Dino M. Zaffina, Chief Investigator

“Over 36-years of Investigative Experience”

(213) 200-8226
dino@dinomzaffinainvestigations.com

             

We are an investigation firm equipped to handle any type of scenario anywhere in the world. Our investigators are proficient in many diverse areas of business and trade. Our excellent undercover staff has the capability of acquiring information from these areas.

The following will provide you with an idea of many of our investigative services. The list is extensive, so please do not hesitate to inquire if your need does not appear on this website.

When you find the need for investigative services, please contact us at either (213) 200-8226 or at dino@dinomzaffinainvestigations.com. One of our investigators will discuss your situation and explain how our firm can accommodate your request.         

             

SKIP TRACING (Locates)

Most clients are interested in locating a person ("Skip") that has either:

1) Not been seen or heard from in awhile;

2) Has disappeared (e.g., skipped town, been abducted, etc.);

3) A defendant in a lawsuit, or a witness in a civil or criminal matter;

4) Long lost relative; or

5) For many other reasons.

We are able to locate most anyone, most anywhere. Our success rate is extremely high. We prefer to have as much information on the skip as possible, however, it is not necessary. Do not be discouraged if you only have a name and a description. We are very resourceful.

             

SURVEILLANCE

When people think of surveillance, they think of a person sitting outside someone's house. There are many different types of surveillance. Staking out a Subject's residence or business and watching for activity, or following a Subject with a vehicle or on foot, or monitoring a Subject with still or video surveillance. The act of surveillance is very broad. It will depend on the client's objective.

             

UNDERCOVER

One of the most efficient ways of gathering information is by being there. However, that is not as easy as it seems. This is where the skill of undercover surveillance comes in. Our investigators are proficient in many diverse areas of business and trade. We have operatives that can fit in anywhere.

If you need someone to work in an office, warehouse, restaurant, bar, etc. we have the experienced operatives to fit in with the personnel or clientele.

             

WITNESS STATEMENTS (Fact Gathering)

We obtain witness statements. A transcript of the statement is always provided to the client. We also have two other methods of documenting the interview.

1) An "audio recording" of the interview, provided that consent by the witness is given; and

2) A "video/audio recording" of the interview, provided that consent by the witness is given.

All audio and video is recorded digitally, so that it is delivered to the client as a file that can be played on all standard computers/smart phones. This playback process allows for locating cue points quickly and efficiently. To assist with this process, we also provide the start time of each question and answer on the transcript.

Witness interviews are conducted in English. If the witness is unable to communicate in English, we have resources to well-trained Certified Interpreters.

             

PREMISES INSPECTIONS

An integral part of almost any lawsuit is the "premises" where the incident in quesition occurred. The case could involve a civil matter for negligence or a criminal matter for robbery. In almost every lawsuit the location of the incident is logically relevant. A crucial part of preserving evidence is obtaining digital images of the premises (i.e., still and moving); or, measurements (e.g., the rise and tread of stairs).

Locations of traffic incidents, many times, need to be inspected because police reports are not always created. Also, when the scene of the incident is inspected, our investigators invariably will ascertain whether there is available video footage from the surrounding businesses or residences.

Premises inspections can always be advantageous where the incident occurred in a commercial location, where a business invitee (i.e., customer) was injured. If the issue is whether or not the particular business (e.g., a grocery store) is not conducting regular sweeps of their aisles and other parts of their store, we document the employees' failure to inspect the premises and failure to remedy any unsafe or danagerous conditions.

             

"DIFFICULT" PROCESS SERVING

Most people do not like being sued or subpeonaed as a witness in either a civil or criminal matter. These people tend to avoid the typical process server who is spotted a mile away (i.e., Marshall, Sheriff, Licensed Process Server, etc.). When you need to serve someone with a "Summons and Complaint" or "Subpeona," time is of the essence. You need to effectuate service promptly and efficiently.

We not only have a 100% process serving record in over 3,000 services, we have never had a sevice quashed. When we serve a defendant or witness we confirm their identification before they are served.

If you need a person served, we will complete the task.

             

FORENSIC ACCOUNTING

"Forensic" is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as "belonging to courts of justice." As investigators, we work on forensics having to do with civil and criminal matters.

In civil cases, the parties tend to have actual or anticipated disputes over money. How much is there? Who has it? Where is it? Why is there no money? What happened to it? There are many questions. This is often the time that an investigative auditor is brought in to examine the parties' financial records, including, but not limited to, bank statements, accounting logs, credit card receipts, in addition to, electronic data. Sometimes parties are not cooperative during the discovery process, so we are called upon to locate the information for our clients.

Financial forensics is not the only task. Often, our clients request that we trace the ownership of real and personal property.

We also work on criminal matters when our clients fall victim to criminal fraud and other unscrupulous actions. In the case of fraud, we conduct (a) data collection, (b) data preparation, (c) data analysis, and (d) create a detailed report.

Our firm works well with all law enforcement agencies and prosecutors' offices. With our clients consent, we will always provide these professionals with every piece of evidence and in a timely manner.

             

LOSS PREVENTION (Shrinkage)

All businesses are susceptible to losses. Retailers, for example, fall victim to shrinkage, which is the loss of the store's inventory. Shrinkage can be traced to customer or employee theft, cashier errors, and a number of other factors. Many times shrinkage can occur through waste, abuse, or misconduct by employees of the businesses (e.g. food and beverage establishments). On many occasions over the years we have gathered evidence of bartenders over pouring liquor.

We assist businesses in crafting strategies specifically designed to reduce preventable losses. And, when needed, we provide services that assist the clients with implementation of those strategies.

             

COUNTERMEASURES (De-bugging)

When you use your telephone to have a confidential communication you do not want a third party listening to your conversation. The same applies to the rooms of your house or office. Many businesses thwart illegal monitoring by having their offices and conference rooms de-bugged ("Swept") prior to a meeting. This eliminates their competitors from having access to inside information and acting upon that information.

             

RESCUE AND RETRIEVAL

There are many different types of rescues needed by the public. Children that are abducted by strangers or even their own family members. We locate these children and effectuate a rescue and retrieval.

Many people are abducted everyday for many reasons. The media does not report all of these abductions, so the public is unaware. There are many wealthy families that have been faced with losing a family member to an opportunist or a group of professional abductors who are seeking a ransom.

Many American executives of companies in foreign countries have been abducted for political and financial reasons. Unfortunately, most of the time our government will not intervene. These companies and the abductee's family members need to look elsewhere for help. We locate the abductees and retrieve them safely and efficiently.

             

BAIL ENFORCEMENT—FUGITIVE LOCATE AND RECOVERY

Our criminal system is centered around arrests, incarceration, arraignments, and release upon the posting of bail. Most arrestees need the services of a bail bondsman to assist them in avoiding a long stay in jail while awaiting their trial.

Even though a bail bondsman posts bail for a defendant, the defendant's parents, friends, employers, etc., put up the collateral for the bond. This means that if a defendant fails to appear on his/her scheduled court date, this defendant has "jumped bail." In most circumstances, if the defendant does not return, the bail bondsman loses his/her bail, and the person who put up the collateral will also lose.

We enforce the bail for the bail bondsmen by locating the fugitive ("Bail Skip"), recovering him/her (i.e., taking them into custody), and returning them to the proper authorities, so that no one loses their money. Defendants do not want to be incarcerated, so they run all the time.