Advantages of a Female Private Investigator

When it comes to selecting a private investigator, we are all so hung up with the male bastion that we forget that a woman can excel as private investigators and possibly in some situations even more so than men.

Perhaps we have pre-conceived ideas of a private investigator as a male. You might blame this on detective books and movies. Mostly what we have read and seen in films or TV are extremely smart, swanky, not to mention attractive men playing the roles of investigators.  Women are often relegated to the background playing the private assistant or a sexy companion at best. The other popular perception is that of honey trappers who have been known to use their charms to expose cheating husbands.

At Indonesia Private Investigation Agency and Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency use a range of agents and will pick and choose between women and men depending on the case at hand. Sometimes men are ideal, and at other times women make the best choice.

A Growing Presence of Women Private Investigators

When it comes to the real world where private investigation is a profession like any other, women are doing exceedingly well. Even till about a decade ago only 15 per cent of private investigators in the developed nations were women, but over the past few years there has been a sea change with a number of women joining this profession.

UK especially deserves a special mention because it has seen a rise of 86 per cent in the number of female private investigators over the last ten years or so.  Not to mention Indonesia where IPIA, as one of the first Private Investigation Agencies, was started by a woman and still uses many female agents.

The Gender Advantage in Private Investigation Work

Hiring a private investigator typically means that you are going through a situation that is difficult to understand and often extremely sensitive.

I have read some argue that a woman often has a way with words and thus makes for a better communicator. The argument follows that women are ideally suited to give a patient ear to the problems of their clients and take a more sympathetic approach. It is also claimed that women also have a natural ability to put people at ease with their presence, so both clients and people being investigated seem to trust them better.

I have also read that women seem to bring to the profession natural abilities to network. A woman also can have better access to information because they have a larger access to people and places.

In one article I came across recently I read that PI agencies that are hiring women as private investigators see women as having a clear advantage as they have better abilities to multitask and unlike men, do not find it difficult to suppress their egos in order to attain their set goals. As a claim that seems a little over the top to me and there was certainly no scientific evidence offered. Finally, the article argued, to use a cliché, there is seldom a substitute for a woman’s intuition which more often than not can be a clincher when it comes to solving the most complex of cases.

Another common theme I have come across regards the fact that many of an investigator’s targets are cheating men. So the client is generally a woman. So the argument goes that a woman dealing with a woman can establish trust more easily. When it comes to female clients, another woman can repose their trust in a woman in good faith. The comfort factor with a woman is much more when it comes to investigating things like a premarital verification or a case of domestic infidelity.

All these arguments are difficult grounds to prove at least scientifically. Having said that from our experience there is certainly a growing comfort with our clients of using women and a number have specifically  asked for a female agent. Clients often seem to trust women more in some instances than their male counterparts.

For all the arguments put forth about the advantages and disadvantages of women agents I know of no scientific evidence to support an argument either way.  I would tend towards the opinion that possibly at the end of the day the difference between a man and a woman is mostly due to differences of character and not that of gender.

“Mostly” – I do believe there are some instances where, rightly or wrongly, gender makes a differences.

In terms of safety it is not unknown for agents to find themselves in some potentially threatening situations.

From our own experience there have been occasions where we have been approached by the bodyguard type of man. Possibly (probably) being a woman reduced any threat of a more physically violent confrontation.

It is very difficult to be 100% sure that gender played a role here. However, what I can say for sure is that whilst all our female PIs have found themselves in potentially violent situations none have ever had violence done to them. Our male agents on the other hand have. I have no scientific evidence if this difference is due to gender, but I do know for sure it is a fact.

It is a sad fact, but I do believe this, that everyone without exception has prejudice of some kind.

Indeed the following illustration may not be true but I appreciate the point being made. In the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles there are, apparently, two doors to enter through. One door has a sign over it reading “Enter here if you are without prejudice”. The second door has a sign over it reading “Enter here if you have prejudice”. This is the first lesson of the museum – the door “without prejudice” is locked.

I recall once at school being told the following “riddle”: a man, who is a doctor, is driving his son to school. They have a car accident and the man dies. The young boy, the son, has a severe head injury and is rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. He needs instant surgery on his skull. The brain surgeon walks into the operating theatre and seeing the patient says “Oh My God. It’s my son”.

The question is “what is the relationship between the boy and the brain surgeon”? The answer, if you do not know, is at the end of this article. Most people get the answer eventually but I have never known anyone to jump to it immediately.

