The World of Competitive Intelligence.

In years past, the corporate world and the broader business community acknowledged the value of using information to obtain a competitive advantage in business situations. Some companies created special departments or units charged with this mission. These units worked independently or assisted other parts of the organization by gathering data, information, and knowledge regarding the company's competitors, the industries in which they competed, and industries that affected their own.
Job titles like Chief Information Officer or Director, Business Intelligence Unit appeared in corporate telephone directories. membership rosters of organizations like the Society for Competitor Intelligence Professions (SCIP) grew rapidly. Books on CI strategy were and still are available in the business book sections at most large bookstores.

This was the story...

Nowadays, many of these departments have been decreased by a large percent. However the need for companies to obtain business intelligence has risen.
Some will stop at nothing to gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. Believe it or not, your proprietary systems, intellectual property, and the like is simultaneously your strongest asset and your Achilles Heel.

It isn't legal for an individual or a company to use electronic eavesdropping or harassment against you, but it does happen. As such you have a right and it is your duty to protect yourself and/or your company.

To read my blog on why it's not just a corporate problem click here.

Victory Investigations has the equipment and the know how (commonly refered to as "trade craft") to perform a successful sweep of your business, car or vessel, and home. We've found "bugs" (covert listening devices / transmitters), wiretaps, hidden cameras, GPS tracking devices, spyware, loggers, and many types of jammers.

We have found it all.

Most importantly, Victory Investigations has the proper training and licensing to perform such sweeps.

There is no doubt...If you posses valuable information, you ARE a target. Whether you are a victim or not, remains to be discovered.

Victory Investigations is a licensed and insured Private Investigations agency located in Greensboro, NC and conducts investigations worldwide. www.VictoryPI.com is also licensed to perform Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM). Contact us today for a FREE consultation:  (336) 298-2034, 1-888-482-6273, investigator@victorypi.com
Interested in mobile phone spyware? Click here.

Who's Listening?

We've all seen hidden camera shows that captures unsuspecting persons at their most embarrassing moments, but have YOU ever felt like you were being watched or listened to? Most folks would not believe how accurate those feelings might be. Besides the fact that there is a surveillance camera for every ten people in the US, there are also thousands of  products widely available to the public for surreptitious eavesdropping. Whether it's a button camera on someones attire or an ultra-microphone in a ceiling tile, chances are you will never know if you were being watched or listened to. If you're like I was before I knew better, you're saying:  "but why would anyone want to listen to me? I'm not important or have any valuable information". Truth is that most of the devices found are being used by neighbors, co-workers, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, and wives - not some super sleuth that a multi-national corporation has hired. These devices become more and more pervasive as technology advances. But there's hope! There is a specialized field called "Technical Surveillance Countermeasures" that addresses these illegal practices. Also known as "TSCM", the technicians in this field use highly specialized equipment and techniques to detect and nullify the threat. This equipment can and often does cost in the thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. But don't let all the flashy equipment and big words keep you from making the decision to utilize one of these professionals. Although these services can be quite costly for the corporate victim, it is very affordable for the average joe. This due mainly to the level of threat involved. Victory Investigations has performed many "sweeps" of homes, offices, vehicles, and other vessels. We have found hidden cameras, wire taps, GPS trackers, and computer related eavesdropping techniques and devices.
North Carolina requires TSCM technicians to be highly trained and licensed to perform services in this field. Contact Victory Investigations today for FREE, professional advice. www.VictoryPI.com, (336) 298-2034, 1-888-482-6273, contact@victorypi.com, Private Investigators located in Greensboro, NC serving NC, US, and Internationally.

Repeal the 16th amendment.

I know what you're thinking...Kelly's a PI not a political activist. Well, I do intend to use this blog to disseminate investigative and security type information, but from time to time I will also speak on things that I enjoy, am interested in, or feel passionate about. One of the things I feel passionate about is the state of our union today and how I, my children, and YOU will be affected by decisions that are made today and in the future.

We all know our system of government is broken in many ways, but today I would like to focus on the tax system in particular. This area alone, I believe, could singlehandedly reverse our economic state of affairs and rather quickly too. I'm gonna take a no-nonsense approach in the interest of time, space, and "boredomness" (<--- Is that a word?).

The 3 most important actions that MUST be taken immediately are:  1. The 16th amendment MUST be repealed. Why you ask? Well, this amendment gives the government broad power to regulate and impose taxes on you, me, and companies. 2. The IRS MUST be dissolved. You say:  "but wait Kelly...won't thousands of people loose their jobs as a result"? The short answer is YES. But I will explain in a moment how that problem will be fixed in a brief period of time. 3. Capital gains taxes, and taxes on corporations MUST be done away with. Now the rich get richer? Kinda, but so do you!

