The industry is quiet broad with a variety of areas to get into.
Domestic investigations is generally spousal infidelity, teen behaviours, asset tracking (to determine values for property settlements etc) etc these are usually
done by investigators as sole traders or in small partnerships. This may involve surveillance, fidelity testing, IT forensics, forensic accounting, forensic investigation (drugs detection / bodily fluid detection), interviewing etc.
Skip trace / background checks are the tracking down of witnesses to civil and criminal cases, debtors who have done a runner and the confirmation of claimed qualifications, references and experience. These are usually performed for company clients e.g. solicitors, creditors, employers and again are usually done by investigators as sole traders or in small partnerships.
Criminal defence is the gathering of ‘evidence’ for solicitors to support their clients in court. Usually carried out by sole trader PI.
General Insurance investigation is the factual investigation to validate claims for home and contents (usually accidental or malicious damage and home burglary), allegedly stolen motor vehicles, vehicle accidents, commercial loss and damage etc. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company’s panel of investigators. Fraud identification and policy activation event identification are the key areas.
Life style insurance claim investigation is the factual and/or surveillance investigation to validate claims against personnel injury/illness income protection and superannuation policies. Fraud identification; policy activation event identification; activity levels/physical capacity; domestic circumstances (dependents) and employment status are the key areas.
Compulsory Third Party claim investigation takes factual motor accident investigation to the next level and introduces elements of personnel injury claim and common law negligence investigation. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company’s panel of investigators. Fraud identification and contributory negligence are the key areas. This area is also covered by surveillance investigators who ‘validate’ or otherwise a person’s activity level and employment status against what they claim. Staged accidents have been in the news lately and this is what PIs look for.
Worker’s compensation claim investigation is your industrial / commercial environment accident claim factual investigation (can include psychological injuries) an so has elements of both normal personnel injury claims or statutory claims; and common law negligence for litigated claims. Fraud identification and contributory negligence are the key areas. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company or WorkCover panel of investigators. This area is also covered by surveillance investigators who ‘validate’ or otherwise a persons activity level and employment status against what they claim.
Public liability claim investigation is the factual investigation of claims of negligence resulting in injury and incapacity. This may also involve surveillance investigations to determine a persons activity level/physical capacity and employment status against what they claim. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company’s panel of investigators. Fraud identification and policy activation event identification and contributory negligence are the key areas.
Professional indemnity claims investigation is the factual investigation of claims of professional negligence resulting in injury or loss. Fraud identification and contributory negligence are the key areas. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company or WorkCover panel of investigators. This area is also covered by surveillance investigators who ‘validate’ or otherwise a persons activity level and employment status and economic loss against what they claim.
Corporate fraud investigations are the factual investigations of fraudulent activities either directed at or conducted by the officers of a company. This may
involve ‘undercover’ or pretext surveillance or forensic accounting or asset tracking.
Commercial loss investigation is the surveillance or factual investigations of stock/inventory/asset theft (also known as leakage or shrinkage) either directed at or conducted by the officers of a trading business, store or storage business. This may involve ‘undercover’ or pretext surveillance or forensic accounting or asset tracking.
IT forensic technicians now require licenses in many circumstances.
Forensic accountants do not.
Specialist areas include arson, auto theft, financial fraud, etc.
Other more esoteric areas include Small Business/ business partner behaviour – financial activity , Workplace Theft and Staff Investigations, , Infidelity and Child Support Issues, Disability/ Income protection, Teenage Activities and Child Abuse Claims, Divorce, custody, property settlements, hidden Assets, Child Abduction & Abuse, Family Law Matters, Missing Persons & Runaways, Due Diligence, Spouse & Teenager Activity, Competitor intelligence, Stalking, Corporate Fraud & Theft, Prevention Consulting, De-Bugging, Conflict of Interest, Market Intelligence Mergers & Acquisitions, behaviour and policy Audits, Financial
Investigations, Asset Searching, Theft, Fraud & Counterfeiting in Intellectual Property Issues, Computer Fraud, Electronic Surveillance Equipment, Debugging Premises, Vetting Personnel, Forensic Science, Polygraph (Lie Detector) Equipment, Matrimonial & Personal Matters, Tracing Missing Persons, Bona Fides Of Companies, Firms & Individuals, Solicitors Agents, providing full Litigation Support in Civil, Criminal & Allied Matters, Accident Investigation & Plan Drawing, Affidavits, Company Searches, Endowment claims, Infringement of Patent, Copyright or Trademark, Insolvency, Process Serving (additional license required),
Registry Searches · Land · Births · Deaths · Marriages · Bankruptcy · Court, Test Purchases and secret shopper,
And so the list goes on…
How much work is there depends on what you want to do. The economy is down so insurance fraud is up, workers comp increases as job security decreases,
financial stress increases relationship problems so business in many areas is growing.
How do you get work – well it is up to you how you make yourself attractive to clients (whether they are ‘panel firms’ who will sub-contract to you for their clients, or individuals seeking services in the areas you offer).
There are also regional differences to consider. In the major cities you can afford to specialise while in regional areas you may have to take whatever work
comes your way to achieve the level of work you want.
Basically the more information you can give me about yourself the better I can tailor my advice to you. As a start point what State did you want to licence in first and what areas of the industry are you considering.
