Business Background Investigations
TEXAS' PREMIER PRIVATE INVESTIGATIVE AGENCY
In many ways, a business is like an individual. It has a past, a culture, and it interacts with many others each day. Like some people, what you see may not represent what that business is really all about. As licensed private detectives, we have investigated many corporations for clients who are interested in purchasing that business, are considering a merger, are involved in litigation with that company, or are questioning who they may be hiring.
Cole Investigative Agency has a proven track record of providing the highest quality business background investigations and research to clients nationwide. Knowledge is the crucial factor in staying ahead of the competition. Contrary to popular belief, what you don't know can hurt you. Many businesses have hidden liabilities and hidden histories or illicit behavior that few other than a private investigator can uncover.
When conducting background investigation and research, there is rarely a blueprint for how to get the information you need; each case is different. Our advantage is our seasoned, experienced staff of professional investigators who know how to get results in an industry where innovation is the norm.
"We have the resources to find the information you need."
Due diligence is an examination by a company's investment bank and accountants of the company's management, operations, financial condition, competitive position, performance, and business objectives and plan, as well as information regarding the company's labor force, suppliers, customers, and industry. Another common definition of due diligence (also known as due care) is the effort made by an ordinarily prudent or reasonable party to avoid harm to another party or himself. Failure to make this effort is considered negligence. For those who are involved in making the purchase decision for a group of investors, keep the potential ramifications of not hiring an expert to assist with due diligence in mind. More and more people involved in facilitating a business deal end up in court over a lack of proper due diligence. Quite often, a contract will specify that a party is required to provide due diligence.
Why is Due Diligence Conducted?
There are many reasons for conducting due diligence, including the following:
Confirmation that the business is what it appears to be
Identify potential "deal killer" defects in the target and avoid a bad business transaction
Gain information that will be useful for valuing assets, defining representations and warranties, and/or negotiating price concessions.
Verification that the transaction complies with investment or acquisition criteria
Some of the areas that we focus on can include:
Searching for undisclosed litigation or regulatory problems, verifying transactions and terms with vendors, interviewing former employees about the true condition of the company and the roles of key staff in the business, verifying receivables are from non-related and legitimate sources capable and willing to make payment and verifying ownership of property, plant, and equipment.
From competition research to internal loss prevention, C.I.A. gives your business the advantage of having an investigative research team that will work with you to get the answers you seek. Because each due diligence investigation and each target company are different, we recommend that you discuss your situation with one of our private investigators. For a free consultation about your case and how we can be of assistance, call us today at (214) 915-0341 or (866) 208-7419.
Business Identification
Business Identification is useful in situations where you need to know the exact legal status, ownership, and location of a company. You may have a consumer dispute or are considering legal action against a company, or you may need to determine if a business is a fictitious business, i.e., a D.B.A., corporation, or a limited partnership, etc. You may need to know how to contact the owner or proprietor of a business to acquire that business or form an association with it.
Cole Investigative Agency offers you fast identification at a reasonable price.
For a free consultation or to get started right away on your project, call us for service throughout the U.S. at (214) 915-0341 or (866) 208-7419.
Criminal Background Investigations
In Texas, there are several different major repositories of information on "criminal" records. Most deal with convictions only. What is a conviction? A conviction is when a judgment is handed down from a court indicating that the person in question was found guilty or pleaded guilty.
As we all know, in America, everyone is innocent until found guilty. Frequently, people ask private investigators about searching the N.C.I.C. system (National Crime Information Center). Unfortunately, N.C.I.C. is not available to the public. That does not mean that you are not interested to know that someone was arrested for rape and acquitted at trial due to lack of evidence, etc.
Five Levels
Court Records. These are the best way to verify if a criminal action has been initiated against someone. The main problem with searching these records is the cost. The Texas county courts are not connected by computer, and no statewide database of cases is available, meaning a search would have to be done in each county. We recommend that this be done in each county where the subject has shown current and prior residency.
Texas Department of Public Safety. The Texas D.P.S. keeps a record of all criminal activity, which is in the form of a searchable database. A search can be done immediately and is rarely offline. The problem with this database is that the D.P.S. relies on the courts and municipal police departments to submit this information to them. This costs money to compile and process, and our experience would indicate that this is not being done as quickly or efficiently as it should be. In some cases, we have found capital crimes from years ago where the person is in prison in Texas not being reported. It is also very important to know that the information provided about the person being searched MUST be accurate, or a false negative can be obtained.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice. This source has an excellent database of everyone who has served time in prison or otherwise been remanded to their supervision. It gives good details about the crime and sometimes even pictures of the criminal. The only weakness of this source is that criminals who are not sentenced to prison time do not show up in this database, and sometimes, with more common names or limited information, confirmation cannot be made.
