Private investigation has become an alternative to many people during the past few years especially those people who wants a rewarding career. It has become an option for people who got tired of corporate living. It offers not only interesting and exciting work opportunities but also self employment. In addition, private investigation can be a high-paying job, too.

The private investigation business is also growing. Businesses are increasing in numbers and the need for private investigators keeps on increasing, too. Job forecasts suggest that the business will be one of the boomers in the next five years within America. This means that either there will be too many private investigation agencies or there would be many individuals who would have a career switch to private investigation.

One of the most in-demand private investigation practice is background investigation. This includes pre-employment screening, tenant checks, and corporate due diligence investigation. With the growing number of companies worldwide and their need for quality employees, the need for pre-employment screening also increases. In New York City, some landlords hire private investigators to determine whether their tenants are violating their lease terms. The investigators look for physical proof of violations like subletting apartments or using residential units for business purposes.

Surveillance is also one of the most lucrative, as well as interesting, investigation practice. A wife suspecting her husband being unfaithful might hire a private detective to follow him. A businessman suspecting his business partner as being dishonest may also hire one. In surveillance, the investigator follows the target and makes a record of where the target goes and who he meets. Surveillance is not an easy job as it is hard to follow people without losing them or being noticed.  It could also be tedious and sometimes take long hours of waiting. A lot of private investigators uses only cameras and simply work from their cars, but there are some big surveillance companies that has sophisticated surveillance vans. But not matter how hard it is, everything pays off when he gets the job done especially when the client is generous.

Private investigation is both lucrative and risky. In some situations an investigator has to be armed such as when he is assigned as a bodyguard for corporate or celebrity clients, as well as politicians. Unfamiliarity with the laws and regulations governing private investigation, which varies from one country or state to another, may lead to disaster or catastrophe. A lot of private investigators have been faced with terrible situations that they are forced to quit and some even lost their lives.

image credits to pfala

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

Not every private investigator has a life as exciting as that of a high-tech spy but that doesn’t mean he has to go analog most of the time. In this day and age, certain investigative jobs will often require the use of equipment that looks like it stepped out of a hit Hollywood movie. Starting a career as a PI? Here are some of the coolest spy gadgets that you, as a PI, can never live without:

Any PI worth his salt will find this cool spy gadget very useful in his investigative work. Mini digital cameras can take still and/or video shots while others even offer night vision for low light situations.

An advantage to mini digital cameras is that they now come in different sizes and forms. Some may be disguised as clock radios or hidden behind the eyes of an innocent looking stuffed toy or even worn as buttons or brooches. Spy gadgets such as these also come wired or wireless for more versatility.

GPS tracking devices
Another cool spy gadget that PIs can never live without is the GPS. When installed or attached to a vehicle, this device can allow the PI to locate and monitor the movements and location of a car and its owner.

Bugs
Bugs are listening devices that are capable of capturing and recording audio evidence. These are essentially small microphones equipped with amplifiers that magnify sound within a specific range. They can either record at source or transmit the audio to be recorded at a remote location.

Night vision
Whether as a separate gadget or integrated into a binocular or camera, night vision equipment is very useful for detective work in low light or complete darkness.

Hidden camera locator
This is a cool spy gadget that protects PIs themselves from being caught by surveillance equipment. Using a laser to scan an area, this gadget can locate both wired and wireless hidden cameras within 30 to 50 feet.

The laser is beamed from the gadget and if there is a hidden camera in the area, it will be shown as a flashing light in the locator’s view port. This will help a PI avoid areas where hidden cameras are so they can perform a more effective and private investigation.

Cameras
Any PI can make like paparazzi and use a camera to capture still or video images for evidence. This is one every important spy gadget that no PI can live without. With the range of advanced features and applications that today’s digital cameras come with, they make for some of the coolest gadgets that any PI will be proud to carry around.

image credits to millzero

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

Not every private investigator has a life as exciting as that of a high-tech spy but that doesn’t mean he has to go analog most of the time. In this day and age, certain investigative jobs will often require the use of equipment that looks like it stepped out of a hit Hollywood movie. Starting a career as a PI? Here are some of the coolest spy gadgets that you, as a PI, can never live without:

Mini digital cameras
Any PI worth his salt will find this cool spy gadget very useful in his investigative work. Mini digital cameras can take still and/or video shots while others even offer night vision for low light situations.

