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While we never hope to be in this situation, the reality is that mass shooting in large public areas are on the rise. The tragedies that occurred in Las Vegas in late 2017, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in early 2018, and countless others, are sober reminders that these situations can happen anytime, anywhere. In reaction to this, while there will be much political debate on gun control and mental health for months to come, (whether anything comes of it is another story) the best thing you can do today is be proactive in learning about what to do to survive a mass shooting, even if you don't have any training. Knowledge is power.

Our key contributor today is Long Island Licensed Private Investigator, Registered Armed Security Guard, and NYS DCJS Certified Instructor, Matthew D Seifer, who gives his expertise in outlining five key things you need to do in order to get out of an active shooter situation:

1. Use Situational Awareness:

You know those bland and boring safety demonstrations you have to sit through on a plane or in a movie theater? Don't dismiss them, pay attention and use that knowledge to your advantage. Any time you enter a space, note the exits and emergency exit locations, as well as any obstacles that may be problematic. Always be aware of what is happening around you, and act upon that information. Our minds tend to associate sounds or stimuli that are a threat as innocuous. For example, many concert-goers in the Las Vegas mass shooting thought at first that the gunshots were pyrotechnics malfunctioning or fireworks. It wasn't until country music singer Jason Aldean ran off the stage and victims began to drop while bleeding, that the crowd realized something was amiss. In another mass shooting, on that fateful Valentine's Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, some students reported that when they heard gunfire, they at first thought the sound of gunshots were balloons popping.  When in doubt, get out.

2. React Immediately to a Threat:

Every second count in an active shooter event. According to a 2013 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately 70% of Active Shooter incidents ended within 5 minutes. (Although the Las Vegas mass shooting was an outlier, lasting 10-15 minutes) It can take law enforcement an average of 10 minutes to respond, enter, and engage the shooter, with the same report stating that 60% of active shooter incidents ended before police arrived.

As seen in Las Vegas, in a short amount of time, a devastating amount of damage can be amassed. Your best chance at ensuring survival is in your actions. Having the knowledge from using the situational awareness techniques mentioned earlier can help you make the most informed escape route:

3. Run.

If you are able to safely escape, do so. Employ tactical moves such as using cover as you make your way to an exit and escaping the "kill zone." Do not stop moving until you reach a safe place. Many victims in the Las Vegas shooting dropped to the ground to try to avoid gunfire, but unfortunately, due to the lack of cover, they were hit by the gunman's high vantage point. If you cannot run......

4. Hide.

If a safe escape is not possible, find a safe place to hide. If there is not a designated safe room, or cannot reach it, find a room that locks from inside, then lock and barricade the door. Arm yourself with any improvised weapons you can find. Use large protective objects to block yourself from potential gunfire. Most importantly, remain quiet.

Additionally, you need to find cover, not concealment. Concealment will only obscure you from view, but not protect you from bullets. These can be things such as wooden fences, garage doors, car doors, fabric walls, sheetrock, or other weak materials. The cover will block you from view and provide you with protection from gunfire. Look for cover behind things made of concrete or heavy steel, such as barriers, columns, vehicles, (stay near the engine block and front wheels to avoid being hit by gunfire that ricochets under the car) and thick walls.

5. Fight.

This is an absolute last resort, after exhausting the run and hide options. At this point, you need to decide to survive: If you encounter the shooter, your only hope is to fight for your life. Commit to taking them down, with whatever means necessary. Use improvised weapons, aggression, and do not stop until the shooter has been neutralized. Your success hinges on your will to live and a survivor mindset.

