Blog Layout

What makes a Trace?

Luke • Mar 11, 2021

What makes a Trace? How do you Trace?

Tracing is 50% science, 50% art. You have a set process, databases to search, documents to request, certificates too peruse and then still nothing? Here comes the art.


The first part of your artistic side comes from taking information from social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Dating website like POF, Tinder etc and of course good old directories. The devil is in the details, using photographs and friends of friends details you piece together information. Sometimes as small as the time of day, the weather and other factors. Sometimes it as simple as the POI's sister taking a selfie on the driveway of the parents home (that's third party corroboration of your facts there sunshine).


Every PI has a process, every process is different. They usually start with a google and end with either a 2 hour job or 200 hour job. Ask us how we do it, you will get an answer but not the answer you want. The process, knowledge, wisdom from experience and our artistic traits of piecing information together, well that's our value.  Indeed we cannot share this.


There are some great stories though. Like how we found someone's address starting with 1 photograph outside a Pub (the Pub's name was not visible), there is no greater feeling then cracking the almost impossible trace. You can learn a process but to really dig deeper is to understand the truly great tracers are artist who attack things with logic and thinking outside the realms of what most people see in just 1 photograph. All those smalls details matter, what they are wearing, the ground, the sun, the cloud, the bricks and oh don't forget the EXIF data even though most websites remove it.


 
To all the budding PI's and those who don't want to hire one for that Trace. Practice makes perfect, hone your skills, develop your process and don't forget that no one has a success rate of 100% even the pros. But if you don't have 200 hours and the patience then your probably better off hiring someone like Operant Investigators to get the job done in a few days.



private investigator desk, computer, PI software, investigation
26 Feb, 2023
A trained Private Investigator with years of experience reveals the 3 things you must know about Open Source Intelligence in the context of Private Investigations.
real investigator report, private investigator report, photographs, document, binder
by Grant 09 Nov, 2022
How do Private Investigators find the information you are looking for? A detective working with Operant Investigators gives details on how OSINT provides significant data points for investigators.
private investigators desk, private investigator computer, monitor, desk, software
by Grant 18 Aug, 2022
To understand investigations you must understand OSINT, to understand it you need to know the 5 reasons why it is critical. All Private Investigators use it, this is why.
05 Mar, 2022
What types of overt photography do Private Investigators engage in and what equipment do they use?
17 Jan, 2022
A common problem all agents encounter, especially so in cities is the problem of parking. A good parking location for a vehicle is essential in ensuring line of sight (LOS) and gathering recordings behind tint or disguised. Now you may be thinking, you would solve this problem through foot surveillance. This isn't always helpful, residential areas may not have many people on foot nearby, there may be nowhere to sit or bled in and a host of other reasons may want your bottom firmly planted in a car seat for this one. So you arrive or even better, as part of a recce (reconnaissance) or planning, you notice a parking problem. I find it helpful to break up the different problems into categories, I will list the types of scenarios. 2 Primary types of areas Urban - City or Town Rural - Villages, farms, greenery or forests Primary types of problems No LOS - Cannot observe the property or points of egress LOS but too distant - Cannot record of observe with any accuracy or with the level of responsiveness needed LOS but blocked - Your vision is obstructed temporarily Too close - The risk of exposure is too high and no places further away are available Primary causes of problems Temporary blockage by vehicle - A behemoth has just parked in your LOS Double yellow lines - No parking here Single yellow lines - Restricted at certain times, they will always be the times you need to be their All spaces are in use - The most frequent issue Moved too many times already - You've been moving around frequently and are reaching a point where further movement between spaces will compromise the surveillance A mixture - A mix of the above It is incredibly frustrating when your turn up to perform your surveillance and have nowhere to park. You know the client will not be happy and your stuck in a tough spot. Parking for private investigators is an essential part of the work and for some cases is strictly required to ensure good results.
man watching, investigator, private investigator, covert surveillance, car
by Grant White 25 Sept, 2021
Who is able to hire a Private Investigator in the UK? Is it legal?
whatsapp, sherlock, investigator, glass, messaging, private investigator
by Grant White 25 Sept, 2021
Can a Private Investigator access whatsapp messages? Can they see your private messages?
by Grant White 18 Sept, 2021
How much does a Private Investigator charges for their services, what kind of fees can you expect and what will the cost be?
by Grant White 18 Sept, 2021
Many people ask: "What do private investigators get hired for?" So, we've compiled a list: What do private investigators get hired for? 1. Surveillance. 2. Finding addresses. 3. Finding someone. 4. Verifying information. 5. Gathering intelligence for further action. However, this is not an exhaustive list of what a private investigator can do. There are many different applications and benefits of hiring a private investigator. Here are some of the benefits of hiring a private investigator: 1. Save money - Instead of dedicating an in-house employee to do the job, a quick and easy way would be to hire a PI short term to get the job done properly. 2. Save time - Time is money; private investigators investigate for a living, they can do the job quickly, professionally, and accurately getting the best results. The term 'Private Investigator is not that specific', but rather an umbrella term for people that act in the area of investigation - each with varying skill-sets and specialisations. Here are some of he common skill-sets a private investigator may specialise in. 1. Financial & Cryptocurrency investigations. 2. Business intelligence. 3. Surveillance. 4. Social engineering. 5. Tracing. 6. Fraud. 7. Background checks. 8. Employee absenteeism. 9. Property. 10. Company checks. Sometimes private investigators are picking up the pieces of a previous investigation, and can include many of these above listed investigations in one case.
08 Sept, 2021
The penal code review in France which made Private Investigator use in civil proceedings legal.
Show More
Share by: