Case type: Civil – Reputation damage

Client: Private investigator retained by a law firm

Parties involved: Victim (healthcare professional) v. Unknown author

Mandate given to Firme H2E:

Analyze the origin of defamatory publications and authenticate evidence

Duration: 20 business days

Context

A medical specialist in the Sherbrooke area saw his professional reputation severely damaged when defamatory posts were published on Facebook and Instagram. The posts, apparently made from his own professional account, contained inappropriate comments and false accusations against patients.

The physician claimed he was not the author of these posts and suspected his account had been hacked. Several patients had cancelled appointments, and complaints had been filed with his professional order.

A private investigator, retained by the physician’s lawyer, engaged Firme H2E for technical analysis of the case.

Firme H2E Intervention

Step 1

Online Evidence Preservation

  • Forensic capture of publications before deletion (certified timestamp)
  • Downloaded Facebook account data via Meta transparency tools
  • Extracted login logs and session history
Step 2

Account Access Analysis

  • Identified connections from IP addresses unknown to the physician
  • Geographic correlation: suspicious connections originated from a city 200 km from Sherbrooke
  • Analyzed email headers for login notifications
  • Discovered a password reset attempt not initiated by the physician
Step 3

Report and Identification

  • Produced technical report demonstrating that disputed posts were made from a different IP address
  • Established timeline: account compromise → posts → cover-up attempt
  • Provided technical elements enabling counsel to request a disclosure order
Result

Firme H2E’s report was decisive for the physician’s defense before his professional order. Technical evidence demonstrated he was a hacking victim and not the author of the posts.

Following the disclosure order, the IP address was linked to a former business partner.

A civil lawsuit for defamation resulted in a settlement including substantial damages and a public apology.

Key Takeaways
  • Rapid preservation of online evidence is essential before it disappears
  • Social platform login logs are valuable forensic evidence
  • A technical report can clearly dissociate a hacking victim from actions committed under their identity
Tools Used
  • Hunchly (forensic web page capture)
  • Meta transparency tools (data download)
  • SMTP header and login log analysis
  • IP geolocation
  • Custom forensic timeline (Firme H2E)

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