Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Small Details Reveal a Lot

These days, the Internet seems overpopulated with self-appointed ‘experts’ in the fields of Forensic Accounting and Computer Forensics, and it can be difficult to separate the true professionals from the woefully inadequate. If you are seeking the services of a company specializing in forensic accounting and/or computer forensics, you’ll soon discover that it’s all about the details.

A website may be the very first impression you’ll receive from a company offering computer forensics and forensic accounting services, and while a professional website design may look appealing, it’s the content you should be focused on. After all, anybody can pay a sum of money to a web designer for a first-class, polished website, complete with fancy imagery and appealing color palette. But a true reflection of the company can be found in the content contained within the site itself.

Details are extremely important in the fields of computer forensics & forensic accounting; even a few scant bytes of data can mean the difference between finding the evidence you need and finding nothing pertinent at all. Likewise, the proper collection and preservation of evidence is critical, and attention to detail when conducting an investigation is a key factor.

Tiny details on a company website can also reveal a lot about that particular company. Kessler International, a world leader in computer forensics and forensic accounting, recently conducted a survey of websites and marketing materials of their competitors. While some of the sites and marketing material possessed nice layouts or fancy verbiage, the contents of many were riddled with blatant lies, technical mistakes, spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. Others were outright childish.

When nearly every piece of word processing software available today is equipped with spell checking and grammar checking capabilities, there simply is no excuse for the abundance of errors found on some of the company websites.

This begs the question…if these companies can’t be bothered to even use a spell-check to proof their website content and marketing materials before approving them for public view, than what level of professional service do you think they will offer you in your case matters? A company claiming to specialize in computer forensics or forensic accounting, yet displaying such a stunning disregard for detail, serves as an in-your-face warning to avoid that company at all costs.

A future edition of The Kessler Report, Kessler International’s newsletter, will include an article containing questions to ask a computer forensics expert or forensic accountant before acquiring their services.

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Thursday, December 04, 2008

A recent email rapidly circulating the internet is spreading holiday fear amongst consumers. The email warns consumers to be cautious of purchasing gift cards from a rather large list of major retailers, as these retailers are apt to close January 1st or shortly thereafter, thus rendering the gift cards worthless.

In a society already feeling the stress of an economy in recession during the holiday season, this email is another lump of coal in our stockings. The desire to give gifts to friends and loved ones is strong, but the dollar is weak and our wallets are light. The last thing consumers want to do is waste hard-earned money on gift cards that will soon have no value.

The well-meaning but somewhat erroneous email has no doubt contributed to an overall wariness of gift cards. Real concerns about gift card expiration dates and/or penalties for non-use after a specific period of time are additional factors that have also played a part in a reduction of gift card sales.

While the email does make an important point, stressing the need of consumers to be cautious and informed, a total boycott of gift cards is not necessary.

Jim Babb, Manager of Media Relations for Circuit City, states that while Circuit City has filed Chapter 11, only 155 stores will be closing, leaving 567 remaining open. Gift cards will continue to be accepted at all Circuit City stores while they remain open.

Chains such as Ann Taylor, Eddie Bauer, Gap, Footlocker, JC Penny and many others, who are said to be closing some locations but not all, will still honor gift cards at the remaining open stores. Additionally, many chains also have online stores which also accept gift cards.

In regards to the email alert, consumers are advised to do their own research about various store closings, as the email has been proven to contain some misleading information. The original sender of the notice does not reveal any source information, and our own investigation found that many of the facts regarding some store closings are untrue, unfounded, or old and outdated.

If you want to ensure that your purchase is totally protected and certain that your gift will not be rendered worthless next year, then choose a pre-paid bank card over a gift card. They can be used anywhere, anytime, and without penalty.

The lesson learned here is that what you don’t know can hurt you, and that there is no such thing as too much information. This is especially true if you own a small business or corporation. Ignorance is far from bliss, the marketplace today is extremely competitive, and the cost of not being informed is simply too high. Successful business investigations prove that when your company’s reputation and financial stability are at stake, knowing anything less than everything is courting disaster.

Call Kessler International today for a specialized corporate investigation, and we’ll quickly and efficiently provide you with the knowledge you need to make intelligent choices.

Happy holidays from Kessler International!

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