An advantage to mini digital cameras is that they now come in different sizes and forms. Some may be disguised as clock radios or hidden behind the eyes of an innocent looking stuffed toy or even worn as buttons or brooches. Spy gadgets such as these also come wired or wireless for more versatility.

GPS tracking devices
Another cool spy gadget that PIs can never live without is the GPS. When installed or attached to a vehicle, this device can allow the PI to locate and monitor the movements and location of a car and its owner.

Bugs
Bugs are listening devices that are capable of capturing and recording audio evidence. These are essentially small microphones equipped with amplifiers that magnify sound within a specific range. They can either record at source or transmit the audio to be recorded at a remote location.

Night vision
Whether as a separate gadget or integrated into a binocular or camera, night vision equipment is very useful for detective work in low light or complete darkness.

Hidden camera locator
This is a cool spy gadget that protects PIs themselves from being caught by surveillance equipment. Using a laser to scan an area, this gadget can locate both wired and wireless hidden cameras within 30 to 50 feet.

The laser is beamed from the gadget and if there is a hidden camera in the area, it will be shown as a flashing light in the locator’s view port. This will help a PI avoid areas where hidden cameras are so they can perform a more effective and private investigation.

Cameras
Any PI can make like paparazzi and use a camera to capture still or video images for evidence. This is one every important spy gadget that no PI can live without. With the range of advanced features and applications that today’s digital cameras come with, they make for some of the coolest gadgets that any PI will be proud to carry around.

image credits to Dunechaser

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

Anybody with the right kind of skills and techniques can play the part of a private investigator. However, if you wish to make it your business or career, you will need to have a license. Here are some important information regarding private investigation licensure that you might find useful:

Why you need a private investigation licensure
In most states, you will need to have a license to do business as a PI. A private investigation licensure is proof that you are competent in your field and that you can work within accepted legal limitations, something that is often required for civil or criminal cases. Licensure also requires continuous training, which is mandatory in many states.

Qualifications for a private investigation licensure
Generally, private investigators have had experience working in other jobs. It’s not uncommon for policemen and detectives and even billing collection and insurance agents, for example, to shift to private investigation work. Some may also enter the field after working in investigative reporting, commercial credit, military, law enforcement and other jobs that require some form of investigation or audit.

Many people also become private investigators as their second career, after serving years in another field of work.

Educational requirements for private investigation licensure
Although most types of private investigation jobs do not require formal education, many PIs are college graduates or have Associate’s degrees. Courses include police science, criminal justice and other related degrees in the PI’s chosen field of work such as accounting, law or business administration.

If a PI wishes to focus on computer forensics, for example, he will need to have a degree in computer science or at least have a minimum of 15 credits in the subject. In some cases, professional degrees, Master’s or PhDs may be required, depending on the job.

Other requirements for private investigation licensure
The kind of licensure requirements for private investigators varies from one state to the next. Some states may have strict requirements while others may have less stringent demands. The minimum age usually starts at 18. There are also a minimum number of years that the PI must be in practice. Some states, such as California, require at least 3 years of experience.

Private investigation licensure also requires that the PI is in good standing with the law and have a clean criminal history. This is verified with the state’s Department of Justice and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Qualifying exams on laws, rules and regulations regarding the practice must also be passed. If the PI wants to carry a handgun, the necessary firearms permit must also be acquired.

image credits to Johnny

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

Finding out that your spouse is cheating on you could be the worst truth that you can ever find out. However, it is one truth that you NEED to find out so that peace and harmony can be regained in the home setting.

There are many signs to know if your spouse is cheating and it’s not very hard to see. Sometimes, simple gut feeling will tell you that something is going on behind your back. There are several unusual ways, though, that will make you learn about your cheating husband or wife. Read on to see whether there is something serious to worry about or it is simply your insecurities that are emerging.

1. One weird way to find out is when your husband or wife of many years starts wanting to be sexually adventurous when before, he or she was very traditional.

2. Sexual acts lack the intimacy they used to have before. Maybe, your spouse is actually feeling guilty that he/she is cheating on his/her lover. That’s weird!

3. All of a sudden, you don’t look too attractive to him anymore and he actually has the guts to say it.

4. You can be suspicious when your spouse suddenly tells you stories about someone trying to hit on him but he has not shown interest on that person.