Once the 16th amendment is repealed, the IRS dissolved, and capital gains and corporate taxes are nixed, then what? Tada! A new tax system is introduced - namely the "Fair Tax". Contrary to popular belief the Fair Tax does NOT increase the cost of goods. Let me explain:  Currently the average embedded taxes in every consumer product or service is about 22%. In some industries, such as leather goods, the embedded tax is smaller.  In other industries, such as homebuilding and construction, the embedded tax is higher, but it averages out to somewhere between 22 and 23%.  With the passage of The FairTax Bill, those embedded taxes disappear.  These embedded taxes include the combined tax burdens of all entities involved in bringing those goods or services to market, and that includes you, the employee, and the taxes you incur as a result of your employment. Now,  that the competitive pressures of the marketplace will force prices down when embedded taxes disappear from the cost of retail goods and services, and we cite 22% as the average amount of those embedded taxes.  Does this 22% include the income and payroll taxes that are paid by employees?  Yes, it does.  So ... what does this mean to your paycheck after the FairTax becomes law?
When the FairTax is implemented, and when business and personal income and payroll taxes disappear, your employer is going to have to make a decision.  He will either take some or the entire amount he had been withholding for federal income and payroll taxes and add it to your weekly check, or he will readjust your pay figures so that your entire paycheck will be equal to what you used to call "take home pay" before the FairTax.  The employer may also decide to do a little of both.  Either way, you can see that the amount of money you actually receive as pay – the amount you can put into your bank account – will not decrease, and may actually increase.

On a larger scale real wages will rise to the extent to which the nation's employers decide to return the embedded costs of their employee's income and payroll taxes to the employee.  Likewise, the cost of the products or services produced by the employer will be reduced to the extent to which that employer retains all or a portion of those income and payroll taxes together with the other taxes on capital and labor eliminated by the FairTax.  Once again, a zero-sum, revenue neutral game.

I predict that once the Fair Tax is implemented, the majority of businesses that left this country to produce their goods and services in an effort to save on taxes and labor will return and provide hundreds of thousands of jobs. Now those former IRS employees and then some have places to work.

I'm probably on DHS's security watch list for posting this. Oh well, it's a small price to pay to fight the good fight of freedom and the PURSUIT of happiness. Remember the Declaration of Independence grants us the right to PURSUE happiness, not for it be given to us.

Victory Investigations is THE source for investigative services. A North Carolina licensed and insured Detective Agency located in Greensboro, NC. www.VictoryPI.com, (336) 298-2034, 1-888-482-6273, investigator@victorypi.com

Lie to me? Huh, I don't think so!

Have you ever watched the TV show "Lie To ME"? You know, the one where experts in body language, facial expressions, and verbal analysis take on the bad guys? Well it's a real specialty and many of the "3-letter" (FBI, CIA, etc.) employ such experts for interviewing and interrogating. In the civilian world these experts are called in for various reasons, including crime, however, prevention has become the focal point. Criminals and con artists like Berni Madoff and Lou Pearlman have wreaked havoc in recent years on unwitting investors. These techniques are now employed more often during the due diligence process. Whereas someone might have the impeccable resume and references, but are at a turning point in their life or career and are about to whatever it takes to stay on top.
Oddly enough these techniques can and should be learned and used by YOU. That's right, you can learn many of these techniques and use them in your daily life. Whether you own your own business and want to know if your manager or employees are telling the truth. Or you just met the "perfect" guy and want to be on guard. In actuality many people are natural lie detectors.  Are you? Follow the link below and take the quiz to find out.
http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=are-you-human-lie-detector&quesnum=1
In the investigative field I have found it invaluable to know most of these techniques and I continue to hone my skills. If you are interested in learning more, I suggest getting a copies of  "The Definitive Book of Body Language" by Barbara Pease and "I Know You Are Lying" by Mark McClish. With these two books you can become an armchair expert. You may also want to even go further. If so visit here:  http://www.humintell.com/
Victory Investigations is THE complete source of investigative services, located in Greensboro, NC. Please visit www.VictoryPI.com . Or call (336) 298-2034 / 1-888-482-6273. Email:  investigator@victorypi.com

A word or two about GPS tracking.

GPS or “Global Positioning System” technology is as common as digital watches nowadays. Almost everyone either has one standard in their vehicle or has some form of after market unit in their car. As such, I don’t think there is a need to give a dissertation on how GPS works. With that said, it is important to explain how useful GPS can be in an investigation. First and foremost, GPS is cost efficient. It can reduce the cost of an investigation by cutting down the amount of live surveillance time. GPS is also very accurate and highly reliable. You can locate, within inches, the vehicle or vessel it is on IF it’s a good unit. It’s also small and can be virtually undetectable.

Now for some bad news…GPS units vary dramatically in price and reliability. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you will buy a GPS tracking unit that promises the world and delivers you bunk. In addition, once you’ve purchased the unit you must then subscribe to a service. Yes, that’s right folks - more money. The tracking service can also vary dramatically in price. It is also important to remember that the GPS unit and service will only tell you where the unit is and not necessarily where the person you want to track is. You would be amazed at how many investigators and their clients think that GPS is a “cure all”.

Case in point: 

The client’s cheating husband drives to the gym for his daily "workout". The client and/or the investigator see where his vehicle is and think nothing of it. An hour later you see his car leave and he drives home. Little do you know that he did, in fact, drive to the gym, but met his mistress there, got into her car and they drove away to, well you know…

Truth of the matter is, is that GPS can only be regarded as an investigative tool, a supplement if you will, not a replacement of good ol’ surveillance.

Your best bet is to hire someone who is knowledgeable about GPS tracking, the equipment, and services available (hint, hint Victory Investigations). Most of the equipment marketed to the general public is nowhere near the quality of the units experienced investigators use. Victory Investigations uses top of the line equipment and state of the art technology to discreetly place the unit and track it in real time. This equipment can be either permanently or temporarily installed and can be either rented or purchased from us.
Contact us today for a FREE consultation:  www.VictoryPI.com, (336) 298-2034, 1-888-482-6273, investigator@victorypi.com