With oil prices down 50% since Fall 2014, state revenue agencies are seeking ways to overcome the shortfall without increasing taxes. The simplest answer is improved enforcement: discovery, lead development, audit and collections are key aspects of that. The IRS’s IRMF data by state payee from 1099K filings is a good start if you haven’t
TaxCrawler – Bridge the Gap on IRMF by Payee State Code Extract
Good news: the TY 2011 IRMF by Payee State Code Extract is on schedule for distribution in April 2013 which will contain the long-awaited 1099-K information from IRS. Finally, state tax agencies will have access to this vital data to get an idea of online sales activity. Once the data is in state agency hands,
LTAS Technologies signs partnership with Business Watch International
LTAS Technologies Inc. announces a partnership today with Business Watch International (“BWI”). BWI has agreed to be the exclusive distributor of Harmari Search for Craigslist to law enforcement agencies in the US and Canada. LTAS Technologies delivers software tools and reports to insurance fraud investigators, industry regulators, tax/revenue agencies and law enforcement to identify criminal
Curbstoning – a $17 Bn underground economy
For the first time ever, the severity and cost of curbstoning is quantified – at over $17 Bn in the USA. Take a look at this interactive map showing the total value and magnitude of individuals who are selling 3 or more vehicles from the same phone number on Craigslist. Data was taken from March
Using Internet Archive / Wayback Machine for investigations
Investigators have a common question: what if I could go back in time to see what a website looked like a year ago? Or even 3 years ago? What about a week ago? The Internet Archive provides just such a capability. Inspired by the fictional WABAC machine from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, which Professor
TaxCrawler – Bridge the Gap on 2011 IRMF by Payee State Code Extract
Good news: the TY 2011 IRMF by Payee State Code Extract is on schedule for distribution in April 2013 which will contain the long-awaited 1099-K information from IRS. Finally, state tax agencies will have access to this vital data to get an idea of online sales activity. Once the data is in state agency hands,
Social Network Analysis for Law Enforcement
A recent survey conducted by Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions found that about 80% of law enforcement officers use social media platforms to assist in investigations, and 67% of them believe social media helps solve crimes more quickly[1]. Richmond, VA police successfully used Social Network Analysis (SNA) to corroborate evidence collected by detectives in interviews, as
VIN analysis
Recently, several requests have come in regarding what we can do regarding VINs (Vehicle Identification Numbers). The Harmari Engine now supports VIN extraction. It will share the same column as the License Plate in the report. Both of those little nuggets of information are not mandatory in Craigslist car ads, but nevertheless are extracted
Curbfinder Reports now feature Automated License Plate Recognition
The latest development from our R&D labs is the Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) module built into the Harmari System. With the revolutionary module, the task of detecting curbstoners in online classifieds becomes significantly more effective. Instead of having to go through clicking on the link to each car for sale, and then manually reading
Using WHOIS to Track Location of a Business
If a contractor is not reputable, he will try to cover his tracks any way he can. Using an online classified such as Craigslist, or even a website is the best semi-anonymous way to market your services as a contractor. However, when an investigation requires finding the physical location of such a business, it can