I would argue that the pre-conception and prejudice of a man as an investigator can be turned to an advantage for a woman. Many cases require surveillance  and people would be less likely to suspect a woman as targeting them, making the woman private investigator more inconspicuous.

To finish – the relationship between the boy and brain surgeon? The surgeon is of course the mother.

Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) and our sister agency Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) are fully registered agencies offering investigation services to the private and business sectors throughout Indonesia and South East Asia.

Letters from a Private Investigator X

For some strange reason some people seem to think that because we are private investigators that we will do almost anything. From some of our talks with people I think they expect us to get involved with activities such as break into hotel rooms and set up cameras and recorders, or do physical harm to a target.

It all seems to fundamentally revolve about some form of  revenge. People that have been no doubt hurt badly in some way and who want their pound of flesh for their revenge.

Basically though there are two main areas of activity that we will either not start a case or will pull out of a case.

These are illegal activities and activities that place people in danger.

Illegal Activities

I imagine this is pretty straightforward to understand. We will not for example set up spy cameras and recorders in hotel rooms.

Even with surveillance we ensure that our activities are above board by only carrying out such activities in public areas.

Having said that it could be very difficult to be successful if we acted like goody two shoes. Imagine a target under surveillance is traveling at 40 km per hour in a 35 km per hour zone. Of course we would follow.

The point really is we are not going to get ourselves in any highly criminal activities.

Danger

Our do no harm policy relates to our agents. One of the first and most important priorities of management within an Investigation Agency is the well being and safety of our agents.

Agents understand this and must always put their own safety first. If danger approaches them in any form such as a group of body guards built like brick houses, they are free to pull back. If a target is speeding at 120 km an hour our agents are free to let them go. Surveillance can start another day.

What a few people do not seem to understand when they talk with us is that we will also never put a target in danger or do harm to them. This includes physical and psychological harm or general harm to their well being.

It is important to realise that we are not judge or jury and neither is a client. Our job is to gather evidence. 99% of the time client’s do understand this. Always during any initial consultation we explain clearly the limitations and the boundaries that can not be crossed.

When for example I explain that with surveillance we may get pictures of people entering a hotel together and having breakfast together the next day, but we can never get evidence of what happens behind a closed hotel room door, clients understand.

Sometimes though we do refuse cases.

Below is an example of an enquiry we recently received. I have changed the cities mentioned and the hotel name but in essence the letter is a real request IPIA recently received.

A Case We Will Not Touch

“Hello,

Could you give me an estimate for each of the following tasks:

1) Find the email address and phone number of the owner of The Hotel XXX of Batam, Indonesia (owner is someone Chinese living in Medan).

2) Take pictures of target in different locations throughout the day in his activities. Target is a 26-year male living in Batam, and working at XXX Hotel. Home address could be provided. Then, these pictures are sent to the target anonymously to his work place. Preferably, I would like a picture or video of his emotional reaction as he opens the envelope and sees the pictures. 

3) I don’t know if this service could be managed or not but 1) hire someone local for a really cheap price to distribute flyers around the city of Batam, and 2) research whether a large advertisement could be placed in a public place in Batam (such as on a bus or some other highly visible public place) and to place the advertisement and 3) place an advertisement in the local newspaper”.

We have replied to this letter expressing our unease and explaining why we will  not proceed.

Our basic reservations is the fact that this reads like a highly calculated and comprehensive act of vengeance. We are being asked to assist someone to hurt someone. This is something we will not do.

There is some surveillance in there and obviously we do not know what this 26-year male has done (I am sure I could guess). Whatever he has done we certainly do not want to be part of a punishment process. Arguably what he has done might even warrant the punishment proposed, but it is not our job to make that decision, or be part of carrying out a punishment.

The writer has obviously been hurt by this man but has decided on what form of punishment should be carried out and decided to get that punishment executed. The letter seems to imply the following punishment:

1) shame at work and probably losing his job (the writer wants to know the email address of the manager of the hotel where the target works);

2) public humiliation with flyers  and a bill board on the side of a bus, and also an advert in a newspaper.

Getting involved in this kind of activity is against two of our fundamental principles.

Handing out flyers could well be illegal, probably at the very least amounting to defamation of character.

This would also be against our policy of doing no harm to a target. This  letter is aimed at slandering someone’s name, which is emotional harm, and probably having this person lose their job.

Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) and our sister agency  Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) are fully registered Private Investigation Agencies offering private detective and private investigator services to the Private and Business sectors throughout Indonesia and South East Asia.

