Can private detectives get phone records?
Can private investigators and private detectives get phone records? They can, and some of the methods they use will surprise you. You might think your phone records are safe from prying eyes but this article will discuss how that might not be the case!
Can private detectives get phone records?
Private detectives and private investigators are hired to gather evidence for cases. They can be hired by individuals, corporation or attorneys to gather this evidence. Phones have become embedded in everyone’s life and it’s rare to see someone without a phone in their hand these days. So, it stands to reason that phones would contain evidence that might be of interest to a private detective.
People use their phones to do a lot more than talk. They text message people, they check their email and the even check their bank accounts. All of these activities leave a trail on the phone that can be discovered by a private detective. Your call history, texting history, email history, and web browsing history are all of interest to a private detective if they’re investigating your involvement in a case.
What methods do they use?
When private detectives and private investigators have many methods available to them to obtain records such as phone records. Here we’ll discuss some of these so you know what to be aware of. The most common methods a private detective uses to obtain phone records are as follows:
1. Subpoena – using the power of the courts a private detective could subpoena your phone records directly from the phone company. The phone company would be obligated to comply in most cases.
2. Forensics – if the private detective has physical access to your phone, they could conduct forensic analysis on the phone to obtain the records from the actual phone. These records could go back a very long way as the forensic methods used by a private investigator can recover deleted data also.
3. Trash – it’s a nasty job, but private detectives know that sifting through someone’s trash can reveal all kinds of hidden gems. We’ve found empty pill bottles, phone bills, copies of driver’s licenses, and all kinds of evidence by going through the trash. You’d be amazed at what people throw away.
So, as you can see there are quite a few ways a private investigator can get phone records, and as you can see there are ways you can protect your records from being obtained. Be careful about what you throw away. You never know who might go looking through your trash.
With all that being said, there is literally zero chance a private investigator will use illegal means to obtain your phone records. A private investigator will not risk the chance of losing their license over doing something illegal. Plus, they’d be opening themselves up to all kinds of criminal charges on a state or federal level.
If you’re involved in litigation of any type, you can expect that your phones will be requested for examination, so be careful what you type and send out into the world. It might come back to haunt you!