Matthew Seifer provides anti-crime seminars to the public, including: schools, places of worship, corporations, businesses, entertainment venues, hotels and resorts, libraries, and non-profit organizations. His renowned active shooter seminars go more in depth to cover topics such as:

• How to prepare and plan for an active shooter incident (also known as an Emergency Response Plan or ERP)
• How to recognize indicators of an active shooter before overt action occurs
• Known behaviors of active shooters during an incident
• Actions to take when confronted with an active shooter
• Effective response procedures for escaping, hiding, and fighting
• Proper alert procedures
• Establishing and using Safe Rooms
• Correct responsive actions upon arrival of law enforcement personnel

If you would like more in depth knowledge of how to survive an active shooter situation, you can get more information or request a seminar with our new training division, Guardian Security Training, for your place or work, worship, school, local library, or public space.

Request a Seminar from Anti-Crime Tactic and Technique Expert Don Longo to protect yourself and your loved ones from an active shooter situation.

What is SMiShing?

SMiShing, (also known as SMS phishing) is a scam where a link is sent to a user via text message to do any of the following:

• Steal private information (tax ids, bank information, social security numbers)
• Install viruses and malware to track your phone usage and logins.

Smishing has only been around since 2008, but it is on the rise: you are seven times more likely to receive a smishing text than email spam. What is more disturbing is that users are three times more likely to respond to a smishing text than a phishing email. Smashing can appear in texting apps as well as your text messages.

How does Smishing work?

A scammer will send you a text with a URL and encourage you to tap the link while claiming to be a government agency, a bank, or a reputable company. Typical smishing texts are about your financial accounts being compromised and to contact their number or use the link to send them your personal information. Sometimes, scammers will "spoof", or use a phone number of someone you may know to make a text look like it is coming from them. If you see a strange text from a friend, call your friend back to see if they actually sent the message.

Is Smishing like email phishing?

The messages and tactics are similar to email phishing: spoofing as a bank to alert you that your account is compromised, the IRS sending you a message that your tax return is overdue, a store sending you a deal or offer, or a prized company claiming you have won and need to go to a URL to redeem it. Like email phishing, the goal of a smishing scammer is to obtain your personal information or install viruses on your device. Since email providers are getting smarter at detecting phishing accounts and shutting them down, scammers are moving to the new, less secure terrain of SMS on mobile. As we have discussed in previous posts, mobile devices have suffered from serious security vulnerabilities, as the mobile technology boom has not caught up with security measures, unlike computers.

How can I prevent being Smashed?

Any time you receive a text alert that your account has been compromised or the IRS is alerting you about a return, always call the agencies directly or login to their website directly through a browser app to confirm your account. Never tap a link in a text message if you suspect it is spam. Any banks that you use will only send SMS alerts if you explicitly authorize them, and they will never ask for your account information via text. The IRS nor any government agency will ever contact you via text. As for preventing any smishing texts from being sent to you, like email phishing, it is impossible to stop from receiving any spam texts in the first place, but you can take actions to prevent yourself from giving personal information:

What do I do if I suspect a text is a spam or Smishing?

• DO NOT call the number or reply to the text
• DO NOT reply with "STOP" or "NO", this will only confirm to the scammers that your number is active
• DO forward the smishing text to 7726, which spells out "SPAM." This will tell your carrier to block the number from future texts.
• DO when in doubt, delete the message.

There is a common misconception perpetuated by numerous news outlets and prominent political figures that crime in the U.S. has increased in the last decade and Americans are less safe than ever before. With the advent of the internet, access to worldwide breaking news on sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and 24-hour news cycles, it is easy to have confirmation bias on this claim. However, the data provided by The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law reports the contrary:

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law analyzed crime rates from over 25 years from 30 major cities in the US, including Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. They accumulated reports and data from the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the police departments throughout the 30 cities analyzed. As seen in the graphs and in a previous study done in 2016, they revealed that the overall crime rate has decreased by over fifty percent since 1990. Recent data found that most major cities are experiencing a decrease in crime and murder from 2016 to 2017, with notable decreases from New York and Washington D.C. The violent crime rate for 2017 is projected to reach its second-lowest point since 1990, beaten by one percent from 2014's crime rate.

