How to Remove Your Name Being Tagged on the Internet

You idly looked up your name on Google, curious what links and images display — and surprise! There’s an article or photo linked to your name and you have no idea why. Maybe you check out the article/photo, see nothing unusual, and let it go. But what if the article is on a topic that’s embarrassing or humiliating to you? Or a photo associated to your name is one from your past, one you never agreed could be published? Or what if the photo is of someone you broke ties with long ago — or worse, a stalker — and that person has ensured your name is now linked with him/her on the Internet?

You’ve been tagged without your permission. Meaning, your name has been inserted as a tag to that computer item.

What do we mean by “tag”?  A tag is a keyword or term (such as your full name) assigned to a piece of information, such as a computer file or digital image. Basically, the purpose of tags is twofold: they help describe an item and they allow others to find that item (such as a blog, article or photo) by using that keyword or term in searches. Tags are generally inserted by the item’s creator.

Unless you are the subject of the article or photo, why would a person use your name as a tag? Maybe it’s a mistake or an oversight. Maybe you have a significant following on the Internet and that person is trying to take advantage of searches on your name, which is a cheap tactic at best. Or the person’s intentions could be darker.

So how can you go about getting rid of your name as an unwanted tag? Below are a few tips:

1. To delete a name tag in Picasa, Picasa Web Albums, or Google+, click here

2. To delete a name in a photo tag in Facebook, check here

3. Contact the organization directly. For example, if your photo is tagged in a website, contact the website developer/owner (whose contact information is typically on the home page, often at the bottom of the page), explain your name has been incorrectly used as a tag, provide the link or reference, and insist the tag be removed immediately.

4. Contact the individual. If you know the person who created the tag (such as the writer of an article), contact that person and request your name be removed. Often, writers’ contact information is at the bottom of their articles. If there is no contact information, contact the publisher directly.

Have a great week, Writing PIs

The Cold Case Squad Blog: A Homicide Investigators’ Portal

We’ve recently gotten to know Joseph Giacalone, veteran NYPD detective sergeant and commanding officer of their Cold Case Squad, which has investigated hundreds of homicides, cold cases and missing persons. Joe is also the author of the Criminal Investigative Function: A Guide for New Investigators published by Looseleaf Law Publications, Inc.

Whether you’re a writer, researcher, investigator or simply curious about cold cases and how they’re investigated and solved, this blog is for you.  The blog also promotes public awareness about the missing, investigative tips, and guests posts such as “The Art of Lying” by a lawyer with expertise in criminology.

Today, the Cold Case Squad hosts a guest post by the Writing PIs, your hosts at Guns, Gams, and Gumshoes, where we write about a cold case that took us to the vast, cold high plains during winter to find what others hadn’t been able to find: 4 slugs on 800 acres of ranch land. The placement of those slugs could prove that a man was innocent…

Check out our guest post “Cold Case: Bullets in the Field” by clicking here.

Have a great week, Writing PIs

How to Order Criminal Records

Three tips for how to order criminal records.

Tip #1. Check your local police department website. Many departments offer means for people to order offense reports–at minimum, a person’s name and offense date are typically required. If there is no online order form, call the police station and inquire how to order offense reports. There is typically a $6 to $10 dollar fee.

Tip #2. Order your FBI criminal records. Called an “FBI Identification Record”–the FBI only provides these arrest records to the subject of those records (you must provide an ID, a written request and an $18 payment by certified check or money order). They show arrest charges, dates, and dispositions. Go to FBI Identification Record Request.

Tip #3. Go to county courthouses. The most relevant, current criminal records are maintained in the county courts where the person resided, worked or attended school. Obviously, you know which counties you’ve lived in, but if you’re wanting the criminal records for someone else, you’ll need to know which counties are in their residential/work history. Ask the court clerk their procedures for obtaining criminal records, which typically include a search fee and copying costs.

Note: Don’t fall for those online ads that promise “nationwide criminal records” for $19.95 (or whatever they charge). Sorry, but there’s no such thing as a national repository of criminal records. See Tip #3, above.