5. Going out to do mundane chores such as buying something in the store takes longer than usual. Also, it seems like there’s always somewhere to go, something he did not usually do.

6. Suddenly, your husband or wife is getting more calls and these calls are usually short. And what’s really weird is that he or she suddenly puts down the phone when you come near.

7. Another unusual thing about your spouse is that he is suddenly eating new kinds of foods.

8. And then, why is your spouse suddenly telling you to go out more often with your friends when he usually did not like you doing too much of that before. Maybe he says that he goes out with his friends often anyway but if you wanted to go out with him, he would find all sorts of excuses not to go out with you.

9. Why does it seem that your spouse looks like he has showered but has not been taking showers at your home for several days now?

10. Lastly, how come there are always two sets of food trash like two empty cups when there’s always one before?

There you go! It is time to take some action. Use your investigatory skills and find out for yourself if your spouse has been fooling you all this time. After all, no one deserves to be treated this way.

image credits to Auntie P

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

Anybody with the right kind of skills and techniques can play the part of a private investigator.  However, if you wish to make it your business or career, you will need to have a license.  Here are some important information regarding private investigation licensure that you might find useful:

Why you need a private investigation licensure
In most states, you will need to have a license to do business as a PI.  A private investigation licensure is proof that you are competent in your field and that you can work within accepted legal limitations, something that is often required for civil or criminal cases.  Licensure also requires continuous training, which is mandatory in many states.

Qualifications for a private investigation licensure
Generally, private investigators have had experience working in other jobs.  It’s not uncommon for policemen and detectives and even billing collection and insurance agents, for example, to shift to private investigation work.  Some may also enter the field after working in investigative reporting, commercial credit, military, law enforcement and other jobs that require some form of investigation or audit.

Many people also become private investigators as their second career, after serving years in another field of work.

Educational requirements for private investigation licensure
Although most types of private investigation jobs do not require formal education, many PIs are college graduates or have Associate’s degrees.  Courses include police science, criminal justice and other related degrees in the PI’s chosen field of work such as accounting, law or business administration.

If a PI wishes to focus on computer forensics, for example, he will need to have a degree in computer science or at least have a minimum of 15 credits in the subject.  In some cases, professional degrees, Master’s or PhDs may be required, depending on the job.

The kind of licensure requirements for private investigators varies from one state to the next.  Some states may have strict requirements while others may have less stringent demands.  The minimum age usually starts at 18.  There are also a minimum number of years that the PI must be in practice.  Some states, such as California, require at least 3 years of experience.

Private investigation licensure also requires that the PI is in good standing with the law and have a clean criminal history.  This is verified with the state’s Department of Justice and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Qualifying exams on laws, rules and regulations regarding the practice must also be passed.  If the PI wants to carry a handgun, the necessary firearms permit must also be acquired.

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

Hiring a private investigator may seem like an extreme choice to some but it has helped many people in solving many personal and business-related problems. They are also highly skilled in investigative work, interviewing witnesses and obtaining important documentation and records as evidence. But will hiring a PI cost a lot? And if it does, how much would it set you back? Here are some things you ought to know:

Cost = type of work + expertise
Not every PI will charge the same rate. For general investigative work such as obtaining court records and files, for example, a private investigator may charge as little as $40 an hour. For work that involves locating and interviewing witnesses, the cost may be higher, with some investigators charging as much as $100 an hour, depending on the level of difficulty involved.

An experienced PI can also set you back by several hundred dollars an hour for more intricate investigative jobs. A PI with many years of experience behind him and an admirable track record in the business may even charge you $300 to $400 an hour for an assignment. If he or she has to use specialized equipment, expect to spend more than that.

The type of work a PI will have to perform will also set you back by a lot. If he or she is required to travel, you might have to spend for travel expenses, accommodation and even allowance. If the job is dangerous, a PI will also charge at a higher cost.

Generally, expect the cost of hiring a PI to set you back by as little as $500 for a simple job to about $5,000 for a more complicated job. If the assignment is more complicated and requires time to complete, then expect to pay tens of thousands of dollars for one job alone.

