A private investigator, an individual investigator, or private detective, is an individual who is able to hire people, teams or NGOs to undertake investigative services. Private investigators usually work for lawyers in criminal and civil matters. In the United Kingdom, there are around 300 established private investigators. These investigators specialize in a specific field of investigation such as corporate security, fraud, missing persons, intellectual property, business matters and tax. Private detectives can also investigate a wide range of other areas such as internet fraud, identity theft, missing children, organized crime, sex crimes, white collar crime, vehicle accidents and frauds. Click here to
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Many large corporations hire private investigators to carry out discreet investigations on employees. There are many companies that hire investigators to carry out pre-employment background investigations on job applicants as well as pre-employment drug testing. Many small and medium size businesses also engage the services of a private eye to carry out discreet medical, dental, legal and other personal background investigations. In the United Kingdom, there are around a dozen companies that specialize in conducting police investigations, corporate accountability, corporate integrity, fraud detection, investigative surveillance, and corporate compliance enforcement. Apart from corporate and public sector requirements, many private investigators (PIs) also perform due diligence investigations on behalf of individual entrepreneurs, businessmen and investors.
Although most PI's have a thorough knowledge and experience in the various fields of private investigation, most also start their careers as intelligence operatives. There are many professional organizations that help aspiring private investigators to become professional spies. These organizations conduct advanced training and obtain license for spying activities. Most intelligence officials need to undergo a rigorous training regime in order to counter the growing threats posed by international terrorism, organised crime, and violent radicalization. Similarly, most private investigators who want to become private security consultants need to undergo training, both in the UK and abroad, to fulfill their requirement to provide consultancy services. Visit
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Another field in which private investigators are finding increasing number of employment is Information Security Management. Private investigation in this case does not include a physical surveillance or searching people's houses. Rather, this involves detecting and investigating cyber-security breaches such as hacking and identity theft. Private investigators in this field can work in a variety of ways, such as performing risk assessment, performing risk analysis, consulting with corporations on specific issues related to their business, and analyzing and advising companies on the security measures they need to take.
Private detectives have also found employment as CCTV operators, lie detector operators, forensic examiners, secret shoppers and corporate security officers. There are some areas in which private investigations are becoming more common. For instance, there are a number of private investigators who work as security guards at recruitment centers and airports. There are also private detectives who investigate missing children, shoplifting, bank frauds, murders, shooting and suicide cases.
As can be seen from the above list, there are various employment options for private investigators. As can be expected, there is always an application process for these jobs. Candidates applying for any private investigation position must have strong interpersonal skills and be well conversant in the field they wish to specialise in. They will need to be proficient in computer usage and understand the legal system. Private Investigators in the UK are not only concerned with providing evidence for court cases; they are also charged with ensuring that the client's rights are protected at all times.
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