Hi All,

I'm five days late, but this sub has been changed to restricted. No new posts are allowed, and no new posters will be approved. However, we are leaving it open and available to review the wealth of information that it has accumulated over the past 9+ years.

Thank you to all contributors and subscribers, and please, if you have not already, join us all at /r/trueprivinv.

Thanks!

Hi! I'm curious: when a PI is tasked with finding a missing person, what if they realize that person doesn't want to be found? I'm wary of missing persons posts circulated on social media because sometimes it's turned out to be abusers of the victim who got away trying to find them again -- has anyone had a similar kind of experience of being hired to find someone who got away and realizing it?

At what point do you give a client information about whereabouts and how much specificity? Has anyone ever warned a client someone is looking for them? And is it a regular part of your job to meet the person you've been looking for at the end of a missing persons case, or just report back to the client?

Hi All,

The mods have decided to shut down this subreddit. It has provided great value to the investigative community, no doubt. However, we have decided to focus on growing the membership, participation, and resources of /r/trueprivinv for the following reasons:

1. The membership is largely overlapping;
2. There are approximately 1,000 more members in /r/trueprivinv;
3. The mods are largely overlapping;
4. There is more traffic and participation on /r/trueprivinv.

Starting on November 1, 2021, this sub will be closed to new posts, but will however remain open as a resource of historical information to investigators and others. Please, in the meantime, consider voluntarily posting only to /r/trueprivinv**,** without cross-posting here as well.

Thank you all for participating here, and we hope to see you at /r/trueprivinv soon! If you have questions, please feel free to comment them on this stickied post.

Any mods that moderate /r/privinv but do not moderate /r/trueprivinv will have the opportunity to become mods at /r/trueprivinv.

I’m interested in becoming a private investigator. Coincidently, it’s about time for me to buy a new vehicle. Is there a general consensus on what type is best for the job? If so, what about specific makes and models?

I worked in loss prevention for years and had a coworker for a while who was also a P.I. He owned a minivan, claiming that he preferred them because they were good for setting up in the back for video surveillance.

I also read someplace—sorry, I don’t remember the source—that the LAPD’s SIS used compact and subcompact vehicles because of their maneuverability.

As the title states, I am confused on the sunset of Dora on P. I. licensing. As of August 31st 2021, need a license or not?

Per Sunset legislation the Colorado Office of Private Investigator Licensure has ended effective August 31, 2021, and licenses are no longer valid after that date.  On July 11, 2020, Governor Jared Polis vetoed House Bill 20-1207: Concerning the Continuation of the Regulation of Private Investigators. In his veto letter, he cited the Colorado Office of Policy Research and Regulatory Reform (COPRRR) Sunset Review of this regulatory program and other factors leading to his action. 

As a newly licensed PI I would like to hear from people in the business, how do you market yourselves? What are effective means of gaining business? I‘m a terrible salesman, does that mean I will need to work with someone else to take care of my marketing/sales? Would love to hear your thoughts from those with experience.

Hey all. I recently became more involved with the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC). They release periodic speaker spotlights on their Rocky Mountain Investigator Conference. Today's speaker spotlight for the PPIAC 2021 Rocky Mountain Investigators Conference is Ray Pezolt, CPP, DTM! Unfortunately, of all things I won't be able to make it because I'll be traveling for a conference for my MBA (quantic.edu), but it sounds amazing and you all should go. I know for anyone out of town they have a discounted block of hotel rooms at the same hotel as the conference, but I think the discount is about to end.

Mr. Pezolt has been performing investigations and operating his own private investigation and consulting company for 45 years. As Manager of Consulting and Investigations for Advantage Security, Inc. in Aurora, CO, his duties include supervising investigators and performing investigations in the Rocky Mountain Region.

