Every private investigator at some point will turn to a database to help with their investigations. In this article, we will look at some of the main databases private investigators use, along with their costs and their reliability.
Which Databases Do Private Investigators Use?
The most common database a private investigator will use is the tracers database. The tracers database is fairly accurate and doesn’t cost too much so that a small investigation firm can afford it. For larger firms, they have API access and a bunch of other cool features that make tracking down a person or an asset much easier.
The Tracer database in our experience is accurate around 75% of the time. When it’s not accurate it’s usually because the information is old and out of date.
With that said, no database is going to be 100% correct so hiring the right private investigator for your needs is going to help.
Other databases that are not as common but are still used in the private investigator industry are the TLO and IRB databases. Other databases such as Experian can also help.
Combining databases for best results
As mentioned above no database is going to be correct or have the information you need 100% of the time, so as a private investigator you may want to combine databases for the best results.
If one database is out of date or doesn’t have the information you require then a separate database may have some fresh data that can set you on the right path.
Public record databases
There are also public record databases out there that the public can use to find information. A private detective will have experience and will know what to search for when going through these records so even though they are public records they will find information that you may miss.
Public records such as births, deaths, marriages and divorces are a good source of information for when you want to find a person.
Using the internet
The internet while technically isn’t a database can be used like one and a good private investigator will know how to search it for the information they need. For example, if a detective was looking for a person then they could upload images of them on reverse image websites to see if the same image had been uploaded anywhere else on the internet.
A good detective can also use software to take out the metadata on a photo to see if it holes any location data which would indicate where and when the photo was taken.
The internet can also be used to find friends, partners or known associates of a person that you may be looking for.
A good investigator doesn’t rely on databases
It’s easy enough to run searches on a computed and come up empty and then leave it like that. But a good private detective will only use a database as a starting point of an investigation.
When you hire a private detective they will use all of the tools within their armoury to get the job done. For most detectives finding a person or an asset will come down to doing good detective work such as surveillance and knocking on doors.
Need a private detective?
Hiring a private detective can be difficult as there are so many out there and in an industry that’s not regulated it’s hard to know who to trust.
If you would like to discuss your problems with us, a member of our team can advise the best course of action for you. We also have offices in London, Cardiff and Bristol if you would like to talk to us face to face too.