The bottom line, researchers note that while there may be fluctuations in crime rates from year to year, it is not sufficient evidence for the overall downward trend in crime, violent crimes, and murder. The United States has become demonstrably safer in the last two decades: it is imperative that these facts be presented when there is a debate on the current status of public safety and security in the U.S.

Smart Devices have become an integral part of our lives: Many of us use them as a form of communication, entertainment, reminders, and event planning. However, in the last few years experts have warned of the numerous security vulnerabilities that smartphones and devices face, with very little protection available for these devices.

The University of Washington recently released a paper testing the abilities to use smartphones as a sonar "beacon" to track individuals' locations and movements within a room. The goal of this research was to study low-cost covert physical sensing and further bring to light the serious privacy and security vulnerabilities that smartphones and smart devices (such as smart TVs and hubs like Amazon Echo) face. Researchers would create a sonar beacon by embedding a high frequency signal into music, inaudible to the average human, and play it on several devices (including a Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sharp TVs) through the speakers. By using a system to tap into the device's microphone, the system can track how the signal bounces, detecting positions and movements of anyone near the audio.

The accuracy and range of this method is disturbing: It can accurately track from 8 centimeters up to 6 meters (approximately 20 feet) if the device is in line of sight, or 3 meters (approximately 10 feet) if there are barriers. (such as walls) Those who were being tracked in the tests were not able to identify the signals coming from the music on the devices versus songs without the signals. Researchers noted that placing the sonar code into the devices was a relatively easy process, adding the lack of security measures in place.

You might be wondering what can be done to prevent this-unfortunately, as this was a preliminary study, there are currently no security safeguards in place to prevent such a method from being used. The best preventative measures you can use are to not download any music or videos from unverified sources and to use headphones when listening on smart devices. (However, this would be difficult with smart televisions and hubs)

Most of us at one point or another have dealt with viruses on our computers: 40% of households have dealt with a computer virus, with 16 million homes affected by serious viruses in the last two years. As technology has spread, viruses have increased and become more complex. However, computer viruses had innocent and humble beginnings. The first appeared in the 1970s in labs as computer scientists tested the ability for programs to self-replicate. However, the first time a virus was used outside of a controlled lab was not until 1982.

Fifteen-year-old Richard Skrenta was a ninth-grader at Mt. Lebanon Senior High School near Pittsburgh. He was known by his friends as an incurable prankster and they always on guard to his schemes. Skentra, a computer whiz, was known to put little taunting messages by altering the software and games he would swap with his friends. As a result, many of them stopped accepting any disks from him; He had to think of a new way to mess with them. During one cold winter break, Skentra worked furiously on his Apple II computer to create what we now know as a 'boot sector' virus. His creation, known as the "Elk Cloner," was designed that when an infected floppy disk was inserted into the machine, at startup it would infect a computer's memory. From there, the virus would replicate to an uninfected floppy accessible to the computer, which was an easy task as the Apple II had two floppy disk ports. This virus was designed that on the 50th boot up after the virus was placed in the computer's memory, the following message would display:

Elk Cloner: The program with a personality

It will get on all your disks
It will infiltrate your chips
Yes its Cloner!

It will stick to you like glue
It will modify ram too
Send in the Cloner!

Since these disks were frequently passed around his friends, the Cloner quickly spread. Even a decade later, Skentra found out that a sailor using an Apple II computer during the Gulf War got infected with the Elk Cloner. While this virus was harmless and a humorous annoyance, it was the first time a computer virus had spread across home computers. Despite it being a simple prank, it showed the early power and capabilities of computer viruses. Unfortunately, today viruses are not simple pranks but can encrypt or destroy valuable data.

Richard Skentra moved on from his adolescent days of pranking his friends, into developing countless computer programs that are still used today and found online new business. Even with his success as a computer programmer, his infamy will always be placed as the one who spread Elk Cloner throughout the world.

