"We have a new kind of video camera for the investigator. But,we are not the ones filming, photographing and documenting ourcases. The world is filming and photographing for us."

Content across the web multiplies exponentially. Mining thisdata yourself can be time consuming and expensive. Trainedinvestigators are now using proprietary web search technology,social media sites and professional investigative techniques touncover public data from the web. However, this information andtechnology change quickly. Understanding these shifts, investing inthese changes and preparing for the future (especially as itpertains to mobile data or "pocket technology") is more importantthan ever.

In the last five years, most professional insuranceinvestigators figured out the "trusty" desktop computer. They setup social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and started toexplore investigations online. We were all excited when we found afew claimants on Facebook and used their public posts to mitigateexposure on a claim. What followed was a social media explosion ininsurance investigations.

Insurance companies now employ dedicated special investigationunit (SIU) analysts who scour the Internet for data. A new set ofindustry vendors have proclaimed themselves "technology geeks" andburst onto the scene to fill in the gaps. Social media checks arenow a routine part of claims investigations, backgroundinvestigations, litigation and surveillance.

However, in 2014, social media is packing up and leaving the"trusty" old desktop. Mobile operating systems are now thepreferred method of social media interaction. Unfortunately, mostinvestigators are not aware of or prepared to investigate "pockettechnology."

Society has become increasingly narcissistic as even the mostmodest individuals seem to have a field day revealing the minutiaof their lives. But this information is now flowing from highlymobile devices such as iPhones, android devices, tablets and iPads.Users, especially younger ones, are less likely to be found oncomputers. They communicate in 140 character micro blogs, and theirmessages are filled with abbreviations and #tags. Understandingthis communication is the equivalent of learning a newlanguage.

In early 2014, more than 72 million Americans accessed socialnetworking sites or blogs via their mobile devices. This figurerepresents a 37 percent jump from the same time last year,according to data compiled by comScore. The bottom line: Socialnetworking via mobile devices is on the rise. Investigators are notprepared for this shift and are missing information. If companyinvestigators are not exploring these platforms, investing in thetools to conduct the investigations, and constantly tracking theshifts in technology, they may be neglecting a significant amountof investigative information.

A little more than two-thirds of the time users spend onFacebook is through a mobile device. Image-heavy platforms likePinterest and Yahoo's Tumblr are primarily mobile too, as well asSnapchat, Instagram and Twitter's video tool Vine. These sites arealso the preferred method of communication for the youngergeneration.

Instagram is one of the fastest growing photo and video sharingsites around. It has exceptional geo tagging capability and it mapsthe users' interactions as they post and check in. It wasoriginally launched as an iPhone-only application and now supportsAndroid phones. Recently, Instagram introduced a web interface, butthe interaction and search capability is limited compared to thecapabilities found in the iOS and Android platforms.

It is undeniable, the investigative shift is on. Investigatorswho don't know the difference between iOS7 and Android 4.4 need toput on their reading glasses and start learning. Online searchesneed to be augmented with searches based on a mobile device or amobile operating system. Because the applications are based onlocation settings, GPS spoofing technology is required for accuratesearches and investigations. For instance, if someone wants toinvestigate a claim in Pittsburgh and is based in California, heneeds to make his device think it's in Pittsburgh to get the bestresults. From his desk he can figuratively park his GPS on aparticular location and let the application look for results.

Of course, after an investigative target is located there arenew challenges to gathering mobile data, and investigators willrequire some degree of training and technical expertise. Theinvestigator needs to capture the mobile data using various mobilescreen shot applications and PDF tools. Data tags, geo tagginginformation, URLs and IP addresses need to be documented so thatfindings can be reproduced later. If there is litigation orcriminal prosecution, this data will be required for subpoenas,discovery and search warrants.

Do you know who I am?

False identities, monikers, duplicate accounts and avatars arealso prevalent online. The most important part of an investigationwill be to independently verify identity and directly link theinformation to a specific case. The tool to use in this scenario islink analysis. Through link analysis you can identify key players,friends, relationships and geo tagging information. If hiring avendor to conduct the investigations, it is important to ask theirspecific capabilities, investigative processes and chain of custodydocumentation. If conducting these investigations "in house,"invest in additional mobile-based platforms and training to assistthe analyst. The data gathered and the investment in the technologyis worthless unless the information can be used in court.

Not convinced? Let's consider the following case study.Hurricane Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane ofthe 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the second costliesthurricane in United States history. Insurers were hit withsignificant claims exposure. One company was contacted by a clientthat noticed a significant number of Pennsylvania insured vehiclesthat were flooded along the New York and New Jersey coastlineduring Sandy.

The carrier suspected that many of these flooded insuredvehicles were not principally garaged in Pennsylvania as stated intheir insurance policies. The carrier referred several cases to ourfirm for investigation.

One specific case involved a car that was flooded in the NewYork city area, but was listed on the insurance policy asprincipally garaged at an address in Pennsylvania. Traditionalonline searches yielded limited information. However, when weswitched the search to an android-based platform, we found analternate moniker associated with the insured. This moniker wasused to locate his Instagram account.

The Instagram site was filled with pictures, check-ins andgeo-tagging information in New York. It was literally a road map tohis activities for several months before and after the claim. Itincluded a geo-tag of his "home" in New York. From there weidentified and captured five videos from his YouTube channel. Theinsured, who had claimed to be a Pennsylvania resident, broadcastand posted real time storm damage of "his home" located on the NewYork shore along with his flooded car floating down the streetduring the storm. This information was passed along to thecarrier's SIU. The SIU independently verified our findings andpositively identified the insured as a New York resident andhomeowner. His application for insurance, claim affidavit and claimdocuments contained inaccurate and misleading information regardinghis residence and garaging address. As a result, the insured waslater charged criminally in Pennsylvania for insurance fraud.

Some key information to take away from this case:

• Traditional web and desktop searches are not adequate. Usepocket technology to drill down, identify monikers, investigatemobile-based social media, gather geo tags and build caseinformation.

• Geo tagging information is more prevalent and generally easierto find on mobile-based social media sites.

• Social media investigations should not be limited to injury anddisability claims. They can be used for property claims, homeownerclaims, theft claims, auto claims and premium fraud/avoidance.

• Younger users are less likely to be on desktop applications andwill primarily use mobile applications or pocket technology.

• Social media analysis is a tool, but not the completeinvestigation. Every aspect of the investigation must be verifiedbefore a claim decision is made.

• These investigations are often more efficient and less costlythan sending an investigator out into the field.

Undeniably, the use of social media has boomed in the last 10years. In a matter of minutes, social media can make someonefamous, infamous but almost never anonymous. As a result,investigations are better and there is a new tool to add to our bagof tricks. Inevitably, technology changes and investigativeprocesses need to follow. Recognize that the shift from thecomputer to mobile devices is "on." Embrace the "technology geek"or consultant as part of the professional investigative staff.Don't be afraid to make the changes, train up, reduce expenses andclear claims investigations more efficiently by taking advantage ofpocket technology.