Letters from a Private Investigator IX

We have worked on over 400 cases in Indonesia, and as you may imagine in the field of private investigation we are always coming across some very heartbreaking stories. These range from infidelity cases, to abducted children to people being conned out of large amounts of money.

Here is another of our true case histories, and this is one that will remain with me in all its details I am sure forever. It will be stuck firmly in my mind as perhaps the cruelest money-making scam I have come across.

I am sure worse things happen, and scams and cons that have stronger self-serving motives and are more gruesome than this happen.

Also, I would never want to compare one person’s pain and misery against another. I am not saying here that in this particular case the pain caused is worse than any other horror story I have come across. Nor am I saying it isn’t. Only would I venture to claim that this case is particularly twisted.

I think also in life we may think we come across evil all the time, but I don’t think, fortunately, that we do. After reading this brief case history you can judge if indeed, as I believe, it is an act of evil.

Con Background

Just after Christmas last year I received a phone call from an American man.

He told me that he had had an Indonesian wife for ten years and that they had a  son 7 years previously.

He was calling from America although he had just returned from Sumatera and Lombok (an Indonesian holiday destination) where he had been trying to figure out some answers.

Basically a couple of weeks before contacting me his wife had called him and told them their son had died from a swimming accident in Lombok when she and him had taken a short holiday there. They were based in Sumatera and my client would visit regularly – four or five times a year since the birth of his son.

He then flew directly to Sumatera to see his wife. She was able to offer little information only saying their son had died, and that he should forget about it. There was no death certificate and no official report records.

He flew to Lombok where he walked the beaches and visited police stations asking coast guards and the authorities if they had heard of the drowning of a young boy recently.

No one could offer any help.

This is when he called me.

My initial reaction was one of disbelief. Disbelief that there had actually been a death. The fact that there was no report made of the drowning and no inquest meant that officially the boy was only missing.

Worryingly also if the facts as reported by the wife were indeed true then she would be guilty of a highly criminal act – not reporting a fatal accident.

Our Task

My client wanted me to go to Sumatera and try and figure out what really happened.

He gave me a very thorough briefing of the various people in the extended family circle, and also of the nanny, who had helped in looking after his son since his birth.

Con Uncovered

I spent a week in the Sumateran countryside unknotting this whole sordid scam.

Without going into all the details and the process needed the fundamentals of the case came to light as follows:

1: My client’s wife had never had a baby 7 years ago. She had told my client that she had had a baby boy but this had been a lie.

2: She had “rented” a baby that she would bring out to stay with them when my client visited. At times this entailed renting the boy for long stretches such as when they took a two-month break together to Lombok.

When my client left Indonesia the boy was returned to his real parents. Although when the boy was with my client the real mother stayed close acting as the “nanny”.

3: The real mother and father of the boy had decided to end the rental arrangement. I was told there had been some disagreement and also I gathered they felt guilty of continuing with the charades and lies.

4: My client had of course been paying for the upkeep of his son – monthly allowances, kindergarten, nanny costs, medical care etc. His wife had set up this whole scam as a way to get money from him.

Sadly this scam might have been instigated by my client’s wife in compliance with the real parents, but quite a few other people were aware what had been going on for seven years and had kept quiet. That is until my visit. Perhaps a line had been crossed when the story that the boy had died was used as an excuse to explain the boy not being able to show up any more. Whatever the reason for their newfound honesty I heard the true story from a few people.

5: Indeed I met the real mother and the boy and spoke with him and his mother as he sat close by his mother. When I showed the boy a picture of my client he called him “daddy’. His mother explained that he had been taught to address my client as such since birth.

The Victims

This scam has two central victims, the boy, and of course, arguably the main victim,  my client.

I hope that the impact on the boy will be minimal. OK he called my client “daddy” but hopefully this was just a word similar to people calling unrelated people “uncle”. Of course also if there is anything positive from this whole case it is that the boy had to drowned.

I often think about many of my client’s and feel great sadness for the awful things that happen to them. One good part of my work as a Private Investigator is stopping a toxic situation so people can recover, and move out of a darkness and onto a better life.

This case though, months on, remains with me and I pray that my client will be well soon. I know he was devastated and still has trouble sleeping.

His financial loss is nothing compared to the heartbreak and confusion. To go through seven years believing you have a son, that you care for and love. Imagine chatting to strangers and taking out your wallet to show a picture of your son with pride. To be told that boy is dead and then to find out there was never a son in the first place.

