglarize it.

My answer to this one? Keep your wallet and/or purse attached to you or under the bags most of us take to the store these days, in Colorado you’re now charged ten cents a bag if you don’t bring your own, and don’t take anyone’s word who calls you. Always hang up, find the number on your own, and call the location back. I can’t tell you how many times over the years I worked in law enforcement how someone would tell me anything I wanted to know, just by me saying I was so-and-so from whatever agency you want to say you're from. 

Stay safe!

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
719.208.4088
www.excaliburlegalsupport.com
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10 QUESTIONS YOU MUST ASK BEFORE HIRING A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

11/28/2022

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10 Questions to Ask a Colorado Springs Private Investigator
There are many instances where you may need to hire a private investigator. No matter what you're trying to accomplish, it's best to interview multiple investigators to see who is the right fit for you before giving one the assignment. We developed ten questions you should ask any professional investigator you're thinking about hiring:

1. How long have you been conducting investigations?

Note that this question will give you a good sense of how long the investigator has actually conducted investigations and if they have law enforcement experience where they've actually received training in all aspects of conducting an investigation. If they respond with "5, 7, ____ fill-in-the-blank years, be sure and ask if all those years of experience are only as a private investigator or not. At EXCALIBUR Private Investigation, we have over three decades of law enforcement (25 years) and private investigation (10 years) experience and have received ongoing training during the entirety of that time.

2. Are you licensed, insured and bonded?

In the state of Colorado, Governor Jared Polis vetoed ongoing licensure of private investigators effective August 31, 2021 and the industry is full of people who couldn't get licensed in the past due to a variety of reasons. Make sure to ask if they've ever been licensed in any state and inquire as to what insurance they have and if they are bonded. An uninsured, unbonded, private investigator is a train wreck looking for a place to happen. At EXCALIBUR we're insured and bonded and have held state issued private investigator's licenses in California, Virginia and Colorado.

3. What hours will you work on my case?

Never, never, never hire a private investigator who only works banker's hours, i.e. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. If you've already hired them and can't seem to get in touch with them after 5:00 p.m. fire them. Immediately! Many cases require the investigator to work nights, weekends, and holidays, and can require much more than an 8-hour day. Our investigators work when the case requires it, no matter when that may be. Private investigation is not a 9-5 job!!!

4. What type of training have you had?

​Many investigators will vacillate and stumble when you ask them this question and will try to generalize their training. They'll try to tell you how many years they've been doing this kind of work, what they did in the military, etc. If they can't answer with specifics, you can assume they aren't qualified, or equipped, to handle your case. At EXCALIBUR our investigators have trained at the FBI Academy, the DOJ Advocacy Center, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Military Police Academy, to name just a few places our investigators have trained. Training is ongoing as there's always something new to learn.

5. What kind of report will you provide?

No matter what kinds of evidence a private investigator collects, if it isn't properly documented, via written reports, chain-of-custody recorded, videography, photographs, etc., it does no one any good. Many times a case has been defeated at trial due to shoddy or incomplete reports. Unless the private investigator has been trained in how to properly document evidence, they'll fail every time. A good professional investigator will give you frequent updates on all investigation conducted including what they've discovered, and what remains to be discovered. At EXCALIBUR Private Investigation we update all clients any time there's activity in a case and we provide a detailed, written report, that references all audio, video, photographs, surveillance activity, GPS tracking, etc. collected during the investigation. We hand deliver our reports with all of the collected evidence and take the time to go over our findings with the client.

6. How should we communicate with each other?

Many times in an investigation the client may still live with the subject of the investigation. If the private investigator you're interviewing doesn't have alternative communication methods in mind, find another investigator. We use a variety of apps and burner numbers untraceable to our firm as any investigator worth their salt should.

7. Can you recommend a good lawyer?

This question will let you know immediately if the investigator is respected by those in the industry. All good investigators should at least have a few law firms as clients and should be able to recommend which lawyer would be the best for your particular matter. Our firm has worked with law firms all over the country and can recommend the right firm no matter what type of case you need help with.

8. Are you willing to testify in court?

Any private investigator should be willing to testify in court. If the investigator you're interviewing hesitates, even momentarily, that's a huge red flag! Individuals who have presented themselves as PI's may have something in their background that they know will come out in any trial, such as criminal convictions. Without licensing even an individual with a criminal past can claim to be a private investigator. The investigators of EXCALIBUR Private Investigation have all testified in federal, state and local courts numerous times.

9. Will you guarantee your results?

If an investigator tells you they can guarantee the outcome of an investigation they are either lying or have never worked an investigation. An investigator with any experience whatsoever, understands that you never know where an investigation will lead. We guarantee we'll work your case with all available tools and expertise, but we can never guarantee a particular outcome. If the investigator tells you they guarantee their results hold on to your wallet and be suspect of any information they provide.