Sources: Tech Target: Elk Cloner Definition

NBC News: School prank starts 25 years of security woes

This week, we will be taking a small break from our usual "Fun Fact Friday" schedule; I felt that this topic is far more pressing.

While many of us are preparing or already on the final summer vacations during the Labor Day holiday weekend, there are those who will not be able to celebrate this week. As Hurricane, Tropical Storm, then Hurricane again, Harvey finally vacated Southern Texas, the damage left behind is, for lack of better words: devastating. As of writing this, it has been reported that there are over 37 people have been declared dead, including Houston Police Sgt. Steve Perez, who drowned while trying to get to work. Countless more are injured and missing. That count, unfortunately, is expected to increase.

We at Radius Investigations still remember the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy on Long Island, yet that seems to pale in comparison to this storm that has wracked the South. We remember and honor those who came to our aid while many of us were left without power and amenities for weeks, trying to rebuild what was damaged and lost. There is a reason that #LongIslandStrong was trending during Sandy: We rose up to the occasion and were able to get our lives back. Almost 5 years later, our associates frequently visit the South Shore of Long Island and find that many have rebuilt, raising their houses to prevent another storm from wiping them out, refusing to leave the place they call home. While they have come back strong, you can still find houses abandoned or demolished in response to Sandy. I can assure you that Big Fightin' Texas will be no less resilient, but there is a caveat: Just like with us in 2012, they will need help to get back on their feet. Countless volunteers and heroes have already stepped up to assist in rescuing and evacuating residents from the deep floodwaters, but are in dire need of supplies and amenities.

Our subscribers and readers come from all over the United States and around the world: Even if you are not in Texas, we ask that you provide support in any way that you are able. Here are multiple credible resources who are requesting donations. To preface, many organizations have asked that monetary donations be a priority over sending supplies, to ensure that the necessary materials purchased can handle the current difficulties in logistics.

Local Charities:

Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund (put in place by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner)

Houston Food Bank (They are currently closed due to the flood waters, but are accepting donations in anticipation for increased demand)

Food Bank of Corpus Cristi

Local Animal Rescues/Shelters:

Houston Humane Society 

Houston ASPCA

San Antonio Humane Society (Harvey's Heroes Disaster Fund)

National/International Organizations (Charity Navigator has an excellent resource of credible organizations specifically working in response to the Harvey disaster: )

American Red Cross (There is a current emergency need for blood donations, please check with your local blood bank or drive)

United Way Relief Fund

Sir Arthur Doyle created the iconic character we know today as Sherlock Holmes: The quick-witted, observation skills that err on the side of a supernatural, private detective. He has been referenced and depicted in countless pieces of literature, film, and television since Doyle's release of his Sherlock Holmes book series in the late 1800s. While Holmes' extraordinary observant and deductive abilities are under the unanimous agreement that they require some suspension of belief, Sherlock Holmes was based on a real man with a unique set of observational skills.

Joseph Bell was a Scottish surgeon and university professor at the University of Edinburgh. Born into a family of surgeons, Bell had developed an observant eye for his patients. He would use all of the senses and find minute details that he could conclude a person's occupation, residence, medical condition, cause of death, or travels. For example, Bell deduced that a patient was a bell-ringer near Tweed based on his accent and the callouses on his hands from the rope. He could also identify a sailor by their walk and identify their tattoos to where they have traveled. His students were constantly in awe of his ability to find these facts based on such small details, who later on would explain his reasoning to his students in a way that made the answer sound obvious. News of Bell's investigative skills reached the Edinburgh police. They came to Bell for help in solving cases, such as the Ardlamont murder mystery, and an attempt to identify the person behind the Jack the Ripper murders through analyzing handwriting.

