There is a certain amount of anxiety that people get when being contacted by a private investigator.  I thought I could ease some of those concerns with this small article.  There may be reasons not listed below but I believe these are some of the most common reasons private investigators contact individuals. 

So Why is a Private Investigator Calling Me?

You’re a Possible Witness

Private investigators are in the business of finding information.  This usually means they make quite an effort to exhaust all possible avenues that could help their client.  You might know of a specific person in question or may have seen something that can assist with their investigation.   It is not uncommon for a private investigator to either call or knocks on the doors of possible witnesses when trying to locate additional information on whatever they are investigating.

Someone is Looking For You

Private Investigators frequently receive calls to locate an individual for the general public or an attorney.  Many people lose touch over the years with friends from the past, adopted children attempt to find their birth parents, and plenty of other reasons.  The private investigator contacting you is usually doing this to verify that they have found the right person. 

With that being said be a little careful when a private investigator calls you.  If you are the person they are looking for be cautious and make sure they show you some sort of identification.  If you don’t want to be found (by an ex-boyfriend for example) then make sure the private investigator knows this.  They will be potentially liable for sharing your location if something negative happens after the fact.  If you don’t want to be found by an ex-boyfriend then make sure the private investigator knows.

Private investigators should be responsible and not provide your location if it is not your will that it be disclosed.

You Have an Insurance Claim

Two things frequently come up with insurance investigations.  Many times an insurance company requests a recorded statement, scene investigation, or an alive and well check be conducted from those that are insured by the insurance company.

If it is a recorded statement, the private investigator will ask that he/she meets with you to conduct an interview.  Don’t worry, you are not under oath.  They usually want to find out more details in regards to an accident.  You might be saying, “but I filled out an incident report!” Private investigators will likely go above and beyond anything that was written in the incident report in the attempt to leave no stone unturned in gathering information, and so that the insurance company has the appropriate information to process the insurance claim.  Scene investigations may require a recorded statement along with the investigator taking detailed pictures of whatever pertained to the insurance claim.

Alive and Well checks are usually in-person meetings with someone receiving benefits from an insurance company.  They are typically short meetings where a private investigator checks on the general welfare of the insured individual.

You Might Be Able to Answer a Question

A private investigator might be calling you for general information about a subject that he/she is not familiar with.  You might be a business owner, an expert in something specific, or have more knowledge about something in particular that the investigator would like to know more about.

I have called many different individuals from different industries to ask questions.  The individuals I have contacted were gracious enough to educate me on different things to inevitably help me with the investigation I was conducting.

You were Listed as a Reference

It’s possible that someone you know has listed you as a reference on an application.  In some occupations, an investigator or someone reviewing the background information for the applicant will call for character references.  Some are very superficial conversations in regards to the applicants.   

The Private Investigator wants to Confirm that you are Home

From my experience, I will tell you that if you are under surveillance of some sort by a private investigator, in most cases private investigators will not be making contact with you (at least not in an obvious manner).  Private investigators are known to call a subject under surveillance to confirm whether they are home or not.  If they do their job right, you will never know it happened. 

If you have any questions about this topic feel free to contact me via the contact page or in the comment section below.

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