From CNN - Closing arguments begin at Hollywood wiretap trial for Anthony Pellicano

Form the AP News:

[I]"Lawmakers from California to Kentucky are trying to save money with a drastic and potentially dangerous budget-cutting proposal: releasing tens of thousands of convicts from prison, including drug addicts, thieves and even violent criminals.

Officials acknowledge that the idea carries risks, but they say they have no choice because of huge budget gaps brought on by the slumping economy.

"If we don't find a way to better manage the population at the state prison, we will be forced to spend money to expand the state's prison system — money we don't have," said Jeff Neal, a spokesman for Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri.

At least eight states are considering freeing inmates or sending some convicts to rehabilitation programs instead of prison, according to an Associated Press analysis of legislative proposals. If adopted, the early release programs could save an estimated $450 million in California and Kentucky alone.

A Rhode Island proposal would allow inmates to deduct up to 12 days from their sentence for every month they follow rules and work in prison. Even some violent offenders would be eligible but not those serving life sentences.

A plan in Mississippi would offer early parole for people convicted of selling marijuana or prescription drugs. New Jersey, South Carolina and Vermont are considering funneling drug-addicted inmates into treatment, which is cheaper than prison.

The prospect of financial savings offers little comfort to Tori-Lynn Heaton, a police officer in a suburb of Providence whose ex-husband went to prison for beating her. He has already finished his prison term, but would have been eligible for early release under the current proposal.

"You're talking about victim safety. You're talking about community member safety," she said. "You can't balance the budget on the backs of victims of crimes."

But prisons "are one of the most expensive parts of the criminal-justice system," said Alison Lawrence, who studies corrections policy for the National Conference of State Legislatures. "That's where they look to first to cut down some of those costs."

Rhode Island Corrections Director A.T. Wall was not sure how many prisoners could be freed early. The payoff for doing so may be relatively small: less than $1 million for the first fiscal year, although that figure would increase over time.

In California, where lawmakers have taken steps to cut a $16 billion budget deficit in half by summer, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed saving $400 million by releasing more than 22,000 inmates who had less than 20 months remaining on their sentences. Violent and sex offenders would not be eligible.

Laying off prison guards and making it more difficult to send parole violators back to state prison would account for part of the savings.

Law enforcement officials and Republican lawmakers immediately criticized Schwarzenegger's proposal, which would apply to car thieves, forgers, drunken drivers and some drug dealers. Some would never serve prison time because the standard sentence for those crimes is 20 months or less.

"To open the prison door and release prisoners back into communities is merely placing a state burden onto local governments and will ultimately jeopardize safety in communities," said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer, who could see 1,800 inmates released in his area.

In Kentucky, which faces a $1.3 billion deficit, lawmakers approved legislation Wednesday to grant early release to some prisoners. Initial estimates were that the plan could affect as many as 2,000 inmates and save nearly $50 million.

If the governor signs the bill, the exact number of prisoners would be determined by prison officials. Violent convicts and sexual offenders would be exempt.

Gov. Steve Beshear has said Kentucky must review its policies after the state's inmate population jumped 12 percent last year — the largest increase in the nation.

Kentucky spends more than $18,600 to house one inmate for a year, or roughly $51 a day. In California, each inmate costs an average of $46,104 to incarcerate.

The prison budget in Mississippi has nearly tripled since stricter sentencing laws took effect in 1994.

To curb spending, lawmakers have offered a bill to make about 7,000 drug offenders in prison eligible for parole. A second proposal would allow the parole board to release inmates convicted of selling marijuana and prescription drugs after serving just a quarter of their sentences. Currently, they must serve 85 percent of their terms before release.

Michigan is trying to speed up the parole process for about 3,500 inmates who were convicted of nonviolent, nonsexual offenses, or who are seriously ill.

Barbara Sampson, chairwoman of the Michigan Parole Board, said early release often makes sense, especially for low-risk offenders who get help rebuilding their lives.

"Getting that prisoner back to the community so that he can stay connected to his family, getting him back into the work force ... that's a positive thing," she said.

But not everyone is sold on the idea.

