Holy Cow, Hire a PI Now!; Experts Call to Strengthen Cybersecurity; Propose Increasing Penalties for Corruption.
Friday, July 25, 2025. Holy Cow, Hire a PI Now! Recently, we began working on a case involving a couple who had fallen victim to a scam, losing over $80,000 in personal property. After receiving our proposal, they quickly accepted. But just as we were preparing to start, they called back with unfortunate news: their lawyer had advised them not to hire a local private investigator. According to him, “there’s nothing a PI can do,” and they should simply “let the police handle it.” Holy cow. That wasn’t frustrating because we were losing a case, trust me, we’re not hurting for work. It was frustrating because I know how the system works, and I know what’s likely to happen when people rely solely on the criminal justice system, especially when time-sensitive evidence is involved. Let’s be clear: prosecutors and police are excellent at what they do. This is not a knock on law enforcement. But it’s also no secret that government systems move slowly. The wheels of justice grind at their own pace, and in that time, evidence disappears. That’s the real danger. Most types of evidence have a shelf life. Surveillance footage gets overwritten, sometimes in just 24 to 72 hours. Many businesses have systems that aren’t even functioning properly and don’t realize it until it’s too late. I can’t count the number of times we’ve heard, “Oh, the cameras weren’t recording,” or “We disconnected the control access because it wasn’t working.” That’s why you need to look for ALL possible recordings in the area and not just the immediate location. Check other businesses, residential cameras, government buildings, banks, etc., everything that is in the path of the case you’re looking at. Fingerprints? Gone within hours. Bodily fluids or other biologicals? Washed away, wiped off, or degraded in a matter of days. The forensics team needs to get in within 24 hours to sweep everything and your lawyer and investigator working as a team can ensure that this happens. Waiting 30 or 60 days to bring in a private investigator? That’s a critical mistake. By then, the trail is cold. Leads are stale. Witnesses forget. Digital evidence gets overwritten. Surveillance is gone. And the person who stole from you? They’ve already sold much of what they got, sent it off to another country and moved on to their next victim. If you’re serious about getting answers, about catching the person who robbed you, hacked you, scammed you, or “borrowed” with no intent to return, you need to bring us in immediately. Private investigators are not a luxury reserved for the rich or for television scripts. We are the boots-on-the-ground professionals who fill the gap between the moment something happens and the day the authorities open a case file. Here’s another real-world example: We were recently contacted in a parental kidnapping case. A father in the United States had been trying for over two years to bring home his children, who had been taken abroad. He tried every legal avenue. Every door closed in his face. When he finally contacted us, he explained that his previous lawyer had told him, “Panama never signed the Hague Treaty.” I paused for a moment and replied, “You need a different lawyer.” Panama signed the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction back in 1994. Any competent international family lawyer should know this, or at the very least, take 30 seconds to Google it. Two years wasted. Two years that the children were separated from their parent, simply because the wrong advice was given and no one thought to verify it. And there’s a 1-year limit to how long you can wait to initiate the Hague process. This is exactly why bringing in a qualified private investigator early in the process isn’t just useful, it’s essential. When should you call a PI? • When your loved one goes missing • When you’ve been scammed • When there’s a data breach • When you’re dealing with suspicious activity in your business • When you need background checks for new hires • When you suspect fraud, theft, or infidelity • When the system fails to move quickly – although you should have already hired us. Bottom line: Don’t wait for the system to work for you. Take control of your case, your evidence, and your peace of mind. Brett MikkelsonDirector, B.M. Investigations, Inc. TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: Amid Rising Digital Threats, Experts Call for Strengthening Cybersecurity Knowledge A large part of the daily life of today’s professionals depends on tasks that must be carried out online. In addition, the children of the current generation are digital natives; this is why experts say it’s essential to strengthen the culture of cybersecurity. Vielsa Gómez, a digital transformation specialist, said that one of the biggest challenges facing Latin America is the importance of training, raising awareness, and educating all citizens at different stages, starting with children in elementary schools and also training teachers — but also society as a whole. Meanwhile, María Elena García, from the Pan American Institute of Law and Technology (Ipandetec), agreed with Gómez and said that one of Panama’s main weaknesses lies in education. “From an early age, children must be taught to be careful, especially with mobile devices, computers, laptops and the internet,” García explained. This point is reinforced when considering that cybercrime is an activity that generates millions of dollars for those who engage in these types of offenses. “Cybercrime represents an annual investment of — listen carefully — 10 trillion dollars,” explained cybersecurity specialist Juan Carlos Parris. He also noted that this figure surpasses drug trafficking, money laundering, and counterfeiting. “This is truly a business; it operates like a company and has become an industry,” he warned. Experts also emphasize the importance of leaving no one behind when it comes to training in the proper use of the internet. “It’s necessary to remember our senior citizens, because they too are part of society and need to use technology,