Page listing for the category: Private Investigator
After news broke that Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered sons with both his housekeeper, Mildred Baena, AND his wife, Maria Shriver, thirteen years ago, many folks may be wondering how the scandal leaked after so many years. It was good old-fashioned investigative journalism that kicked off from a lead that the L.A. Times had, very similar to the work a private investigator would do. read on..
I recently read a story on CNN.com about location-related information hidden in digital photos which probably freaked many people out. To stalkers and burglars, this revelation was probably something like a digital version of the 1849 gold rush. But instead of finding the digital gold in “them thar hills”, they would pan for it in places like Facebook and Twitter. And since every day more people are taking photos with mobile devices and posting them someplace on the internet, the supply of digital gold seems ever increasing.
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If I had a nickel for every time I’ve debated with clients the crime at the center of this story, I could retire from the private investigation business. The gist is that a gentleman, Leon Walker, was arrested for reading his now ex-wife’s email. He’s being prosecuted based on a law that’s historically been used for identity theft and corporate espionage. If Walker is convicted, a huge can of worms could be opened for both the court system and citizens in general.
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A recent news article caught my attention as it highlights a few important lessons for private investigators. Apparently, a young Arab American student named Yasir Afifi learned that the FBI had placed a GPS tracking device on his car after he took his car in for an oil change. When the oil change tech raised the car on the hydraulic lift, he spotted an unusual wire sticking out somewhere near the rear wheel and exhaust system. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the wire connected to a battery pack and transmitter, which were both secured to the car magnetically. The tech then alerted Afifi to his finding.
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While companies tightening the belts on travel and expense budgets may have put a hamper on infidelity in the corporate workplace, cheating in the rental housing market is going strong. For those not familiar with the world of rent control, or its kissing cousin rent stabilization, they are in essence control limits on how much landlords in big cities like New York can charge rental apartment tenants. As you can imagine, rent control has long been the bane of landlords’ existence, as those programs can result in a NYC tenant paying $400 for a rent-controlled apartment which might otherwise fetch landlords two, three, or sometimes more than four times as much in rental income.
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Ever since I became a private investigator, I’ve been debunking myths about private investigators propagated by popular TV shows and books. These are the top incorrect assumptions about private investigators that I hear:
Myth #1: I wear a trench coat and fedora.
While on a surveillance case, a private investigator should dress to blend in with the location. So if I’m tailing a Wall Street type during the work week, I may wear a suit. Or if I’m tailing someone on a weekend, I may wear jeans and a baseball cap. Although I do own a trench coat, it is has yet to be part of my “disguise”. Since I’ve never had a case to follow someone to a costume party, I can’t imagine a scenario where dressing like Dick Tracy would help me blend in with a crowd.
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Are you going through a divorce and trying to negotiate a favorable settlement or win custody of your children? Do you suspect your spouse of infidelity and are wondering how to collect evidence? Send us all your questions by submitting a comment to this post and private investigator Patrick Troy will answer them in upcoming blog posts.

I am often hired after someone has already tried and failed to catch a cheating spouse on their own. People often assume that being a private investigator is easy because how hard can it be to follow someone, right? Well, the reality is that it requires a lot more skill than it might seem, and that if you hire a private investigator, you’ll have greater success than going it alone. Here are five reasons why you should hire a private investigator:
1. The private investigator is anonymous to the subject.
One of the main reasons most people hire a PI is because they know they are likely to be recognized and caught if they try to do the work themselves. If you are trying to follow your cheating spouse, it is almost certain that he will recognize your car or spot you, and your cover will be blown. Not only will this result in embarrassment for you or suspicion by him, but it will jeopardize the entire case. If your spouse now believes you are suspicious of his behavior, he will be more cautious in the future, making it more difficult to catch him.
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