The Observer

The Observer

Smurfs counting money on a table

Financial Hide-and-Seek: How Smurfing Works

Smurfing is one of those criminal techniques that sounds oddly adorable until you realize it’s basically financial hide-and-seek with regulators. No, it has nothing to do with tiny blue cartoon characters opening offshore bank accounts. In the world of financial…

Man with closed eyes with his brain highlighted

Psychological Autopsy: Investigating a Mind After Death

When someone dies under unclear or controversial circumstances, investigators typically begin by searching for physical evidence. Fingerprints, blood patterns, toxicology reports, phone records, and surveillance footage are all part of the traditional investigative toolkit. However, in some cases the most…

A mysterious man observing the neighborhood

Geoprofiling: The Geography Behind Criminal Behavior

Geoprofiling means geographic profiling. It’s an investigative technique used in criminology and criminal profiling to estimate the most likely area where an offender lives, works, or frequently visits, based on the locations of their crimes. It’s mainly used in serial…