Return of the Blog - Blogging Big Data

I Like Big Data…But

What Big Data Missed

Ø  FRAUD LAWSUIT

Ø  TIME SHARE CONDOMINIUM

Ø  VACATION RENTAL IN THE CARIBBEAN

Ø  4 BUSINESS AFFILIATIONS

These were all key findings in a recent research assignment, although they were not to be found in any of the global, or comprehensive reports I obtained at the outset of my research, or what I call Big Data. Nonetheless, I like Big Data. I still like Big Data.

Way back in February 2022, Pursuit Magazine published my paean to Big Data. It was about 1,500 words arguing the value and worth of global database reports. I wrote it to address my angst – that Big Data reports should be relied on and used in research projects.  I had to defend the honor of my Lexis subscription.

When I wrote that article, I cited a video knocking global databases. It was one example of many I see on social media, on LinkedIn, in seminars, and whispered in the haunts where open-source researchers hang out. Antipathy for global reports. A dislike of Big Data. It’s not that there aren't reasons to be skeptical of Big Data. My hunch, however, is that much of the opprobrium over these hard feelings stems from two factors:

·        Various users get these reports instead of hiring OSINT professionals.

·        Unscrupulous practitioners take these reports and slap their logo over them and pass them off as due diligence

The reality is that both of these things happen. Both can be sucky. Both can make it harder to get a client to buy your thorough research. Making the case to earnest, upstanding, researchers and investigators to be wary of Big Data will not prevent their sucky use by some. But when you put in front of them, a time share, a vacation property, a fraud suit, and maybe they’ll think twice about Big Data. Think maybe there is a problem.  There is not.

The Big Data in Big Data

Wait. What is this Big Data we talk? What can be used in sucky ways? For those of you not remembering the previous post or clicking the link, let me explain. When I say Big Data or Global Database report, I’m referring to products sold by various vendors that combine many searches into one report. The general feature is that these reports link to a person or company via some form of identifier – an address, phone number or other personal data. Then, that person or company is run against a buffet of public records and sometimes, social media. The results are presented clearly and simply over a few pages. The extent of public records depends; and so, the accuracy of these reports also depends. Thus, these Global reports are never a substitute for detailed research. They may offer excellent insight and leads, and as I argued in February 2022, they should be a big tool in your research toolbox.

You need Big Data. But-you-need-to-do-other-searches! This dovetails into the biggest skill you need as an open-source researcher. It’s so much more important to know what you do not know. Instead of having a list with 500 sources, have one source or maybe a few, and know what they can and cannot do. When you run your Global Report, know what’s there and think about what might not be. You also need to know what is never there and what probably cannot be found where you are looking. For instance, very little by way of litigation records gets covered in these reports, so you need to point your browsers elsewhere for civil and criminal litigation filings, which we’ll come back to in a moment. The other thing is, all sorts of public records are available in some places but not in others. Your global report may have voter registration records, or it won’t. It depends on where your research subject resides. These Big Data reports are often misleading in that they will show search headings or categories but no results; but the “no results” is due less from the Big Data machine doing that search, and more from a lack of a place to search. The Big Data reports are often confusing as to what has been covered.  A key skill is knowing this.  Do not give up your Big Data.  Just know its limits.  Know it well. And go forth with its assistance.

Finding a Fraud Lawsuit

As I just said, almost always, you will need to do other searches to find litigation records, particularly civil litigation records. It did not surprise me that I did not find the fraud lawsuit in my Global database report. It was not in Big Data, but it was not hard to find otherwise, especially because I knew the state court database search would be part of my research scope.

If there’s another truism in research, it’s that every name is common. At first blush, I thought I had a guy who had an unusual name. Not in his state, and not in that ethnicity, as it turned out. The data in my Big Data report helped me pinpoint which records, of many, to examine, by providing me vital information like addresses. Because this was an especially good state for public record research, I could cross reference addresses listed on lawsuit records to addresses listed on Big Data. Thus, I knew the fraud lawsuit was him. I did not need to send out a stringer to get the case file. I had it.

Finding the Time Share

The time share was not in the Global Report. Big Data missed it. It was not in his county of residence either; my search of those property records was useful, but it did not lead to the time share. What led me to it was a lawsuit over unpaid assessments for the time share. And I used information in my Big Data report to make sure this lawsuit was him. His ex-wife was a co-defendant. His address was in the litigation docket. If you’re sued regarding a time share, you probably own one. The deed is probably recorded in a different county. A county record I could otherwise search. Big Data did not find the lawsuit. Did not find the time share. But without Big Data I would not have found the lawsuit or the time share. Without Big Data I would not have known that the lawsuit that led me to the time share was against my guy.

Finding a Vacation Property

The vacation property. It’s a nice house. On an island. And there’s a web page advertising it. Nowhere on this record was my target’s full name listed. Still, I knew enough, from Big Data (and other open-sources), that I could say this property was his based on other things on the vacation rental website. The moral of the story is that you need to do more searches, but you need things to search with and you need things to tell you what you found are the right things to find—90 percent of research is spent eliminating “false hits.”

It was a reverse image search. It was not just an image of my guy I found online, it was from a deleted LinkedIn account that drove me to search for the image, but you do not really need a reason. If you find an image online of your research subject, always search on that image.  Any image you find of your research subject is worth searching using Google Lens or other image searches.  Image searches help you in two ways.  First, as in my case, they produce results when other Google keywords do not.  In other words, your target can appear on a page without his or her name.  Second, image searches cut through the morass of Google results and lead to vital information.  The kind of things that show up often on image searches are social media activity and web pages from previous positions.  Both items are useful in gathering background information.

Those Other Business Affiliations

As to those business affiliations found that were not in the Global report. I don’t blame Big Data. They were old companies, not even listed in the state’s Secretary of State database. They showed up in open-source searching, not on the subject’s name, but on his address. See, don’t just search images, search addresses too. Where did the addresses come from. You know. Except you would not if you were afraid of Big Data.

Search Many Ways

The big lesson here is when you’re putting together a profile, doing due diligence, tracking someone down, you need to search several ways and in several sources. You won’t get it all from Big Data. Yet, you need Big Data. You need those addresses, phone numbers, husbands and wives, all sorts of things in these reports. You may not like how others misuse them. You should use them.