"Economics cannot be the engine that drives the train of public safety," said Terrence Jungel, executive director of the Michigan Sheriffs' Association. "Government has no greater responsibility than the protection of its citizens." [/I]

today ,a friend of mine called me ,she was wandering when i would help her move some furniture for her.She was having some carpet installed ,she told me she had called them to ask and see when they were coming out and install the carpet,anyway,she had given them $900.00 to do the work .no response they shut there phone off,finally they contacted her ,told her they had a family problem in texas,and don't know if would have the time to do the work.i questiond her for any detailes ,igot the web site for the roc [registar of contractors] .i eventually contacted a relative ,i told them what was going on.He told me he had limited contact with his dad and brother ,he did manage to contact brother and told him some was trying to contact them ...i guess i have to wait to see what happens

Jury Duty S-c-a-m
This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summonses for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of fraud has surfaced.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo; your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Check it out here:
FBI Link

[IMG2=left]http://www.lawoffices.cc/widgets/gen_165.1.gif[/IMG2]We are hiring Private Investigators & Trainees.
[SIZE="2"]
*Openings Nationwide
*Spare-time & Part Time
*Excellent earnings
*On-the-job Training[/SIZE]

To apply, click here:
Private Assignment Link

Or, please email:
richard.hodges@lawoffices.cc

(Please do not post questions in this announcement)

Thank you,

Earlier this week the First Criminal Court in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico dismissed all
criminal charges pending against Dog, Tim and Leland Chapman on the grounds
that the statute of limitations had expired. The order effectively cancelled all pending
charges. The ruling is, however, subject to appeal by the prosecution. If an appeal
is sought, it must be filed in Puerto Vallarta by Wednesday, August 8th.

Let's keep our fingers crossed......

Success!

I have been trying to follow one of the confidence games from start to finish without risk to my own bank accounts or lying to anyone. I think that we need to keep our pretexting down to a minimum. I cannot remember lies well enough to do this.

I do some local mystery shopping – the money is not great, but I can get a free fast food meal and get paid $5-$7 for it. Back to the issue – I am registered with one of the bigger mystery shopping “networks” so the following was not unreasonable.

On May 7, I came home in the early afternoon to find that DHL had left a Sorry We Missed You notice on my door. I was a bit annoyed since DHL has my signature on file, but I called to complain (UPS and FedEx never give you phone numbers with a live person). The DHL delivery guy came back an hour later – he apologized for his brain lapse. The package label [computer generated] is dated May 2. I tracked the movement of the package:

Tracking history Help
Date and Time Status Location
5/7/2007 6:05 pm Shipment delivered. East Windsor, NJ
11:27 am Delivery attempted; recipient not home East Windsor, NJ
6:56 am With delivery courier. East Windsor, NJ
5/5/2007 8:38 am Arrived at DHL facility. East Windsor, NJ
4:23 am Depart Facility Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
2:01 am In transit. Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
5/3/2007 3:39 am Depart Facility Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
1:16 am
Transit through DHL facility Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
12:33 am Shipment on Hold. Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
5/2/2007 10:57 pm Depart Facility Toronto, Canada
10:24 pm Processed at DHL Location. Toronto, Canada
9:00 pm Picked Up by DHL.
[Note to readers: This was a beautiful table in the original.]

The package was a letter sent through Purolator, which was transferred to DHL. The package was sent from W NORTH YORK, ON M3H 1T1 Canada. The phone number listed is a fax machine. I did not check to see if this is a real address. [Aside to Legal: If you think that posting a criminal’s name and address is wrong, please go ahead and delete the details.]

Keep in mind that I do legitimate mystery shopping, so the setup did not seem too farfetched. The contents of the letter (from CompanyEvaluationService) reads:

**** ****
Quebec, H3G 2A9

RE: MICHAEL HARRIS Position: Customer Service Evaluator
Rep ID#: C.S.E 101

CONGRATULATIONS! With reference to our earlier correspondence via email, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected to become one of our representatives in your region.

Please be informed that there is one probationer training assignment that you are required to complete within 48 hrs. This training assignment takes about 2 hours to complete and is a PAID training. Training pay rate remains $120 per day. The aim of this training assignment is for you to familiarize yourself with the practical feel of what investigative shopping entails. Please note that enclosed is a CASHIER' S CHECK in the amount of$980 USD.

This assignment has been put together to be completed at any Wal-Mart location or Money Gram store. The objective of this assignment will be to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a payment system called "Money Gram" which is available at any Wal-Mart store or local Money Gram agents.

You are required to cash the enclosed CASHIER'S CHECK at your local bank or check cashing facilities and take the cash, minus your fee(s) and do the following:

You will pose as a potential customer sending a Money Gram payment to *** *****, a relative of yours in ****, Ontario, Canada. The fund needed to complete this transaction assignment has been arranged and has been enclosed with this letter. For our verification of assignment completion, please call the number above and also e-mail our office at ******** to provide the Money Gram Reference Code immediately after completion. Below is the breakdown of the attached fund:
Amount Sent------------------------------------------------------$980.00
1-day Evaluation training pay ---------------------------------$ 120.00
Service Charge by Money Gram -------------------------------$ 30.00
Required fund to be sent ---------------------------------------$ 830.00

In the process of this evaluation assignment, please take note of the quality of service in order to be able to fill out a fair and unbiased opinion on the Customer Service Evaluation Tool (CSET) form enclosed with this letter. This form should be faxed back to our office after the completion of your assignment.

