Nothing could have portrayed what is seen as the stereo type private investigator quite as well as the entertainment industry has, however, what some of these stereo-typical images of private investigators also do is to make hiring a private detective somewhat daunting.
You really don’t want to hire a private investigator to carry out an investigation for you wearing the stereotypical long black coat and slouch hat that’s synonymous with the image of Hollywood investigators. Why you may ask? Because there’s no way he can blend in anywhere undercover wearing an outfit like this!
Let’s debunk a few of the myths portrayed by movie PI’s here:
Private investigators only investigate cheating spouses
While the truth is that this is one of the most common reasons people hire an investigator, an investigator is so much more than this, provided he is a trained professional.
A cheating spouse detective in South Africa will also be more than capable of undertaking a variety of investigations other than this.
Looking at an investigations firm such as King Investigators in South Africa, you’ll find that this team of professionals also specialise in;
- Background checks – whether for a potential employee, investment in a company or taking on a new business partner
- Undercover Surveillance – used in certain divorce cases, child custody cases, fraud cases and more
- Tracing missing people
- Business intelligence
- Due Diligence Investigative Services
- Polygraph & lie detector tests
This is the experience shared by this team of PI’s who are able to put at your disposal a full-service investigative team…and none of them wear a long black coat and homburg!
PI’s can access private information that is protected
This is not true at all! Although private investigators can access records private individuals can’t (because the PI is licensed), they not allowed to go into protected records such as bank accounts, medical records, mobile phone records and credit card reports.
To access private information such as these mentioned, he would need to obtain a court order, subpoena or have the express permission of the person these records pertain to, which has a slim chance of happening if these records belong to someone else!
PI’s are above the law
Despite the fact that a registered, licensed PI has more leeway than the police have in certain spheres, they are by no means above the law!
If you’re planning to hire a private investigator in South Africa, make absolutely certain that he is licensed, as well as being registered with PSIRA, which is the governing body for security and private investigators in South Africa.
It’s a thrill-a-minute for PI’s
This is as far from the truth as it could possibly be!
Looking at an average day in the life of a PI, it will consist of carrying out in-depth background checks, dealing with a mountain of information that needs to be analysed skillfully, so that his client will be presented with professionally compiled reports of high value.
This means that on top of pounding pavements during undercover surveillance, the PI also has to face reams of paperwork! This is definitely not very exciting at all!
Sitting in a car for hours on end while on undercover surveillance is often boring and can become mind-numbing, however, losing focus, even if for just a minute, can result in missing out on a crucial moment in capturing video or photographic evidence about the subject of the investigation.
There’s nothing glamorous about this more-often-than-not solitary professional life!
If you plan to hire a private investigator in South Africa, then King Investigators is the investigative company known to deal in fact rather than fiction, which is exactly what you need if your investigation is to be of any value!