Covert Investigations | TX #C10745
Covert Investigations | TX #C10745
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Want to improve your chances of getting a PI job?

3/6/2013

 
According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of private investigations is projected to grow by 22% over the next decade.

Although the field is growing, competition for employment is keen. Agency owners receive several calls a month from people who say, “I’d like to be a private investigator.” But most of these callers do not have the qualifications to become a private investigator or fail to grab the agency owner’s attention. Truth be told, an investigative agency that finds a qualified individual will often create a part-time position for him or her. Given the high turnover rate in the profession, such individuals will likely move quickly into a full time position.

This blog entry is designed to help you increase your chances of getting hired by a private detective agency and help you prepare for life on the job.

First, and most importantly, before calling an investigator about employment, make sure you qualify in your state to be a field investigator for a private agency. These rules vary by state. In Texas, for example, you are typically disqualified if you have a felony conviction, but you can obtain a field license without any specialized courses as long as you are 18 years old. The investigative agency will sponsor you. In Illinois, however, you have to be 21 years or older and complete a 20-hour course to qualify for work with a licensed agency.

Second, consider whether you really can work as a private investigator. Unless you have some special training in law, accounting, or computer forensics, you are not likely going to be an investigator with a nine-to-five schedule. If you happen to know accounting, you may be able to work as a fraud examiner with a more stable schedule. But it’s more likely that you are someone who does not have much formal training in investigative work. That is fine, but you’re going to work primarily for an agency as a surveillance specialist. The needs for surveillance-related work are high, so it is a great way to get started with an agency when you don’t have many specialized skills. But be forewarned: The hours are erratic and you will likely need to work every weekend from early evening to early morning (1600 hours to 0300 hours). You will have weeks that are busy and weeks that are slow. What this means is that some weeks you will not sleep much and other weeks you won’t have income. Does this sound okay for you? If it does, then this is something you should tell an agency owner. But you have to follow through. If you work hard, you’ll likely get to do other things and move up in the company. Eventually, you may even qualify for your own agency license. But answer this question truthfully: Are you willing to forgo your personal life for a few years? As a “part-time” employee you won’t work a set 20- hours-per-week schedule, you’ll be called upon at various times in the week. If you say you can’t go to work too often, then you’ll stop receiving calls for work.

Third, when you do call an agency owner and he or she asks you why you want (or are qualified) to be a private investigator, do not reply in any way similar to the following: “I’ve always thought it would be cool to be a private investigator,” “I like the shows Cheaters and Sex Decoys and would like to do this work,” “I just need a job and I’ve always been good at snooping on my neighbors.” Many people say this and it is not impressive. Consider more deeply what special skills or knowledge you can bring to an agency and start there: “I know how to operate a camera, can drive defensively, and have a great deal of common sense—you know, those things that can make you good at doing surveillance work.”

Fourth, prepare yourself. You can begin your career as a private investigator without a college degree. However, this does not mean you do not have to educate yourself about rules, laws, and regulations. If you still believe that you’d make a great investigator after all you’ve read, you can impress an agency owner with your knowledge of laws. For self-education, the you can find great books on Amazon.com.

While this information cannot guarantee employment, it is likely going to help your chances. Being a private investigator can be rewarding, but it takes a great deal of hard work, specific knowledge, and practice to succeed.

If you’d like know if a career in private investigations is good for you or would like a training opportunity, contact Craig Engstrom of Critical Hours Educational Services (618.203.1997). He can send you a free brochure about professional shadowing opportunities. CHES offers opportunities to shadow private investigators in order to learn about field procedures and business operations.

Some great stories

2/7/2013

 
The private investigations industry does not have the greatest professional image. However, these two recent stories show both the importance of private investigators and the profession’s growing status as a necessary and useful enterprise for businesses, individuals, and governments.
  • Uganda hires private investigator over journalist’s shooting
  • Village hires private investigator to investigate its only police officer
If you need international investigative services or protection, consider hiring Covert Investigative Services

Small business owners, are you prepared for holiday scams, fakes, and cheats?

