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Corporate Research and Investigation…the Dos and Don’ts

Not all corporate research is created equal.  Attorneys believing they will save money by subscribing to online toll records.  While there are no rule laws governming the acquisition of telephone toll records, according to Investigate This! the Electronic Privacy Infomraiton Center (EPIC) will be filing suit to stop this practice.  One of the reasons for filing suit is that individuals impersonating telephone company subscribers obtained the toll records.   this is ilelgal and in violation of the Graham-Leach-Biley Act that first went into effect in 1999.  The GLB, as it is known, specifically forgets anyone from impersonating a business or party in order to obtain personal records.

So there are ways to conduct corporate research that are legitimate and ethical and, obviously, ways that are not.  when your company has its reputation at stake, or your legal practice, we recommend going the legitimate route.  While some cases are not nearly as dramatic, we remind you of the recent Anthony Pellicano case to point out the extreme scenario for privacy violations.

So it is pruden, in this economic downturn especially,  to conduct corporate investigation and also to retain business credit reports on potential clients and business partners.   It is neither prudent nor smart to proceed through illegitimate means.

By Gordon Basichis

Gordon Basichis is the Co-Founder of Corra Group, specializing in pre-employment background checks and corporate research. He has been a marketing and media executive and has worked in the entertainment industry, the financial, health care and technology sectors. He is the author of the best selling Beautiful Bad Girl, The Vicki Morgan Story, a non-fiction novel that helped define exotic sexuality in the late twentieth century. He is the author of the Constant Travellers and has recently completed a new book, The Guys Who Spied for China, dealing with Chinese Espionage in the United States. He has been a journalist for several newspapers and is a screenwriter and producer.