From 1876 to 1881, Sir Arthur Doyle attended Bell's courses at the university and worked under Bell as an assistant during Doyle's studies, a "Dr. Watson" if you will, to Bell. Like Bell's other students, Doyle noted his observational skills, as well as his eagle-like nose and face, and the jerky manner in his gait. (Caused by diphtheria Bell contracted from a patient.) Doyle had been in a creative slump in his writings but gained new inspiration from his time spent with Bell. Joseph Bell became the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes, his character taking on Bell's deductive abilities, jerky movements, and unique mannerisms. He was aware of Doyle's work; Doyle would send him a copy of the Holmes stories once they were published. Bell was flattered by the depiction of him in Doyle's work, but as the press gave him attention, Bell clarified that he was not Sherlock Holmes: “I hope folk that know me to see another and better side to me than what Doyle saw!”

It is safe today that without the incredible Joseph Bell, and Sir Arthur Doyle working with him during his time at the University of Edinburgh, the beloved Sherlock Holmes would not have been conceived, or at the very least, could not have withstood the test of time with countless interpretations and adaptations of such an iconic character.

Sources: The Irish Examiner: Fiction imitates real life in a case of true inspiration

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Joseph Bell

The Internet has opened a wide net of resources for people to research, find, and gather information across the world, in a way that simply did not exist just a few decades ago. The internet has become a powerful tool for the public and in private investigations, and a way to network and solve cold cases.

The Doe Network is an online resource that lists cold cases of those who have disappeared or are unidentified decedents. The purpose of the network is to help bring any information to the public in the hope that they can be identified or matched. The files detail physical estimations, age approximations, any tattoos or markings, facial reconstruction or pictures, circumstances around the disappearance, any sightings, and recovery. Through volunteers on the internet and private investigators, any information on a potential match can be submitted to the network, which is reviewed by 16 volunteers. Once enough information on a possible match has been gathered, the findings are sent to the appropriate authorities for further investigation. Countless frequent members, from stay-at-home mothers to bankers, factory workers, and waiters by day, spend their evenings scouring endless reports, newspaper articles, and public information to try to identify countless Does.

As of December 2016, The Doe Network has solved 74 cold cases through its network and assistance. There have been many notable cases from their network, such as a man who vanished after telling his employees his desire to go to Texas to become a cowboy and became a ranch worker for 21 years. After crashing a tractor in 2007, an insurance agent assigned to his claim researched information on the gentleman and found his picture on the Doe Network. Several cases have been solved through the network's members' phenomenal memory and research skills, including a member being able to amazingly recall a tattoo they saw on a decedent on the Doe Network when reviewing a missing person report, solving the 4-year-old case, and another member identifying 10-year-old unidentified remains from Maryland, based on the congenital brain condition listed on the autopsy matched a scar on the back of the neck in a missing persons report. A cold case on a victim who was murder two years prior was solved through the network by identifying a unique t-shirt on the body and a family reunion event.

These methods of discovery in these cases are bizarre and at worst, coincidental, but were vital in finally placing these unnamed Does to rest. While law enforcement was leery at first to trust these amateur sleuths when the Doe Network launched in 1999, as their solved cases increased by the dozens and they received more media attention, law enforcement agencies are now more open to their help in the most perplexing cold cases that haunt the police's precincts. With the ability and accessibility to closely network and research on the internet, organizations like The Doe Network are finally bringing light on some of the oldest and toughest cases.

Source: Doe Network

DNA profiling is a recent discovery that has only been used since the 1980s. DNA fingerprinting was discovered, like many scientific breakthroughs, by accident.

Dr. Alec Jeffreys is a geneticist from the University of Leicester in Great Britain. The original project that led to his discovery that DNA can have similar repeating patterns happened through Dr. Jeffreys performing a study on myoglobin genes in seal meat, then comparing it to humans. He noticed that despite the different species, there were similarities in the genetic patterns. His team developed a radioactive probe that would extract and reveal these patterns onto x-rays as DNA "fingerprints." Through further testing of human DNA, he also discovered that children shared half of the DNA from each parent, which is used for paternity testing. His DNA fingerprinting technique was used for the first time to settle an immigration case, bringing worldwide attention to Jeffrey's work. After this discovery, he found that even with DNA having familiar sharing, the lengths of these sequences were unique to each individual and each pattern cannot exist anywhere else in the world except for identical twins.

