In The Boardroom With...

Chris Cavallo
Managing Partner
CSI-Secure Solutions

Connect with Chris Cavallo on LinkedIn

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Thank you for joining us today, Chris. Your background and experience, for more than forty years, with Pinkerton’s and Wells Fargo, and with your own private investigations and consulting services firm, is second to none. Before we discuss in detail your specialty and focus in Insurance Fraud and Workers Compensation cases, please tell us more about your impressive background. 

Chris Cavallo:  I moved from NYC leaving a family business to be with my soon to be wife Robin whose father at the time was the Director for the Division of Licensing for the State of Florida who convinced me that the best industry in Florida to be involved with was the Security and Investigations industry. Truthfully this was not a big leap from the other family business on my mother side of the family which were several Irish NYC cops. So my father-in-law said I'm going to get you an introduction to the best companies in the Security/Investigations industry which was Pinkertons investigations & Wells Fargo Guard services which I ended up working for both. I worked for Pinkertons investigations conducting background investigations and working as an undercover operative. I realized there wasn’t any long term financial security working at that time as investigator so I decided joining the management training program working for Wells Fargo Guard service where you literally started at the bottom so I started as a security guard making $2.78 at Ft Lauderdale Airports which was the minimum wage at the time but quickly rose through the ranks in operations as a security consultant and eventually found my niche and became the #1 Security Consultant for 9yrs consecutively which had never been done before nor after that I am aware of. After 9yrs I left and my wife Robin and I opened a Investigations business out of our twin daughters bedroom forming RSI Investigations/dba/Records Search Inc a background investigations company specializing in Airlines, Technology and Retail having such clients as Best Buy, Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Sun Microsystems, Intel and IBM to name a few but our claim to fame was building the largest network of couriers, agents and investigators over the USA. When we completed this task we had 2600 +subcontractors. 10yrs later  a NY Investment Bank bought us out and rolled us up unto a Billion dollar + company. We thought we would travel the world but unfortunately a year later my wife Robin passed away which needless to say was a devastating blow for my girls and I as well. I then formed Cavallo & Associates a consulting company servicing the Defense, Security and Investigations industry having clients and operations in Central America and Colombia as well as satellite offices in Europe as well.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: One will read on your site, “With the on-going growth of insurance fraud claims in the US, the demand for experienced, qualified, and licensed Insurance Fraud Investigators is at an all-time high. Our clients are Anti-Fraud Investigation Units (AFIU), Special Investigation Units (SIU), Claims Adjusters, Risk Managers and Attorneys. CSI Secure Solutions has a team of highly experienced insurance fraud investigators who have helped resolve many cases where people or organizations try to benefit from deceitful claims.” Care to elaborate?

Chris Cavallo:  The investigators that we use around the US for insurance fraud cases have either been vetted by me personally or I have used on prior assignments successfully or have been referred to me by other investigators that we have worked with before.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: The statistics regarding Workers Compensation claims are staggering. 

• There are 4.9 million workers compensation claims made each year by both private and government employees
• The typical workers comp claim is around $41,000
• The average cost of a workers compensation claim for sprains is $34,409
• Falls/Slips claims costs averaged $47,681 per claim
• Workers' compensation costs to employers total $100.2 billion as of 2021
• Workers' comp claims pay out more than $62 billion each year, $31.8 billion in cash settlements and over $31.3 billion in medical benefits

What are some of the techniques you use in resolving insurance fraud investigations? 

Chris Cavallo:  Surveillance is our primary tool especially in workers compensation and personal injury cases, we also track down subjects involved with the insurance fraud cases we are working on at the time along with doing comprehensive background investigations inclusive doing in depth research using Social media which often times can show us the claimants we are investigating exceeding their physical capabilities when they are supposedly injured or unable to have physical capabilities. We also research prior documentation showing that the claimant being investigated has had prior fraud cases associated with him/her. The Attorneys and insurance carriers we work for may request that we interview neighbors, colleagues, associates and other employees known to the claimant that can give testimony relative to fraud being committed by the claimant.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: The headlines would have you believe that “employees”, and not “employers” are typically engaged in workers’ compensation fraud. This was quite interesting on your site, “in essence, workers’ compensation fraud can be committed by both workers and employers.”  Please tell us more about this.

Chris Cavallo:  Although the common cases we receive are for individuals/claimants but there have been times where our client has reports or raised suspicions that the Company not the individual is responsible for some type of fraudulent activity. The following are just four areas which in the past we have uncovered and investigated where the company is at fault not the employee or individual

1. THE EMPLOYER CAN EITHER FOREGO CARRYING WORKERS COMP COVERAGE
2. COMPANY PURCHASES A POLICY WITH MINIMAL COVERAGE
3. FALSIFY RECORDS TO THE INSURANCE CARRIER WHEN A CLAIM IS FILED
4. GET KICKBACKS FROM MEDICAL PROVIDERS SUCHAS CHIROPRACTORS-ORTHOPEDIC DOCTORS TO EITHER MAKE THE INJURY WORSE THAN IT IS AND KICK BACK TO THE EMPLOYER

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com:  We understand that your investigation services are available throughout the USA in all fifty states. Please tell us more about your network. Are Canada and Mexico part of the mix?

