Most Frequently Asked Questions What is a private investigator? Who hires private investigators? What should I do before hiring an investigator? Do private investigators have to be licensed? How do I verify that someone is a licensed investigator? How do private investigators charge? What types of things are professional private investigators NOT allowed to do? What types of services do professional private investigators provide? Which types of services does O'Brien Investigations specialize in? What is the difference between a Pre-Employment Screening and a Background Investigation? Who needs background checks? Why are Background Checks and Background Investigations so important? What makes O'Brien Investigations background checks superior? What is a Criminal Investigation? Why Do I Need an Independent Criminal Investigation?

What is a private investigator? A private investigator—also known as a PI, Private Detective or Private Eye—is someone that is hired to undertake an investigation. Over 80% of all activities conducted by a private investigator are civil in nature and fall outside of the realm of the police. Most states require PIs to be trained and licensed. Investigators often have a law enforcement and/or a military background. Top of Page Who hires private investigators? Law firms, corporations, insurance companies, private parties and entities not involved with the government or police all have reasons to use the services of a private investigator. Top of Page What should I do before hiring an investigator? Even if a private investigator is recommended to you, it is important you perform your due diligence before hiring a company. You should do the following: ask for and check references obtain their license number and check with the state licensing board to make sure they are current and have no complaints check for complaints with the local Better Business Bureau ask for and check their insurance policy ask for a contract Top of Page Do private investigators have to be licensed? Most states require a private investigator to be licensed. California has very strict requirements, including 6,000 hours of investigations experience and rigid testing, to obtain an investigative license, while other states have no requirements. Top of Page How do I verify that someone is a licensed investigator? Many states have online public databases you can use to verify an agency's or individual's investigation license. Additionally, many of these databases will allow you to search for valid private investigator licenses for agencies and/or individuals. In California, an investigator’s license status can be researched at the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs website - Click Here Top of Page How do private investigators charge? In the majority of cases, private investigators will charge an hourly rate. Hourly rates can vary. Nearly all investigators will ask for a retainer fee before taking a case. It is unlikely you will find an investigator willing to do just one or two hours of investigative work. Top of Page What types of things are professional private investigators NOT allowed to do? Although PIs have access to information the general public can not obtain, they must obey the same basic laws as ordinary citizens. Three big things they can't do: Pose as law enforcement officers Wire tapping Obtain cell phone records via pre-texting (concealing one's true intent by deception) Top of Page What types of services do professional private investigators provide? Private investigators offer many types of investigations. Investigators often work for law firms to gather information on civil or defense cases. Insurance companies commonly hire investigators to look into suspicious claims. Private individuals hire investigators to locate missing people, to do surveillance on spouses and for many other reasons. A large majority of detective work is spent in the field conducting interviews or doing surveillance. Many investigators do computer searches, background checks and make phone calls to gather data. Investigators are often asked to provide detailed reports on their findings and testify in court on behalf of their clients. If you are looking for someone or something, chances are a private investigator can help you. Below is a list of some services that PI's perform: Background Checks Child Support / Custody Corporate Domestic Electronic Surveillance Forensic Identity Theft Judgment Recovery People Locate / Skip Trace Public Records Trial Preparation Civil Crime Scene Due Diligence Executive Protection Fraud Infidelity / Cheating Spouse Missing Persons Polygraph / Lie Detector Repossession Video / Photo Surveillance Wrongful Death Asset Search Bug Sweep / TSCM Computer Forensics / Crime Criminal Electronic Data Discovery Financial General Insurance Process Service Surveillance Workers Compensation Top of Page Which types of services does O'Brien Investigations specialize in? Pre-Employment Screening and Background Investigations – Experienced with over 700 detailed background investigations of police officer and civilian public safety employees, I am highly confident I will get you the information you need to make smart hiring decisions.   Criminal Investigations - I bring over 25 years and 40,000 cases worth of highly trained experience to your criminal investigations.   Deception Detection – With over a dozen years of training and experience using recognized professional interviewing methods, I will provide you with the most accurate results possible.   