Investigations Archives

Riots & Reddit Have Something In Common

Riots and Reddit are probably not something you would think have anything in common. However, because of the way Reddit is organized, it has been a resource for investigative journalism. It is heavily used for the monitoring of riots across the US.

Let’s start with the basis. What is Reddit, you may ask? Reddit is a large group of forums that discuss all kinds of topics of interest. The site explains itself as the “front page of the internet,” and that’s not an empty boast. Reddit is the sixth most popular site in the United States, according to Alexa, and the 18th worldwide.

Within Reddit are Subreddits. Subreddits are pretty much what they sound like, subgroups that are more specific in nature topic wise. Some of the subreddits are public, while others are private. They’re denoted by /r/, followed by the subreddit’s name, e.g., /r/gaming. The site has many “web sleuths” who use the power or crowdsourcing to reveal video footage of events all across the world.

Portland Subreddit Group

Portland, Oregon has a subreddit page that has 170,000 members and offers live streaming of events. r/Portland is the name of the subreddit. It contains lively conversation, Twitter resources that journalists are using to post about what is happening each night in their city and much more. It is one example of how a subreddit can be used within Reddit for riot monitoring.

Local Resident Uses Subreddit to Assist Police in Hit and Run

Here is a great example on the worth of understanding how Reddit works. One user posted an image of a piece of broken taillight, asking if anyone could identify the type of vehicle it came from. After 400 comments and some back and forth, it was identified correctly by make and model. The user was able to go to his local police station, place a report of a hit and run and provide the officer with the information. This helped aid the officer in finding the owner of the vehicle based on the proof.

Reddit has grown its user base by 30% year-over-year, according to new data released by the company Wednesday. The self-proclaimed front page of the internet now reaches 430 million monthly active users, who collectively have created 199 million posts and 1.7 billion comments.Dec 4, 2019
source: Varitey.com

Interestingly enough, Reddit is an excellent resource for the Private Investigator or OSINT (open source intelligence) professional. In fact, I believe it is just as important as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. So, the next time you are ready to do your own online investigation, don’t forget to check Reddit!

Using Social Media Apps for Research

In the world of social media research for investigations, Apps are often times over looked. There is such a high priority given to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, that often times people stop there.

Some social media apps are designed to be used by mobile phone only. Some allow both mobile and desktop login’s. Most of the time the desktop login’s are extremely cumbersome and not easy to navigate. When both are allowed, they often come with different permissions. No matter which you utilize, it is important to understand strategy and tactics for each.

The top Social Media Apps currently are TikTok, Snapchat, and Telegram. For the purpose of this blog post, we will take a quick , topical look at TikTok providing you with some very basic information on how to get started using the app.

TikTok

TikTok is one of the most popular social media apps. As of this writing, TikTok has over 500 million active users (last reported in 2018). Up to 60% of US TikTok users are aged between 16-24, according to a November 2019 release from Reuters. During the time of the Pandemic, with everyone isolated, an entirely new generation has started to use the app. I am sure those numbers have gone way up. We have been searching TikTok in our social media scans for our clients when the age of the suspects warrants it. Recently, we have found that may people in their 30’s are using the app.

You can download the app on your mobile phone and create a login in order to use the app. We would suggest signing up with one of your email addresses that you use for this purpose. Once in, hit “discover” and type in your suspect’s name or user name. Use it to search just like you would any other social media platform. Once the profile is found, you can view their followers and who they are following, but you can’t see their likes.

It is always advisable to use a sock puppet or alias as you would for any search. I would also advise removing the app once you have completed the search for added security. You can always upload it again and log in with your same credentials.

Visual steps to delete the app from your mobile phone

Desktop TikTok

You are able to access TikTok through your web browser at www.ticktok.com to conduct a small amount of searches. You will find that certain features/functions require you to have an account. Once you are all set up with your account, as described above, you can begin testing it out by conducting various searches.

When an investigation requires a deeper dive into a suspect’s TikTok, you will need advanced skills for that task. Installing an Emulator would be the next step in an OSINT search. From there you can conduct more precise keyword searches that align with your specific investigation.

It is so important to stay up to date with all social media sites. They are known to change the rules frequently. Be sure to check back often as we write frequently about social media changes.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is an English language adage meaning that complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image, which conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a mere verbal description. (Wikipedia)

I couldn’t help but think about how pictures in social media are worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to investigations. We wrote a blog back in February, 2020, about how important photos are in Instagram for an investigation. However, since COVID-19 hit, with people working form home more than ever before, the opportunities to capture an important photo have increased significantly. Look for the details!

This week, Joe Biden announced his running mate and released a photo of himself on Zoom with Kamala Harris. Did you happen to catch it? It is a great example of the importance of paying attention to what is in the background of a photo.