DNA Testing to Find the Truth

In a small village of Leicestershire, not far from where Jeffreys was doing his studies, occurred a double rape and murder in 1983 and 1986. Both victims were 15-year old young women. A Mr. Richard Buckland confessed to the second crime, but detectives felt that the details did not match up to the timeline of both murders: Buckland would have been 14 years old at the time of the first occurrence. Aware of Professor Jeffreys' discoveries on identifying individuals through DNA, law enforcement went to him to seek help on these cases. Jeffrey took them on but was not fully confident that he would be able to crack it: no one had ever done a DNA analysis for a crime scene before. Despite his concerns, his testing confirmed that the DNA blood and semen samples found on both victims matched, thus both were raped and murdered by the same person. Following those results, through comparative testing of the blood and semen of Buckland to the fluids found at the second murder, Jeffreys' DNA fingerprint technique revealed that the blood and semen from the murders did not match Buckland. This would be the first case of DNA testing exonerating a person from conviction.

Once it was established that Buckland was innocent and that DNA fingerprinting can be successful, came the challenge of identifying the murderer. Police launched village-wide testing of all 5,000 men. Once they were narrowed by matches to the blood type found at the crime scenes, their semen was tested. Despite the DNA profiling successfully clearing Buckland, none of the samples from the village matched. The public and police were disappointed and concerned about the whereabouts of the killer.

For a year, Colin Pitchfork, resident baker, avoided having his blood tested. He swapped his passport photo with a colleague Ian Kelly, which police were using as identification in the massive search, to have Kelly's blood tested instead of his. A woman in the village went to the police after she overheard a man claiming to have given his blood on behalf of Colin Pitchfork. Pitchfork was arrested and had his blood tested, revealing a match to the crimes. Colin Pitchfork was convicted to a life sentence for both murders. This case was the first in history to use DNA profiling to free the innocent and solve crimes.

DNA Profiling revolutionized forensics and the criminal justice system. Thanks to this discovery and further discoveries in DNA forensics, countless convictions were overturned with DNA testing, giving the innocent the concrete evidence to go free. It also ensured that the accused were properly convicted for their actions.

Sources:

US National Library of Medicine & National Institute of Health: Discovery, development, and current applications of DNA identity testing

BBC Newsnight: DNA pioneer's 'eureka' moment

DNA Forensics News: DNA Fingerprinting

A quick Google search of your name may reveal another person (or several people depending on how common your name is) who shares your name, which can lead to some fascinating (or horrifying) facts about these name doppelgangers. But what are the odds that the person who shares the same name as you also has common interests and backgrounds?

You already know "our" Matthew Seifer, the lead investigator at Radius Investigations, but there is another Matthew Seifer, with a similar and rich history in the military and law enforcement.

Who is the "other" Matthew Seifer?

Matthew "Matty" Seifer, from Hull, Massachusetts, had a long career as an agent enforcing federal drug laws. Seifer graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy with a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1930. In 1941, Matthew began his career as an agent for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in Boston, which is known today as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Shortly after starting as an agent, Seifer took a reprieve and served in the US Navy as a Pharmacist Mate during World War II, from 1944-45. He was eligible for deferment in the draft, yet proudly chose to serve his country. Upon his return from deployment, he was transferred to New York from Boston.

Seifer has been described as a "living legend" for his 33 years working for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics/Drug Enforcement Agency. Throughout his career, he held numerous posts and responsibilities, and he became an expert on narcotic intelligence. He was a vital resource for law enforcement agencies, who could go to him for answers and consulting, during a time when the narcotics world was changing and challenging. Matthew retired from the agency in 1977 at the age of 69. Even well after his retirement, Seifer's history with the DEA was treasured. He was invited in 1999 to cut the ribbon to mark the opening of the new DEA Museum in Washington DC.