After four years in The US Navy, Mr. Pezolt went to work for a large security company and rapidly advanced to the investigation division. He worked for a short time as security director of a major food distribution company before starting his own investigation company in 1976. The company specialized in business and industrial investigations. Most recently he has specialized in the use of computers and the Internet to conduct “internet profiling” investigations. Mr. Pezolt has conducted internet profiling research and investigations on five continents.

During his career, Mr. Pezolt has conducted investigations and consulting assignments for hundreds of clients including several US Fortune 100 companies, law enforcement agencies, and media sources. Mr. Pezolt has assisted with several complex legal and business investigations, and has conducted training in computer research subjects for law enforcement agencies, private business, and investigation agencies.

Mr. Pezolt is one of the original founders of the PPIAC in Colorado. He is the co-author of the book “Basic Guidelines for Executive Protection”, and has assisted as technical advisor on three Emmy-award winning documentaries concerning investigative subjects, including “I Know You”, a documentary for ABC News that examined the use and access of legal, public sources of information to learn supposedly “private” data about various individuals.

Mr. Pezolt has been a teacher, author, and featured subject of numerous television news stories and print media.

Mr. Pezolt has been designated a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) by ASIS International. He graduated from Metro State College in Denver and is a graduate of the American Institute of Applied Science course Forensic Science “Civil and Criminal Identification and Investigation.”

This September 24-25, Mr. Pezolt will present "Who are those guys? The History of Private Investigations in America."

Join us here: https://ppiac.org/event-4378091

I recently was promised a computer graphics card on a very reputable subreddit and after I paid him he ghosted me and I have tried other ways to get ahold of him and nothing. I was wondering if someone could assist me with finding out more information regarding his actual name and maybe social media accounts ao I can maybe take steps to get my money from him. I have a few leading pieces of information however I have no real way of confirming this is him. Please comment/pm with help/suggestions. Thank you

Wondering about ballpark costs in US.

Subject is contemplating marriage. Couple years of countless rumors of subject's SO cheating, second hand accounts of seeing that person leaving hotel rooms, etc. First hand of witnessing obvious flirting, etc. Able to provide photos of suspect, car, license plate, work address, home address.

Curious to save oblivious subject from being too involved, seems like a target of emotional crutch and being taken advantage of to support multitude of children from SO and SO's self. Ballpark costs?

Investigation costs? Costs for x amount of time? (1 week, 1 month, 2 months... etc?) Estimated time and costs from previous cases?

Childhood friend, slowly putting money aside for investigation over last year, now just waiting to gather last few things before actually hiring (addresses, photos, license plate, etc.)

Hints have not been successful or taken seriously, and through personal knowledge subject will be unable to be convinced without definitive proof.

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I want to know if i have enough money set aside to move forward.

I'm looking to have a motion filed to remove temporary spousal maintenance and I suspect my ex wife may be living with someone. Can anyone recommend a PI in the DFW area? I've never hired one before.

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Thanks in advance,

Looking for some advice on whether to hire a PI or not.

My Aunt went missing (in Florida) at the end of 2017, she was in her early 30s and, in my opinion, unlikely to be intentionally missing.

It's believed she was associated with a drug dealer or biker gang. But it was one of those "left the wallet on the table and walked out the door to never return" types of cases. There was a small amount of information at the time, but nothing that the police were able to lead to anything.

What I've done: I've kept tabs on all known social media, aliases, and so on, but I can only do so much myself. The majority of the information I've been able to gather is from Been Verified. I figure if there's any way to check tax records or whether someone got their stimulus check or not, that could be key. Especially if there's a possibility of drugs or something involved, as I'd assume most people wouldn't turn down money.

My goal: I really just want proof of life so that I know she is safe, as I understand she might not want to be found for whatever reason.

My question: Is it worthwhile to hire a PI at this point? Has it been too long?

Can a PI discover cheating that has occurred in the past (ie, a year or two years prior)? For example, do they have the ability to discover phone records from that long ago, or dig up deleted dating app profiles from over a year ago? If one suspects their partner has cheated in the distant past, would they be able to prove this, or would it be difficult?

