How Personal Investigators Can Help Individuals and Industries

There’s an old saying that holds particularly true in the context of personal investigators: “The truth will set you free.” With so much of today’s world being online and social media laying out many of our life stories, conducting a background check or trying to learn about a person or business might seem like a simple task. The truth about social media is that it more often showcases only what people want us to see, not the whole truth. When it comes to making critical business decisions, like hiring a new employee or contracting a company for an important project, the truth is critical. Private investigators can shine a light on relevant information to help individuals and businesses across different industries make safe, informed decisions. Read on to learn why businesses, attorneys, and individuals would benefit from hiring a “personal” investigator.”

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What Is a Personal Investigator?

A personal investigator, also known as a private investigator, works as a private detective on behalf of individuals and organizations to secure important, sometimes sensitive information by conducting a variety of investigative practices. These practices include background checks, interviewing people, and using their investigative skills to identify signs of fraud. In short, personal investigators conduct due diligence so that individuals and companies can get the answers they are looking for.

Businesses and Personal Investigators

Businesses have a vested interest in maximizing profitability while minimizing liabilities that might harm the operation and its stakeholders. Hiring the wrong employee can be a costly mistake that harms the business’s present reputation and future prospects. Personal investigators help companies perform due diligence on prospective employees by conducting background checks, uncovering information that cannot be readily observed online or on social media, and even by verifying that the applicant’s job history matches what was stated on their resume. The long-term benefit of hiring a personal investigator during the hiring process is that the risk of an employee committing fraud, embezzlement, or otherwise harming the business is reduced. Hiring a personal investigator can also increase the rate of retention for a company by helping its decision-makers identify which candidate is most compatible for a role based on their verified background. Businesses can do their entire workforce a service by doing their due diligence early with the help of a personal investigator.

Businesses occasionally need to bring in independent contractors, general contractors, and consultants to achieve their objectives. When the opportunity for a strategic partnership or merger arises, businesses must ensure that their prospects will be a safe bet and a profitable match. A personal investigator can conduct research into any business so that red flags and liabilities are identified from the outset of the business relationship.

Attorneys and Personal Investigators

Career litigators rely on the help and expertise of personal investigators to bring the truth to the surface and win cases. On a more fundamental level, depositions and trials need witnesses, and those witnesses can be difficult to track down. A personal investigator can help connect witnesses to the cases they can provide important information on. A trial is not the only reason a personal investigator would need to locate someone. From locating the heir to a will to finding the key eyewitness to a crime, personal investigators are an important part of how the sausage gets made in the legal world. Personal investigators are also adept at finding information and other evidence important to a particular trial. When one or all of the parties have a reason to be less than truthful, personal investigators act as a remarkable equalizer, ensuring that all parties tell the truth or else be held accountable for their untruthfulness. From a strategic perspective, having a personal investigator can provide lawyers and firms with information about their opposition or their opponent’s claim, allowing them to build the strongest possible cases and help their clients as much as possible.

Individuals and Personal Investigators

There are many reasons individual people hire personal investigators. Some familial issues are outside the purview of a local police department. Other issues are sensitive and would be handled more discretely by a seasoned personal investigator rather than the police. Individuals can be duped by fraudulent vendors and contractor fraud just as much as other businesses can. Personal investigators can help individuals hold those who wronged them accountable and push back on the unlawful and fraudulent behavior.

To learn more about how a personal investigator might benefit you, please contact Astinel Security & Forensics, an Atlanta-based private investigator operation. The specialized team of risk, security, and fraud consultants is standing by to help you with all of your security needs.