Matthew Seifer was one of the founding members of the New England Narcotic Enforcement Officers' Association in Massachusetts. This organization serves as a resource for education and intelligence for law enforcement and the community in addressing organized crime and drug trafficking. In 2006, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New England Narcotic Enforcement Officers Association in recognition of his dedication to the organization, law enforcement, and the greater community. He worked with the NENEOA throughout his life and became the oldest member of the association. In January 2012, he passed away at the remarkable age of 103.

Matty Seifer spent his lifetime serving the country, law enforcement, and the local community, imparting valuable intelligence on federal drug law. His family and friends recount his love to share his stories, memories, and wisdom to his loved ones, including 9 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild. Seifer left behind a legacy of service; We are grateful and honored to have the chance to learn about Seifer's history. It is amazing to think that we found such a remarkable gentleman through a Google search using our lead investigator's name.

Sources: Matthew Seifer Obituary-Boston Globe

Matthew Seifer WikiTree

News organizations worldwide are reporting that Leslie Lapayowker, a former Airbnb "super host" and guest at Carlos Del Olmo's residence through Airbnb, was a victim of sexual assault from Del Olmo during her stay. Lapayowker has filed a lawsuit against Airbnb for negligence in reporting Del Olmo's previous criminal history.

Lapayowker alleges that Del Olmo would make suggestive comments towards her, pound on her windshield while she was in the vehicle, and scream at his son loud enough for her to hear through the attached studio she was renting for the month. She left the studio after three nights but returned to pick up a few items that she had left. Del Olmo let her inside, trapped her in the room, masturbated in front of her, ejaculated into a trash can, then as he let her leave stated: "Don't forget to leave me a positive review on Airbnb."

Since Lapayowker has reported the incident to the police and Airbnb, Airbnb removed Del Olmo from their website. The attorney representing Ms. Lapayowker discovered through Del Olmo's criminal records that he had been arrested and charged in 2013 for the battery. He was accused of pulling his former girlfriend by her hair, dragging her from the back to the front seat of his car while his child was in the vehicle. Del Olmo was never convicted but was referred to as an anger management program. Airbnb stated that they had done a background check on Del Olmo, but Lapayowker is suing for not disclosing the arrest to her and allowing him to host on the website.

Two questions remain: Was their background check provider thorough enough to report back the domestic violence arrest? If so, why did Airbnb still approve Del Olmo?

Background Check Providers-Did they report enough?

If the provider did not report back the arrest in the background check results, it would not be a surprise. We have discussed in our blog several times about how there are many online background check providers out there, but they may not have access to legal databases.  Airbnb even states on their help page that their background checks may not be thorough or accurate: "Due to the way certain databases are maintained, there may be gaps in the coverage provided by public records searches, and the online databases may be only updated periodically by local governments which we do not control or direct. Results of these database checks may not reveal or include recent criminal record activity." Regardless, companies are placing themselves at a liability by relying on background providers that may not have full, accurate, licensed access to background information. In order to access licensed proprietary databases, which can include the most updated criminal records and legal information, you need to be a professional with the proper legal licensing, such as a licensed private investigator.

Even if the provider did not accurately report the arrest, the fault would still lie with Airbnb for not crosschecking and verifying the information. Companies are catching on to this by hiring licensed private investigators to performed verified background check services to protect their liability.

Did Airbnb Practice Due Diligence?

