Washington State Investigators P.I. News

What are Police 10 Codes and Scanner Codes? Ten-codes, 10-codes, police codes and sometimes “police scanner codes” are signals that are used by law enforcement and government agencies in two-way voice radio communication as numeric code words for frequently used messages. Ten-codes are also used by private citizens in Citizen’s Band (CB) radio transmissions. 10…

Alert Number: I-012215-PSA The Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a sophisticated scam targeting businesses working with foreign suppliers and/or businesses that regularly perform wire transfer payments. Formerly known as the Man-in-the-Email Scam, the BEC was renamed to focus on the “business angle” of this scam and to avoid confusion with another unrelated scam. The fraudulent…

FBI Warns of Fictitious - Work from home - Scam Targets University Students Alert Number: I-011315a-PSA College students across the United States have been targeted to participate in -work from home- scams. Students have been receiving e-mails to their school accounts recruiting them for payroll and/or human resource positions with fictitious companies. The “position” simply…

Do yourself a favor: Be Crime Smart. Getting educated and taking a few basic steps may well keep you from becoming a victim of crime and fraud—and save you a great deal of time and trouble. You can also help us protect your families and communities by reporting suspicious activities and helping find wanted fugitives…

Rapidly Responding to Major Computer Intrusions It can be a company’s worst nightmare—the discovery that hackers have infiltrated their computer networks and made off with trade secrets, customers’ personal information, and other critical data. When such intrusions happen—and unfortunately, they occur frequently—the FBI can respond with a range of investigative assets, including the little-known Cyber…

FBI and Partners Working to Combat This Cyber Threat Your computer screen freezes with a pop-up message—supposedly from the FBI or another federal agency—saying that because you violated some sort of federal law your computer will remain locked until you pay a fine. Or you get a pop-up message telling you that your personal files…

Requesting military records? What is the turn-around time and what is available? Current Status for Active Members First, what if you need to check the status of a current service member? These questions come up frequently for investigators. For current status, visit https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/scra/single_record.xhtml. Veteran Records For veteran records, its not so simple, but it has…

Workers compensation claims are intended for the benefit of employees who get injured while on the job. The compensation pays for lost wages, medical expenses and other expenses while the employee recovers from the injury. Recently there has been an increase in workers compensation claims and many of them are considered to be fraudulent or…

How Technology is Used to Prevent Counterfeiting Counterfeiters produce $700 billion in fake products every year. This criminal activity makes it difficult for consumers to identify genuine products. Counterfeiting is also problematic because it negatively affects a brand’s image, and often funds organized crime. Product markings, apps, websites and mobile surveillance devices are used as…

10 years ago, if someone you barely knew asked how your holiday was or what the new job is like, you’d have either wondered how much you’d had to drink last night or alerted the police that you were the latest victim of stalking. Things You Should Never Share Online Yes, social media has meant…

Technology has become an integral part of our lives, and in most respects, it has enriched our daily existence, helping make the world smaller, more informed and connected. The problem with networked technology, however, is that everything can be tracked down. Stop Online Tracking and Protect Your Identity Unbeknownst to some of you, every move…

Before conducting video surveillance, be sure to check the laws in your state. Video surveillance continues to rise in frequency and numbers across the globe. Government agencies, institutional organizations and privately-owned corporations are increasing the use of surveillance cameras, and the use of video cameras in private investigations is on the upswing as well. A…

Read an interview by Seattle News Tribune - Capital Hill Times Meet Wolfgang Grasst: A local Private Investigator Interview by Jenny Kuglin Capital Hill Times and Photo by Sonya Wallace When I scheduled my interview with Wolfgang Grasst, Private Investigator, I accidentally told him the wrong address to the coffee shop where we meeting. But…

Forty-four states ban all drivers from texting behind the wheel, but that doesn't seem to stop many of us. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that at any given daytime moment, over 600,000 drivers are using cell phones or other electronic devices while they are driving. In 2012, over 421,000 drivers were injured…

Listed below are tips to protect yourself and your family from various forms of Internet fraud.Tips for Avoiding Internet Fraud Use the online tips form or the IC3 website to report potential cases of cyber fraud. Tips for Avoiding Internet Auction Fraud: Understand as much as possible about how the auction works, what your obligations…

At least 10 confused Western Washington residents have called Seattle Police today after receiving calls asking for money, which appear to be coming from the SPD non-emergency line. These calls which appear on caller ID’s as 206-625-5011 are the result of caller ID fraud, or “spoofing,” and are not coming from SPD’s 911 communications center.…

There Goes the Virtual Neighborhood! Written by Public Affairs on October 14, 2014 3:54 pm Guess who’s moving in Nextdoor? Seattle PD Public Affairs will begin posting useful public safety information on Nextdoor.com effective this week. From crime trends and blotter articles to Community Policing Microplans, Seattle PD will be sharing information with Seattle Nextdoor…

Information thieves can suck the life out of your business. Don’t let it happen to you. The facts are scary. It takes an average of one year for an organization to restore its reputation after a data breach, according to a recent Ponemon Institute study of 850 executives. Victim organizations lost anywhere from $184 million…

Investigative journalists like the members of ICIJ are facing growing concerns about improving online security. Our members often work with leaks or other materials requiring protection of sources, collaborate across borders with colleagues at risk for their physical safety, and communicate with devices and services open to surveillance or attack. And that’s not to mention…

A recent investigation by The Center for Investigative Reporting and KQED revealed that in 2012, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department piloted a wide-area surveillance program – except it didn’t tell the public. The two-week program used high-powered surveillance cameras attached to a manned civilian aircraft, which flew over Compton for six hours a day.…