Also attached is a copy of the weekly time schedule request sheet, which will need to be filled out and faxed back to our office so that we may know your available hours for the upcoming week.

HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!!

The bottom of the letter has the logos of nine of the best-known names in merchandising. Nice touch.

The tone of the letter and the instructions are all consistent with the better mystery shopping companies. The attachments are a nice touch.

This morning, I went to my bank and talked to the Teller Coordinator (this used to be the Head Teller, but in the politically-correct world, someone objected to it.). The Teller Coordinator examined the cashier’s check and suspected by the feel of the document that it was not real. She called the ‘issuing’ bank in Maine and confirmed that it was not real. The person at the issuing bank knew the account number before the Teller Coordinator provided it.

I could have deposited the cashier’s check into my account – no one would have questioned it. In four to five days, it would have come back as a non-existent account. And my bank would have charged it back to me. The instructions indicated that I only had 48 hours in which to complete the transaction. I would have sent the money away several days before my bank learned that the cashier’s check was not good. Also, the Money Gram was to check on Wal-Mart or Money Gram stores – where the staff would not be as knowledgeable as the bank tellers.

The cost of this confidence game is high. This was a well-written, well-executed con. It is easy for people to fall for it. I am glad that I was able to follow this one through.

I contact the RCMP and sent them a fax with all the materials.

The following website has some interesting tools. http://www.rcmp.ca/00000/index_e.htm#reporting.

*snip* Infidelity, it turns out, is seasonal. It dwindles around the December holidays, as errant spouses retreat to the comforts of hearth and family. Among other things, that means a dip in business for private investigators, who are often called on to track the movements of illicit lovers.

*Snip* Petty started her career as a paralegal in private law firms around town, later becoming a deputy clerk for U.S. District Magistrate Judge Joseph Miller. When Miller ran for public office, Petty decided to start her own private practice. “I found the investigative end much more fascinating and appealing than calendering trial events, making photocopies, putting trial binders together, and so I just said, ‘Wow, I really like this,’” Petty said. As she tries to change the perception of her profession, she is also trying to change her profession’s perception of her. As a small woman with a husband and two children at home, she would have been the secretary, not the PI., in those old crime novels. “It’s still a male-dominate field, but women are catching up really quickly in the past couple of years,” Petty said. While Petty has no problem with the grittier end of her work — hiding for hours in the back of her car or running from pit bulls — she said being a woman often lets her avoid being noticed out in the open, where she can be “the soccer mom cheering on with the little Handi-cam.” Petty works a lot of insurance cases, making sure claimants actually have the injuries they collecting money for, and she believes catching fraud keeps costs down for everyone. Her concern for the general good sparked her passion for licensing. For Entire Article Read Here

[CENTER][SIZE="5"]MODERATOR NOTE:[/SIZE]
[I]This topic mentions a recent newspaper story
about phony mystery shopping companies
who pretend to hire private investigators and
other operatives to handle their mystery shopping
cases. However, the International Private Investigators
Union (IPIU) is the only association that endorses
and recommends a confidential list of
reputible companies to work for. These
legitimate companies are located in the IPIU
Level 4 Forums, PLUS none of the firms IPIU
endorses charges any fees to the union members
we refer!

For another similar news story:[/I] Click Here[/CENTER]

From the Chicago Tribune:

Here's an offer you should refuse:
`Secret shopper' letter isn't what it appears to be, authorities say

By Jeff Coen
Tribune staff reporter
Published January 4, 2007

"The letter offers one of those jobs people fantasize about: getting paid to shop undercover and then report on the service.

But the invitation to become a secret shopper isn't what it appears. Authorities in the U.S. and Canada say it's one of the latest clever swindles designed to lure the unsuspecting into depositing a bogus check and wiring money from their account back to the scammers.

The offer from an organization calling itself "The Shopping Group" appears with well-known corporate logos along the bottom of the first page, including Target and Wal-Mart. Among those who received it in the Chicago area in recent weeks was an Illinois Appellate Court judge who didn't fall for it, investigators with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said.

"Congratulations!" the notice begins, informing recipients that they have been recommended for the job by a relative.