Have a great week, Writing PIs

Tuesday, March 15 5:30 p.m. EST: Writing PIs on “On the Mark” Shock-Talk P.I. Show

We’ve been invited to be on P.I. Mark Chauppetta’s “On the Mark” shock-talk radio-blog show on Tuesday, March 15, 5:30 p.m. EST. We’ll be talking about private investigations, trash hits (jumping into dumpsters to find evidence) and who knows what else…

Join us, call in with questions:

On the Mark blog-talk-radio link:

www.blogtalkradio.com/onthemark

Writing PIs

Answering Writer’s Question: Insurance Fraud Investigations

Writer’s Question: In insurance fraud investigations, would an investigator work directly for the insurance carrier or a firm representing them?

Guns, Gams, and Gumshoes’s Answer: Insurance fraud is often contracted through the special investigations unit, or SIU, which is a group of specialized insurance adjustors and in-house investigators for an insurance company.  These in-house investigators aren’t investigators in the purest sense of the word–they instead manage other SIU employees and outside contract investigators and attorneys (in other words, they’re more managers than investigators).  The reason being that insurance companies don’t want to be seen as conducting investigations that might result in the denial of their policy holders’ claims.  This potential conflict of interest gives rise to the need to hire outside private investigators or investigative agencies.

Private investigators in this type of work need to have experience in insurance coverage, adjusting matters, as well as other general investigative skills.  Such a PI could be hired by either the SIU, in-house counsel at the insurance company, or a private attorney who has been retained by an insurance company.  Who does the hiring of a private investigator is a function of whether or not the case is in litigation or claim status.

We know a former expert insurance adjustor who left the insurance business to open his own insurance fraud investigations agency (representing bad faith insurance claimants).  He’s made a lucrative business of this because he so well understands the inner workings of insurance companies.

Have a great weekend, Writing PIs

Is the Private Eye Going the Way of the Dinosaur?

In today’s world where everyone Googles, tweets, posts, emails, YouTubes, webcams and more, when nanny cams capture illegal activities, and downloaded videos on YouTube reveal undercover scams…what’s the purpose of hiring a private investigator?  Has the private eye gone the way of the Stegosaurus?

No.

Actually, the private eye has evolved right along with our fast-paced, electro-digital world. Even some of those tried-and-true techniques that Sam Space employed on the silver screen — following someone on foot, tailing in a car — are still “tools of the trade” best left to a professional private eye.  Let’s look at a few reasons why private eyes are needed today more than ever.

1. Private eyes understand the court system. You’re dating someone, want to know if something dark is lurking in his or her background? You want to hire someone, but want to make sure the candidate isn’t a felon?  You can go down to the courthouse yourself, but do you know what to look for?  Do you even know which courthouse to go to?  Private eyes do. They understand which municipality, county, federal district or state a person’s criminal records might be housed. And when they get there, they know how to order records, how to read them…and better yet, how to read between the lines. You say you can order these same records for $19.95 from one of those snazzy online databases?  Can I sell you a bridge?  The most accurate, relevant criminal histories are at courthouses, period.

2. Private eyes are specialists. Gone are the days of the generalist.  Oh, a few private eyes advertise they do general investigations, but most specialize in a field. You want to know if someone’s downloaded spyware onto your cell phone? There’s private eyes who specialize in cell phone forensics. You’ve just hired an attorney to represent your case for trial — there’s private eyes who specialize in legal investigations and understand how to prepare evidence, interview witnesses, and other tasks for trial. You lost your dog?  There’s private eyes who’re pet detectives.

3. Private eyes understand what’s legal, what’s not. All but 5 states require a private eye to be licensed, and licensure involves private eyes passing exams that prove their knowledge of the statutes affecting their work. Just because you think it’s cheaper and easier to hire your buddy to conduct surveillance on your almost-ex-wife, doesn’t mean your buddy understands which surveillance activities constitute eavesdropping, trespassing, harassment, or other legal no-nos. In our state, a husband was up on felony charges for surveilling his own wife — he didn’t understand he was breaking the law. In the long run, it’s cheaper, easier and smarter to hire a professional private eye.

Dinosaurs may have gone extinct, but the private eye is here to stay, baby.

Have a great weekend, Writing PIs

What Do Bounty Hunters and Private Eyes Have in Common?

