The internet age has made it easier than ever to save time and find the right private investigator to suit your needs. Websites that aggregate reviews make it simple to check multiple firm’s reputations at once. Utilizing email means investigators can respond to your inquiries lightning quick. With that in mind, here’s a few tips to help you find the right private investigator.
Find customer reviews and ask for references
Every business aims to satisfy it’s customers and private investigation firms are no different. One of the biggest benefits of the internet is the ability to quickly find reviews of just about anything. The Better Business Bureau, Yelp and Angie’s list are examples websites dedicated to keeping customers informed by aggregating reviews.
You can go to any of those sites and read hundreds of reviews from customers to help you figure out where to do business. Sometimes customers will give bad reviews for reasons outside of the business’s control. Luckily most review centric sites show the average of all reviews to help you determine if that bad review was an isolated incident or not.
Another way to determine where to spend your money is by asking the firm directly for references. Quality firms will be able to present references on request and if they can’t then it should set of alarm bells for potential clients. Always ask for references and reach out to as many past clients as you can.
You shouldn’t have to wait for a response to your inquiries
When you inquire with an investigation firm about doing business with them you should expect a quick response. With the advent of email it doesn’t make any sense that you would have to wait days to find out if you’re going to do business with a company or not. You may not get a fleshed out response right away, but it’s reasonable to expect acknowledgment of your request as soon as possible.
It benefits the client and the firm to respond expeditiously. Fast correspondence helps lay the groundwork for the level of service a client can expect and reflects the attention and importance with which a firm will serve them. Firms responding slowly or sporadically to your inquiries could be indicative of how they’ll handle your case. Do you want to wait for information about your case or do you want to know everything as soon as your investigators do?
Can they offer you a written cost estimate?
Ask anyone what the three most important considerations for where they do business are and you’re guaranteed to hear “price” listed early and often. Everyone is working within the constraints of their budget. Knowing what you’re going to spend ahead of time can help you maximize available funds and prevent unneeded stress.
Veteran investigators should be able to provide you with an estimate of the costs of your case, but it’s important that you get it in writing. Getting a written estimate will minimize the chances of miscommunication and confusion when the final bill arrives. Clients shouldn’t be caught off guard by the costs of the investigators work and veteran P.I.s understand this.
For Private Investigation Inquiry contact Thomas Lauth, Lauth Investigations 317-951-1100
David Schroeder, Blog Writer, Lauth Investigations International
Any experienced private investigator will tell you that social media has become one of the most powerful tools for things like locating missing people and digging up any necessary information. While hiring a professional will always net the best results, there are some actions that even a novice can use to get the ball rolling on a social media investigation before having to bring in an expert. Let’s take a look.
Start with Google. The easiest place to begin a social media search is through the popular search engine Google. A quick check may reveal links to all the different social networks your target is using, as well as other interactions and mentions on the web. If you’re not getting the results you’re looking for, try searching different variations of the name.
Check out Knowem. This nifty social search engine allows you to conduct an instant search of more than 500 different social networks. While it’s primary purpose is to locate brand information, it can also be used to search peoples’ names as well as usernames they may have on various social platforms.
Use Facebook’s “Find Friends” feature. A great place to start is by conducting a search on Facebook through the platform’s “Find Friends” feature. You can narrow your search by geographic location, schools attended, employers and more. Of course, the results you get will ultimately depend on the person’s privacy settings.
Try doing a reverse image search. There are several different platforms that allow you to upload or include a URL to a photo and conduct a reverse search. (A popular one is called TinEye.) If you have a photograph of the person you’re trying to locate, you may be able to uncover information this way.
Don’t forget Instagram. Many times people forget about other social media sites like Instagram. This photo sharing app allows you to conduct a search by username and just regular name. It might be a shot in the dark, but with over 300 million monthly active users, it’s worth a shot.
Of course, sometimes locating a person via the internet simply isn’t possible for a layperson, particularly if the target has taken conscious measures to ensure they aren’t found. If you’ve tried all of the suggestions above and are still coming up empty, you may want to consider enlisting the help of an experienced private investigator. Contact us today to learn how we can help you locate the person or persons you need to find.
There are a number of reasons a business may need to locate a former employee, whether it’s due to impropriety or to access the information they’re privy to, such as insider knowledge about the corporation or other employees. While many organizations choose to hire private investigators to do the necessary digging for them, others may prefer to conduct or at least begin the investigation on their own. That said, here are a few helpful tips of where you can start your search and hopefully find the information you’re looking for.
Search Engines – This may seem like the most obvious method, but in many cases, all it takes is a simple Google search to locate the person you’re after. (Hint: look for news and publications, like press releases, that may include contact information on where the party in question now resides or works).
Professional Organizations – Many of these organizations maintain member lists which are available to the public. Check groups that are closely related to your industry and/or the employee’s particular expertise.
Public Records – If applicable, you may be able to find the information you need by checking with local licensing boards. Additionally, corporate and SEC filings often contain detailed info, as to litigation records.
Archive.org – This website contains a wealth of information on just about everything under the sun. In fact, it’s widely considered to be one of the largest digital collections of information on the Internet today. Put it to good use.
LinkedIn – First, set your profile to private to ensure anonymity when viewing other LinkedIn profiles. In many cases, a basic search will yield the results you’re after. In others, you may only be able to access a portion of a profile. You may be able to get around this, however, through the “People Also Viewed” area on another member’s profile.
Social Media – People often neglect to do the simplest thing – set their personal social media profiles to private. If you’re lucky, you may be able to gather all the information you need via the person’s social channels.
Of course, if the person you’re trying to locate has taken measures to keep his or her identity and/or location private, the methods above may yield no viable results. In cases such as that, or in instances where time is of the essence, employing the services of an experienced private investigator may make the most sense.
Lauth Investigations, Intl. offers professional investigation services to help corporations and businesses with all their employee location needs. Give us a call 800-889-3463 to discuss how we might assist with your specific case.