Lets not forget though the other victims here. Victims that could perhaps go unnoticed. My client had a brother and a sister who both had children. His father had died but his mother was still alive. He also had children from a previous marriage. So all these people had either a nephew, a cousin, half-brother or a grandson. I was told an aunt had a picture of her nephew on the wall in their house, the grandmother on her mantelpiece, and all the relatives would send presents every Christmas.

At the end my client told me he was too distraught to speak to anyone at the time, and needed to figure out what he would do next, but he asked me to leave a message to his “son” (he still called him his son).

I gave the message: “your American daddy loves you very much and he is sorry that he can not come to see you just now. He bought you a train, a football and a Chelsea kit for Christmas. You can get the presents from the house in xxxxx road where you stayed with your American daddy. Your mummy knows where this is”.

This was an evil, cruel and callous scam.

 

Letters from a Private Investigator VIII

Spyware: Useful Or An Intrusion Of Privacy

Earlier, if you wanted to keep an eye on your spouse, you would have to rummage through his or her drawer and cupboard to find secret letters and keepsakes. The later decades introduced security locks and codes to help secure personal information from prying eyes. People have now started storing information on their smartphones and, more recently, tablets, in password-protected files and folders. Similar security measures can be adopted for calls and text messages.

The field of science and technology is a queer one. For every new item or facility it creates, it also offers an antidote. This explains the creation and launch of cell phone spyware.

Spyware – An Introduction

Spyware are software applications that enable users to gather confidential information about a person or organization without their knowledge. Such kinds of tracking software applications are typically used to monitor cell phone activity, but they can be used on tablet and computers as well.

The phone spyware applications are installed on a device, secretly. Once installed on the phone or computer, the spyware exports varied details including call logs, text messages sent and received, mobile internet connections, web pages browsed and the phone’s physical location.

Normally the data is exported to a cloud server where the person spying can access the date for viewing.

A few highly advanced applications for telephones also allow users to listen to phone conversations, and use the phone as a microphone – someone spying can listen to a conversation in a room where the telephone is. The owner of the phone, tablet or computer does not have the slightest hint that private information is being transferred to a third-party via the tracking software application.

Types of Spyware

1) Most are in the form of concealed malware that generally tags along with free downloads or gains access to your system when you visit pornographic sites. As soon as they gain entry, they set up automatically and start leaking out private and confidential information.

2) The other type includes software applications that are purchased and installed on the device one intends to track. After the application has been successfully installed, the user only has to log in to the app website to track movements and access your information.

Who can use Cell Phone Spyware?

Spyware has earned a bad name because it is largely used by criminals and stalkers. Gathering information covertly might also not sound like a very good idea to you. However, it isn’t bad if it is for the opposite person’s good or the good of the people at large.

Computer and cell phone spyware were used to launch successful business marketing campaigns. By monitoring a person’s use of the internet including the websites visited and the pages viewed, business owners attempted to tweak their marketing strategies and thereby reach their target audience.

Parents and spouses make up a large percent of commercial spyware users. As far as parents are concerned, the use is for a good reason. Given the amount of time children spend online, parents should keep a check on the websites their children visit, the people they contact and their whereabouts; whether they attend school regularly or spend their time elsewhere. Spouses also have the right to know to if their partner is cheating on them.

Answering the question posed in the title – useful or intrusion of privacy, it’s a matter of how you use the phone spyware application! For sure though it is important to note that phone spyware available online is illegal in most countries without the consent of the user (or a warrant).

So whilst parents could potentially put the spyware on their children’s telephones to protect them, if a husband puts it on his wife’s phone without her knowledge this is an illegal invasion of privacy.

Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) and our sister agency Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) are fully registered agencies offering investigation services to the private and business sectors throughout Indonesia and South East Asia.

Letters from a Private Investigator VIII

Copyright Fraud

Protecting trade secrets and intellectual property has actually become extremely difficult in the modern international business world.

If you do have a concern that involves proprietary information or about copyright fraud, then Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) can help you in discovering how and where any essential information has been compromised.

IPIA can help locate the principal source of illegal activities, the supply chain details and also help contain the situation. IPIA works with business, individuals, and companies in order to protect all their valuable intellectual assets. IPIA private investigators have worked on cases concerning counterfeit products, copyright fraud, and intellectual assets theft.

