"The biggest thing about being overseas and outside of the United States is that people don't think about it until it's too late," explained Robert Strang, a former special agent for the DEA in New York City, who heads IMG.

 

Robert Strang, CEO of Investigative Management Group, has been performing financial due diligence on behalf of investors for 20 years. Strang, also with a history of working for the FBI in addition to the DEA, says the firm's financial due diligence business has tripled in the past six weeks as capital returns to the markets. "Many investors are global and are not just in the U.S. Fact checking in Eastern Europe and in Asia is the fastest growing part of our business. Many countries don't have the same accounting standards as the U.S., and they have different criminal justice systems. The information available is limited so investors depend on us," Strang says.

 

"Most illegal organized activity is financed through illegal operations. Terrorism is financed through illegal activities and fundraising," says Robert Strang, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent who now runs his own security firm, Investigative Management Group, in New York. So the CIA "wants people to have a background in finance ... who can look at world markets and connect the dots. People who can follow money and trace accounts."

 

Rudolph W. Giuliani announced the formation of a strategic relationship between Giuliani Security & Safety LLC (GSS) and Investigative Management Group (IMG). Mr. Giuliani stated: "Both GSS and IMG have built strong reputations for providing critical assistance to companies confronting an ever-widening range of security and investigative needs, from asset security to internal investigations to corporate due diligence. Through this strategic relationship, GSS and IMG will further expand their global reach and capabilities, bringing truly essential services to companies and governments seeking to protect their people, assets and investments both here in the United States and throughout the international community."

 

Robert Strang, chief executive of corporate investigations firm Investigative Management Group, says fraud often rears its head in times of economic dislocation. However, he notes the circumstances in the latest economic downturn differ in that "in a way the credit markets created this problem." Strang, a former DEA agent whose company works closely with private equity firms on investigative matters, won't identify clients by name. But, he recalls one case involving a manufacturing company that had dire implications for its financial investor. "Our private equity investor was unaware that a second set of [accounting] books existed and by the time they found out about it, it was difficult to turn the company around," he says.

 

"We provide a high-quality service," says Bob Strang, as principal at Investigative Management Group, an international security agency based in Manhattan. "We're expensive and not for everybody." IMG's services range from surveillance 24/7 to make sure a child hasn't joined a cult to protection on a family trip. Fees per job can quickly leap into six figures.

 

"Any time a sensitive document is unintentionally left behind, it's a treasure trove for a potential adversary," said Robert Strang, CEO of Investigative Management Group, a global security firm. "It enables them to look for vulnerabilities in design that they can target - an age-old military tactic." "Certainly, if you know the thickness of concrete, someone with an explosive background can develop and plot an attack," Strang said.

 

"If you come to Bob and Ann with a job, and they tell you they can do it, they will do it, and they will do it with discretion, judgment and highest integrity"