12/12/2012

 
The National Retail Federation provided staggering estimates that retail fraud cost businesses $9.6 billion dollars in 2009. $2.7 billion of these losses were during the holiday shopping season alone. The details of NRF’s survey of large national retailers point to some alarming statistics:
According to the survey, 93.1% of retailers said stolen merchandise has been returned to their stores in the past year, up from 88.9 percent in 2008. In addition, three-quarters of retailers (75.4%) say they have experienced returns of merchandise purchased with fraudulent or stolen tender while 43.1 percent say they have experienced returns using counterfeit receipts. Nearly half (46.2%) also report that wardrobing—the return of used, non-defective merchandise like special occasion apparel and certain electronics—has been an issue for their company within the past year.
The same survey, however, also indicates that there is some hope:
Though return fraud continues to plague the retail industry, changes in policies have helped companies see improvements in some areas. According to NRF’s annual Return Fraud Survey, completed by loss prevention executives at 134 retail companies, two-thirds of retailers (69%) say their company’s return policy has changed in the past to account for fraud. However, the losses remain staggering: the retail industry will lose an estimated $2.7 billion in return fraud this holiday season and an estimated $9.6 billion this year.
But where do you begin if you’re a small business? National and regional businesses have more resources, which often include their own in-house loss prevention specialists. Because they need to have comparable return policies as their larger competitors, but lack security expertise, small business retailers are more exposed to the risk of fraudsters. This is one reason to permanently retain a professional investigator or security consulting company. According to Dr. Craig Engstrom, a small business consultant and assistant professor at The University of Montana, “Small retail and restaurant owners understand that bogus returns and counterfeit coupons put a major dent into their profits. However, most small business owners—especially those with fewer resources—seem to be at a loss about where to begin. I recommend to my clients and students to outsource to professional investigators.”

In a previous blog, I already explained the benefits of retaining a private investigator as a small business owner. However, there are a few additional reasons to make a private investigator a permanent part of your business operations:

  1. Reduced fees. The first benefit of permanently retaining a private investigator is lower service rates. If you contract with a private investigator and pay a large, and often refundable, retainer, she or he is likely to reduce the rates of services.
  2. Specified expertise. By permanently retaining an investigator, you will have investigators permanently on call to respond to issues. What is more, the investigative company will better understand your business and be able to respond quickly to fraud, when time is precious. Because the investigative agency will do a comprehensive security assessment of your business, your risk exposure will be mitigated. Should an unforeseen problem arise, however, you’ll have a trained expert ready to begin an investigation to quickly identify or prepare a case against shoplifters and individuals who fraudulently return merchandise.
  3. Lower insurance rates. If you retain a professional investigator with security expertise, you can make a case to your insurance company that you should receive a discounted rate. Just as an alarm system lowers your insurable risk, so does having a team ready to respond to crisis. You may be surprised to learn that many private investigations companies actually write comprehensive risk assessments and offer crisis management training and preparedness to many small- and medium-sized enterprises. Do you have a crisis management plan and are your employees trained to handle crisis? If the answer to either of these questions is “no,” then you should consult with a professional investigator soon.
With the holiday shopping season now in full swing and the economy still in recovery, the risk of fraud has never been greater. Practicing due diligence by having a private investigator ready-at-hand can reduce your risk to fraud and exposure to crisis. An investment in security may be one of the best decisions you could make now or in 2011. According to Entrepreneur, to be successful in 2011, businesses should, among other things, “overhaul… business plans” and “team up” with other companies. One thing you should seriously consider adding to your business plan is “risk management” and instead of guess what may or may not work, team up with an expert, such as a local licensed private investigator. Two things to remember: Don’t forget to ask the right questions in your first phone consultation and if you can’t afford the investment on your own, perhaps team up with several other local business and pool your money together to hire an investigative agency that will look out for all your interests.

Protect yourself when selling online (and a few other ramblings).

11/9/2011

 

Selling personal items and services online can be a way to earn a few extra bucks. However, the dangers of advertising and selling expensive items online or in traditional print classifieds became all too apparent recently. James Sanders advertised a 1.07-carat diamond ring with an asking price of $1,050. He arranged for a couple to come to his home to look at the ring, and hopefully purchase it. During the transaction, James and his wife were ambushed by four people. By the end of the altercation, James had been shot. Click here for full story.

