According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2021 there were approximately 28,860 individuals employed as private investigators [1]. People or companies hire private investigators for a variety of case types that other professionals do not handle. Private investigators are often tasked with handling sensitive and emotionally-charged situations. Part of the responsibility in such cases is understanding how to retrieve data from devices and memory cards, which can provide evidence to help prove or disprove a client's situation or theory.
Private investigation cases may include…
1. Fraud Investigations
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Corporations may hire private investigators to look into fraud, loss of information and how it occurred, and the legitimacy of business partners.
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Employees may engage in white-collar crimes including embezzlement in which they attain assets lawfully but do not use them for their intended purposes.
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Employees may also share company information with competitors in exchange for better job offers or other high-value rewards. Private investigators can look deeper into the leaked information and assist corporations in upholding non-complete clauses they may have in place.
2. Infidelity Investigations
People will hire a private investigator to conduct surveillance and an investigation to determine if their partner is being unfaithful.
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Often investigators will be asked to provide proof of infidelity and help their customers come to terms with the reality of their partner's lies.
3. Family Law Investigations
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Private Investigators may also be hired to gather evidence that can be used in civil trials such as divorce or child custody battles [2]—other cases they would be hired for include missing persons or adopted family members.
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Parents involved in a divorce may attempt to uncover information that can be used in their favor during a custody battle. They may also seek hidden assets in situations in which parents owe spousal or child support. Spousal support can be terminated if private investigators uncover individuals living with a new romantic partner [2].
To properly conduct their investigations they may use special databases available to law enforcement. Other ways of obtaining information include checking social media for information on their subject. Investigators may also interview neighbors and colleagues. With the information, they gather they can provide reports, photographs, or videos, and may testify at court hearings with their observations [2].
How ADF Helps Private Investigations
Using ADF software private investigators can investigate mobile or computer devices. ADF’s Digital Evidence Investigator PRO allows the acquisition of all the evidence needed to prosecute a case successfully. DEI PRO is the all-in-one digital evidence forensics, triage, and media exploitation software built for speed, scalability, and ease of use for front-line investigators who need results. It’s an automated digital forensic tool for iOS, Android, Mac, Linux, and Windows.
DEI PRO collects digital evidence in cybercrime and presents it in a timeline view to tie the user to files and artifacts creating a digital evidence collection to help you solve your investigation. DEI PRO quickly processes and analyzes smartphones (iOS and Android), computers, external drives, drive images, and other media storage (USB flash drives, memory cards, etc.).
DEI PRO can enable private investigators to conduct rapid checks on target devices and obtain:
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Call logs
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Calendars
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Contacts
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Installed applications
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Messages
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Searched items
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Book marks
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Web History
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Wireless networks
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Audio files
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Databases
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Media
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Documents
Having the necessary tools to conduct accurate and thorough investigations ensures private investigators meet their customer's needs to obtain further recommendations and grow their clientele.