And the first "probational training assignment" seems easy enough. Just deposit the enclosed check for $2,900 in the bank, pocket the $400 from that deposit and wire the rest back to The Shopping Group. As the shoppers are wiring the money, they're instructed to use the enclosed form to rate the courteousness and professionalism of employees at the MoneyGram location chosen to complete the mission.

"The aim of this training assignment will be to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and customer service of that particular [MoneyGram] location," the letter says.

"Have fun!" is the final direction.

Those unfortunate enough to be taken in by the ploy, however, will find themselves out more than $2,000 once they realize the check has bounced and they've already wired money from their bank account.

"This is a pretty good one," U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Carroll said of the scheme. "People will fall for it."

Investigators with the Postal Inspection Service said contact information for the company can be traced to Canada, and efforts are under way to determine who is behind it. About 50 complaints have been made nationwide so far, Carroll said, including a handful in the Chicago area.

Carroll said investigators are attempting to determine if those running the s-c-a-m-s have taken on the name of a legitimate company. Calls to a Las Vegas marketing firm mentioned on a Web site listed in the materials were not returned.

Police with the Waterloo regional police in Ontario, Canada, said the organization calling itself The Shopping Group has been on their radar since the fall, when complaints first began filtering in.

"They've used a number of local addresses and phone numbers here in an attempt to suggest they are somehow legitimate," said Olaf Heinzel, public affairs coordinator with the police office.

The letter reported to postal inspectors in Chicago includes an address in Baltimore and a phone number. The Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland has issued a fraud report after receiving complaints from across the U.S.

"The Shopping Group has an unsatisfactory record of complaints alleging the use of counterfeit checks that have created severe overdrafts to the bank accounts of consumers who accept the company's offer of `work assignments,'" the bureau's report states. "The company has used the address of a private home and a non-existent address in Baltimore as their own addresses."

Calls to phone numbers listed for The Shopping Group in the U.S. and Canada were not returned Wednesday.

Cathy Rebuffoni, spokeswoman for MoneyGram, said the company does not use secret shopping services to rate its performance. Such s-c-a-m-s are always evolving, Rebuffoni said, and the company works with authorities to identify them and train employees to know what to look for.

She said the first rule is to know exactly whom you are wiring money to. "It's like sending cash," she said. "And once someone is there to pick it up, it's gone."

The mystery shopper scheme is just one of a variety of s-c-a-m-s that involve sending victims a bad check and having them wire money back from their bank account, investigators said. Many are believed to originate in Nigeria, they said.

In recent months check s-c-a-m-s have surfaced on Internet personal ad and job sites, where those seeking work are recruited. Some have fallen for "job offers" to work as a check-casher for what is purported to be a foreign company, authorities said.

The first check arrives with instructions for the victim to keep 10 percent of the total and wire the remaining funds back to the company. The check again is bad, Carroll said. In some instances scammers have taken an even more sinister approach, Carroll said, contacting victims on Internet sites such as myspace.com or responding to requests for roommates. They befriend their target first through e-mail and then eventually ask for a favor that involves cashing a bogus check and wiring money.

Many people fall for the scheme because they are getting money up front, Carroll said.

Representatives from banks and wire companies are expected in Chicago next week to talk about some of the latest fraud ploys, he said.

The Shopping Group trick may be among the most brazen in recent years, investigators said, with the scammers going so far as to send a code of business conduct and ethics along with materials that would-be victims receive.

If you feel you've been victimized, call postal inspectors in Chicago, or make a complaint at www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com.

Just in . . .

FROM ACRA, INC:
If you recently received a letter in the mail from a company claiming to be ACRA, Inc from Ontario, Canada or any other Canadian city, it is a fraud.

PLEASE READ BELOW
It appears that our company (a legitimate secret shop company), as well as yourself, have been victims of a fraud. The party that perpetrated the fraud used our company name and website address only, and all of the other information (names, address, banking info) was fictitious.

The following information was sent to us by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency - Special Supervision Division-United States Government.

"What is described in your message is definitely a mystery shopping fraud. The victim deposits the counterfeit item and within 24 hours spends or wires the proceeds of that check. Once the instrument is returned as counterfeit (about 10 days later), the money is gone and the victim is left with a hefty loss."

In order to pursue this, you might want to consider some of the following measures:

• With documentation in hand, notify the bank that is printed on the check.

  
  

• You should notify your local law enforcement agency.

