3 Ways Being a Private Investigator is Dangerous

There are many things to consider before becoming a private investigator.  Some people want to know what a private investigator earns. Some want to know the pros and cons of being a private investigator. And probably one of the most important things to calculate is whether being a private investigator is dangerous. 

So can working as a private investigator be dangerous? The answer to this is yes, it can absolutely have hazardous elements to it.  Some of the determining factors as to the danger will depend on the type of investigative work a private investigator conducts which we will dig into as you read on. 

Financial Danger as a Private Investigator (Financial Risk)

Seasonal Workload for Private Investigators

An important aspect of the private investigation industry in many cases is the inconsistent workload whether working for a private investigation company or running your own company.  

Depending on the specialization or clientele a private investigator serves, there can be some seasonality that affects workload. 

For instance, those that serve the insurance company for insurance-related investigations, see a dip in workload as the winter months approach.  This is due to those assigning work on behalf of the insurance company going on vacations during that time and running out of their budget to investigate claims towards the end of the year. 

Like clockwork for insurance investigation companies year after year, work becomes scarce during winter months and investigators scramble to make money during those times. 

If you want to know what it is like to be an insurance investigator, this article breaks down what it is like.  

If you want to know more things to be aware of as a private investigator, my book shares importanting information for you.

Inconsistent Billable Hours for a Private Investigator (Inconsistent Paycheck)

Depending on a private investigator’s family and financial situation, an inconsistent paycheck may not be a determining factor as to whether someone decides to become a private investigator.  This can be financially dangerous for someone who absolutely depends on a dependable income.

If you would like to know the average private investigator salary across the United States, I have written about that in detail here.  You can see what the average income is for the state you wish to become a private investigator.

The reasons for inconsistent billable hours (aside from workload) have much to do with the investigator’s skills and participation from those involved in the investigation, like witnesses or things out of an investigator’s control.  This is detailed quite a bit about the pros and cons of being a private investigator.

A surveillance investigator is always in danger of not having a full work day due to losing a subject or a subject not being home during the surveillance day.  

Generally speaking, if a surveillance investigator loses their subject during surveillance they usually canvass for them for 30 minutes to an hour and then return to the subject’s residence hoping they have returned or that they will return in a timely manner. Should the subject not return home in that window the investigator may have to discontinue surveillance efforts or pause efforts and return later in the day to see if they have returned.

There are situations where someone agrees to meet with an investigator to be interviewed.  The investigator travels a great deal to meet the person only to have the person to show up for the appointment.  The paid travel time might not be the same amount as investigative hours billed and a very long day might pay very little. 

Physical Danger for a Private Investigator

You may come across some investigative websites that indicate there isn’t danger associated. to being a private investigator.  These websites are not authored by private investigators so they have little knowledge of what takes place during investigative assignments. So is there a chance of physical danger for a private investigator? The answer to that is yes.

Danger typically comes in the form of specific types of investigative tasks.  

Office Investigators Are LIkely to See Zero Danger

There are some licensed private investigators that don’t leave an office. They conduct research, make phone calls and write reports but they are not actively out in the field. This sort of investigator will likely encounter little to no danger.

Some investigative companies work directly with government entities conducting investigations and interviews. Generally speaking, these sorts of investigations are less likely to see danger or retaliation against a private investigator. 

Field Investigators May Encounter Danger

Field investigators are ones who are actively out and about interacting with other individuals. Insurance investigators conduct investigations with claimants that may be aggressive towards the investigator during an interview or other investigative task.

Individuals that aren’t looking to be interviewed, or found, have been known to threaten investigators or to act in an aggressive manner towards an investigator. 

Investigators can find themselves investigating in very rural locations with limited cell phone coverage. Sometimes private investigators meet with unsavory individuals in remote locations. If something were to happen, the investigator might not be able to call for help.

Surveillance Investigators Have Been Known to Encounter Danger

Surveillance investigators find themselves in dangerous situations when discovered by individuals that live within the neighborhood.  They may confront the investigator, make threats toward the investigator, and while not dangerous per se may call the police on investigators.

If a subject discovers they are being followed by an investigator, it is not uncommon for them to follow the investigator. Investigators do their best to lose the subject and in most cases, this works to diffuse the situation.  In some cases, the subject of the investigation will take finding the investigator to an extreme. A private investigator story that shows how dangerous being a private investigator is shared in detail here. 

Private investigators are under a great deal of pressure to secure video documentation in difficult situations.  Sometimes the danger happens to do to investigators pushing the limits of surveillance.  In this surveillance story, the investigator makes some mistakes and puts themselves in a compromising position where the subject of the investigation comes after the investigator while on foot. 

Investigators have had subjects of the investigator attempt to stab investigators or hit their surveillance vehicles with bats.  Investigators can’t always predict what is going to happen during surveillance despite efforts to be safe. 

Private Investigators Have Been Killed

In June of 2022, a private investigator was attempting to serve a warrant and was killed by the suspect he was trying to serve. Police attempted to enter the motel room to save the private investigator and ended up shooting the suspect that the private investigator was attempting to serve.  

More recently a well-known private investigator was killed near his home when attempting to photograph a suspicious vehicle that was traveling in his neighborhood. One of the men in the vehicle grabbed the camera that was hanging on the investigator’s neck which the investigator and the man struggle for. The private investigator was dragged 40 feet before falling and hitting his head. The private investigator later died. The private investigator wasn’t working for someone in an investigative capacity but his coming out to document a suspicious person in his own neighborhood lead to the confrontation. 

Many investigators carry weapons while working and while not working as private investigators to protect themselves.  This is much like the police are known to conceal carry while not on duty in case someone recognizes them while not in uniform that wants to cause them harm.   

To read about what weapons private investigators are known to carry you can read here. 

The Danger For a Private Investigators Family is a Possibility

Private investigators generally are pretty careful about being as invisible as possible for someone who might want to retaliate against them.  More importantly, they want to be invisible to protect their families from those that might feel as though they were wronged by a private investigator.

Most small investigation companies opt to not have a physical location where anyone can come to their office.  There have been many stories where disgruntled claimants or subjects of an investigation would attempt to intimidate investigators by going to physical business locations of private investigators.

Generally speaking, most investigators will use a personal mailbox or P.O. Box to receive their mail and will use those addresses as business addresses. 

Investigators usually don’t use their real names on their social media profiles.  Sometimes they will use their middle names as their last names in order to not easily be found by people they don’t want to be found by. 

Investigators in an effort to keep their families safe will have a security camera set up in their homes to make sure that if anything nefarious takes place, they can be aware of it and take appropriate measures to keep their families safe.