100+ Things a Private Investigator Can Do For You
When you get asked what you do for a living, do you answer with an elevator pitch?
Ahhh, the old elevator pitch. You know, that quick spiel describing what you do, for whom you do it, and how it is valuable to others. We’ve all got one, right?
But, when I tell someone what I do, it had better be a long elevator ride. Because, with only 30 seconds, it is nearly impossible to list everything I can do for my clients. Every private investigator has this same problem.
That’s why I put together a list of 100+ things that a private investigator can do for you. Each one is valuable. For now, it’s the best elevator pitch we have.
A private eye can:
1. Find the truth.
2. Locate a person.
3. Find a Social Security number.
4. Verify a Social Security number.
5. Find driver’s license information.
6. Locate driving records.
7. Find a date of birth.
8. Find old phone numbers.
9. Find current phone numbers.
10. Find out who’s calling you.
11. Dig into someone’s background.
12. Screen your potential tenants.
13. Run a credit report.
14. Find credit history.
15. Locate hard-to-find Facebook profiles.
16. Find hidden Facebook pictures.
17. Find e-commerce seller information.
18. Find online forum usernames and profiles.
19. Make sure you are not being stalked.
20. Reverse search an image.
21. Find out when and where a picture was taken.
22. Locate hard-to-find social media profiles.
23. Research Twitter profiles.
24. Give you peace of mind.
25. Discover Instagram profiles.
26. Verify LinkedIn data.
27. Find out where someone went to college.
28. Make sure you are not being catfished.
29. Look up past employment.
30. Verify current employment.
31. Make sure only one person is using a Social Security number.
32. Conduct legal pretext phone calls.
33. Find an alias.
34. Find the owner of a vehicle.
35. Find out where vehicles have traveled recently.
36. Run license plates.
37. Run VIN numbers.
38. Find vehicles registered to a particular address.
39. Find criminal records.
40. Find civil court records.
41. Research legal filings.
42. Discover bankruptcy filings.
43. Find federal criminal and civil records.
44. Find speeding tickets and traffic citations.
45. Locate sexual offenders.
46. Find a current address.
47. Find an old address.
48. Find property and deed information.
49. Look up foreclosure records.
50. Develop leads.
51. Find old news articles.
52. Locate assets.
53. Find out what someone does on a daily basis.
54. Tail someone without them knowing.
55. Make sure employees are not stealing from you.
56. Find automobile accident information.
57. Serve a subpoena.
58. Find witnesses.
59. Find workers’ compensation torts.
60. Interview neighbors.
61. Figure out if someone has been to a nearby hospital.
62. Dig deep into the web.
63. Find police reports.
64. Gather witness statements.
65. Make sure your security is tight.
66. Protect your interests.
67. Give you advice.
68. Conduct interviews and interrogations.
69. Find out if someone owes money.
70. Find out if someone is owed money.
71. Find out if an on-the-job injury was legitimate.
72. Conduct stationary surveillance.
73. Help you retain custody of your child.
74. Stay confidential.
75. Find the owner of an internet domain.
76. Find old versions of websites.
77. Find email addresses.
78. Know when someone opens your emails.
79. Know when someone is tracking your email.
80. Find your long-lost relatives.
81. Find your old friends.
82. Find old classmates.
83. Find old roommates.
84. Make sure your spouse or fiancé/fiancée is who they say they are.
85. Locate divorce records.
86. Locate marriage records.
87. Find professional license information.
88. Help install surveillance cameras.
89. Develop a security plan for your home or business.
90. Conduct undercover operations.
91. Conduct a background check on your babysitter.
92. Verify a resume.
93. Verify a stock broker.
94. Find a business’s credit history.
95. Give witness testimony.
96. Find out if someone is doing their job.
97. Find property owners.
98. Speak to previous landlords.
99. Find business tax ID (FEIN) numbers.
100. Find prison records.
101. Locate inmates.
102. Find people who lived at previous addresses.
103. Find people who currently live at a particular address.
104. Research neighborhood census data.
105. Find the phone numbers at an address.
106. Find death records.
107. Find birth records.
108. Find UCC Filings.
109. Find pilot’s licenses.
110. Find property records.
111. Find business assets.
112. Knock on doors.
113. Find business owners.
114. Find business relationships.
115. Locate corporate filings.
116. Track down concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits.
117. Find hunting and fishing permits.
118. Refer you to a private investigator with deep expertise on a subject.
119. Find a private investigator in a foreign country.
120. Uncover what’s being hidden.
Call us for advice on how we can help you, leave a message in the comments, or subscribe to our newsletter for more cool stuff like this.
Special thanks to fellow P.I. and colleague, Brian Willingham, for the inspiration for this article.
I just happened to bump into this post and well, that’s definitely a long list Adam. I’m sure you could have extended it further if you wanted as being a PI isn’t like a normal job, it’s more of being a trouble-shooter. It’s certainly given me some good ideas. Thanks.
Nigel,
You’re right! We are trouble shooters…and problems solvers, fact-finders, truth tellers – we wear may hats as private eyes.
Also, “100 things” could never do what we do justice. There are so many more. Feel free to add to the list!
Thanks for posting.
Adam
I like looking through an article that can make men and women think. Also, many thanks for allowing me to comment!
Yes exactly , 100+ things. I think more than that. We appreciate the post
Great list! It can always be built upon as well. The world of private investigations is always changing.
Thanks for pointing out that private detective services can help in finding out details about someone’s alias. I recently found out about an alternate account that my husband uses on social media that doesn’t use his real name. I think it would be better to discreetly investigate about that instead of confronting him about it head-on.