United States Federal Courts. This source contains records of all Federal Criminal Convictions in the U.S. Federal Court system. Unlike counties and states, this database is searchable throughout the entire United States.
Arrests. Some data from Texas arrest records at the county jail level can be obtained legally through a private source. This information is excellent for determining if someone was arrested and processed at one of the available county jails. This source does not have access to all Michigan county arrest records, and some criminals are not processed at the county jail level, but it is an excellent source to assist us in determining where to look further.
We recommend that you call us and speak to a private investigator, free of charge, about which type of search or searches are appropriate for your needs. Lastly, if you see a free search or nationwide criminal record search, keep your credit card in your wallet and look elsewhere. There is no such search, and you are purchasing nothing but a disclaimer and some old public record data. Call C.I.A. today for immediate assistance at (214) 915-0341 or (866) 208-7419.
Employee Screening
Background Checks, pre-employment screening services, and detailed background searches.
Know the truth about someone, Quickly, Easily and Affordably!
There is no longer any doubt about the need for pre-employment screening services in America, and applicants from all walks of life now know and expect that a background check will be performed on them when they seek new employment. The only real issue left is the selection of a background check firm to assist you in the process.
The pre-employment Screening division of Cole Investigative Agency was established because of the large number of clients who expressed concern over the lack of quality, comprehensive employee background check companies available to assist employers. Their concern was that most of these companies are run by computer "experts" who are looking to sell information gathered from computer databases rather than investigating an applicant's background at the source. These same pre-employment screening firms are big on disclaimers and short on results.
We are NOT computer programmers looking to make easy money off of yet another employee background check website.
We are licensed private detectives. We know where to go to find information that is accurate, documented, and verifiable.
This helps to keep your existing employees safe and helps to eliminate erroneous reporting on your applicant's information.
We are NOT an instant online employee background check company.
We certainly understand that having access to all information instantly is a great concept and would make life very easy for our clients, but the reality is that it is not possible to locate your applicant's records through any computer system with the simple click of a mouse. There are no National databases of criminal records or secret websites that contain people's "real" job history. One day, we may have those options, but not today. Instead, what is possible is to work with a pre-employment screening agency that knows how to conduct real background investigations quickly and affordably. Our clients have the same need for fast turnaround and high levels of customer service that you do.
Please review the types of information we can research for your candidate's state by following the appropriate link to the left.
If you ever have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to call us today to speak with an investigator at (214) 915-0341 or (866) 208-7419
Nationwide Employee Screening, Pre-Employment Screening and Background Checks.
The facts are clear. An alarming number of resumes and employment applications contain false and misleading information. Background checks, pre-employment screening, and employee screening are vital to protecting your company and your employees.
Altered dates, false claims, inflated salaries, inflated titles and responsibilities, false or incomplete prior employment history, false separation reasons, and undisclosed criminal histories are some of the most frequently encountered problems on resumes. More disturbing is the number of unqualified applicants who have secured false credentials to get a job.
As an employer or human resources professional, you already know how much damage a bad hire can cause and how difficult it is to get rid of them. Accordingly, it only makes sense to hire the right people and avoid business disruptions, inappropriate behavior, endangering co-workers, liability, litigation, theft & fraud by employing a quality employee-screening agency.
The problem you face is, which firm do you entrust to conduct your background checks and employee screening? There are many companies offering these services on the web, but if you take a good look at them, many are simply data brokers and really offer you nothing more than the information they purchase. This is particularly true with regard to the INSTANT RESULTS websites that claim to conduct a background check. In reality, all these companies do is purchase old public record data and dump it into a database. When you, the customer, enter an employee's information into their system, it spits out that old data. No human is conducting anything, let alone really checking out the employee's background.
At C.I.A., a private investigator is personally conducting your employee screening background and providing you with more than old, outdated records. We also review and question the findings at every step and provide you with our expert opinion on what we find.
Employee Background check services
As licensed private investigators, we offer complete pre-employment screening and current employee screening, ranging from a basic overview to a comprehensive background investigation.
We offer these services with a level of competence and detail that "information brokers" and database companies could never provide you. We do more than punch a name in a computer and print up a canned report. These companies cannot provide you with a professional analysis. So pick up the telephone and confirm information or answer the question, "Does this make sense."
