The financial world has recently been rocked by incredible and unprecedented news – not once, but twice. The two men responsible for the two shake-ups are, as we all have heard about at this point in time, Arthur Nadel and Bernie Madoff. Both are fraudulent managers, and both stole millions upon billions of dollars from hard-working, hopeful and trusting citizens. The one, Nadel, overstated the value of investments in six funds by a reported 300 million dollars, keeping most of the money for himself. The other, Madoff, developed a Ponzi scheme along the side of his public activities, which brought around 50 billion dollars into his greedy and unquenchable coffers. Fortunately, both have now been caught and are awaiting trial; yet, how did they work for so long beforehand? How could they steal so much money without anyone knowing? And now, where is the money?

The questions that American and other concerned citizens should be asking are: can this be stopped? And if so, how can it be stopped before it gets out of hand? The answer is simple: private investigation. Why? Again, the answer is simple. There is always a money trail, always a lead to illegal activities. Mr. Hansel fraudulent fund manager and Mrs. Grettel fraudulent investor always leave a trail of bread crumbs, marking their journey into the dark forest of fraud and, subsequently, helping others find them. It is a private investigators job, passion and skill to find these bread trails, follow the path and overtake the thief before he goes too far. Through private investigation, a situation will never get out of hand.

Take for example the two recent cases:
Nabbing Nadel
Nadel reportedly made many fraudulent boasts about the value of investments and the rates of return. He claimed to have millions more than he actually had, which kept investors coming in and buying in. Through private investigation these claims could easily be debunked. A company’s records are not only online, as well as their asset information, but also can be traced through investigative auditing and computer forensics. Through these investigative procedures, lies can be uncovered and the truth be made known. Millions can be saved.

Unmasking Madoff
What Madoff did, he did in secret. He had his “day job”, which was known worldwide, was regulated and was monitored. But on the side, he conducted what is being hailed as the largest Ponzi scheme in history, stealing billions and keeping it all. He truly was a two-face, masking his thievery with a friendly, familial outer-appearance. How could he have been unmasked earlier? Again, through private investigation and some investigative auditing, background research, computer forensics and investigative analysis, the curious case of Madoff could have ended much earlier.

To state it again, it is private investigators job, passion and skill to seek out thieves and to sniff out illegal activities. In this case, it is a good private investigator’s duty and service to find fraudulent fund managers and fraudulent money managers and bring them into the light and to justice. We like to do it. It is what we live for.