  
  

• Please notify the US Postal Inspector Service
  
  • by telephone at 1-888-877-7644
    
  • by mail at:
    U.S. Postal Inspection Service
    Office of Inspector General - Operations Support Group
    222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250
    Chicago, IL 60606-6100
    
  • or via e-mail at http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm
    

  
  

• Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
  
  • by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP
    
  • or file an electronic complaint via their Internet site at www.ftc.gov
    

  
  

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian 00000):
  
  • by telephone at 1-888-495-8501
    
  • or via e-mail at info@phonebusters.com
    
  • or their website, www.phonebusters.com , provides additional contact numbers.
    
  
  

Sincerely,

Clay Carlos
President, ACRA, Inc

For other national agencies and firms hiring that Level 4 union members are interested in, please click on the following passcode link for details:
http://www.ipiu.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4856

From internet sources:

QUOTE:

Amsel speaks French, Italian, German, Spanish and Greek, and heads Amsel & Co, a two-partner practice is based on Styal Road near Manchester Airport.

The outfit specialises in investigating alleged abuses of trademarks, patents, designs and copyright for companies involved in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, fashion, engineering, entertainment and broadcasting.

She set up the practice in 1994 after moving north from London.

The institute has 350 members, ranging from traditional private detectives to customs, social security and accident investigators.

Ouch!

I came across a PI website name at www.hollywoodpi.com for sale for $1-million! And the owner appears to be "Hollywood PI" Lawrence Olmstead, who was quoted in the following racketeering report:

DENVER -- Using deception to ferret out personal information, including Ennis Cosby's credit card records after his killing and the home addresses of organized crime detectives in Los Angeles, a private detective built a $1-million-a-year business here selling information that ended up in the hands of everyone from the tabloid press to a reputed member of the Israeli Mafia.

Working out of his office in suburban Aurora, the detective, James J. Rapp, took in daily requests from people who wanted the confidential phone numbers and bank accounts for celebrities and victims of high-profile crimes, like the Columbine High School shootings. Rapp obtained records on the visits of television's "Ally McBeal" star, Calista Flockhart, to a doctor in Beverly Hills, Calif., at a time when the tabloids were filled with articles that she had an eating disorder, investigators and prosecutors said.

The authorities also said Rapp sold information about the Princess of Wales and her boyfriend in the hours after their deaths and information about JonBenet Ramsey, the 6-year-old beauty queen killed in nearby Boulder.

Rapp even obtained the phone records of Kathleen E. Willey, the former White House volunteer who said President Clinton made an unwanted sexual advance to her, the authorities said.

It is not clear who received Rapp's information. But when the authorities raided the offices of his Touch Tone Information in May, they found a list of more than 1,200 private detective agencies across the country that were buying confidential information about Hollywood celebrities, estranged spouses, debtors and deadbeats.

Among the investigators on the list was a Denver private detective who had been employed occasionally as a consultant by ABC-TV, though there is no evidence the network ever used Rapp's information. The authorities say some of the information about celebrities has been used by The National Enquirer and The Globe.

Rapp, 39, and his wife, Regana L. Rapp, were indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury on Friday on two counts each of racketeering, in a case that is the first known criminal prosecution against the growing business of peddling confidential information. If convicted, the couple could face up to 24 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million.

Rapp was imprisoned in 1982 for violating probation after a conviction for auto theft.

Rapp said he and his wife had not broken any laws. The case against the Rapps is the biggest test of whether practices that on their face are deceptive are also illegal. Rapp's employees obtained the information through a subterfuge known in their business as a pretext: calling banks, phone companies and other businesses and claiming to be the customer whose records were sought.

The case was put together by Colorado authorities from a little-used state law on impersonating someone to obtain information and a common Federal statute on wire fraud and could break new legal ground by helping define how far private investigators can go in using deceit and trickery to obtain confidential data about unsuspecting individuals.

The indictment, coupled with seized documents and interviews with law-enforcement investigators in recent days, provides the fullest picture available of how the Rapps turned lying into such a lucrative business.

A former Touch Tone employee said in an interview that a colleague who sat next to him cried constantly as part of her act.

Nearby, the ex-employee said, an elderly man faked a foreign accent and pretended to be confused to get information. Essentially, it is not illegal to lie about identity, except when impersonating a police officer or government official. The Colorado authorities hope to build a successful prosecution because their state is one of the few that make it a crime to impersonate someone else for gain.

Until the Rapp case, deceptions by private investigators and information brokers have not been prosecuted and no Federal law specifically prohibits impersonating someone to get confidential information.

"A lot of things most Americans assume are illegal or wrong are not prohibited by law," said Evan Hendricks, editor of Privacy Times, a Washington newsletter.