10. Do you have references?

Any private investigator with a level of experience should be able to provide references when requested. Most reputable PI's will have plenty of clients they can't provide as references due to confidentiality, but they should have some, such as law firms and other professionals, that can speak to their work product. Another red flag if the PI you're interviewing can't, or won't, provide references.

I recommend printing these questions out any time you are thinking of engaging a private investigation firm. I'm sure our competitors will be practicing their answers should one of our readers call them. If we can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Lee Walters
President-Lead Investigator
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
​719.208.4088
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THE HOLLYWOOD CON

11/28/2022

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Zach Horowitz Con Man investigation
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Having worked more white collar fraud cases than I can count, I'm always intrigued that new con men are able to convince people to part with hard earned money. The one common denominator that I've found is present in every one of these cases are the "friends and family" hook. The guy above, Zach Horowitz, also known as Zach Avery, used that hook to scam money from a variety of people under the guise that he was buying the rights to movies and then leasing those rights to HBO, Netflix, primarily, and other streaming services. Needless to say none of these services had ever heard of the guy which a little due diligence on the part of the victims could have figured that out early in the con. This guy ran a typical Ponzi scheme that caught up with him as all Ponzi schemes do.

What is a Ponzi scheme? The dictionary defines a Ponzi scheme as:

"a form of fraud in which belief in the success of a nonexistent enterprise is fostered by the payment of quick returns to the first investors from money invested by later investors".

Once Zach Horowitz got those first investors on board, all family and friends, promising returns of 42% after 9 months (a red flag if I've ever seen one), he would repay the initial investors with money coming in from new investors. I'm always bewildered that people think there are investments that pay 42%, or more, in a short period of time with no risk. In the end over $600 million was scammed in this Ponzi scheme with some $200 million still unaccounted for.

Don't think that schemes such as these are ongoing here in Colorado? Don't be too sure. In the last three weeks I've been introduced to individuals, who didn't know my background, pitching investments that are too good to be true and will, ultimately, lead to loss of investment funds. In both instances I gathered as much information as I could about the principles and shared with a local detective I know so that she could be on the lookout for potential victims. 

If someone approaches you with an investment that just seems too good to be true, contact me or one of my investigators and let us conduct due diligence on your behalf. 

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
​719.208.4088
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SKandal! Bringing Down Wirecard

10/22/2022

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As someone who's worked literally hundreds of white collar crime fraud cases, bank fraud, wire fraud, con games, you name it, whenever I come across a documentary of that type of crime I'm drawn to it. Often times the documentary doesn't do the investigation justice, but over the last two days I had a chance to watch Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard on Netflix and it's an excellent treatment of how a long-running, fraudulent business, was a German FinTech darling when it was actually a fraud scheme all along.

I have to admit, I had never heard of Wirecard until watching this but, for those of you not familiar with them as I wasn't, they were selling themselves as the PayPal, Zelle, etc of Europe. Not to give away too much, but there's all kinds of intrigue. Spies, lots of private investigators, at one point the company had 28 PI's on their payroll looking into reporters and others writing negative articles and short selling their stock, and foreign agents from numerous countries.

As with all cons, even people who think there's something fishy going on, will dismiss their doubts under the misguided thinking that this government agency or that government agency is surely monitoring the company. When I hear that I laugh and promptly think of Bernie Madoff and how the Securities and Exchange Commission wqw asleep at the wheel for years. And take my word for it, there are still fraudulent companies operating as we speak even though our investigative agencies, who should be on the lookout for these, seem to be more interested in solving everything but true crime these days.

If you have Netflix I can strongly recommend this one as it will have you on the edge of your seat the entirety of the film.

About to enter into a large investment, partnership, or other business arrangement? Invest a few dollars and have a background investigation completed of all the principles and have some business intelligence conducted to see if everything that's being presented is really as it's being presented. Our Colorado based professional private investigators will either verify what is being presented as true, or save you from making a large financial mistake that could be devastating. We also have a forensic accountant on staff who can dig through those financials to see if they are a true reporting of the financial health of the company. Call us today to discuss your needs.

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
​719.208.4088
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Are you Penny Wise and Pound Foolish?

9/22/2022

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Colorado Springs Private Investigator Penny Wise Pound Foolish
Many of us have heard the phrase "penny wise and pound foolish", but have you ever thought about it in the context of due diligence? Not to provide a history lesson to everyone, but this phrase has long been attributed to Benjamin Franklin when it was actually coined by Robert Burton in his 1621 work, yes that long ago, The Anatomy of Melancholy.

This phrase popped into my head when reading an article recently about a businessman who lost over $2 million dollars to a con man, for lack of a better term, who had a long history of defrauding his business partners. After the money had been lost, the defrauded businessman hired a professional investigator to see if any of the funds could be recovered, kind of "closing the barn door after the horse has bolted" to quote yet another well known phrase. The professional investigator discovered a trail of previously defrauded business parters this con man had taken to the cleaners over the years and that the $2 million dollars was long gone. 