Infidelity Investigations – I will gather the necessary evidence to confirm your suspicions or give you peace of mind. Top of Page What is the difference between a Pre-Employment Screening and a Background Investigation? Pre-employment screening is sometimes referred to as a “background check.” This is a limited impartial look into someone’s immediate personal and criminal history. This includes: Name and Social Security Number Verification Age and year of birth scan Driver’s License Verification Countywide search for criminal convictions (7 years) Countywide search for Superior Court civil cases Employment Verification Education Verification A background investigation is a deeper examination of someone’s personal history, criminal history, and professional background: Includes everything in a Pre-Employment Screening Includes search for relatives, associates, and marital status Includes fraud scan for aliases and false SSNs Address history with dates of residency Includes bankruptcies, judgments, foreclosures, evictions, tax liens, and many other indicators such as civil cases and divorces Statewide felony conviction search Local search for Municipal civil cases Statewide Superior Court civil cases Education, business and professional history, military service Source of income, and business affiliations Includes confidential source information Family background and marital history Search for Federal criminal cases Nationwide bankruptcies and tax liens Includes interviews with direct and indirect references Top of Page Who needs background checks? There are many reasons why you may one day need to run a background check: Employee checks: Not running employment background checks can make you liable if an employee with a criminal record uses your business to commit crimes. Criminal background check: Estimates suggest that 9-10% of the US population has a criminal record. Knowing whether someone you trust falls into this percentage can protect you from crime and fraud. Personal background checks: Dating service checks can help ensure that the person you're meeting is safe. Personal background checks can also bring you peace of mind about a neighbor or friend’s behavior. Caregiver checks: According to some statistics, up to 14% of child abuse is attributed to caregivers such as nannies and babysitters. A very high percentage of abuse of the elderly is caused by caregivers. Nanny checks and background checks can help you prevent tragedy. Pre-employment checks: According to some studies, between 10 and 35% of all job applicants lie about their education and qualifications. A background check can let you know who you’re really hiring. Tenant checks: If you will be subletting, renting, or otherwise allowing someone to stay on your property, a tenant check can let you know how reliable and honest your would-be renter really is. Top of Page Why are Background Checks and Background Investigations so important? It’s simple. LIE-Ability equals liability. Today, an employee’s background is about a lot more than just criminal checks. Hiring and retaining employees in today’s marketplace is complex; in fact, it’s more of a matter of life and death for most businesses. The liabilities inherited with each job offer include: Employee theft Huge turnover rates Unqualified employees Negligent hiring practices and discrimination based lawsuits Violence in the workplace Each of these challenges has a distinct and overwhelming effect on every business, within every market segment in every country of the world. Quality hiring decisions build profitable and successful companies; bad employees tear them down. All other problems aside, employee theft alone has been described as an epidemic... a corporate cancer… a disease murdering American enterprise. It has also been characterized as the fastest growing segment of our economy. Understand first, that past performance is ALWAYS indicative of future behavior. You must completely and accurately gather all of the facts from a potential new-hire concerning previous work history, performance, attitude, criminal involvement, etc. 40% of all small businesses which ultimately fail or are forced to file for bankruptcy do so because they suffer from employee fraud and theft? In one research study, in 91% of employee theft cases, the identified employee was predisposed to causing loss and he or she had participated in acts that caused losses to previous employers. But how do you make an informed decision when it has been PROVEN that at least 35% of all job applicants will lie to you? Top of Page   What makes O'Brien Investigations background checks superior? My agency's backgrounds are designed with your specific needs in mind. My experience in detailed investigating and deception detection combine to create a very clear picture of the subject of the background. I personally perform each background investigation and write clearly and concisely, producing a superior product in an easy-to-interpret format. Top of Page What is a Criminal Investigation? A criminal investigation looks for clues and evidence to determine whether a crime has taken place and who is responsible. If a crime has been committed, a criminal investigation may look into the background of the accused and may try to uncover who committed the crime. Police agencies and law enforcement are committed to criminal investigations of every kind, but police forces are so overwhelmed with crime and so understaffed that not all criminal investigations get fully investigated. A growing number of individuals are choosing to launch their own criminal investigations with the help of professional investigators. Top of Page Why Do I Need an Independent Criminal Investigation? Although in the past many people have allowed law enforcement to conduct criminal investigations, today a growing awareness of the problems with this method has pushed many people to seek independent investigations. A private investigator is not only exclusively dedicated to solving a case, but he or she often does not have the limitations of resources and jurisdiction that a law enforcement agency must contend with. Plus, an investigator will look for things on your terms – whether or not the police are convinced that no crime was committed. Investigators will even work on criminal defense investigations, gathering evidence of wrongful conviction or accusation. Top of Page

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