Private Investigator Surveillance

What is “private investigator surveillance”? Surveillance is the covert observation of people, places, and often, associated vehicles, and can form part of a private investigation. The goal is to gather information about a subject required by an individual or company. It is widely used in the insurance industry which is beset by fake claims that need investigation and by manufacturers and companies suffering Intellectual Property (IP) theft. Normally a surveillance team is composed 4-5 individuals with the necessary transport and high quality surveillance equipment used to record images and sound.

Finding a Missing Beneficiary: Case Study

Lawyers working in probate matters often need help in finding a missing beneficiary. Many families have relatives located all over the world. In such instances, family members may lose contact with elderly relatives who have included them in their Wills. This Veriton Investigations “case study” discusses a successful multi-jurisdictional probate request involving four siblings. Research and investigations were undertaken in Canada and Hong Kong. The Canadian Government agency had unsuccessfully employed two other PI companies over a number of years before approaching us. All documentation provided was at least 40 years old.

Company Check

What is a company background check? Background checks on businesses are conducted when you need to verify the authenticity and legitimacy of a company. This involves an analysis of records of official, proprietary, paid and open-source databases. Depending on the reasons for a background check—for example checking a supplier or an investment opportunity—a site visit, surveillance or social media review may be requested. A company background check is less involved than due diligence.

Shark Fin Trade: Case Study

What is the illegal shark fin trade? Each year, according to various estimates, up to 75 million sharks are killed for their fins. The killing of sharks is not an offence unless they are endangered or protected. Unfortunately, many of the sharks caught are. For instance, in May 2020, Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department seized 26 tons of sharks’ fins from two containers that arrived from Ecuador. The fins were from an estimated 38,500 sharks. The vast majority came from two vulnerable species: the thresher and silky shark. Sadly, Hong Kong remains a major hub of the shark fin trade.

Trade in Ivory: Case Study

What is the trade in ivory? For centuries, traders brought elephant tusks to Hong Kong and China. Craftsmen then carved the ivory into ornate bangles, earrings, statues, and of course, chop sticks. Much took place in Hong Kong.
In January 2018, lawmakers voted to finally end the Hong Kong trade in ivory at the end of 2021. The original worldwide ban on international commercial trade in ivory came into effect in 1989. However, because of various loopholes in the law, the ban actually facilitated the ‘laundering’ of ivory by allowing traders to abuse the system. When they sold an item, they simply replaced it with new ivory, and covered up the sale.
When lawmakers announced the new total ban in January 2018 in Hong Kong, only an estimated 350,000 African elephants remained. There had been 490,000 a decade previously. Poaching for ivory was the primary reason.

China IPO Research: Case Study

What is an IPO? An IPO is a short version of Initial Public Offering. It is the process that allows a company to sell stock to the general public by being listed on a stock exchange. In order to become listed, a company must secure the services of a corporate lawyer. The Public Offering process is complex. It involves multiple stages from structuring shares for sale to establishing a working relationship with an investment bank. This is necessary to ensure regulatory compliance. Quality due diligence is a must.

Trade in Totoaba: Case Study

What is totoaba? Totoaba is a highly endangered species of fish. It is found in the Gulf of California, Mexico, only. Totoaba’s swim bladder is highly treasured in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and specialist restaurants. The fishing of totoaba has been banned since 1975 but the illegal trade in this endangered fish continues. The large gillnets used to catch totoaba also trap vaquita. The vaquita is now the world’s rarest marine mammal and is on the brink of extinction.

Life Insurance Fraud: Case Study

What is life insurance fraud? It is when someone deliberately misleads a life insurance company for financial gain. Common types of fraud range from lying on the policy application to faking an accident or even a death. Less common, but not relegated to movies, is the murder of an individual by an ultimate beneficiary who gains from the insurance payout.