Remember the days when private investigators were depicted as the rather eccentric characters seated behind messy desks in seedy neighborhood buildings? And the majority of their clients were heartbroken wives who strongly suspected their husbands of having affairs?
Through the years, that very incorrect stereotype has slowly eroded and been replaced with a much more accurate picture. Actually the private investigator of today is very often a technologically savvy professional with an assortment of impressive skills.
Yes, there are still clients- male and female- who request surveillance and answers to their gnawing questions about fidelity. But also, a private investigator identifies the value of finding answers through the use of technology.
For example, the cell phone forensic examination of a cell phone can often be an amazing resource. As we all know, cell phones contain a history of text messages, address books, calls; both made and received, images, schedules, calendars and a history of GPS uses.
If you assume that you can access this valuable information on your own, think again. Actually, it is important to know how to complete a mobile phone forensic analysis to preserve data in a way which can be admissible in court. Because more than 60% of cell phones are password protected, a cell phone investigation may begin with recovering the password.
When a subject suspects that a cellular forensics investigation is impending, there is a risk because the subject might “bomb” the phone with text messages and emails. If this occurs, previous messages and other pertinent information are buried under the onslaught of new information. That’s when the cellphone expert brings out all his cell phone forensic tools to dig into all the data on the phone.
Training in how to handle cell phone legal compliance and mobile phone forensic analysis through technology makes the private investigator an important member of your team. When you need answers and there is absolutely no room for mistakes or missed opportunities to gather evidence, remember that the private investigator of today has all of the skills you need to collect forensic cellular evidence you need for any type of marital, financial or legal conflict.
–Brenda McGinley, CEO, All in Investigations, All in Investigations
