Personal Surveillance Faqs

By Author: Matthew James
Total Articles: 15
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The world of private investigations can be intimidating for most people. After all, you may go most of your adult life before you ever need these types of services, so it’s only logical that you are not sure where to begin, or even know what types of questions you should ask.

Below are a list of some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to deciding if personal surveillance is right for your case, and what you can expect.

Question 1: How do I get started?

The first step in personal surveillance is to screen several professionals to find the one that best suits your needs. Most PIs these days have websites which outline their services and credentials, and may even give price ranges. You should also have a preliminary conversation with them to outline your objectives and find out if they are realistic before jumping right in – as sometimes what you want may not be possible.

One word of caution: don’t buy on price alone. Many of the best investigators charge more for their services, but they earn it in terms of better results. Be careful hiring the least expensive service you can ...
... find as you may get what you pay for.

Question 2: How do I get a good estimate of what I will be spending?

After you’ve chosen a PI, the first step is establishing a surveillance plan – as planning is critical in this business for a couple of reasons. First, better planning reduces your costs. The less time your investigator spends chasing loose ends the less expensive the total cost will be. Additionally, the better your PI understands your needs and expectations, the better job they can do of realistically estimating the effort needed to accomplish this. Secondly, good planning improves the chances of a successful outcome – where success is defined by getting an answer to the questions you have which lead you to inquire about personal surveillance in the first place.

Now, in terms of what the overall cost will be, there are a few things to take into account. First is the number of people it will take to get the job done. If your case involved basic surveillance on one individually, most likely this can be accomplished with just one agent. However, if your case is more complex others may be required. Another consideration is the skill set and technology required to complete your task. For instance, surveillance that requires the use of certain high tech equipment may increase your budget, as well as

Question 3: What do I do once it starts?

Once your investigator is hired, and your plan is in place, you should try your best to relax and let your chosen team do its work. As hard as it sounds, try to act normal as to not alert the person you are watching that something may be out of the ordinary. Try to stick, to your normal routines as much as possible, and try not to act suspicious or jumpy.

Question 4: Will the person find out I hired an investigator?

Most likely not, but this is always a risk you run. However, it can be minimized by hiring the right professionals which is why your selection process is so important. Generally speaking, a good PI will take all the necessary steps to ensure the investigation remains unknown, and above all that your identity remains protected. However, certain individuals may eventually suspect they are being “tailed” and become suspicious, especially if your behavior changes as we outlined earlier.

Question 4: What happens at the end?

The purpose of a personal investigation is to collect evidence in the form of photos, videos, activity logs, etc. that you can use to support your case or claim. Whether or not this evidence can be used in legal or criminal proceedings may depend on the type of case and evidence being collected.

If you would like to learn more about personal investigations, contact the professionals at Prudential Associates. They have conducted more than 20,000 investigations in their 40 years of service and have extensive experience in sensitive matters such as domestic investigations that uncover things such as cheating spouses.