How Indonesia Private Investigation Agency Can Help

• Discover the production  source of the copyright items;
• Find the seller/s of the copyright items;
• Go undercover in order to uncover and expose the various factors of the supply chain;
• Retrieve valuable specimens of the stolen goods;
• Do background checks of the perpetrators.

What Copyright Investigation Involves

• Research for violations: Indonesia Private Investigation Agency agents are qualified private investigatora nd they can help you in identifying intellectual asset theft as well as copyright fraud;
• Identification of the perpetrators: A private investigator team will discover, locate, and also obtain essential background information and profiles of the perpetrators;
• Surveillance at retail and manufacturing locations: A private investigator may also use surveillance in order to get evidence of infringement and theft;
• Utilization of undercover operatives if needed.

Indonesia Private Investigation Agency has highly qualified private investigators. Unfortunately IPIA is getting more and more calls from clients that had opted for less qualified agencies (and therefore cheaper) only to come to IPIA to do the work all over again (properly).

Whoever you choose  IPIA recommends a Private Investigation Agency that is a reputable and registered company that can offer you the best possible investigation services.  Agencies should have proof of registration and qualifications. Clients are also within their rights to ask for references.

Companies and individuals face challenging,and  constantly evolving intellectual property rights landscape in Indonesia. They still battle constant infringement of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and even trade secrets.

In addition to this, companies face not just administrative hurdles, uneven enforcement, and procedural barriers but also commercial obstacles from extremely sophisticated counterfeiters. Thus, the services of IPIA are in demand now more than ever. So, if you ever need to deal with copyright fraud please contact IPIA for a free consultation on how we can help.

Letters from a Private Investigator VII

Technical terms often leave us baffled; business due diligence is one of them.  If you’re purchasing a new business or investing capital in a startup, many experts suggest you conduct a due diligence investigation as a precautionary measure. To put it in simple terms, due diligence simply means investigating the background or status of a business or operation. It includes a range of legal obligations, assignments, investigations and reports.

In Indonesia it can be difficult to navigate the maze of bureaucracy. Also often documents and records that should be accessible can be dificult to obtain. Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA), and Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) have over four years of experience running business due diligence checks, and have a proven track record of helping our clients with their risk management.

Below is a brief look at some of the most important factors involved in a business due diligence check.

History:

Like you would investigate the personal history of an individual, it is necessary to probe into the history of a business. This category involves asking questions about the date of establishment, the change in the owners, reasons for changes in ownership if it has been frequent, the trading history in terms of cash flow and sales and the upswings and downswings witnessed by a business.

Employee Information:

Employee information is generally requested as part of the business due diligence practice during an acquisition or merger. Employee information you can ask to be furnished includes the list of employees, their credentials, their job roles, pay, benefits, incentives and bonuses. It also includes agreements and contracts signed between authorities and employees. The employee benefits handbook provides information about sick time, vacation and overtime policy.  You should also request the authorities to brief you on the organization’s retirement policy. A private investigator conducting the due diligence process on your behalf determines the trustworthiness of employees based on their personal history and character.

Legal Issues:

There are certain legal concerns you should be informed about too. Legal issues are inclusive of civil and criminal cases at the personal and company level. At the company level it involves asking questions such as the company’s involvement in legal proceedings in the past, pending legal issues, the company’s stand (convict or victim) and causes and outcome of the legal issue. Also included in this section are listings of employee disputes. At the personal level, it involves investigating accusations against owners or authorities in cases such as drunken driving, use of banned substances or soliciting a prostitute.

Assets:

Ask the company to provide a list of its current assets. Real estate is the most common asset. Other assets are vehicles, equipment, bonds, shares and foreign currency investments. Assets serve as an indication of wise spending and over spending.

Financial Details:

As an investor or prospective buyer of a business, it is your right to demand financial details of that operation. You should request the company to provide financial statements or credit reports for 3 to 5 years. This includes information on accounting methods, accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgets, analyst reports, liabilities, and inventory and tax documentation.  You can also request reports from company auditors.

As a larger company taking over a smaller company, you can hire one or several private investigators to research the business and personal history of the persons involved in administration and management of the latter. The internet has made collecting information about a business or person much easier. However, due diligence uncovers those secrets that prevent unnecessary trouble in future. Due diligence does not guarantee security against investment failures but allows you to make a wise investment decision.

Indonesia Private Investigation Agency (IPIA) and our sister agency  Bali Eye Private Investigation Agency (BEPIA) are fully registered Private Investigation Agencies offering private detective and private investigator services to the Private and Business sectors throughout Indonesia and South East Asia.