Chris Cavallo: We have APPROXIMATELY 40 + STATES WHERE WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS with Investigator’s as well as having specific agency’s/partners that help us in multiple states. We do have assets in Mexico and Canada as well but we truly are spoiled here in the US when it comes to the flow of information and the ease to retrieve it.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: Beyond the Insurance Fraud and Workers Compensation space, we see that your firm provide investigation services in other areas as well. Please fill us in, Chris.

Chris Cavallo: 

Hidden Asset Investigations

This has become one of them most requested services that we offer whether it be here in the United States or outside the country. Most people are not even aware that when they open a bank account and signing a lot of forms they are probably not reading (including myself) and do not bother to check off the opt out box so third parties cannot get any information about their accounts. Less than 4% of people who open a bank account actually request or check of the opt out clause. Now having said that there are very strict guidelines which we must adhere here to which is the GBLA(Graham-Leach-Bliley Act) Most of these requests are related to domestic investigations and divorce settlements and child custody one party wanting more of the other. The other area where we get these type of request are usually in corporate investigations such as a CEO checking on his CFO whom is being suspected of theft of one partner hiding funds from another. The example are to numerous to list. But yes knowing how to legally navigate through the GLBA is critically important to you and the protection of your clients as well. It's critically important to understand as well the that these types of investigative services cannot be used in a court of law. They are done for discovery purposes so you and your client know before attorneys start using the power of the subpoena what the opposing side is trying to hide.

Employee-Violation of Non Compete

In 2022 we had nine occasions where an employer or business owner retained our services to prove some type of violation of the noncompete agreement that was executed between an employer and employee and/or two partners. Usually there is a geographical formula in most non compete agreements for example:

let’s say an individual must be able to work even if in the same industry as long as it's outside a certain geographic area. Not every noncompete agreement is written fairly and usually is even more restrictive than legally allowed. What the courts are looking for is financial damages either because of the employee is stealing client lists or direct contact with clients under contract. I am by no means an attorney and I have a whole webpage dedicated to this subject. https://www.csi-securesolutions.com/service/non-compete-agreement/

I also have written articles that pertain to this subject as well:
https://www.csi-securesolutions.com/?s=Non+Compete

Surveillance is the most often requested service whether for domestic, corporate, personal injury employers etc. This is a very broad subject matter which I have written multiple articles on:
https://www.csi-securesolutions.com/category/surveillance/

Surveillance services is the most requested service that we perform not just in our home state of Florida but in the majority of the states that we service around the USA(40+). Most clients are not aware but 90% of our business is actually outside of Florida in such place as New York, California, Texas, Las Vegas, Maryland, Wisconsin and Virginia to name just a few. CSI Secure Solutions has established relationships with seasoned investigators that we have worked with over the years not only do we treat them well and pay them expedtiously but they enjoy the repeat business that we give the majority of them. Our nationwide surveillance operators have either prior law-enforcement experience or have been surveillance operators for at least 10+ years. Each of our subcontractors are an extension of CSI Secure Solutions. Every client aside from digital film footage also receive a very detailed well written and professional report which each investigator understands that they're findings on what happened is all detailed in the case file report they have delivered and each Investigator understands that these reports are often times used for testimonial purposes and at any point in the future the report and the investigator may be subpoenaed for additional testimony while being sworn in and under oath.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: We see that you are a member of the Florida and Texas Associations of Private Investigators (https://myfapi.org/)  (https://www.tali.org/). Any other memberships, Chris, you care to mention?

Chris Cavallo: We are members of…

• TALI (Texas), CALI (California)-FALI (Florida)
• GAPPI (Georgia)
• ALDONYS (New York)
• ACFE (Association of Certified Fraud Examiners)
• Florida Bar
• Workers Compensation Institute
• Better Business Bureau South Florida

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com: If I can change the subject for a moment Chris, we watched this very moving video: Introduction To The Robin Foundation . We applaud your efforts to turn your heart-breaking personal tragedy into a mission to help and save others. What would you like to say here about this very important work are doing with The Robin Foundation. 

Chris Cavallo:  CSI Is My career The Robin Foundation is my life and my exit strategy. Yes we have lost my wife Robin and my daughter Stefanie to the disease of addiction which is not a subject that people really do not want to talk about as there is so much guilt, embarrassment and shame that is associated with losing a loved one due to substance abuse disorder or mental health challenges. What people need to understand is that addiction is a brain disease it does not matter what socio-economical background, race, creed or religion you come from…Addiction Has No Favorites and there is no greater feeling than to help someone who is a hostage and suffering from this disease of addiction or alcoholism and guide them through the recovery process. Also there is no greater gift in life than to change the direction or save someone’s life who is struggling from this horrendous disease of addiction, so this is why The Robin Foundation is so important to many in our community and needless to say is very personal for me.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com:  Thank you again for joining us today, Chris, and we look forward to more updates from you during 2023.