What’s the difference between a Private Investigator and a Process Server?

April 5th, 2008

The government (in the form of the SIA) has been wrestling with the definition and still isn’t sure. You see they are trying to license Private Investigators in the UK and in order to do that they have to define what they do.

In all their definitions, what is clear is that a Process Server is not one. As far as I’m aware, a Process Server will not need a SIA license.

Often a Private investigator is also a process server. The main difference is that a PI will be able to carryout investigations and inquiries while a process server will not. They will only be able to serve process. No house to house inquiries, no tracing if the person is not at the address specified.

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Maxim’s Private Investigator

April 1st, 2008

Sometimes you don’t have to do anything and the media write about you. Well tell a lie, Neil Sheppard from Trident Investigations (otherwise known as Provost2000 - ELG) got a call one day from a journalist writing for Maxim Magazine about Private Investigators. He mentions my name as well as another member of ELG and the next thing you know, i get a phone call from said journalist and a telephone interview ensues.

The result? [its on page 45 of the May edition of Maxim Magazine]

Posted in General, News : Chile, Private Investigators | 2 Comments »

How to become a private investigator

March 17th, 2008

I bet that when you think about what a Private Investigator is, you think Sherlock Holmes or ITV’s Vincent or even Magnum. Whatever your preconception, the reality is likely to be very different.

So what is it? What do they do and how do they do it?

The SIA are preparing to license the Private Investigation industry and as a result they had to research all activities that a PI might be involved in. They came up with six main categories of activities that they might be involved in. These are to Implement Investigations, Interview Witnesses, Interview Suspects, Search for Information and Evidence, Carry out Basic Surveillance & Laws, Standards and Regulations. These form a best practice of what a PI should know and what activities they engage in. But that is not the full story.

The actual list of activities is much longer and includes over a hundred activities including surveillance, tracing, insurance fraud, interviewing to name just a few. It seems that process serving may not necessarily be a licensable activity.

There are only three routes into the industry;

1 - Find an established private investigator agency willing to show you the ropes.

2 - Buy into a franchise.

3 - Start up on your own.

So lets have a look at the first option. You will have to convince this hypothetical agency that you will add value to their business, that you will not absorb all their learning and teachings and then go and set up shop across the street in direct competition. This option is a hard nut to crack for the aforementioned reason.

The second option is a better one but only if you have thousands of pounds to give them as franchises are not cheap. I have heard that some are charging £10k or more. On the other hand, they offer you support.

The last option is what most people do. With a website, a telephone and a camera, you can be up and running quite quickly. There are some distance learning courses that are relatively inexpensive and offer good value for money and they give you the underpinning knowledge that you will need to become a professional private investigator.

And remember if you want to network with other PI’s then e-legal | Gathering is the preferred forum of the professional.

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Secret life of Cheaters

March 17th, 2008

It seems that with the outing of Eliot Spitzer’s involvement in a prostitution ring and allegations of people cheating on each other over the internet through sites such as “Second Life” and other sites which specialize in helping you to cheat by providing the cheaters with alibis, Salgado Investigations has to ask if we are suffering a internet sex epidemic?

The internet however is a double edged sword for those using it for their illicit hookups. For those of you who read my article, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Cheaters , you will know that there some things you can do. I won’t go into it here, but a good private investigator would be able to advice you.

In the mean time don’t forget to watch Larry King’s

The secret world of cheaters! Spies, lies and suspicion reign when one person strays. Dr. Drew takes you inside the hidden world of illicit hookups! Insights into infidelity for the hour!

Apparently Jimmie N. Mesis, Editor in Chief/Publisher of PI Magazine will be asked to provide insight into this often difficult subject.

Posted in Surveillance, Private Investigators | No Comments »

Caught Cheating on WebCam (Is it real?)

February 25th, 2008

I’m not sure if this bit of video is real or not but is a great example of how cheaters get caught.

Posted in Surveillance, Private Investigators | No Comments »