“There’s a limit to what you can find online. In investigative work, what’s missing is where your risk is. That’s why we also do courthouse record searching, or we may do in-person or phone interviews. It’s for the human touch – the things you can’t find online.”
Interview with Marcy Phelps
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As a librarian, Marcy Phelps was trained to find, manage and share information. As a detective, she is also after the facts – and on a mission to prevent fraud.
A licensed private eye who earned Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Denver, Phelps works for asset management firms, commodity pool operators, M&A professionals, and others. While combing through databases and other online data dumps, she helps build a definitive dossier, documenting any litigation, bankruptcies and regulatory actions that could raise unpleasant questions for investors and even uncover unsavory characters. Her detective work isn’t all digital, though.
“Most investigations involve online work. Even with surveillance, you can bet the investigator is doing some sort of online research beforehand. But there’s a limit to what you can find online, and in investigative work, what’s missing is where your risk is. You have to be very careful about that,” she explains.
“That’s why we also may have to do courthouse record searching, because online is so incomplete, or we may have to do in-person or phone interviews for the human touch, the things you can’t find online,” she tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. Online investigations are often just the starting point or maybe the first phase of a more complex investigation.”
