Texas and Oregon
🔍 Private Investigations
🧬 Genealogy Research
🔎 Background Checks
📍 Person & Address Location
📁 Record Research & Retrieval
👾 Certified OSINT Investigator
🎥 Surveillance
💼 Asset Checks
🧑🤝🧑 Missing Persons Investigations How can I be a PI? You might be surprised by the range of activities a PI carries out in any given year. Some investigators specialize in only one or two areas, but most of us are generalists who undertake almost any worthwhile job that comes along. At Bona Fie Investigations, I do all of the following:
• Assist attorneys in preparing court cases. In civil cases, we might work for either side. In criminal cases, PIs almost always work for the defense. (The police have their own investigators on staff; they are called detectives.) I locate document alleged crime scenes and interview witnesses, cliets and alleged victims. In short, I do anything that’s needed for the case. It’s my job to be impartial and not to advocate for any side.
• Child custody cases, I can help determine who is actually caring for the children and if they are in a safe and healthy environment.
• Cases of business fraud, I can document shady behavior such as secret meetings with competitors and sales of “exclusive” franchises to multiple buyers in the same areas.
• Insurance fraud cases, I can do surveillance of the “disabled” who claim they are too physically injured to work but can still miraculously go snowboarding or move a couch for a friend.
• Counterfeit merchandise or stolen merchandise cases, I can pose as buyer to document the transactions and get the physical evidence.
• Locations of individuals for a multitude of reasons, often happy reasons like inheritance or long-lost friends or relatives. I am able to research out the client carefully in locate cases, because we do not want to facilitate a stalker; and while we are happy to pass on the client’s contact information and relay any message back, we will not deliver the located person’s contact information to the client without permission from the located person.
• Workplace investigations, I can do my best to document internal theft, lack of security, or harassment issues within companies.
• Difficult process service, where the individual to be served court papers has been evading normal service. I have a lot of tricks of the trade and I'm fairly certain I can get them served. Yes, I do occasionally surveil suspected cheating spouses and domestic partners, but only in cases where there is no history whatsoever of violence or threats between the two parties. Just like locates, I can carefully check out the client because I do not want to facilitate a stalker or promote aggression. Some of these cases have to do with divorcing spouses suspecting the other of hiding assets prior to a divorce being finalized. And I’m happy to report that in many cases, I can find the person in question to be innocent of the accusation. Unlike PIs on television, in real life private investigators have no special powers. I cannot legally break into buildings, trespass on private property (except in certain cases of process serving), or threaten or intimidate anyone, and we certainly don’t run around shooting guns, although some PIs carry weapons for protection. In general, I have to be even more careful than the average citizen not to break any laws, because I am are more likely to be sued or prosecuted for any violations. Is investigation work fun? I love what I do, I started doing investigations when I was younger. However, it entailed sitting in a hot car for up to 8 hours a day watching homes and waiting. I would not trade my career for anything. Is it dangerous? Yes, sometimes it can be a little creepy, but a smart investigator always has a cell phone handy and meets shady characters in coffee shops, not in dark alleys. Process serving seems to be more dangerous than anything. Is it interesting? Yes, I meet a lot of people and have built friendships. I treat everyone equal and give each client 150%. To become a PI, it takes training and test and dedication. I have met some amazing PIs and together we have done some amazing work.
