Summary
Millions of people use their cell phones every day to send and receive text messages and emails, never thinking that these messages could one day be used against them. Even after a message has been deleted from a cell phone, it is still possible for these messages to be found by an investigator through electronic discovery (also known as eDiscovery). By gathering as much evidence as possible through an eDiscovery investigation, these same text messages and emails can be used in a client's defense.
ICS has a dedicated team of private investigators and technicians that specialize in recovering deleted and corrupted files from computers, tablet devices, and cell phones. ICS regularly receives cases involving data recovery for a variety of reasons. Clients who come to ICS may need assistance with:
Recovering important documents
Retrieving data off of ruined hard drives
Obtaining evidence for legal proceedings.
A female schoolteacher who had been accused of sexual harassment recently hired ICS to retrieve deleted text messages off of her iPhone. An ex-lover who also worked at the school was making the sexual harassment accusations, and the claims were jeopardizing her career and her reputation. Text messages sent by the teacher were being used against her, out of context, to substantiate the claims of sexual harassment, but the teacher could not prove the context of the messages because she had deleted them from her cell phone months before.
Conclusion
ICS’s team of forensic technicians created a forensic image of the client’s iPhone and the physical memory. The image was then scanned for all traces of deleted information. The teacher needed these deleted messages in order to prove the lawsuit against her was slanderous. As a result of the investigaton, ICS was able to recover over 5,000 deleted messages from the teacher’s cell phone.
Now in possession of a timely and accurate report provided by ICS, the client was able to prove that she had not sexually harassed anyone, and that such claims against her were slanderous and unfounded. The text messages retrieved by ICS helped the client win her lawsuit, keep her job, and restore her good name. It is important to remember that a deleted, lost, or corrupted file is not gone forever, and that even a basic investigation can locate invaluable information on a digital device.
What to do Next
If you need help retrieving deleted or corrupted files, or are the victim of slander or libel, do not hesitate to contact ICS. Some files are only held on a digital device for a certain amount of time, and if you wait too long, it may be more difficult to find and retrieve files. You can contact ICS for your free consultation at any time on our website or by calling us toll free at (800) 828-9198.