There are many reasons why an individual or company might hire a private investigator. But the one constant is that anyone employed in the service must operate within the private investigator UK laws.
Private investigators are regulated and therefore must follow rules and ethics while on a case.
Those working within the industry can use various techniques to garner information for their clients.
A major reason to hire a private investigator is to trace a missing person or persons.
It may be a genuine missing person case or someone who has gone into hiding to avoid paying a debt but information is out there to help locate people.
Open-source intelligence
Companies have the ability to use open-source intelligence (OSINT) to help trace missing people.
As the name suggests, this involves collecting and analysing data from sources available to the public.
But it can be a time-consuming exercise and one that requires trained individuals to ensure the data gathered produces worthwhile intelligence that can then be used to the benefit of a client.
OSINT comes from many sources, with print media such as newspapers and magazines regularly used.
But the internet is now the first port of call for anyone looking to find information on an individual.
Social media has changed the way the world operates – not always for the better!
But it remains an incredible source of information on those who use it and a prime tool for investigators.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube give private investigators an instant window into the lives of individuals or companies.
Social media is the quickest way to obtain data and can be scrutinised time and again.
OSINT can also come from public government data, financial and industrial assessments and databases.
Photographic evidence
Using photos has long been a method for obtaining information on a target.
Gathering evidence on a suspected cheating partner is a common reason for hiring a private investigator.
Sophisticated cameras on mobile phones mean there is no longer the need for an agent to carry around a camera which might give the game away and ruin the chance to obtain vital pictorial evidence.
GPS Tracking
GPS tracking involves fitting a very small tracking device to a car or vehicle.
It is an excellent method for obtaining information on a person’s whereabouts but is limited in its usage due to the law.
Trackers can only be used if consent is given by the user. One way to overcome this in a cheating partner case would be for the man / woman involved to lend their car to the one suspected of cheating.
Permission to fit a GPS device would therefore have been given by the owner prior to being lent.
Surveillance
Private investigators cannot carry out any work on private property but they can follow someone in a public place.
This technique provides clients with information on where the target has been, what they were doing, who they spoke to or what they purchased, etc.
OpSec Solutions is a professional, trustworthy company that will provide a private investigator Manchester clients can rely on to obtain the desired results.