I assume most apps read and identify a device's IMEI as part of their login security. Do some social media platforms allow PI to read which account is associated with a specific IMEI or maybe the reverse of giving back the IMEI for a specific account ?

So here is me. Just south of 40, very well established career in cyber security, middle management, paid very well. I like my job, however, it leaves much to be desired in the realm of satisfaction for me. Once upon a time I was in the military attached to one of the big intelligence agencies and felt like what I did mattered (not all the time, but enough). Current job doesn't come even close to giving me that feeling.

I have been thinking about picking up my PI license and doing some part time work. Obviously no experience yet. I want to help people and do something that matters again. Am I being super naive for thinking part time PI work will do that for me?

What exactly do you need to know to work for a PI and become a PI?
What do you do during the day?
How often do you interact with other people/clients
What are the best places to learn about becoming a PI for free?

I'm helping a friend in finding more information on someone in a infidelity case. the problem I'm facing is that right now all I have to go off of is a number. I have experience doing reverse phone number searches but in this particular incident its a Mexican number. Most of the sites I use only cover US numbers, is there any good sites to use for a Mexican phone number lookup?

Hi all. Going through a divorce, and I'd like to have a PI find out all about my wife's affairs. Trouble is, she isn't having them anymore. Will a PI be able to piece everything together for me?

Is there some way he can talk to her old friends (she doesn't talk to them anymore) and find out the details I need? Or do PI's usually focus on things that are happening now?

I am a German citizen with Croatian nationality. I've been stalked by my family with whom I have no relationship since 7 years. I don't want any contact with them.

They have found me through a private detective. They have had clues that I'm now living in Germany.

I am thinking about changing my name completely. I have to do it in the country of origin and in Croatia that's surprisingly easy and fast. Couple that with a change of location (within the same city) and I thought I'd be safe.

I'm not so sure anymore. Could the private detective track down a name change? Or maybe track me down based on my social security number or health insurance?

Could you do it? Is that at least harder and more expensive?

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• ^(They also know my employer but with several 100 employees in my city and me never having to visit the office I guess it's not a problem.)
• ^(I know most people here are from the US and things work differently than over here but it still helps and I haven't found a better place to ask.)

Child in this case is not supposed to be left alone with step-dad. Mom is almost certainly doing this as she works during the day. No regular events/appointments that would take child/step-dad out of the house. I can't pay for extended surveillance. Can anyone give me some ideas on how to most efficiently (and legally) get the needed proof for this? (California)

She's been sleeping with a 17 year old and got married to him around the same time, and his family doesn't know he's married, he's not allowed to talk to them without her consent. I need to find a way to prove that she's abusing him as she abused me, please help.

I need to find the owner of a vehicle. I have the vin number and license plate but I'm skeptical of paying one of these websites that say they can find the past owner then run a 30 second 'searching database' screen then instruct you to pay before getting a report. I have a good reason if anyone wants to know, but I want to know if one of these sites will give me the info I'm looking for if I pay.

I'm 21F about to graduate with my bachelors in CJ. I have about a year and a half of law enforcement experience (state corrections and county jail) then some private security work for an NFL team if that counts.

Originally I always wanted to be a cop but I've had a change in heart recently.

I would love to be a private investigator. I've done some research and scrolled through some posts on this sub but I'm still not sure how to go about getting my license. My plan is to get licensed and then end up applying to a few firms.

I've been monitoring local job boards hoping to find some company that would license me (im not sure if this is how it works. the security company I worked for put me through the course for my security license so I thought that maybe some PI companies did that?)but all of the PI positions require you to already have a license.

Anyway. There's a lot of conflicting info online about how to become a PI. I haven't really found anything except some ads for universities offering classes for an exceptional fee. I thought getting your PI license was just sitting in a class and taking a test? I would love if some of you guys could elaborate on this for me. I really want to do this but I'm not sure where to start.