At the most basic level, the job of a private detective is to find out the facts. This could be facts about personal or family matters, or it could be information concerning a business or corporation. A professional PI handles sensitive information in a responsible manner while revealing the truth of a situation.
A top-notch accredited private investigator is:
- Ethical
- Legal
- Discreet
- Tactful
- Efficient
- Effective
The four main areas that benefit from the skills of a private detective are fraud detection, legal matters, domestic disputes and business intelligence.
Fraud Detection
This is a major part of private detective work because there are so many types of fraud. Insurance fraud is one category, and insurance companies sometimes hire a PI to expose fraudulent claims through surveillance. Another area of investigative fraud detection is personal injury claims.
Disability claims are sometimes investigated if there’s a suspicion that a person may be trying to defraud the government or a company. A private detective can find out the facts of a case through surveillance recordings and interviews with people who have come in contact with the individual filing a claim.
Sometimes people or businesses will engage the services of a private investigator to find individuals who have failed to pay a debt and are in hiding. This is commonly referred to as skip tracing. In this situation, research skills are employed to find clues that can lead to the debtor. There are many avenues that might be useful to an investigator, and, all are checked thoroughly.
Legal Matters
Private investigators sometimes perform background work for lawyers. For example, a PI might locate witnesses or turn up evidence for a defence lawyer. A private detective sometimes assists with a legal case by finding corroborating evidence and gathering first-person accounts. This kind of investigative work can provide an accurate and documented timeline of events that will hold up in court.
Domestic Disputes
This job covers situations involving relationships and families. One common assignment for a PI is surveillance of a spouse to determine if they’re an unfaithful husband or wife. This type of information can bring peace of mind to the person who’s being cheated on, and it’s sometimes used as evidence in disputed divorce cases.
A private detective can also have a role in child custody disputes. In this case, the investigator will speak to people who might have information that could help sway the court in their client’s favour.
Business Intelligence
Sometimes, a private investigator will assist a company with debt collection or locating an item that’s due to be repossessed.
Private detectives also help businesses and corporations by:
- Conducting pre-employment background checks
- Locating computer viruses
- Detecting workplace espionage
- Exposing company theft
- Finding missing assets
- Providing business intelligence
- Reviewing documents for fraud
Quality Investigative Services
In both personal and business investigations, the role of the licensed investigator is to find out the facts discreetly and efficiently, while staying within the boundaries of the law. Privacy breaches and physical trespass may expedite an investigation, but a true professional has no need to bend the rules. Instead, a qualified and experienced private detective relies on skill and hard work to successfully conclude an investigation.