What Biden’s Photo Reveals

The media mocked him for several things that were picked up in the photo. It appears that he may have had a script or notes of some kind. There was a third person on the call by way of the cell phone. A cartoon was on his desk in the background and that drew attention as well. According to the Business Insider, The comic is a simple two-frame piece from Dik Browne’s “Hägar the Horrible,” a 1970s-era comic strip of a charming viking from the Middle Ages, according to comics subscription website Comics Kingdom. “Hägar the Horrible” has appeared in numerous advertisements and pop-culture references, in addition to nearly 2,000 newspapers.

In Biden’s comic, Hägar appears stranded in the sea as his ship burns in the background during fierce storm. The viking bellows out to the sky, “Why me?!,” to which the clouds responds with, “Why not?”

Biden said he kept the cartoon on his desk for decades and that it humbled him in times of need, according to PBS.

Geofencing Photos

Let’s take our photo investigation one step further. Imagine creating a virtual fence around an area of the world using software. Once set up, this software can then run for a predetermined amount of time. This can be used for monitoring of infrastructure, crisis management, or executive protection. Once it is captured, it remains available within the platform, even if the user takes it down.

Pictures like this really are worth a thousand words! They bring huge value to any investigation.

The COVID-19 Fraud Storm Continues…

When we think of fraud due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we think of individual people committing fraud. After all we are only too familiar with workman’s comp insurance scams & most recently, employee fraud. We have discussed in a previous blog post how one Fortune 500 company had a loss of over $100,000.00 after an employee falsely said they were tested positive for COVID-19.

The story now continues with business fraud. Small businesses across the country have been nearly put out of business due COVID-19. Many have been able to stay afloat from government PPP funding. However, some are sadly starting to take matters into their own hands.

What the Experts Predict

Data analytics provider Verisk has alerted folks that COVID has created opportunities to commit medical billing fraud and abuse. In April, the company said its data reported a 14% increase in claims linked to suspicious billing practices.

Verisk said its Insurance Service Office MedSentry team has identified several COVID-19 medical billing schemes. Among them:

Unlisted lab tests. There was no specific ICD-10 code for COVID-19 until April 1. Prior to then any COVID-19 tests were likely coded as “unlisted laboratory tests.” Claims for a patient who has received both an unlisted laboratory test and a COVID-19 test may be cause for scrutiny.
Hands-on therapy charges. Many providers eliminated in-office visits and began to offer telehealth sessions. Verisk said bills for hands-on therapies such as chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists should be examined.
Unnecessary durable medical equipment. Insurers should be wary of misleading claims for gloves, face masks, thermometers, and similar items, especially for patients who have not been tested for COVID-19 or have tested negative, Verisk said.

Social Media Monitoring

Work is being done to create a software that allows the user to find unapparent connections between all people in a claim to uncover potential scams. While it has a way to go in development, if created, it would be an excellent resource to help investigators identify potential scams and link the culprits.

Google Search – Trending

Google searches can be very revealing and a good indicator of what people are thinking of doing. The question, “How to Burn a Car” has increased 125% since January of this year.

Not surprising, Google is showing some strong trending in Employment Fraud. The graph below shows Google trends over the last 90 days.

We will continue to report our findings during the pandemic.

Employee Ethics & Fraud During COVID-19

Back in April we wrote about fraud predictions during the COVID 19 pandemic. Back then most of what was out there was PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) fraud. We saw a lot of fakes and it even began to show up in COVID testing. Much of this was controlled by the FDA who provided consumers with updated information on their website on a regular basis.

Once the government released stimulus checks, the scams began. Scammers were contacting people through email, telling them that their check, as part of the stimulus package responding to COVID-19, is already waiting for them and that all they need to do is to provide personal information. This included bank account numbers and Social Security Numbers, which are the key pieces of information needed to perpetrate identity theft.

Bruce Dorris, J.D, CFE, CPA, President and CEO of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, explains that in the current conditions, we can expect to see a number of long-lasting implications. One important one being an explosion of fraud in the coming years — and organizations need to brace themselves.

Corporate Employee Misconduct

Some of our corporate associates have expressed concern with what lies ahead as they navigate the uncertain waters of the Pandemic. One company in particular needed to shut down an entire plant because an employee tested positive for COVID. The employee presented the company with a falsified COVID 19 medical claim. He went as far to provide an excuse letter from a medical facility appearing to corroborate the test results. In concern for its employees and customers, the company closed its facility for cleaning and paid its employees during the shutdown. This caused a loss in excess of $100,000 to the corporation and the unnecessary quarantine of several of the defendant’s coworkers. He is now released on $15,000.00 bail awaiting trial.

FBI Recommendations

The FBI has recommended that companies be particularly alert during the pandemic about possible fraudulent work excuse letters, as they are finding more people attempting to exploit the situation for personal or financial gain. Submission of a medical claim proven to be false could lead to criminal penalties, including fines or imprisonment by U.S. federal and other authorities.

What This Will Mean for the Private Investigator

Investigation around employee misconduct is an area that could prove to be quite lucrative for investigators. ABC News in Phoenix, AZ did a story on how local investigators are getting calls from corporations to check up on employees who should be working from home. This is not an isolated incident.

I believe we will see more and more fraud cases such as this over the next year if not longer.