Domestic investigations is generally spousal infidelity, teen behaviours, asset tracking (to determine values for property settlements etc) etc these are usually
done by investigators as sole traders or in small partnerships. This may involve surveillance, fidelity testing, IT forensics, forensic accounting, forensic investigation (drugs detection / bodily fluid detection), interviewing etc.
Skip trace / background checks are the tracking down of witnesses to civil and criminal cases, debtors who have done a runner and the confirmation of claimed qualifications, references and experience. These are usually performed for company clients e.g. solicitors, creditors, employers and again are usually done by investigators as sole traders or in small partnerships.
Criminal defence is the gathering of ‘evidence’ for solicitors to support their clients in court. Usually carried out by sole trader PI.
General Insurance investigation is the factual investigation to validate claims for home and contents (usually accidental or malicious damage and home burglary), allegedly stolen motor vehicles, vehicle accidents, commercial loss and damage etc. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company’s panel of investigators. Fraud identification and policy activation event identification are the key areas.
Life style insurance claim investigation is the factual and/or surveillance investigation to validate claims against personnel injury/illness income protection and superannuation policies. Fraud identification; policy activation event identification; activity levels/physical capacity; domestic circumstances (dependents) and employment status are the key areas.
Compulsory Third Party claim investigation takes factual motor accident investigation to the next level and introduces elements of personnel injury claim and common law negligence investigation. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company’s panel of investigators. Fraud identification and contributory negligence are the key areas. This area is also covered by surveillance investigators who ‘validate’ or otherwise a person’s activity level and employment status against what they claim. Staged accidents have been in the news lately and this is what PIs look for.
Worker’s compensation claim investigation is your industrial / commercial environment accident claim factual investigation (can include psychological injuries) an so has elements of both normal personnel injury claims or statutory claims; and common law negligence for litigated claims. Fraud identification and contributory negligence are the key areas. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company or WorkCover panel of investigators. This area is also covered by surveillance investigators who ‘validate’ or otherwise a persons activity level and employment status against what they claim.
Public liability claim investigation is the factual investigation of claims of negligence resulting in injury and incapacity. This may also involve surveillance investigations to determine a persons activity level/physical capacity and employment status against what they claim. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company’s panel of investigators. Fraud identification and policy activation event identification and contributory negligence are the key areas.
Professional indemnity claims investigation is the factual investigation of claims of professional negligence resulting in injury or loss. Fraud identification and contributory negligence are the key areas. This is carried out by (90%) sub-contracted PI who contract to larger investigative firms who win tenders to be on the insurance company or WorkCover panel of investigators. This area is also covered by surveillance investigators who ‘validate’ or otherwise a persons activity level and employment status and economic loss against what they claim.
Corporate fraud investigations are the factual investigations of fraudulent activities either directed at or conducted by the officers of a company. This may
involve ‘undercover’ or pretext surveillance or forensic accounting or asset tracking.
Commercial loss investigation is the surveillance or factual investigations of stock/inventory/asset theft (also known as leakage or shrinkage) either directed at or conducted by the officers of a trading business, store or storage business. This may involve ‘undercover’ or pretext surveillance or forensic accounting or asset tracking.
IT forensic technicians now require licenses in many circumstances.
Forensic accountants do not.
Specialist areas include arson, auto theft, financial fraud, etc.
Other more esoteric areas include Small Business/ business partner behaviour – financial activity , Workplace Theft and Staff Investigations, , Infidelity and Child Support Issues, Disability/ Income protection, Teenage Activities and Child Abuse Claims, Divorce, custody, property settlements, hidden Assets, Child Abduction & Abuse, Family Law Matters, Missing Persons & Runaways, Due Diligence, Spouse & Teenager Activity, Competitor intelligence, Stalking, Corporate Fraud & Theft, Prevention Consulting, De-Bugging, Conflict of Interest, Market Intelligence Mergers & Acquisitions, behaviour and policy Audits, Financial
Investigations, Asset Searching, Theft, Fraud & Counterfeiting in Intellectual Property Issues, Computer Fraud, Electronic Surveillance Equipment, Debugging Premises, Vetting Personnel, Forensic Science, Polygraph (Lie Detector) Equipment, Matrimonial & Personal Matters, Tracing Missing Persons, Bona Fides Of Companies, Firms & Individuals, Solicitors Agents, providing full Litigation Support in Civil, Criminal & Allied Matters, Accident Investigation & Plan Drawing, Affidavits, Company Searches, Endowment claims, Infringement of Patent, Copyright or Trademark, Insolvency, Process Serving (additional license required),
Registry Searches · Land · Births · Deaths · Marriages · Bankruptcy · Court, Test Purchases and secret shopper,
And so the list goes on…
How much work is there depends on what you want to do. The economy is down so insurance fraud is up, workers comp increases as job security decreases,
financial stress increases relationship problems so business in many areas is growing.
How do you get work – well it is up to you how you make yourself attractive to clients (whether they are ‘panel firms’ who will sub-contract to you for their clients, or individuals seeking services in the areas you offer).
There are also regional differences to consider. In the major cities you can afford to specialise while in regional areas you may have to take whatever work
comes your way to achieve the level of work you want.
Basically the more information you can give me about yourself the better I can tailor my advice to you. As a start point what State did you want to licence in first and what areas of the industry are you considering.