Cost varies
There are different kinds of private investigators for different kinds of investigative cases. You would, for example, hire a PI specializing in computer forensics if you wish to obtain evidence kept as electronic files. If your problem is related to marital infidelity, you will need a PI with sufficient experience in the field.

If the cost of hiring a PI can set you back by an amount you can ill afford, consider carefully if there are other methods of investigation that you can do on your own or at a small cost. If not, then make sure to shop around for a PI that offers a reliable service for the kind of charges you can afford or at least, negotiate a flat rate.

image credits to Shellys

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

Thanks to the power of technology, many different fields of study are able to do their work faster. In the field of private investigation, computers, DNA fingerprinting, and other new tools can make investigation go smoother and faster. However, not all investigations will require DNA fingerprinting to be performed, and not all investigations will involve the use of computers. In other words, some people can really make themselves disappear or do a lot of nasty things without getting discovered. In these cases, there are still old school private investigation techniques that can help private investigators push their cases forward.

One method that’s been tried and tested is background investigation. Many investigators today will rely on the power of the Internet to look for client information. However, a lot of data has not yet been put online, and once private investigators find themselves in backwoods, they can lose their cellular phone signal and access to the Internet. In this case, they need to know how to interview people about their suspects or subjects without looking like they are prying. They also need to know how and where to look up historical records in a community. This includes knowing how to look at land titles, education records, pre-employment checks, and others.

Learning how to decode body language is a little harder to do if you do not have a background in the behavioral sciences, but many private investigators have learned how to read people from movement, appearance, mannerisms, behavior, and the way people dress or carry themselves. In the absence of secret chat messages or forum posts, in the absence of DNA evidence or computers, people can still give away a lot about themselves through their behavior, and there are techniques to decode these cues. Private investigators need to point out little details and, like the fictional Sherlock Holmes, make their own conclusions based on these cues put together.

Camouflage and surveillance techniques are essential for private investigation. Such techniques will involve bugging and the use of sophisticated computers, but when the power goes out and if private investigators have no tools with them, they still need to know how the basics of surveillance. In general, this involves keeping people under observation without them knowing it. This can be as simple as following someone around, or as intensive as a stakeout.

These are only a few old techniques that still work in the rapidly developing world of private investigation. There may be better DNA fingerprinting techniques, better ways of tracking down suspects digitally, better ways of finding missing persons – but the basics remain the same, and they are essential for beginners to know and understand.

image credits to nickhall

Re-Tweet This Post RSS

Private investigation has grown considerably in recent decades, taking cues and drawing from disciplines such as molecular biology, forensic science, and behavioral science. There are more tools that private investigators can use when dealing with their subjects, and these tools can make investigation easier, not to mention faster.

Surveillance systems used to be bulky, and private investigators often needed large vans to hold their machines together. Today, some private investors will use large vans, but others can rely on microchip-sized spying equipment. With the advent of Internet technology, private investigators will not even need a bug – they can use the Internet to gather phone records, and to go through archives of chats, message board posts, and even forum posts in order to find out more about their clients. Because messaging and information dissemination are so much faster and less reliant on old machines, private investigators can have an easier time tracking their subjects down.

Moreover, because of networking technology, private investigators can see PC’s from afar: when their subjects turn on their computers, private investigators can spy and know what the subjects are doing, what they are accessing online, and what files they are downloading. Such technology can be useful for tracking the activities of cheating spouses, or for cracking down on pornography rings, which start online. However, private investigators have to always be one step ahead of their subjects, as evolving technology also enables people to find ways to cover their tracks skillfully.

But what happens when you cannot track what a person is doing? Thankfully, we always leave something behind, and this time, private investigators can make use of DNA technology in order to identify cells that their subjects might leave behind at a certain location – this can point to a person being in that location, and, coupled with circumstantial plus eyewitness evidence, can be useful in the courts of law. DNA identification can be carried out on skin cells, hair (through the hair follicles), semen (especially in rape cases), and even sputum, which carries buccal, or inner cheek cells.

Private investigators can use these new techniques in order to track down people, get a clearer view of their subjects’ habits, and, in general, support law enforcement officers in bringing people to justice. As the Internet becomes all the more pervasive, and as more and more people find ways to elude the force of the law, private investigators will need to have better tools of their trade in order to do their job and keep up with the changing times.

image credits to Travis Gray

Re-Tweet This Post RSS