No doubt you’ve seen it in the movies before. A private detective is trailing the prime suspect. And he uses every tool and trick available to solve the case!
In reality, private detectives don’t quite work like that. So if you’re thinking of hiring a detective, you need to know what they can and can’t do. And how they can help you!
A private detective can help you with several situations, from checking employment history to fraud.
Keep reading our guide to find out exactly what they do and where you can find Private Detective Long Island, NY!
What Is a Private Investigator
A private investigator is usually self-employed, or they work for a private investigation agency.
In the US, requirements from state to state to become a private investigator can vary, but most require an exam and educational requirements to be licensed.
Many private investigators are retired law enforcement officers or detectives and have degrees in Criminal Justice, criminology, or social sciences. They have to be knowledgeable in running their own business and the laws around the work they do.
And above all, they’re great at finding information that they can use to help you. But a private investigator has to do all of this while following the law.
What Can a Private Investigator Do
People hire private investigators to find out information about a person or business. Information can be anything from searching for birth parents, looking for a missing person, or checking a company’s security level.
Private investigators who know what they’re doing, like Flatirons Private Investigations, can efficiently work on various cases. They know where to search to find what information you need. They will usually start with searching:
- Tax records
- Any real estate transactions
- Birth and death records
- Court case records
- Voter registrations
- Business license records
- Any vital statistics
- DMV records
Next, they will analyze this data for you and let you know what they find. But this is not where a private investigator’s usefulness ends. They can do so much more!
Employment Verification
Employment Verification and pre-employment are also something a private investigator can help you do thoroughly. An investigator can easily verify education, previous employment history, and information about their character.
Verification is crucial in schools, hospitals, government offices, and financial businesses to verify who they’re hiring can be trusted.
The investigator will check things like credit histories, criminal records, professional licenses, lawsuits, and court judgments.
Cheating
If you suspect your spouse is cheating, then you can hire a private investigator to help you confirm and document your suspicions. Documentation is beneficial if you need evidence that will stand up in court.
Before the mission begins, the private investigator will sit down with you to get as much information on your spouse as possible. Hobbies, activities, type of job, social media, and email activity are some things they will ask you.
Next comes the surveillance. Discretely following your spouse is at the top of the list while capturing photos, videos, and audio recordings.
Fraud
A private investigator can be your new best friend if you need help investigating fraud. They can analyze your business for financial fraud, employees for worker’s compensation and insurance fraud.
A private investigator can even investigate a corporation, a potential business partner, or a security breach.
What Can’t a Private Investigator Do?
Believe it or not, there are a lot of things a private investigator can’t do. First of all, a private investigator is not a police officer and can’t go around arresting people.
If they find evidence of a crime during their investigation, they can only contact the police department and share any evidence.
Even if a private investigator witnesses a crime, they can still only contact the police. They are not allowed to impersonate a police officer or carry any badge that makes people believe they are.
Other things they can’t do include:
A private investigator is not allowed to trespass. There is no entering houses or buildings they don’t have permission to enter. It may seem obvious, yet worth mentioning, that they can’t pick locks, break windows, or strongarm their way through a door.
Private investigators have to be especially careful with wiretapping conversations. The laws vary depending on where you live. Some states require only one party to consent, meaning the investigator can record the conversation without the other person knowing.
Other states require two-party consent, meaning both people have to consent to the recording. So many times, it isn’t possible for your investigator to even attempt this.
Your private investigator also can’t go around peeping in windows and taking pictures. The no peeping rule may disappoint you if you’re hoping to catch a cheating spouse, but it is the law. In most places, an investigator can’t even take pictures of a person in their backyard.
And no hacking into online accounts is allowed either! While private investigators do most of their work online, the most they can do is check social media accounts to see what is publicly posted. They can’t hack into a Facebook account, email, or personal computer to get information on somebody.
You also can’t expect an investigator to obtain a personal bank account, phone, or financial records without the other person’s consent. They may find out which bank the account is at, but nothing more than that.
Private Detective
Now you know what a private detective can and can’t do. It’s time to get to work at hiring one confidently.
Whether you need help finding a long-lost relative or finding out what your spouse is up to, a private detective has you covered.
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