Many people have the misconception that private investigators know everything without having to put in the effort to find out about things. However, that is not true. Private investigators put in a lot of work to find information about a person relevant to the case they are working on. Read on to find out about the techniques private investigators use in order to uncover information.
Professional Database
Private investigators are able to access databases including public records, social network, phone information, credit card information and more. A lot of information about people and businesses are compiled into this database. These databases are not accessible to the public and only experts have exclusive access to this investigative database.
Archived News
Libraries and other online services such as Proquest, LexisNexis and Factiva hold news archives that are available for browsing with a fee. Information within these search engines are not accessible or available in normal search engines like Google or Yahoo.
Court Records
Court records hold a lot of information, and can come in both historical and current form. These court records hold information on cases, including both civil and criminal cases. Private investigators are able to tell a lot about a person’s character based on the charges a person has.
Registrations of Motor Vehicles
Registrations of motor vehicles are often available to the public. Information derived from these registrations can help a private investigator determine the type of car a person is driving. It can also help them investigate cases like hidden assets.
Human Intelligence
A large portion of information that is helpful to private investigators come from people. By interviewing someone’s close friends, relatives, acquaintances, colleagues and family, a private investigator will be able to get a lot of leads that can bring them more information.
Internet
The internet also holds a wealth of information. Things like web pages, comments, links and resumes that are uploaded online under a person’s name can often be accessed even if the content had been erased.
Social Networking Sites
There are many people in the world who use social networking sites frequently. Social networking sites offer a lot of information, especially for people and businesses who are not mindful of the information they are putting on this platform. Often, private investigators will also be able to find leads on the people connected to a business or person through social networking sites.
Public Records
Public records including business deals, property transactions, corporation records can give private investigators a lot of information. Services like LexisNexis and WestLaw usually index such information which make it extremely easy to navigate.
Government Repositories
State government records, securities and exchange commission records, military records and more are just some types of government repositories of information. Such information are usually available online, and can be requested if they are not.
Trash
In many places, trash that has already been taken out is considered public property. As such, people who sort through trash are not violating any laws. Sometimes, useful information containing private details like medical records, phone bills, letters and credit card bills can be found in the trash.
If you feel that you do not have time to go through all the work in order to uncover information about someone, your best option may be to hire a private investigator to do it for you. Private investigators have the skills and expertise and will be able to do a much more efficient job.
Probity Investigations has a team of specialists that are experts in finding out information you want to know. Our team is highly experienced and will aim to help uncover information you need to give you peace of mind. Contact us to schedule a free consultation today.