Dennis Hall, the Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney who led the investigation, said in an interview: "These people engaged in reprehensible conduct to profit from all sorts of tragedies. They broke the law by impersonating someone to get private information and selling it for profit."

Aristedes W. Zavaras, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, said the case represented the strongest evidence yet that stringent controls were necessary to safeguard private information and maintain public confidence.

"The indictments here send a loud and clear message that these practices must stop," Zavaras said.

In the face of growing concerns over privacy, Congress is considering laws to prohibit using pretexts to obtain confidential information. Rapp, in a brief interview, called the charges ridiculous and said his activities were legal. He said his lawyer had advised him not to discuss the indictment, but in an earlier interview, before the charges were filed, he maintained that there was nothing inherently wrong with using deception to get confidential information.

Even at this early stage, the case provides an unusually rich window into the secretive world of information brokers, a new breed of investigators who have grown into a multi-million-dollar industry by trafficking in confidential information obtained through lies and access to the latest public and private computer databases.

A price list seized by the police shows that the Rapps offered to get unpublished telephone numbers and addresses for $85, a monthly bill for local or long distance phone calls for $75, bank statements for $100, stock transactions for $200.

Results were guaranteed. Company records showed revenues averaging $20,000 a week.

The aggressive techniques used by the Rapps and their company led the Federal Trade Commission to file a civil lawsuit against the Rapps and the company in April. The agency charged that using pretexts represented an invasion of consumer privacy. The case, which is pending, will help determine regulatory authority over information brokers and private detectives.

The Inquiry: Getting a Lead From the Coast

Touch Tone first came to the attention of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation last January. The Los Angeles Police Department asked for information about Touch Tone after records seized from a private detective's home showed that the company had provided home addresses, phone numbers and pager numbers for detectives on the police department's organized-crime squad, according to an affidavit filed in the Rapp case by Robert Brown, the Colorado agent in charge of the investigation here.

The police said the information was obtained for Assaf Waknine, an Israeli identified by the Los Angeles police as an organized-crime member, according to Brown's affidavit.

Waknine used the information to harass detectives and create a "clone" of one detective's pager that received his pages in an effort to discover the identity of an informer, according to the affidavit and interviews with law-enforcement officials here.

In early March, the Colorado authorities set up a sting on Touch Tone. With the help of a cooperative private investigator, Jane Cracraft, they asked Rapp to obtain bank records and monthly phone records for a woman. Rapp agreed and explained the way he worked, according to court records and taped conversations.

The first step, he said, was for him or an employee to assume the identity of the customer and persuade the customer service representatives at the banks and phone companies to give them the customer's information.

"We get them to read each and every item off the customer's account for every month you want," he told Ms. Cracraft, who responded, "You must be pretty good with your 00000."

With a laugh, Rapp said, "After 20 years, you get pretty good." True to his guarantee, Rapp provided accurate bank and phone records for the woman, who was actually an employee of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The cost was $460.

Touch Tone operated out of a dingy three-room office suite in Aurora. One room contained files for active cases, which were destroyed after Touch Tone received payment. Another contained phones and faxes for incoming information requests, which were logged and routed to Rapp and employees in the adjoining, larger room.

The larger room was where Rapp oversaw the pretext calls. In the office jargon, obtaining phone records was known as "busting a number" and getting bank account information was "breaking the bank."

By all accounts, Rapp was a brazen whiz at lying. Jeff Harley, who worked briefly at Touch Tone, told the authorities that once when he was unable to "bust" an unpublished phone number, number to find the name and address of the customer, Rapp grabbed the file from him and got the information on the first try.

Some former employees told the authorities that they had responded to classified advertisements seeking private investigators, while others had been sent to Touch Tone by temporary employment agencies. One former office temp told investigators that Rapp said to him, "I need to know how well you can lie."

The Ploys: Gaining Sympathy, Getting Data

A common ploy used by Touch Tone was to claim to be an irate husband whose wife had just left him for another man and demand records of long-distance calls because he was not going to pay for calls to her boyfriend, according to an affidavit in the case. Rapp liked female employees because they could play on emotions by crying, Harley said.

The lies worked largely because the callers dealt with customer service representatives at various businesses who are trained to provide help. When Touch Tone investigators ran into an unwilling person, they simply hung up and called again to get another representative, former employees told investigators.

A list of phone numbers for hundreds of banks, phone companies and credit card businesses nationwide was found in the search at Touch Tone in May.

