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Biz Investigation Basics

The document provides various sources and methods for conducting business investigations, including public records, websites, archives, and government agencies that can provide information on companies, real estate, courts, police, local government, personal details, vital records, and military service. Key sources listed are the SEC and state agencies for public company filings, county appraisal districts and courthouses for real estate records, federal and state court websites for lawsuits and bankruptcies, police reports, local government agendas and budgets, genealogy websites for personal details, and the National Archives for birth, death, and military records.

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114 views3 pages

Biz Investigation Basics

The document provides various sources and methods for conducting business investigations, including public records, websites, archives, and government agencies that can provide information on companies, real estate, courts, police, local government, personal details, vital records, and military service. Key sources listed are the SEC and state agencies for public company filings, county appraisal districts and courthouses for real estate records, federal and state court websites for lawsuits and bankruptcies, police reports, local government agendas and budgets, genealogy websites for personal details, and the National Archives for birth, death, and military records.

Uploaded by

breaksthenews
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Basics of Business Investigations

From Backgrounding to Ideas


David Wethe
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
dwethe@star-telegram.com
(817) 685-3803

Business listings

ƒ Public companies must file with the SEC


– http://www.sec.gov
ƒ Texas Comptroller lists many companies
– http://ecpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/Index.html
– Also kept on file by secretary of state in other states
ƒ Private companies don’t have to file
– http://www.hoover.com
ƒ Company websites

What do others say?

ƒ Competitors
ƒ Industry trade publications
ƒ Chamber of commerce newsletters
ƒ Government regulators
ƒ Power point presentations made at industry conferences or city council
meetings

What WERE they saying?

ƒ The Wayback Machine


– http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
– Very cool trick
ƒ Your own newspaper archive

Outside reports

ƒ GAO reports
ƒ Audits
ƒ Economic impact studies by consulting firms or university faculty
ƒ Unions

Real estate
ƒ County appraisal districts
– http://www.tad.org or http://www.dallascad.org
ƒ Warranty deeds
– Document seller gives to buyer
– Found at the county courthouse or online
ƒ Deed of trust
– Document buyer gives to bank for a loan
– Found at the county courthouse or online

Courts

ƒ Nationwide bankruptcy and lawsuit filings


– http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov
ƒ State criminal records
– https://records.txdps.state.tx.us
ƒ State lawsuits
– Searchable at the county courthouse
ƒ Divorce filings
– Found at the county courthouse
– Offer insight into the lives of business executives and public officials

Police

ƒ Incidents and arrest reports


ƒ Get the basics:
– Crime
– Suspect’s name
– Address of crime
– Time of crime
– Officer involved
– Complainants
– Complainants’ phone numbers

City & County Government

ƒ Council agendas
ƒ Budgets
ƒ Audits
ƒ Planning & Zoning agendas

Personal

ƒ Marriage licenses can be found at county courthouse


ƒ Other personal information can be found through
http://www.autotrackxp.com
ƒ Voter registration records can be found at the county courthouse
ƒ Accurint.com and Publicdata.com are pay sites offering personal info like
drivers licenses and voter registration
ƒ Cole Directory offers names and publicly listed phone numbers of residents
and businesses, listed by address

Birth and Death Records

ƒ In Texas, these are not public


ƒ Birth certificates can be made public after 75 years
ƒ Death certificates can be made public after 25 years

Military Records

ƒ National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO


– Can call (866) 272-6272
– Can fax a letter requesting information about someone to (314) 801-0764

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