5 Types of Private Investigator and Why They Are Needed
You might be interested to know that there are many different types of private investigator. TV shows usually portray one kind – the solitary, booze-addicted gumshoe who appears to be down on his luck most of the time. In reality, the life of a private investigator can take on many forms.
Here, we will take a look at 5 different types of private investigator and what they do for a living:
1. Corporate Investigator
Corporate investigators are people who concentrate on issues that affect companies of large enterprises. They might focus on issues with any of the following areas:
- Employee theft
- General security
- Worker’s Compensation Fraud
- I.T. Security
- Ransomware attacks
These professionals will often have certifications and degrees higher than those of a normal private investigator and will usually be full-time employees of the organization.
2. Forensic Investigator
Forensic investigators are more technical than regular private investigators. They will almost certainly have certifications or college degrees in the area of specialty that they work in. In fact, the minimum college degree you would be required to achieve to be a forensic investigator is a bachelor’s degree.
In addition, a forensic investigator has to have great attention to detail skills and have strong problem solving abilities. A strong knowledge of both math and science is also required. Forensic investigators can work in the following areas:
- Computer Forensics
- Forensic Accounting
- Forensic Genealogy
- Accident Reconstruction
- Crime Scene Investigations
Forensic investigators are classified as forensic science technicians by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2018, the typical salary for forensic science technicians was $58,230, with earnings ranging from less than $34,600 to more than $97,200. Job growth for forensic science technicians is substantially faster than the national average, at 14 percent.
Because developments in technology are making forensic evidence increasingly useful during criminal cases, demand for these professionals is projected to expand.
3. Insurance Fraud Investigator
Suspicious insurance claims are investigated by insurance fraud investigators. When a person submits a claim to an insurance provider, it is always double-checked to ensure that it is valid.
When the claim’s veracity is called into question, the matter is handed over to an insurance fraud investigator.
These professionals may be called in to deal with arson, staged vehicle and home accidents, and needless medical treatment. The investigator may interview all individuals involved and place the claimant under observation to see if they can catch them lying.
4. Surveillance Investigator
Surveillance is a big part of a private investigator’s workload. They could end up doing surveillance in a variety of ways. To learn more about a suspect, you could go undercover.
You could also find yourself waiting for photographic or video proof in an inconspicuous spot for hours on end.
Surveillance, on the other hand, excludes techniques like wiretapping or any other approach that would necessitate a judicial warrant. Surveillance investigator have to be careful to work within the bounds of the law at all times.
5. OSINT Investigator
As data becomes more widely available from a variety of sources, trained researchers can frequently obtain practically any type of data they need if they know where to look. These databases include both public and private databases that hackers, journalists, spies, and everyday individuals utilize to acquire data on a daily basis.
Much of this information can’t be found through search engines, and getting the appropriate answers needs knowing where to go for the right database. Fortunately, both novice and experienced investigators can benefit from a variety of techniques to exploit OSINT sources while conducting research.