When Touch Tone callers pretended to be someone in another city and wanted information faxed, they used a company that forwards faxes from dozens of sites around the country, according to the authorities. Rapp employed as many as 20 callers, who were called investigators. Many Touch Tone employees worked from their homes on a commission after being trained, said Brown, the Colorado agent, and his partner, Patrick Maroney.

Rapp's former wife, Holly, told a Denver television station this week that he had used their young daughter to make calls years ago.

While the clients from the seized files are private detective agencies, the users of the information ranged from tabloids like the Globe and National Enquirer to banks and insurance companies seeking information about their own customers, according to records obtained in the search and interviews with private investigators who used Touch Tone.

The Secrets: Who Got Them, Who Used Them

One client was Al Schweitzer, a prominent Denver detective who does investigative work for television and tabloids. Dahlia Roemer, a spokeswoman for ABC-TV, said that Schweitzer had worked twice as a consultant for the ABC News program "20/20" but that he had not done investigative work for ABC.

Schweitzer said that he had done some investigative work for the network, but that he never used Touch Tone to get information for ABC. He added that he stopped using the company more than two years ago after disagreeing with Rapp over some of his methods.

Records show that one of the largest users of Touch Tone was a Florida detective agency, Action Research Group. Its Touch Tone bills for the first four months of this year totaled more than $20,000. Joe Vepante, the owner of Action Research, said he mainly got information for banks on people who had bad debts.

Former Touch Tone employees said information on celebrities and victims of accidents had been extremely valuable because it could be sold over and over. For instance, in a letter to one client about the JonBenet Ramsey slaying, Rapp listed 14 categories of items for sale, ranging from phone and credit card records for the girl's parents to phone records for the family's private detective and the home address and phone number for the Boulder police detective investigating the death.

The indictment of the Rapps spelled out how they obtained some information about the Ramseys. Within days of the child's death on Dec. 26, 1996, callers from Touch Tone used pretexts to obtain American Express credit card records for her parents, John and Patricia Ramsey, according to the charges. Those records showed that purchases were made at a Boulder hardware store several days before the child's death.

On Jan. 14, 1997, a Touch Tone investigator called McGuckin Hardware pretending to be "John" and asking for information concerning two American Express charges. The investigator followed up with a letter identifying the charges and seeking the invoices. The letter was signed "John Ramsey."

Six days later, the hardware store provided the information on the purchases, which investigators said later found its way into an article in the tabloid Globe.

Lawrence Olmstead, who operates a research firm called Press Pass Media in Palmdale, Calif., acknowledged that Rapp sent him a letter offering the Ramsey information for sale but Olmstead said he did not buy any of it.

Olmstead acknowledged that he often bought phone numbers and addresses from Touch Tone on behalf of news media clients, whom he would identify only as some tabloids and mainstream media.

"A lot of guys make promises, but James really delivered," said Olmstead, who said everything he bought was used in legitimate news media inquiries.

Brown and Maroney of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said in an interview that Touch Tone records showed that Olmstead bought American Express records and phone records for Ennis Cosby, the son of the actor Bill Cosby, after the younger Cosby had been killed along a Los Angeles freeway in January 1997. Olmstead denied acquiring information about Cosby.

More recently, Brown said, Touch Tone obtained unpublished phone numbers, phone records and home addresses for victims of the Columbine High School shooting in April. He said the information was obtained for Olmstead.

Olmstead confirmed buying the Columbine information, but he said it had been for legitimate news purposes. "Reporters wanted to speak with these families or send them requests for interviews," he said. "No one was harassed."

The Colorado authorities said constructing the indictment was complex and unusual. Hall, the lead prosecutor, said some people had to be convinced that obtaining confidential information by lying broke the law.

In the end, however, he said the charges hinged on the state law that prohibits impersonating someone for profit or to harm them and on the broad Federal wire fraud statute, which makes it a crime to use a telephone to commit an illegal act.

The racketeering indictment was based on what on what prosecutors said was a pattern of violating the state and Federal statutes.

"It is difficult to put a monetary value on privacy, but it was clear that the Rapps violated the law in the way they obtained information," Hall said. "What's against the law is how they got the information."

Source:
http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/rapp.htm

Lawrence Olmstead is Hollywood P.I.. Larry has worked in the investigative industry for eighteen years and has been exposed to many unique and challenging situations.

Olmstead has been a professional bodyguard, auto recovery agent, bounty hunter, and even a bar room bouncer at one time. Having gained experience in the above fields, Mr. Olmstead knows how to get the job done when all else has failed.

