Moved

KCI has jumped ship and moved to:

http://kencote.wordpress.com/

National Sex Offender Public Website

The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW), coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice, is a cooperative effort between jurisdictions hosting public sex offender registries (“Jurisdictions”) and the federal government and is offered free of charge to the public. These Jurisdictions include the 50 states, U.S. Territories, the District of Columbia, and participating tribes. The Website provides an advanced search tool that allows a user to submit a single national query to obtain information about sex offenders; a listing of public registry Web sites by state, territory, and tribe; and information on sexual abuse education and prevention.

http://www.nsopw.gov/Core/Portal.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

The FBI's Child ID App

Putting Safety in Your Hands

You're shopping at the mall with your children when one of them suddenly disappears. A quick search of the nearby area is unsuccessful. What do you do?
Now there's a free new tool from the FBI that can help. Our just launched Child ID app—the first mobile application created by the FBI—provides a convenient place to electronically store photos and vital information about your children so that it’s literally right at hand if you need it. You can show the pictures and provide physical identifiers such as height and weight to security or police officers on the spot. Using a special tab on the app, you can also quickly and easily e-mail the information to authorities with a few clicks.

Right now, the Child ID app is only available for use on iPhones and can only be downloaded for free from the App Store on iTunes, but we plan to expand this tool to other types of mobile devices in the near future. And we’ll be adding new features—including the ability to upload other photos stored on your smart phone—in the coming weeks and months.

See the entire story at the FBI Website Site

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/august/child_080511

Checking account cleaned out!

I received a frantic call recently to attempt to trace someone’s online order for a camera they purchased. Not only did their camera not arrive their checking account was emptied out. They gave me the web address of where they ordered it from and it was an unsecured site.

The next time you are about to enter personal information online for such task as banking, ordering something using your credit/debit card etc. or paying a bill, look at the address bar on top. If it starts with http not https you may want to think twice about typing in any personal information.

You need to see https. The S after http stands for Secure Sockets layer (SSL), another protocol primarily developed with secure, safe Internet transactions in mind. 

< -----  Again if the http is missing the S after it you better run.

Comment option now available.

When wanting  to comment click on Comments then after typing your message. Under  Choose an Identity choose Anonymous unless you have an idenity (Gmail, Google, Yahoo etc. from the above list.

The Mop Lady (AKA Throw Momma from a Train lady)

This one will be in my book when it is completed.

The Mop Lady

While sitting in my surveillance vehicle on a country road in a very rural area in Upper Michigan I observed my subject (3/4 of a mile away) exiting her house carrying two large bags of empty pop cans/bottles and a mop. She proceeded to open up the trunk of her Ford Escort and tossed the bags and mop inside. She got behind the wheel (She supposedly was so injured she couldn’t walk without assistant never mine driving a vehicle) and started driving towards my vehicle. I immediately went into hibernation mode and couldn’t be seen with my tinted/shaded windows. I watched as she exited her vehicle in front of mine and went to her trunk. Even though I knew she couldn’t see me inside (I even had a note on the outside of my windshield that stated I was broken down and would return later on) I had crotched down to the floor. All of a sudden I heard this horrendous banging and felt my vehicle shaking. Peeking above my dashboard I observed this lady who looked just like Momma from “Throw Momma from a Train Movie” beating my hood with her mop, while hearing her shout out “I know you insurance people are in there and you won’t get any dirt on me”.

Once a PI is approached (it happens even to the best of us) by the subject the corrective action to take is to leave the scene without exchanging in any conversation. I started up my vehicle and split the scene.

I returned to my office, documented my findings and forwarded the report and video to my client. The insurance company had paid for 24/7 assistant care for this lady who claimed she couldn’t walk, drive or mop on her own. The case by the subject was dropped shortly afterwards.

Bike Rally, Big Mouth & Big Bucks

I  attempted to capture a claimant on video performing acts of physical impossibilities, with no success.  It appeared she was just staying in her house 24/7 playing online games (according to her online status on a popular social networking site).  The break came when she posted her intentions to participate in a 15 mile bicycle road rally.  Not too shabby considering she claimed her injuries limited her to using a walker and under the care of a care taker 24/7. This care taker (her husband) was being paid $72k a year for his services.  Then it was discovered that her husband the care taker had his own claim with a different insurance company, with his wife listed as his care taker who was raking in $58k a year.  Throw in the house cleaning services, landscaping fee, snow plowing fees, and the many physician care bills and the grand total for one year between both of them was over $700K.

The big break in this case was the fact that the claimant couldn’t resist bragging about her upcoming activities for her friends and Ken Cote Investigations to see online.  The $10 million dollar plus lawsuits pending against the “Scam Couple’s” insurance companies were quickly tossed out.

www.kencote.com

I know how Colonel" Sanders felt starting his “Finger Lickin Good” empire late in life (age 66). I am almost at the finish line for my Homeland Security degree. Second from last semester.  Computer Network Security & Emergency and Management & Safety Administration classes begin on Monday.  I will be 51 when I receive my Masters in the Spring.  Like the saying goes “better late than never”.  Oh and I will take chicken over a steak any day.

KCI would like to share this resource with you. www.vinelink.com (Victim Information and Notification Everyday)

KCI Fool Proof Business Networking Plan during these tough times!

1)    Turning my TV off.

2)    Spending free time with my family

3)    I spend every free minute (after family time) networking online.  Which involves getting my name out there (LinkedIn, Facebook, Yahoo Groups, Google+, Google Places, Blogs, Craigslist, Angies List, etc.).

4)    Networking via the Post Office. I go to attorney data bases and mail out introduction letters, business cards and brochures.

5)    I Network in person. I visit attorneys and insurance claims reps and bring them brochures.

6)    I always leave my office/home with a goal of handing out at least 12 business card each day. When anyone asks for my address or telephone number (bank, store, mechanic, etc.) I hand them a business card let them write it down and then they may keep the card for future reference (this drives my family bonkers).

7)    Joining civic organizations and professional groups.

8)    I update my business website weekly.

9)    I always follow up on all leads.

10)  I smile and always keep an upbeat altitude. Potential clients do not like to do business with down and out business people.

  This plan works Trust Me!

WARNING! URGENT!

If you Google your business name and it does not produce a minimum of 50 results then you need to get going and work on your business networking plan Immediately.

Welcome aboard

Thank you for stopping by. In the upcoming weeks we will be adding video presentations to share the wonderful private investigation industry with you. Included in these short presentations will be true stories of what happens out in the field. The good, the bad and the ugly! Also we will share valuable information and links to assist you in better understanding of how the wheels of Private Investigations turns.
Stay tuned and fasten your seat belts because this will be a memorable journey.