Have you ever had a gut feeling that something was just not right?

I have heard many people claim they have a great gut instinct and that they use it to guide their decisions. But even though trusting your own instincts is a great quality, it might not be enough to spot an experienced fraudster.

Regardless of good times or a downturn to the economy, if you are considering a joint business investment or even if you find an unexpected love interest, there may be valuable information out there that uncovers information about someone's past positive accomplishments or a pattern of arrests for fraud, physical assault or even something like a string of short-term marriages with nice divorce settlements.

When someone is practiced at deception your gut will not pick up on it, and you must make it your policy to investigate all the claims they make before getting involved with them.

Even the connotation of the word "investigation," however, can be scary. It seems to violate trust. But it is merely a fact-finding mission into a person's credibility, a discovery of their documented past behavior or performance.

Our society wants us to be moral and law-abiding citizens. Most people are and they operate their daily life in an honorable way, expecting others to do the same. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this ethos, and some might be even less prone to do the right thing in an economic downturn. Past trends in criminal behavior suggest that there could be yet another spike in illegal activity now as people lose jobs, face increased financial debt, and become more inclined to drug and alcohol abuse. Crime has also become easier with the increasing sophistication of identity theft.

There are many types of deceptions to be aware of and many different kinds of criminals with different motivations driving them. As history is said to repeat itself, so does the tendency of people to repeat their criminal behaviors, especially when they become successful at  deception and profit from their frauds.

Elizabeth Fiorillo, a licensed clinical psychologist, states that, according to U.S. Department of Justice Statistics, of the 272,111 persons released from prison in 1994, an estimated 67.5% were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within three years, 46.9% were reconvicted and 25.4% resentenced to prison for a new crime.

There are many theories that try to explain how certain behaviors are learned and why they are repeated. According to the principles of operant conditioning, an area of psychological study pioneered by B.F. Skinner and others, learning occurs through an association of rewards and punishments for any type of behavior. For example, someone who has committed a criminal activity and received positive reinforcement for it will be more likely to repeat this behavior.

Thus, the possibility of receiving a reward causes an increase in the behavior. Similarly, a punishment or an otherwise undesirable outcome may decrease or prevent the undesirable behavior.

While there may be variations in human motive and behavior, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. And a criminal investigation may prove to be a vital tool in helping you gather the necessary documentation to verify the nature of a person's motives and behaviors.

As a fraudster hones his art and becomes experienced at his criminal deceptions, he often makes mistakes. He may leave behind valuable information such as a record of criminal convictions, bankruptcies or a host of other available documents. Unless, of course, he's new at it, in which case there may not be an abundance of information or records on file.

But you can still make judgments based on the data you find. You have to study raw investigative information and perhaps keep in mind mitigating circumstances, but certain behaviors can be identified and studied more closely in a proper investigation.

For example, if the subject of your investigation has demonstrated a continuous disregard for motor vehicle laws, if his driver's license has been suspended, if he has a poor credit history or if he's moved around a lot without having any sort of logical explanation, that history may indicate more irresponsible behavior in the future. These patterns speak about a person's character.

Sad as it is to say, everyone, even a once-trusted family member, business associate, accountant or a nanny may succumb to vice-perhaps substance use, gambling or simple greed.

A background investigation not only examines the information objectively, but subjectively as well. According to Fiorillo, for example, a lot can be said about one's body language in understanding their individual behavior. A poker player does this by looking for a "tell"-a sign, twitch or unconscious movement by his opponents that they make when they are bluffing or really excited.

While you can't solely rely on this to make an informed decision, you can combine that observation with other things and make it a valuable tool when looking into somebody's background. You must use your observations, common sense and your gut and consider all these factors together.

The deceptions of many high profile people are now being uncovered and illustrated by the mainstream news media. But there are other cases as well. Take the following example: a case of fraud perpetrated on two clients of mine that should make it clear why people should take the time to investigate. Not everything is, as it seems.

At a trendy hot spot, a high-net-worth couple I work with met a friend at a social function, and met through him a casual acquaintance, who stayed to socialize with them.

While talking, this person began finding common ground with the couple and spent the night cultivating a relationship with them based on their common interests. The stranger was young and polished, good looking and very bright, giving the impression that he was educated and had a high net worth. He claimed to have recently moved into the area, and so his need to build friendships was a natural segue into the couple's confidence. After five minutes of socializing, the acquaintance baited the couple by mentioning a business deal only they would be privy to. The stranger never offered any type of deal directly to the couple; he only indicated that the transaction was short of money. For their own reasons, the couple took the bait and offered to buy the percentage that was short, in part because they liked and trusted the acquaintance.

The couple believed, after all, that since the man didn't ask them to get involved, and that he even balked a bit by insisting that friendship and business don't mix, that he was trustworthy. Of course, the acquaintance did accept their proposal and a tangible business deal was structured.

The couple brought the deal to their financial advisor, who saw the legitimate business structure but immediately objected, posing one simple question: "How do you know this person?" The advisor was street savvy and talked the couple into investigating their new partner's identity and background.

What the couple found out was that their new acquaintance was part of a criminal enterprise setting up a money laundering operation through a legitimate business enterprise. The person's real name was not what he claimed, and he had been at this for a long time. In mastering his deception, he had left a trail of records of his past unsuccessful attempts. He had a gambling addiction and, of course, a criminal record.

Although the stranger hadn't actually done anything illegal up to that point, the couple found a way to back out, citing personal reasons.

The moral of this story is, "Believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear!" Demand proof and investigate!    

Mitch Gitter is president of Defender Security Services, a leading provider of crisis management, investigative and protection services for the high-net-worth community. He can be reached at [email protected].