A lot actually.

But first, let’s get rid of the notion that private eyes strap on pepper spray a la Dog the Bounty Hunter and track fugitives who’ve skipped court dates. That is, unless the private eye has met state regulations to conduct bounty hunting, also called fugitive recovery (by the way, bounty hunting is illegal in some states).

On the other hand, some bounty hunters are also private investigators. For example, Dog the Bounty Hunter’s sidekick Bobby Brown is a professional private investigator, bail bond agent, and a bounty hunter (he also gives classes for bounty hunting in Colorado).

What do bounty hunters and private eyes have in common?

• They both conduct people locates (also called skip tracing). Both conduct online searches, court records searches, know how to follow up on leads, and so on.
• They both conduct surveillances, from stationary (literally, being stationary, such as sitting in a vehicle), mobile (again, sounds like its literal meaning, being mobile such as in a car), or on foot.
• They conduct interviews. Although a private investigator is more likely to conduct interviews (open-ended questions) vs. interrogations (going for an answer).
• They must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. That is, if they want to be successful. If a private eye needs information from a witness, she needs to know how to gain the person’s trust, ask the right questions, not intimidate or anger people to the point they refuse to talk. Same with a bounty hunter–he needs information, can’t afford to alienate contacts who may have knowledge on a fugitive’s whereabouts. You’ve probably seen Duane “Dog” Chapman in action on his TV show–he relates to a person’s need to be valued, to the need to do the right thing. He might be built like a truck, have pepper stray and other intimidating paraphernalia strapped on like some kind of street Rambo, but his voice is warm, his body language open, and he asks sincere questions that make people open up and talk, talk, talk.

• They must understand the state regulations and statutes that affect their work.

Wish I could say most private eyes are in the kind of physical shape Dog is, but that’s another post.

Wishing you a great week, Writing PIs

Private Eyes in the News, from Crime to Slime

People often think we lead an exciting, action-packed life as private investigators, but for the most part, it feels relatively normal. Oh, the odd case comes in, and sometimes there’s a touch of high drama in a situation, but a lot of the work can be almost mundane.

And then we read headlines in the news about private investigators, and it sounds awfully exciting out there for others in this profession.  Today, we share a few recent PI news items:

Indian River Private Detective Gains Fame in the “Case of the Vanishing Blonde”

Nurse Alleges Slander, Name Shared with Tiger Woods’ Lawyer and Private Investigator

Halle Berry’s Ex Concerned She Hired Private Investigator to Tail Him

D.A. Drops Felony Charge Against Man Who Hired Private Investigator to Follow His Wife

Wait, that last case is from our state, one we and other private investigators have been watching for a while. The PI had first been charged with two felony counts for stalking the wife (he’d been hired by the husband during a custody case), charges which were eventually reduced to misdemeanor harassment. The case raised questions for all of us who work in private investigations as to the work we do, how we conduct surveillances, and when a subject might accuse us of crossing the line.

Fortunately, we here at Guns, Gams, and Gumshoes have never been accused or charged with anything illegal, and that’s because we’re diligent about following the law, but we’ve had things get out of control in the course of an investigation (a woman once sic’d her dog on us (fortunately, the dog wasn’t aware what it was supposed to do), people have done whacky things with legal papers we’ve served them, from driving over them in their car to dramatically tossing them into trash cans (services were still legal), and once we had our very own stalker (an attorney took care of that).

On second thought, maybe our work isn’t all that mundane.

The Line Between Investigation and Intimidation: How Not to Cross It

There’s a line between investigation and intimidation.  Anthony Pelicano not only crossed it, but stomped on it, when he left a dead fish with a rose in its mouth on a witness’s windshield.  Then there’s the recent media story about a famous movie star who hired private investigators to visit witnesses and make a “forceful impression” so they wouldn’t testify in a legal proceeding.  Sounds like the movie star had been in a few too many movies.  In the real world, the law steps in when an investigator causes a reasonable person to become fearful–in such cases, the investigator may be charged with intimidation.

But the line between investigation and intimidation can get fuzzy.  A private investigator may feel confident he calmly asked a few questions in a direct but unimposing way, then later be accused of intimidating behavior.