Every time I read a tale of someone losing their hard earned money in a fraudulent scheme, my first thought is "I wonder if they did any due diligence?" In most instances I'd bet good money that they didn't. Otherwise smart business men and women try and save money when a small investment into a due diligence background check by a professional investigator could have found any red flags that exist. In the example above, by spending $3,500, the average cost for a due diligence background investigation, less than 1/4 of 1% of the $2 million lost, the defrauded businessman would still have their $2 million dollars and would have had a lot less sleepless nights that I guarantee they suffered through and probably continue to do so.

Are you in the process of entering into a business deal or other investment of any size and think you can't become a victim of fraud? Think again. Even individuals you may have known for years can be capable of defrauding you. Spend a little time, and money, and reach out to a professional investigator as a trusted adviser to make sure you don't become a victim. My firm and our team of Colorado Springs-based professional investigators have conducted numerous due diligence investigations and would be happy to discuss your needs. Just give us a call or send us a quick email and someone will respond as soon as possible. 

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
Colorado Springs, Colorado

www.excaliburlegalsupport.com
​719.208.4088
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The Role of Digital Forensics in the Depp/Heard case

9/10/2022

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Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and Digital Forensics
A very interesting article I wanted to share showing the importance of holding on to your technology even if they've become obsolete. I recently had a case where laptops that had long become obsolete and contained software that couldn't even be updated, held valuable information crucial to the case. Old cellphones, iPads, tablets, you name it, if you think they may have information you'll need in the future, don't get rid of them.

Here's a link to the article on how Digital Forensics played an important role in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard lawsuit:

http://workingpimag.com/2022/08/31/role-of-digital-forensics-in-depp-heard-lawsuit/

If you have technology that may hold valuable information on it that you need to access, please reach out as we partner with a local firm who's the best in the business.

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation

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The DIY Investigator: Finding Property Tax Records

7/18/2022

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The Do It Yourself Investigator in Colorado Springs
As a full-service, professional private investigation firm in Colorado Springs, one with over 30+ years experience, we get a lot of calls to the office on a daily basis from individuals inquiring about our services. Many callers have never hired a private investigator and have no idea what it cost to hire a professional investigator. We understand that not everyone can afford to hire an experienced investigator and many have very little money at all but still desperately need help. It's with that in mind that we've decided to publish self-help tips for those who need information, but have no money with which to hire an investigator. We're calling it "The DIY Investigator" and it's just our small way of giving back to our community. If it only helps one person out there find the information they need, we'll consider it time well spent.

Our search today is to find property tax records for an individual or particular property. We're searching in El Paso County, Colorado, but this type of search can be conducted in every state. Some states won't have as much information as others and you may have to go down to the County Assessor's office in person, but this should give you a general idea of how to conduct this type of search. We'll start our search by going to Robert Scott's, a well-known private investigator, site known as Black Book Online: www.blackbookonline.info/USA-States.aspx which will take you to this screen.
Colorado Springs Investigations
Next we'll click on Colorado but, as you can see, every state has public records listed.
Colorado Professional Investigator
Clicking on Colorado takes us to the page above. You can see there are all types of "Free" Colorado Records and the same is true for any state you pick. For this exercise we're going to click County Public Records which takes us to the screen below. We'll then click on Property Tax Search
Investigations in Colorado Springs
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Once we've clicked on that we'll be taken to the El Paso County Assessor's Real Property Search page.
Colorado Springs Private Eye
Once on the Assessor's page we'll put the name of the subject we're looking for or their address. For demonstration purposes I randomly typed in the last name Wilson as shown below and clicked on Wilson John L Jr, Wilson Laura M.
Professional Investigator in Colorado
As you can see below there is a wealth of information, free information, that the searcher now has at their fingertips.
The DIY Investigator
Colorado Investigations
Private Eye in Colorado Springs
This type of search is just one of hundreds of different type of searches one can conduct using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) that just costs one time. Professional investigators who've been in the business for awhile, have all types of OSINT they use as well as proprietary databases available only to the profession.

I hope this helps show the possibilities when conducting investigation into a person or property. Please feel free to leave a comment or, if you have a question, shoot me an email at rlwalters@excaliburlegalsupport.com

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
Colorado Springs, CO
​719.208.4088
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12 SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP

6/20/2022

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Today's article is one I wish we never had to discuss, much less write about, but based on the increase in case work we've seen the last several months I just felt like it needed to be written. I'm not sure what's caused the uptick in Domestic Violence (DV) cases recently, and I'm definitely not one who looks to make excuses for any of societies ills. The list of excuses is long and there are plenty of people out here who are more than happy to make excuses for someone's behavior other than they are just a miserable human being who brings nothing to society. Here's a list of what I've seen working DV cases over the past years. If you recognize any of these in your relationship you need to strongly consider exiting the situation. 

