Comments on: So You Want My Job: Private Investigator

By: L. Scott Harrell

L. Scott Harrell — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:21:54 +0000

@Jim

Types of cases typically worked by private investigators:

Surveillance
Covert Video Surveillance and Photography
Mobile Surveillance (“Tailing”)
Covert Video Cameras- Sales, Rental, and Installation
Counter Surveillance and Counter Stalking

Insurance
Defense
Workman’s Compensation
General Liability
Premises Liability
Product Liability
Maritime Insurance Liability and Recovery
Automobile Insurance Fraud

Corporate Investigations
Employee and Management Awareness Training
Competitive Intelligence
Counter Espionage
Loss Prevention & Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement
Internal Theft- Employee Malfeasance and Vendor Theft
Thefts from External Sources (Customers, Burglaries and Robberies)
Intellectual Property Management
Copyright and Patent Infringement
Signal Theft, Unauthorized Exhibition, and TV Programming Piracy
Pre-Employment Investigation
Undercover Employee Investigations
Employee Termination

Civil and Domestic Cases
Service of Process, Legal Process Servers and Subpoena Delivery
Employment Claims
Slander and Libel
Judgment Enforcement and Recovery
Nursing Home Abuse Investigations
Divorce
Activity Checks
Child Custody and Custody Exchange Stand-By
Premarital
Cheating Spouses and Infidelity

Skip Tracing and Locating Missing People
What is Skip Tracing?
Finding Friends & Family
Collections and Asset Investigations
Bail Enforcement and Fugitive Recovery (Bounty Hunting)
Missing Children
Missing Heirs
Escheat Accounts and Unclaimed Money
Collateral Recovery And Repossession
Adoptee/ Birthparent Searches

Forensic Computer Examination- Home and Business
Network Intrusion
Wireless Network Security
Personal Safety and Information Security Audits
Email Tracing
Internet Profiling

Criminal Defense Investigations

Political and Discovery Assignments

Scott Harrell
Pursuit Magazine
http://pursuitmag.com

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:09:44 +0000

I did this type of work for an Inspector General in New York City. Its interesting work – I did all white collar crime – I was and am a lawyer – I also became a Certified Fraud Examiner. The best guys are always networking, reading as Dave said – always thinking about approaching things from a different angle. I also have to say that surveilance is exactly what Mark said – hours of sitting and then waiting for the money shot. I had to get a shot of a government employee (video) of him meeting with another person – thats just when traffic got bad and obstructed my view, a traffic enforecemnt agent tried to get me to move my car, and a bunch pf kids started telling po po (I was in the Bronx). A lot of waiting around, but the work had its moments. OH PS there is a lot of report writing and dealing with people – so you should be a good communicator

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By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:12:05 +0000

Oh, yeah, I have a rottweiler story, too. Two of them, in an unfenced yard, in the dark. At first I thought they were Clydesdales, but then they barked. I decided that I really didn’t want to go there.

Then there was the workers’ comp surveillance I did – in a patch of poison oak…

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:01:16 +0000

Good article. I’m also a P.I. in California. I do very little surveillance. Most of my work involves criminal cases, background investigations and personal injury cases.

Overall, investigators of any stripe must be renaissance people, with broad knowledge, and a constant thirst for more. Every successful P.I. I know is an ardent reader, and is always studying something.

One skill pervades all investigative work: communication. One of the most important classes you would take in school is English. You could be the best in the world at getting information, but if you cannot communicate it thoroughly, accurately and understandably, you are worthless.

You build your reputation on thoroughness, accuracy and honesty. Anything else will leave you unemployed, or worse — much worse.

By: Sinai

Sinai — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:05:28 +0000

Very good summary. Mr. Lemon sounds like a skilled investigator. I’m in the private investigation business in New York. Most of my work is in the background check/due diligence/asset search areas, but we have plenty of surveillance work also, and Mr. Lemon’s description of the work is spot on, in my opinion.

By: Joe Lon Mackey

Joe Lon Mackey — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:53:44 +0000

@Jim,

Most of their clients are paranoid wives who hire them to follow their husbands that they suspect of cheating on them. Typically, as a nice side benefit and by-product of the wives being in such a fragile state, the PI gets plenty of good MILF action out of this scenario.

By: Jase

Jase — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:53:02 +0000

Oh man, I’ve thought before that being PI might be cool next time I’m due for a career change, but when I read the rottweiler story I near peed myself in an unmanly fashion. Back to the career advisor!

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:26:19 +0000

Great article-I love this series.

I had a question for Mark. You say that you work with workers comp cases, but I’m curious about the kinds of cases other PI’s do. What kind of stuff are they hired for?

By: zac

zac — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:23:26 +0000

“insert myself with my video camera into her area through some very thick woods.”

sounds dirty.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:57:05 +0000

AWESOME little piece, you guys.

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By: So You Want My Job: Private Investigator

So You Want My Job: Private Investigator — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:56:35 +0000

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