If you want to have something resolved for your peace of mind, you may have good reason to hire a private investigator. PIs, as they are often called, are in the business of helping clients sort things out and find the truth about a person or a specific situation. They are trained to take measures to ensure expert investigative services. That being said, a PI is obliged to perform satisfactory work for their clients within the boundaries of the law.

Essentially, as PIs, we work in full compliance with the law while helping clients uncover the truth so they have the facts to help resolve a tough situation. However, it’s no secret that there are many myths surrounding private investigators and the work they do (and the movies may be partly to blame). It goes without saying we cannot work against the law and expect good results!

As your corporate private investigator, we clarify the measures that we are allowed to conduct and otherwise as a part of our investigation process. Here are the most common misconceptions about what we do:

  1. We cannot get phone cards for you. This illegal activity landed the company Hewlett Packard in a lawsuit. HP wanted to find out who was leaking their information. To identify the culprit, they hired investigators to “impersonate” their representatives and board members to obtain phone records. They got caught and three of their employees were charged with felony. So much for the supposed fun HP Company.
  2. We cannot tap a phone either. Even in private investigator business service, phone tapping is an illegal practice. Generally speaking, only a law enforcement agency like the FBI can tap a phone. However, before they can set everything up, they will need court approval. They will have to prove to the judge why a particular investigation requires phone tapping.
  3. We cannot access bank records.Technically, there’s no way of knowing how much actual money is in someone’s bank account. This however, is not exactly a black-and-white rule. There are times that the bank allows access to specific bank records—but only with a subpoena. If private investigators want to get a record of somebody’s bank information, they will need to seek the approval of a judge.
  4. We do not track cellphones. We are not allowed to ping them either. Only mobile phone companies are equipped with sophisticated technology to track and ping mobile phones, but it is illegal without court approval. As such, even telecommunication companies refuse to admit that they have the capacity to do these.
  5. We do not hack or attempt to hack social media or email accounts. This private investigation rule applies to hacking Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other sites that use social media technology. The only way a corporate private investigator can go about social media investigation is through the information that the account owner chooses to show publicly.
  6. We can’t plant tracking devices on cars. This technically prohibited strategy that people usually associate with PI work is frowned upon by the court. If the subject vehicle is co-owned, tracking it becomes a real issue. Ultimately, parties involved in legal proceedings pertaining to planting tracking devices are in for a long and expensive case in court.

At Forletta Investigative/Security Consultant, we provide Cleveland private investigator business services that essentially revolvearound finding and sorting valuable data to help clients make good business decision. We assist professionals in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas—such as lawyers, business owners, and medical personnel—with their hiring processes. We take each investigative measure seriously and are fully compliant with the law.

For all your corporate private investigator needs, give Forletta a call today!