While it would be easy to suggest Craiglist be monitored, controlled, or shut down, this would come at the loss of a great, free, and easy service. It would also not solve the problem of people creating these dangerous situations. This tragic story only highlights the need for people to better plan for the dangers of interacting with strangers and engaging in online (social) networks.

Here are just a few tips to keep in mind in dealing with online and offline interactions:

  • Never post personal details, home phone number, or addresses online, especially when engaging in a high-value transaction. With phone number reversal sites and the online white pages, it’s easy to figure out where you live, especially if you still use a landline. Cell phones are more difficult to trace, but it’s possible. Create a free email address or use the Craigslist anonymous email posting option. When doing an online transaction, ask people to supply their full name and number in the initial email response. Then you can check them out before you make more personal contact.
  • Meet in public spaces, with lots of people and surveillance cameras, and during the day. This does not require further explanation, does it?
  • Arrive first and leave last. This will reduce the possibility that you’ll be staked out by potential thieves.
  • Meet people with your (big) friends present. Again, no further explanation needed.
  • The incomprehensive list above applies to all types of off-line interactions that originate online or via advertisement. If you’re on a social networking site, never post that you’ll be leaving town and wait to return before sharing the photos and updates from your trip. Many people whose homes are burgled oftentimes have a direct or indirect connection with the thieves.

For added security, especially on big ticket items like cars, you may want to consider hiring a private investigator. Here are just a few things he or she can do for you.

  • Attend the sale with you. Some private investigators are certified in doing security and are licensed to carry a fire arm.
  • Complete a background check on a potential buyer.
Protect your online persona.
As far as your online persona goes, many private investigators are being hired to complete comprehensive on-line security analysis. Just like a home security analysis can be used to identify potential security weaknesses in your home, an online analysis can identify the areas where you are open to identity theft or exposing yourself to personal risk. Fortunately, there are now many ways to control what people are able to find out about you through search engines (e.g., Google) and a professional private detective can identify and deal with these for you.

There is no reason for tragedy to strike you. There is no reason for you to be passed on an excellent job offer because your friends tagged a photo of you doing a shot of vodka at that bar you don’t remember and posted it without your permission to their Flickr account. There is no reason you should expose yourself to identity thieves and predators. Just keep these things in mind and you’ll be much safer: If you won’t do it offline, don’t do it online. If you wouldn’t plaster it on an interstate billboard, don’t post it online. Finally, expect what you’d find offline (e.g., violent criminals and stalkers) to be more pronounced online. Call a professional investigator if you have any concerns, chances are he or she can help you.


    Equipment is important

    Covert Investigations uses Gen-3 military grade night vision on all night surveillance. See a demo at: 

    http://www.covert-pi.com/services.html and 
    http://www.covert-pi.com/ 

    Gen-3 equipment gives you facial recognition from long distances in the middle of the night and with little to no light. 

    The Gen-3 equipment is not to be confused with the inadequate night shot feature that comes standard with all video cameras. That video when produced only gives silhouetted images and is useless for evidence purposes. 

    If you have an assignment at night and you want quality identifiable evidence please call me or search a company that has similar equipment. 

    If an agency says they have Gen-3 equipment demand it be used and refuse to pay for the assignment if the it is not used. Covert Investigations will never bill a client for failure on our part. 

    Your evidence is important to your case. Be sure your Investigator has that equipment. 

    Observations & Interviews, a blog by Chet Engstrom

    Chet Engstrom is owner of Covert Investigations Services, a private investigations firm located in Lewisville, Texas (DFW area). Texas license number: C10745.

    This blog is update at least monthly.

    Some posts are written by Craig Engstrom (www.craigengstrom.info). 

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4101 McEwen, Dallas, TX, 75244

What Our Clients Are Saying

"Covert Investigations proved themselves to be EXEMPLARY. I received more than I expected and never once was it suspected that this investigator was taking video and there working to acquire evidence that was much needed for my custody court case."
​Max Johnson - Google Review

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