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Quest Consultants Int'l, Ltd.
1450 E. American Lane, Suite 1400
Schaumburg, IL 60173
847-397-9405
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Robert A. (Bob) Scigalski
President
 During a 27-year career with the FBI, Bob Scigalski conducted investigations of skyjacking, kidnapping, extortion, bank robberies, and major property crimes. He was Supervisor of the Chicago FBI Organized Crime Squad and also supervised a surreptitious technical services unit and a multi-agency violent crime unit emphasizing fugitive investigation. His expertise includes criminal psychology and psychological profiling, and he was one of the first agents selected to assist in the development of the concept of profiling for the FBI.
Bob negotiated numerous hostage crisis situations for the FBI and is a recognized expert in crisis resolution. He represented the FBI overseas in teaching schools and organizing exercises in antiterrorist hostage resolution for Scotland Yard and the Royal Hong Kong Police. As a former member of the elite FBI Critical Incident Negotiation Team, he is an expert in nuclear and biological weapons crisis resolution and methods for the negotiated release of kidnapped American businessmen.
A Chicago native, Bob received a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University and an M.A. in Administration from DePaul University. As one of Quest’s founding partners, Bob's responsibilities include new domestic account development, current client account development, and oversight of financial operations.
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Security & Forensic Services
Quest is a consulting firm providing high-quality, high-tech physical and information security services. With unparalleled professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality, Quest provides its services to multinational corporations, law firms, financial institutions, labor unions, government agencies, educational institutions and regional school districts, and private clients.
One of the most unique and integral aspects of Quest is that its team of expert consultants is comprised almost entirely of former FBI Agents, each with more than 20 years experience in federal law enforcement.
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AUGUST 2009
Tough Times Bring Increased Crime
With the United States officially in the throes of a prolonged economic recession, and world financial markets continuing to plummet, the future is fraught with uncertainties. Yet, while the general economic forecast remains bleak, there is one area that experts agree will see a marked upswing: crime.
 Studies prove a direct relationship between illegal activity and the strength of the economy: crime rates across the country have risen during every recession since 1950. However, as Richard Garside, Director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King’s College London, explains, “You don’t need to have a degree in criminology or psychology to work out that in times of economic hardship some [people] may resort to forms of behaviour they might not resort to if they were not feeling under pressure—and that may include some forms of acquisitive crime.”
Indeed, crime is already on the rise. Police Chiefs across the United States are attributing increases in criminal activity to the current financial crisis. According to the FBI, the recent epidemic of armed bank robberies around the country is directly related to the poor state of the economy. However, it is not just violent crime that increases during tough economic times. In a speech to the American Bar Association last April, FBI Director Robert Mueller predicted, “We likely will see more corporate fraud cases in the months to come because of the ripple effect of the sub prime crisis and its impact on the credit market.”
That forecast was accurate: corporate corruption and white-collar crime have gone up significantly over the past 9 months. New research from the Institute for Corporate Productivity indicates “employers are seeing an increase in internal crimes, ranging from fictitious sales transactions and illegal kickbacks to the theft of office equipment and retail products meant for sale to customers.” Here are some examples:
- Disgruntled former employees are taking company secrets to the competition or otherwise attempting to sabotage company operations.
- Unscrupulous vendors are cutting costs by switching product components with those of lesser quality.
- As substance abuse rises, employees are stealing company property to support dependencies on alcohol and illegal or prescription drugs.
- Dishonest dealers and distributors are short-changing buyers by shipping fewer units or double billing.
- Scam artists are filing fake insurance claims.
- Borrowers are falsifying financial records in order to perpetrate mortgage fraud.
- Aggressive competitors are attempting to steal vital intellectual property.
A survey of over 5,400 companies reveals that the average corporation lost $2.4 million to fraud in 2007—up a shocking 41% from 2005. To avoid being victimized during these times of financial strain, companies must proactively take steps to thwart theft. Security experts urge businesses to be vigilant in conducting background checks, performing due diligence, and designing IT systems and dismissal protocols to limit losses. As a further line of defense, corporations should have professionals conduct premises security surveys designed to identify vulnerabilities, and recommend procedures and hardware to protect company assets and enhance a company’s physical security. In these tough times, it is imperative to keep your business one step ahead of crime.
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