Larry is the Founder of The World Investigative Network and Detectives Against Deadbeats, Inc.. He is also a former columnist of the trade publication called the "Professional Investigator". Currently, Mr. Olmstead administrates an online networking forum called "PI2000" in which investigators worldwide can share ideas and assist each other.

Since 1994 Hollywood P.I. has been a world leader in gathering critical information for media outlets. Having the honor to be requested by television shows, newspapers and tabloids in the United States and England have enabled Hollywood P.I. to earn a reputation as someone who gets solid results time after time.

Larry has appeared on television shows and done radio interviews on a weekly basis. He was also cast as the private investigator on USA Networks pilot presentation of a show called "Justice Hunters" hosted by "Boy's Don't Cry" author Aphrodite Jones. "Justice Hunters" was a reality based show that was created to solve current crimes. During the show, Olmstead was able to track down a two time convicted bank robber who convinced a sixteen year old girl to move out of state and become his live in girlfriend. Working with local law enforcement and the FBI, Olmstead was able to locate the girl and coordinate her safe return to her family.

Whether you represent a media organization, corporate entity, law office, government facility, retail business or private person, Hollywood P.I. has services tailored to meet your needs.

Specializing in locating people is Olmstead's specialty and is a Court Qualified Missing Persons Expert. This means he has proven experience that has been evaluated and approved by the courts for purposes of expert testimony. If you need to find someone, there is no one better. Olmstead has been regarded as one of the world's only missing persons experts. There are many who call themselves experts, but do not have the credentials required for making the claim.

If you really need to know the truth, find that one piece of information that will make the difference, or find someone, Hollywood P.I. is the only place to turn to. Olmstead does not accept every assignment, but if you have a case for him to consider, feel free to email the information and details for your free, no obligation email consultation.

[CENTER][SIZE="4"]MODERATOR UPDATE:[/SIZE]
After carefully reading the news report, it appears the private investigator was legally licensed as a PI. It also appears that a witness second account indicates there was no badge and no impersonation of a police officer. Just the same, this is worth reading.[/CENTER]

-- Man arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer, but the charge might be bogus.

DESOTO COUNTY -- [I]A private investigator from Tampa was charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer Tuesday after he approached a woman at her Arcadia home and allegedly flashed a badge.

According to Nancy D'Amato's original statement to the Arcadia Police Department, Eduardo Martinez rang her doorbell a few times but she didn't answer. When she looked out the window to see who was there, Martinez showed her a badge, identification and driver license, and told her he was an officer and that she could verify his credentials with the Sheriff's Office. D'Amato was on the phone at the time and told her friend she would have to call her back because she had to talk to a cop, a report stated.

The report says her friend immediately called D'Amato's niece, Barbara Alagrante, to tell her about the situation.

"I was getting nervous because she was all alone," said Alagrante. "He (Martinez) got on the phone and he was very arrogant with me. I said, 'Give me your badge number,' and he said, 'I don't have to give you any badge number.' So I asked him to tell me what police station he was from, and he said he didn't have to give me that, either.

"When he wouldn't give me his badge number, it triggered something in my head telling me something was wrong," Alagrante stated. She told her aunt to get out of the house immediately and called the APD.

In her report, APD officer Angie Allred said she arrived at D'Amato's address and found Martinez there. Allred said he showed her his wallet, which contained "a shield-type badge with an ID."

After taking D'Amato's statement, Martinez was placed under arrest.

On Wednesday morning, D'Amato gave a slightly less dramatic version of events.

D'Amato said she didn't see the badge and she didn't let him in her home. "He said he was looking for a Mexican fella, and he asked if I had seen him in the area, but I told him I hadn't seen him around here," said D'Amato. "He thought the guy lived around here, so he was sticking around to see if he can catch this fella."

D'Amato added, "He wasn't impersonating a police officer. What happened was, my niece called me while he was here and I said he was a police officer but he wasn't, he was a private investigator. They handcuffed him outside and everything, but they found out that he's legal. Unfortunately, the gentleman lost his job," said D'Amato.

"My niece misunderstood me and called the police to protect me, but it wasn't really a big deal," said D'Amato.

A spokeswoman for Martinez's employer, Hyperion Risk, said "We are aware of the situation, but at this time we do not have any comment."

The State Attorney's Office has not filed any charges yet. [/I]

http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive4/082406/tp2de2.htm?date=082406&story=tp2de2.htm

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003086319

My childhood memory is vivid when I recall this incident taking place. It happened in our home town and my mother was "freaked out" to say the least.

One wonders if this case will ever be solved??

Any thoughts? Info? Links?