We would like to thank the many clients who contacted us to express their concerns about another entity which appears to have recently begun utilizing a name similar to our own in their Internet advertising. Our firm, CheckMate Investigative Services Inc., is a licensed investigation agency with many years of respected work in the investigative and asset search fields.

The "other" entity, which has recently begun to utilize a similar "CheckMate" name, and more specifically, "Checkmate International", is operated in Florida by a Frederick ("Fred") Joseph, who has used a number of other business names, including U.S. Record Search & Information Services Inc., and the internet domain names, www.assetsearches.com, www.bankaccountlocator.com and www.usrecordsearch.com.

Fred, at one time, was a licensed investigator in Florida. According to information received, his license was later revoked. More recently, in 2011, he re-applied for a detective agency license, but his application was denied. The state licensing board website can be viewed using the following link. An application for an individual investigator's license appears not to have been issued, with the state listing the status as "Denial Recommended". The licensing agency website can be viewed using the following link.

During his years in operation, Fred's business has amassed a significant number of complaints from customers with the Better Business Bureau. According to the BBB website, Fred's firm is rated with an "F", the lowest level in their rating system. Further, the business has received dozens of complaints, many of which the BBB says the business failed to respond to attempts to settle the dispute. The BBB review for U.S. Record Search can be seen by using the following link. It should be noted that, unlike Fred's business, our firm is an Accredited BBB business with an A+ rating (the highest level in their rating system), with no (zero) customer complaints filed with the BBB - our review can be seen by using the following link.

Other online sources, such as RipOffReport.com, have received multiple complaints regarding Fred's businesses - some of the comments can be viewed by using the following link.

Another interesting website is maintained by a Steven Kirsch, who successfully sued and won a judgment against Fred's business. Steven urges customers who are dissatisfied with the services provided by Fred's companies to contact the Florida Attorney General's Consumer Complaint Hotline. According to Kirsch's website, as of 2010, there were at least 47 complaints against Fred's firms. Kirsch's website can be viewed by using the following link.