12 Reasons You Might Need a Skip Trace

Skip tracing is the process of locating a person's whereabouts for any number of purposes such as;

1.) Bail Bond skips
2.) Missing adoptees and birth parents
3.) Missing family members or lost loved ones
4.) Tenant skips
5.) Rental goods skips
6.) Life insurance claimant skips
7.) Lost stockholders
8.) Credit card charge offs
9.) Debt buyer skips
10.) Judgement debtor skips
11.) Unclaimed property
12.) Missing witnesses

The person being searched for is often referred to as 'the skip' an expression derived from "to skip town" leaving minimal clues behind to "trace" the person's new location.

Skip tracing is performed by gathering as much information as possible about the missing person and then analyzing data and verifying facts. Investigators sometimes need to call or visit former neighbors or employers to ask questions and verify information. Records used in skip tracing include; phone number databases, credit reports, job applicant information, criminal background checks, utility bills, and tax information. Often the records can not be accessed by the general public but private investigators are able to get to the data and locate the skip.

Depending on the reason for the skip and the country they are in, the person hiding will be easy or harder to find.

Unintentional Skip: This type of skip might not know they are missing, and are the easiest skip to located. The situation could be an unclaimed property or missing witnesses.

Convenient Skip: This type of skip most likely knows they are missing but has conveniently failed to notify an associate or client that they have moved. The reason for this type of skip is not usually criminal and so people in this group do not go to great lengths to cover their location.

Intentional Skip: This person has probably skipped town because they are attempting to hide from an authority or because of bad debt. The degree of their success in covering their tracks and assuming a new identity will depend on the seriousness of the situation and the skips experience. International skips are often fraudsters and may have several identifies set-up in advance that they can use.

The Renwick Group has the knowledge and experience to help you or your business with skip tracing. Please call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 to discuss your situation.

Tips for Installing Video Security Cameras

This applies to home security and work security cameras. Professional installers will know where to point the cameras to get the best information.

source: By Simmons, Garrett on November 11, 2013.
Lethbridge Herald

"Last week I talked about the use of surveillance and CCTV cameras and I’d like to continue that theme and look at how the public can help the police and each other with their own video recording systems.

One of the first questions that an investigator asks themselves at a crime scene is “is there video?” The basic investigative questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how are still relevant but achieving those answers is often aided and expedited by the use of surveillance video. Often the video we look for is not at the scene itself but adjacent to the area, down the block or across the street.

With advances in technology the quality of such video has improved over the years and the cost of video surveillance systems has been reduced to the point where many people install them in their own homes. I can think of a few recent cases where video from a neighbouring business and home has provided us with the evidence we needed to solve a crime and make an arrest.

It is important when considering installing a video surveillance system to think about what it is being used for, how it will best assist you as a property owner and also how will it help your neighbours, if necessary, and the police. Make sure that you purchase a system that has a quality camera so that an identifiable picture can be obtained. We often look to identify someone from a surveillance system to only find that the cameras are not of a quality that can produce a good picture. We have all seen the photos that are so grainy it would be next to impossible to even identify your closest friend."

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The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee back-ground checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 or visit our website for more contact information.

Are You an Online Christmas Shopper? Here are some security tips..

The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee back-ground checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 or visit our website for more contact information.

Going Beyond the Internet For Asset Searches

The art of locating assets is something that we at the Renwick Group have spent a considerable amount of time cultivating and perfecting.

Asset searching often starts with certain searches on the Internet and databases, but for the really in-depth work, and the tough assignments there is no database available. It therefore takes a lot of original research and creativity to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

We also have access to networks of Canadian, North American and Worldwide “sources” that we have developed over the years that include connections with other professional investigators and search organizations with whom we have worked for years.

So if you're looking for asset location and recovery services ... always find out if you are using asset relocation investigators who are relying solely on databases, if so, you may be missing out on finding what you need to satisfy your or your client’s needs.

As many clients soon realize, in the Canadian legal system, securing a judgment against a defendant, whether it be an individual or a company, is only half of the battle.

The second half is trying to find the assets to satisfy the judgment.

The Renwick Group is often asked to find bank accounts, stock holdings, real estate and vehicles or any other assets of value, sometimes the assets can be located anywhere in the world.

Our asset investigations can cover all of the following:

• Asset Tracing
• Asset Recovery
• General Financial Investigation
• Bankruptcy Fraud Investigations  
• Money Laundering Investigations  
• Embezzlement Investigations  

The Renwick Group has the knowledge and experience to help businesses with these types of investigations. Please call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 to discuss your corporate requirements.