A social media investigation is the process of investigating everything a person does on social platforms and anywhere else on the internet. At Bosco Legal Services, Inc, we provide online investigation services to lawyers and insurance adjusters who need information or evidence for a case.
What Goes Into a Social Media Investigation?
Depending on the circumstances and goals of the case, our online investigators will spend between 10 to 20 hours on a social media investigation. We go beyond pulling a database report and sending our clients a review of it. We are licensed investigators who specialize in social media investigation and we probe the entire account. For example, our investigators:
- Read every post
- Read every comment on every post and photo
- Look through the accounts of the subject’s friends and family
- Locate content related to the account that doesn’t show on their public profile
Recent Changes to Social Media Investigations
Social media platforms are constantly changing. Earlier this year, Google+ fell. After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, platforms continue to change their privacy policies and available information.
Now, Facebook recently turned off their Graph Search. Graph Search was a tool that social media investigators could use to search for very specific criteria, such as photos where an individual was tagged, but did not appear on their profile.
This tool was a huge benefit to our team and when it was lost it hurt. However, we were able to quickly adapt and overcome these new challenges. At Bosco Legal Services, Inc., we pride ourselves on attracting the best and brightest online investigators. It was only a matter of days before we were able to find workarounds and new methods of finding the same types of (and even better) information to assist in our investigations.
As social media investigators, we know that today’s investigation tools may not work tomorrow. That’s why we don’t just know how to use tools, we know how the tools work and how to work without them. Constant changes to social platforms reinforce the need for experienced social media investigators. At Bosco Legal Services, Inc., we have access to a large variety of tools and tactics to locate and gather necessary information for a case.
Problems With Database Reports
Our online investigators have collected and preserved case-changing information during our social media investigations. Rarely would case-changing information be obtained from a database report. There are major problems with online databases.
During our investigations, we find that only about 30% of a person’s interaction on a platform occurs on their personal profile page. The majority of activity is interaction that occurs with other accounts or pages. This is why deep web search is necessary. You do not want an important court decision to be based on the limited information obtained in a surface investigation.
In addition, according to Digital Information World, the average time spent on social media every day in the United States is 126 minutes. If a private investigator only pulls a database report and reviews a profile page for a couple of hours, you cannot be assured that your information is complete and accurate.
Do You Need Social Media Evidence for Your Case? Call Us Today
If you need help gathering social media evidence for a case, contact our online investigators at Bosco Legal Services, Inc. We provide online and social media investigations to lawyers, insurance companies and business professionals nationwide.
Call our Riverside office today at (877) 353-8281 to discuss your situation. You can also fill out our online contact form and someone from our office will be in touch with you soon.
