An Example Investigation

Abstract

Many of the investigation stories in Social Media Investigation are relatively simple: A target uses one social media site, and an invsestigator collects information through that site. With large sites like Facebook and Twitter, there is often a good chance a target will have an account, so this is a good strategy. But some investigations are deeper and require more thorough methods. In this chapter, we examine one such case. This is a step-by-step description of an actual investigation that I was asked to do. I am anonymizing the identity of the target for her protection, as she has not been arrested or charged with any crime. This story is intended to demonstrate the investigative process, including all the dead ends that led to the final insights.