According to Airbnb's help page, in the US they check "certain databases of public state and county criminal records, as well as state and national sex offender registries for criminal convictions and sex offender registrations." They also check the OFAC list for terrorist designations. Airbnb has not commented on whether they knew about Del Olmo's previous arrest, citing the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which prohibits disclosure of background check results, however, they did confirm that Del Olmo showed no prior convictions. Airbnb reports that they run background checks on at least the user's first and last name as well as the date of birth. However, what they state on their help page brings more concern on their level of due diligence: "We do not have these identifiers [full name and date of birth] for all hosts and guests and therefore cannot guarantee that we have conducted a check on every host or guest." Airbnb is missing vital information for background checks when users apply to be hosts or guests on their website. Airbnb should have a consistent signup process that disallows incomplete information in an application.

Bottom Line

It has not yet been confirmed whether the provider did not accurately report the arrest or if Airbnb was aware of the previous arrest and neglected to deny Del Olmo as a host. Regardless, Airbnb has a vast peer-to-peer travel hosting network with no face-to-face time with their hosts. It is imperative that they get their background check information from verified services from licensed private investigators and follow through on intelligence they receive to keep their website service safe for the public. Otherwise, Airbnb will be facing more lawsuits and put the company's future in jeopardy.

Image Source: Wikipedia Commons, Portrait by Achille Devéria

Eugène François Vidocq, (July 1775-May 1857) a french criminal mastermind, is regarded as the first private detective in the world and the father of modern criminology. After decades of a life of crime, Eugene turned and became an informant for the police, eventually founding his own private detective agency, and discovered and patented forensic techniques still used to this day.

First Private Detective in the World: From Convict to Private Eye

Even as a child, Vidocq could not resist the excitement of finding trouble. Throughout his teenage years, he found himself in and out of military, fleeing after killing two officers in a duel, joining another regiment, only to run again to avoid the noose after striking a superior officer in the head. As a young adult, he spent years committing fraud, forgery, assault on some soldiers, privateering, and accused of murder. (which was dropped once the victim admitted her stab wounds were self inflicted) He was imprisoned multiple times, yet always found ways to escape: Whether it was through the help of fellow inmates or through various disguises to escape apprehension. (Including dressing as a sailor under the name Auguste Duval, stealing a nun's habit to escape a prison hospital, and working as a cattle driver.)

After a life on the run and numerous escapes, his past transgressions finally caught up with him in 1809 and was arrested. Vidocq had been running for four years after the last escape, and despite his best efforts to try to live a normal life, he kept being recognized by people from the past. Turning a new leaf, Vidocq offered his services as an informant to the Parisian police, which they approved. He worked within the prisons, gathering intel from inmates on forged identities and unsolved crimes, which he forwarded the information to the police chief of Paris. The inmates were unaware that he was a spy: They were blinded by their infatuation with his infamy as a master criminal, which Vidocq used to his advantage. After his release from prison, Vidocq continued to work for the police chief, Jean Henry. He blended into the criminal underbelly to gather intelligence, changing identities and disguises to thwart their suspicions.

Vidocq's work did not only include his insight into the criminal mind, but his discoveries in the forensic science field. Eugene's contributions include fingerprinting, ballistics, (which one of the first cases to use his technology was in identifying the person who murdered Abraham Lincoln) plaster of Paris for imprints, holds patents on indelible ink and unalterable bond paper, and forensic anthropometrics.

In 1833, Vidocq founded the first known detective agency, Le bureau des renseignments, (Office of Information) which was a mixture of a detective agency and private police force. Similar to his plain-clothes Brigade de la Sûreté, (Security Brigade) he hired ex-convicts for his force. After several lawsuits and an unsuccessful attempt to expel him from the city, he transitioned into a private life, taking on occasional cases through his later life. Vidocq died in 1857 in his home in Paris from illness.

Eugène François Vidocq's legacy has been depicted in literature, theater, film, and even video games. Modern police and detective work methods and techniques are indebted to Vidocq's contributions and legacy. He, rightfully so, is considered to be the father of modern criminology, the first private detective, and the leader in forensic science.

Sources: Eugene Vidocq: The Convict Who Became the Father of Modern Criminal Investigation
Eugène François Vidocq Wiki