New York, NY

Thursday, December 08, 2011

 The holidays are meant to be shared with friends, family, and loved ones. But if travelers aren't careful, they may end up spending the holidays with unwanted guests. Not in-laws, but worse: cockroaches.

As a friendly notice, Kessler International, one of the world's leading forensic accounting and private investigation firms, would like to share the following anecdote: On a recent international flight, one of Kessler's staff members checked in at the American Airlines terminal in John F. Kennedy International Airport. While their baggage was being sent through the terminal's x-ray scanner, Kessler's staff member noticed cockroaches on the floor and a nearby counter. When our staff member pointed the bugs out to an airport employee, the employee remarked that such a sight was "not uncommon." Disposing of the roaches wasn't even an option – Kessler's staff member had already removed their shoes, per the airport's security measures.

Cockroaches aren't the only undesired stowaways to be on the watch for. The incoming winter season means an uptick in flights to warmer, tropical getaways. Places like these are havens for all kinds of bugs.

The first defense is to inspect all belongings being packed into suitcases and carry-ons before boarding an airplane. But just because your bags are clean before taking flight doesn't mean they can't attract miniature hitchhikers mid-flight. The cargo area of an airplane isn't just where your luggage is stowed, but also where every other passenger's bags are kept, providing a close quarters for bugs to move from suitcase to suitcase. And if a pet has been brought on the aircraft and put in the cargo area, they may have brought fleas with them.

As a provider of a wide range of due diligence services, Kessler would like to urge travelers this holiday season to exercise a little due diligence of their own: Examine clothing and belongings before and after any trips, before one or two bugs become a much larger -- and costlier -- problem.

About Kessler International

Kessler International provides forensic accounting services, discreet risk mitigation services, business intelligence and computer forensic services to corporations including financial and investment institutions, law firms and governments worldwide. With offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, Washington, Illinois, Puerto Rico, Paris, Beijing and United Kingdom and affiliates throughout the world, Kessler International services the globe by providing the highest quality in forensic accounting services, high technology crime evaluation and prevention, civil and criminal litigation support, intellectual property protection, asset tracing, receivership, compliance and monitoring programs, business intelligence, and corporate risk management. Please visit our website at www.investigation.com for more information regarding our services.

Michael G. Kessler

President and CEO

Kessler International

New York, NY

212-286-9100