All of our background check and pre-employment screening services are customized to meet your needs.
The services we offer include the following:
Name, Address, and Social Security Number Verification
Telephone Number Verification
Drivers License Search
Driving Record Search
Criminal Conviction Search
Current Warrant and Wants Search
Professional Licensing Verification
Corporate & D.B.A. Ownership Search
Bankruptcy Filing Search
Credit History
Prior Employment Verification
Earnings Verification
Education Verification
Civil Court Record Search
Job Performance Interviews
Character Reference Interviews
Independent Character Investigation
Worker's Compensation Claims Search
Our employee screening process is completely legal, confidential, and conducted by an independent agency specializing in pre-employment background checks and criminal record searches. The process is fast, easy, and efficient to use. Most of our services can be completed the next business day.
Background Check Experts – C.I.A. Background Check Services
When you need a background check to learn the truth about someone, C.I.A. has a background check designed to meet your needs. Each background check is unique, and what may be relevant in one case is not in another.
As licensed private investigators, we know what information is possible to develop and how to provide an accurate, detailed background check no matter where your subject resides. We also know that it is very important to consider who we are investigating when determining what type of background check you need and what records you expect us to find.
It is important to understand that the term background check is a generic one. Each background check is different, and the level of depth you want to go into is nearly limitless.
Comprehensive background check and criminal record search specialists.
When you need REAL information, not five-year-old databases offered by the "internet detective" con-artists, C.I.A. Background Check Services is the intelligent choice. We are not a database company or data broker. C.I.A. Background Check Services is a full-service private investigative agency specializing in background checks where accuracy matters.
We know what background check information is available and how to get it quickly and cost-effectively. No shortcuts, no gimmicks, no fluff. Our clients are people concerned about themselves, their families, co-workers, and loved ones. They cannot afford to waste time and money working with a firm that provides more disclaimers than information.
Beware of the "Instant" Background Check
Most of the "Background Check" websites that you will find on the internet are nothing more than sites that automatically search through FREE public record sources or buy old, outdated information and resell it to you at 20 times the cost.
What they do NOT do is provide you with an actual background check. This is particularly true for the "Instant background check" companies.
The results they give you:
Fast but meaningless data or data that is comprised of information you likely already knew. Ironically, they forget to tell you that there is little or no chance that their background check will find anything meaningful.
The companies that sell this type of information are not licensed private investigators and cannot give you the accuracy you want.
What makes C.I.A. Background Check Services stand out from the crowd?
We are Private Investigators, not a database search company
We provide 20 years of professional experience and judgment
We GUARANTEE to meet your deadlines, not ours
We tell you where all of the information we provide came from
We have an actual investigator to speak with about your background check
Our background checks are done by investigators, not databases. Tell us about your concerns, and we focus on what you know about and care about most.
We provide a detailed report of our findings
If you find that you need more than just a background check, we are a full service private detective agency able to bring the full assets of our agency, with nationwide resources, to bear for you.
We encourage you to call us today to discuss your background check needs and to have an investigator explain the background check process and the results to be obtained. The call is completely confidential and toll-free.
Some of what C.I.A. Background Check Services may find for you include
Criminal Records
Arrests
Prisoner Information
Convictions
Aliases
Bankruptcy Filings
Relatives
Past & Present Addresses
Real Age
Lawsuits
Neighborhood Profiles
Phone Numbers
Judgments & Tax Liens
Corporate Ownership
Professional Licenses
Military Background
Sex Offenders
Property Ownership
Domain Name Ownership
U.C.C. Filings
Vehicle Ownership
Driving Records and More!
Important
Obviously, criminal activity is a major concern to all of our clients. It is also important that you understand that criminal records within a background check must be done at a local level.
THERE IS NO NATIONAL CRIMINAL RECORD DATABASE available to anyone!
If a company is offering this type of background check to you, they have created their own "national" criminal database, which is not reliable, accurate, or complete and is ridiculous at best.
Each state has different ways of recording criminal record information. Some have statewide criminal record databases, but most do not. Each court, at the city or county level, also has its own unique way of recording criminal records and allowing the public access to them. At C.I.A. Background Check Services, we know exactly where and how to look for them in the fastest and most intelligent way to give you quick results without compromising completeness or accuracy.
Criminal background checks at the state, county, and multi-state levels. Criminal reports for employment screening, tenant screening, landlords, & personal criminal records screening for individuals & roommates.
Please feel free to contact us to discuss your specific needs. Your call is strictly confidential.
Call us today, toll free (866) 208-7419