Imagine a scenario in which one of your valued employees, located in a state where recreational marijuana use is illegal, suddenly tests positive for tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC - the intoxicant of marijuana, following a routine urinalysis conducted in accordance...

For several years, a Houston corporate client had used ResultQuest to conduct extensive pre-employment background investigations of job candidates. However, they opted not to perform a background regarding an individual who was hired as general counsel then eventually...

One of the easiest and most common ways for a fraudster to come away with ill-gotten gains at the expense of the employer or contractor is through expense reports. Policies regarding the detail in which expenses must be submitted for reimbursement vary widely, and...

Companies often make substantial investments in assets such as machinery and equipment. Improper asset control procedures and policies can lead to misuse, abuse, and theft of these valuable assets. The professionals of ResultQuest have repeatedly been called on for...

A Texas labor law firm employed ResultQuest to investigate a group of highly trusted and compensated experts in their specialized technical field. After suddenly severing their employment with a trading firm, a resultant IT audit revealed that one member of the group...

In today’s litigious environment, if an investigation goes awry or becomes discovered by the target of a probe, there is a good chance that legal action will follow. Investigators with inadequate insurance coverage could find themselves – and their client – facing the...

ResultQuest was recently contacted by a CEO client who requested assistance in determining the source of a spoofed email in which he directed his corporate accounts payable clerk to wire money to a certain account to pay a vendor. Of course, the email was bogus, but...

Witness testimony can be a powerful component of the decision-making process of businesses. Many issues are identified and resolved based on information supplied by witnesses. However, it is critical that the witness and the information be adequately scrutinized...

Attorneys who retain investigators to assist with their evidentiary needs should be mindful that, in doing so, they could jeopardize their reputation and standing in the event of an ethical lapse. One of the most problematic ethical violations by investigators is...

Numerous times over the years, ResultQuest has been called in to investigate suspected fraud on the part of an employee. In the vast majority of instances, our analysis has revealed glaring signs of newly acquired wealth that went beyond what the employee’s salary...

Among the most pronounced threats to an internal company investigation is workplace gossip. Disclosing details of an investigative project to the person under scrutiny can have a range of consequences—none of which are good. In a matter handled by ResultQuest, the...

A number of times over the years, the investigators of ResultQuest have been called in to scrutinize the activities of executives who were part of the founding group of a business. Sadly, in almost every case, fraudulent activity was uncovered—usually determined to...

Among the most useful of tools in the investigator’s box is the ability to extract useable information by means of a telephone call made under a suitably planned pretext. Years ago, such a technique could be employed readily and with little risk of adverse...

First came the email. People were able to discuss any viewpoints, hoping and trusting that the recipient would not betray their confidence. Next came the text message. Once again, professions of beliefs and opinions were usually protected from mass consumption – to...

Key employees can be a tremendous asset to an organization. However, when such personnel feel as though they have been unfairly treated—right or wrong—they can be ripe for recruitment by competitors. Members of specialized technical fields often consist of small...

The tumultuous events of the past few months have forced many companies to allow and enable employees to work from home, in order to minimize the risk of infection from COVID-19. Such arrangements, where there is little or no direct observation, can invite fraud by...

Throughout the years, ResultQuest has been involved in numerous investigations in which client competitors purloined valuable information assets. In most cases, the thefts were made possible by a security breach or oversight, often exploited by a disgruntled or...

As the summer lingers on, I often seek relief in the form of a cool refreshment I discovered in Mexico decades ago in the form of Agua Fresca de Sandía or watermelon water. Over the years I have tweaked a recipe received from an amiga who frequently prepared this...

Owners and top executives are often handsomely compensated for their efforts. Many times this is the result of countless hours of night and weekend work that is unseen by the rank and file. In such an instance, it is only natural that one might feel justified to...

The general counsel for a regional insurer contacted the offices of ResultQuest and requested surveillance over the course of two days. The surveillance would be targeted at a man who had been injured on the job years earlier and was receiving payments for full and...