There are techniques investigators can use to protect themselves from being accused of intimidation, from documenting encounters to keeping clients under control and at a distance.  One of our Writing PIs wrote about these techniques in her article “When Does Legitimate Investigative Activity Become Intimidation” at PINow.com (click on article title to read it).

Have a good week, Writing PIs

Four Free Tips to Find a Long-Lost Friend

Just last week, a fellow private eye was prepping his family’s Thanksgiving turkey when he spied an article in the local paper about a woman wanting to find a long-lost relative so she could pass on the family Bible.  He used a proprietary database that many private investigators use to locate people, and within minutes had found several people who might be that woman’s relative–turned out one of them was the right person and on Thanksgiving, a very grateful woman found the long-lost heir to their family Bible.

Although most people don’t have access to such proprietary databases–which are fee-based, and available only to professional PIs and other professions such as law enforcement, law firms, collection agencies–there are several free resources people can use to search for a long-lost friend, high school sweetheart, neighbor, or other acquaintance.  Let’s look at 4 of these free resources:

Free Tip #1: Look up the person’s name in Google.  At our investigations agency, Google is the first place we’ll run a name (phone number, address, or other identifying information) because it’s still the most comprehensive, public, and free search engine available. Let’s say you’re looking for Billy Jones, and the two of you went to high school in SmallTown Nebraska.  In the Google browser, type “Billy Jones SmallTown Nebraska” (without the quotation marks), press the Google Search button, then review the results.  All instances that Google finds of Billy Jones in that town/state will display as links to websites, blogs, social networking engines, online documents (such as resumes), and much more.  Click on a link and search that online site/document for additional contact information for Billy Jones–this will require some patience and sleuthing on your part as you’ll be reading through information and picking out relevant bits to aid your search (for example, you might see Billy Jones’s name in a roster for an upcoming high school reunion, or a reference to a relative of Billy Jones still living in SmallTown). Use those bits of information to continue your search (for example, contact the high school reunion committee and request they send a message from you to Billy Jones, or call directory assistance for SmallTown Nebraska and ask for Billy Jones’s relative’s phone number).  You might also get lucky and find a website for Billy Jones with an email address that you can use to write him directly.

Note: If you’re looking for a woman’s name, keep in mind her surname may have changed due to marriage.

Free Tip #2: Conduct a deep web name search using Pipl. Some statistics claim the deep web (also called the invisible web) is 500 times more comprehensive than the surface web because its web crawlers find information traditional web crawlers can’t.  One useful free deep web search engine is Pipl, which searches websites, social networking sites, online profiles, online news articles, and much more. Go to Pipl.com, enter the person’s first and last names, and a known city and state.  As in the above Google search, click on links in the results, and look for any relevant information that can help you find more contact information for the person.

Note: The results in Pipl are littered with pay-for research sites (usually highlighted in yellow).  Skip these and search the other, free links.

Free Tip #3: Check the name in Kgbpeople.  This search engine breaks down results in 4 categories: social networks, search engines, photo/video/audio, and personal.  As in the above searches, click on a link and review its contents for any relevant information that might lead you to contact information for that name.  You can also filter your search with keywords, or click on one of the tags associated with that name.

Free Tip #4: Check a local criss-cross directory. Did the person live in your city or neighboring region?  One free, and very handy resource is your local library.  Often, they maintain criss-cross directories (also called reverse directories) that go back a decade or more, and in which you can search by surname and other identifiers (such as occupation, former phone number, street address).  It’s possible a criss-cross directory reveals Billy Jones still lives in the region.  Or you might find a relative’s or former employer’s name who can provide you with current contact information for Billy.  Ask your reference librarian to show you where they keep their criss-cross directories.

Not a free resource, but the best way to locate a person if other attempts fail: Hire a professional private investigator.  At our agency, we’re often tasked with locating people not only in our region, but throughout the United States as well.  For our services, contact us at Highlands Investigations 303-500-9604 (http://www.highlandsinvestigations.com/).

To find a professional private investigator in your state, contact your state professional private investigator association (for a listing of all state PI associations, go to PIMagazine.com (under “PI Links” in the top blue bar, select “State Associations – USA”).