1. Controlling Behavior

I've seen this in almost 100% of DV cases I've worked. When one partner in a relationship absolutely controls the other, something's not right. "Where are you going?", "Where have you been?", "Why didn't you answer my call/text?" are not questions that are regularly asked in a healthy relationship. If your partner exhibits controlling behavior it's time to find a way out.

2. Extreme Jealousy 

This goes along with the previously mentioned Controlling Behavior. If your spouse/significant other sees flirting where there is none, affairs when there are none, thinks you're on the prowl when nothing could be further than the truth, it is not healthy. I've often found when that when one partner exhibits extreme jealousy it's usually a sign that they have something going on the side and assume you do as well.

3. Forced Sex

If your partner forces you to have sex whenever you don't want it, you very well could be a victim of Domestic Violence. No partner, and it's usually males, should ever force another to participate in sex when the other partner doesn't want to. This is just another way to control a person and establish dominance. If you've ever been forced to have sex, particularly through physical aggression, you need to get out of this relationship. Give us a call and we can help you gather evidence to be used in any legal proceeding.

4. Verbal Abuse

Does your partner or significant other call you every name in the book with none of them being nice? In another form of controlling behavior, a person who verbally abuses another, especially one who's supposed to be their partner, only does it as a form of control and to make the person on the receiving end feel like they are worthless. I've seen verbal abuse used by cheating spouses to deflect away from their infidelity.

5. History of Battery

When you started to first get serious about the person you're in a relationship with, did you think about having a background investigation done on them? I strongly recommend that any one who is moving forward in a relationship with another person, hire a private investigator to conduct a background investigation on them. We can find out if they have a history of battery, have been named in Restraining Orders, have a history of arrests for domestic violence, etc. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. An individual with a history of abuse/battery is more than likely to continue that abuse in every relationship they enter into. 

6. Relationship Fast Forward

This is one sign we caution clients we work for to be especially weary of. Any time a person tries to fast forward a relationship it should be cause for concern. Fast forwarding a relationship means, in the simplest of terms, wanting to spend every waking moment with a new partner that a person just met, saying "I Love You" much sooner than one would expect, wanting to cohabitate much sooner than is normal, and many other fast forwarding signs. 

7. Isolation

Does one partner try to keep the other from spending time with friends, family or work associates? This is a technique used by abusers to separate their victim from anyone who might offer support or could point out that someone is an abuser. It's been my experience that isolation is a main tool a domestic abuser will use.

8. Cruelty to Animals and/or Kids

This one is a major RED FLAG!!! If you're with someone who is cruel to animals and/or kids, especially if they are yours, grab your stuff and run away as quickly as you can. So many studies have shown that some of the most prolific serial killers showed signs of being cruel to animals and/or kids in their past. If you see or experience this call local law enforcement and report it. If they aren't helping you, and oftentimes they can't until they have proof, call us and we'll help you gather evidence of this to put these POS's in jail!!! Nothing I hate more than someone who's cruel to animals and/or kids.

9. Violent Behavior or Threats of Violence

It should go without saying that violent behavior or threats of violence is one of the 12 indicators of an abusive relationship, but I'll point it out any way. If your spouse/significant other is violent, towards you or anyone else, or constantly levels threats of violence towards you, you're in an abusive relationship.

10. It's Not My Fault

Another trait I've seen over the years in abusive relationships is what I refer to as the "It's Not My Fault" excuse that all abusers fall back on. It's never their fault that they slapped you in the face, punched you in the mouth, pulled your hair, etc. It's always the victim's fault that "caused" the abuser to act out. If you're being blamed for the abuse you're suffering, you need to get out.

11. Hyper Sensitive

Many domestic abusers exhibit signs of hyper sensitivity. The abused partner will end up feeling like they are always walking on eggshells as the abuser has a hair trigger and gets set off by the slightest perceived injustice. 

12. Perfection Complex

Our final sign of an abusive relationship is when the abuser suffers from a perfection complex. Not that they have to be perfect, oh no, you, the abused partner, must be perfect. If you're not living up to the perfection they demand, there's usually a price to be paid. Don't put up with it as you'll never be able to live up to what's expected and there will punishment delved out when perfection isn't achieved.

Hopefully this article well help someone out there who's in an abusive relationship and maybe didn't realize they were. Don't know how to get out of abusive relationship? Contact our firm and we can discuss various ways to gather evidence of the abuse and work with law enforcement to put the abuser where they belong. Under the jail.

Lee Walters
President
EXCALIBUR Private Investigation
Colorado Springs, Colorado
719.208.4088
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