ICS World Bait-and-Switch Tactics

I would not recommend this firm to anyone.  The website promises "Our authorized ICS World licensees, and ICS alliance partners provide an unprecedented global reach and our combined experience and expertise meet the demanding reliability standards our clients deserve" and that "Since 1967, we have been aware of the most effective private investigators, when they choose to work with a private investigation agency in your area they turn to ICS World, so should you.

You can be confident that the worlds more referred private investigation agency talent solution are private investigators near the location you need them the most." None of this is true. On May 18, I found an alleged local investigator named Aurel Leahu in Moldova advertised on the ICS website. Based on that listing, I initiated contact with Leahu on 2 related investigations that same day; he responded quickly and assured me of his ability to help.

On May 21, Leahu stated that "We work only officially, on contract and by normal bank transfer" and then proceeded to invoice me 1500 EUR with a promise that the contract would soon follow. Before processing the transfer, my local bank wanted confirmation of the detective, so I sent them Leahu's invoice along with the ICS webpage, showing Leahu listed along with his contact information.

My bank verified the listing by email on May 29 and processed the transfer, which Leahu confirmed receiving on June 5. After getting his money, Leahu never sent any contract, did no work, and became unavailable for questions or updates on both of these time-sensitive cases. After numerous unanswered messages, Leahu responded on July 19 that he was “on vacation with the children, come back next week and write to you.”

In fact, I never heard from him again as he simply absconded with my money. On August 13, after contacting Leahu without success multiple times, I demanded a refund in full of my 1500 EUR and filed a complaint with ICS, who I noticed had suddenly removed Leahu from their website in their August update. On August 15, Bryan Salazar from ICS contacted me on my complaint and asked for further information, which I provided the next day.

Salazar then ICS president, Michael Rabern, on the email with the promise that he would “be able to address your concerns on the matter.” On August 16, Rabern wrote that “I am not sure if there is anything we can do to help, however we maybe able to try.“ That same day, I responded to Rabern, offered to send him all emails with Leahu if he wanted to see them, and invited options for a day and time to discuss the case. Rabern never asked for further information, apparently did nothing despite his promise, and, along with Salazar, declined to answer 13 follow-up emails, while avoiding contact for nearly 3 weeks.

On September 3, Rabern responded with the false claim that he had ”no knowledge of the transaction or the subsequent actions of performance,” although such information was given to Salazar on August !6 and offered to Rabern that same day. Rabern then blithely told me to stop contacting ICS about one of their local detectives, which I rejected in accordance with ICS stated promises of ‘confidence’ in their local agents, despite ICS’s new position of falling back on willful ignorance in order to wash their hands of the documented fraud here.

In reply, Rabern stated that Leahu “has never been an employee, agent, partner or joint-venturer with our Company,” which of course does not explain why Leahu was listed on the ICS website in their May update and then suddenly and secretly removed after money was paid. On information and belief, ICS runs a bait-and-switch business here—recommending authorized local detectives as “talent solutions” to bait clients into using their services, removing those local detectives after the fact, feigning no knowledge of the advertised local detective after money changes hands, and then going into hiding to avoid responsibility to those clients who have been defrauded by their services.

There are better detective agencies out there than ICS, and I advise potential clients to avoid ICS at all costs and find a company that truly stands behind its customers in an honest and legitimate manner.