Female Private Investigator Monique Lessan: Women make great investigators

Female Private Investigator Monique Lessan: Women make great investigators

http://www.eyeinvestigate.com

Women make great investigators

This article is a good example of why women make such great investigators:

web site: http://www.private-investigator-info.org/female-private-investigator.html

 A female private investigator is a big asset to any investigation agency. Female operatives are very useful for not only general private investigation work, but also for gender-specific assignments which take advantage of their feminine attributes and charms. There are many cases where a female investigator is the “best man for the job”.

Female Private Investigator Assignments

  Of course, there are female investigators who handle cases which do not require a gender-specific role to be played. However, the true value of a woman investigator is her ability to use her gender as a tool to gain access to persons, places or information during her assignment. Female investigators are often utilized for infidelity investigations, since they can get very close to a potentially cheating husband or boyfriend. Female investigators also make excellent process servers, especially when personal service on a difficult target is absolutely necessary. Women private investigators are ideal for assignments requiring open surveillance or extended periods of loitering, since they do not raise the same warning flags as men. Women operatives make perfect store detectives and mystery shoppers, as well as terrific additions to a bounty hunter team or bodyguard detail.

Female Private Investigator Tactics

Female private eyes take advantage of the most powerful weapons any investigator has at their disposal… their mind and body. Playing a role is often crucial in gathering information and women can simply play far more diversified parts than most men could ever do. Personally, I have seen female investigators going undercover using tools and tactics which seemed so unlikely for a professional investigator to use, yet worked so incredibly well! One of my acquaintances is a woman investigator who likes to do surveillance in public while walking with a baby carriage, complete with simulated baby in the form of a doll! This same female operative extols the virtues of being able to carry a full complement of spy gear and recording devices easily and without detection… She simply puts it all in her purse or baby bag! Brilliant!!!Women investigators use trust, sex appeal, gender roles and general appearance as incredibly effectual weapons in their arsenals. Remember, some of the most important traits of a successful investigator are professional anonymity and the ability to put others at rest in their presence…

Female Private Investigator Career

Women considering a career in private investigation should be ideal examples of the detective personality type… Strong minded, confident, intelligent, well spoken and calm. They should possess excellent people skills and must handle pressure well. Acting ability comes in handy, and many investigators consider taking professional lessons to increase the believability of their characters. Finally, basic self defense is a must, since all investigators can find themselves in sticky situations from time to time. The last thing a women detective needs is to be discovered by the possibly dangerous target of her investigation, especially if time and circumstances might dictate the potential for violence against her…

Female Private Investigator Advice

Whether you are thinking about hiring a female private detective or are considering becoming one, it is crucial to understand the many benefits a woman investigator offers. There is no denying that these special operatives possess the skills needed to get any job done and can be far more flexible than most traditional male investigators. Some of the best run detective agencies are owned and operated by women, while almost every large investigative firm employs female private eyes. The bottom line comes down to this… In the world of cloak and dagger, camouflage is often the best road to success. Depending on the nature of the assignment, women may be able to blend into the natural environment better than men, access more information than men and do it right out in the open without arousing any suspicion at all. These factors all add up to make female private detectives a desirable addition to any case as

25+ Reasons to Hire a Private Investigator and 5 of these reasons are why that private investigator should be a Woman

I am  Monique Lessan, a Private Investigator. I have a decade of experience and have conducted extensive international investigations. My expertise includes Infidelity, Asset Search, Locate People and Businesses, Marriage and Divorce, Surveillance, Due Diligence, and Background Searches for Perspective Spouses.


  My passion is in child abduction cases (domestic and international). I speak fluent Farsi, English, French and Spanish –  check out my business at www.EyeInvestigate.com.

25 Plus Reasons to Hire a Private Investigator:

1.  Retrieve Bank Accounts

2.  Intercept telephone communications

3.  Conduct surveillance

4.  Perform background checks (this is particular important for businesses!)

5.  Conduct undercover sting operations

6.  Carry out “mystery shopper” or “mystery client” projects

7.  Reconstruct an accident

8.  Conduct an asset search

9.  Investigate identity theft

10. Catch a cheating spouse/infidelity

11. Investigate child custody

12. Conduct a personal injury investigation

13. Carry out a divorce & family law investigation

14. Inspect restaurants and bars

15. Conduct executive protection

16. Perform fraud/embezzlement investigations

17. Investigate sexual harassment cases

18. Perform due diligence of all kinds

19. Locate missing persons

20. Carry out polygraph/lie detector tests

21. Serve subpoenas (remember this if you are suing anyone in CA!)

22. Investigate stalkers/predators – online and offline

23. Perform computer forensics & investigations

24. Perform workplace violence investigations

25. Work on death penalty cases/evidence

26. Check public records in court

Plus, 5 reasons why your Private Investigator should be a woman:

1.  Not easy to detect

2.  Better in undercover operations

3.  More convincing with phone pretexts

4.  Less intimidating

5.  More intuitive

Please Take a look at my website: http://www.eyeinvestigate.com

9 WAYS TO LOCATE SOMEONE

NUMBER ONE
SOCIAL SECURITY TRACE

The Social Security Trace is likely the most effective search used to locate a missing person. It requires that you have the social security number which is used as the input information. This search is actually the top portion of a credit bureau file containing the name and address information. The reason it is the most effective search is because address updates often end up in this database without people realizing that various activity will trigger new address information input into credit bureaus. These reasons could include:

• A)extension of credit
• B) as a direct result of filling out an employment application
• C) As a direct result of filling out an application to rent an apartment.
• D) AS a direct result of a loan company or bank attempting to collect a debt (they skip traced the subject, located the subject and provided the new address to a credit bureau network)
• E) As a direct result of applying for insurance.
• F) As a direct result of applying for various utilities such as water, gas or electric (Many utility companies are now running credit bureaus to determine user deposits).
• G) As a direct result of an investigator or other professional using the National Identifier as a trace on the subject to either obtain the SSN number or verify identity information.

It's important to realize that there are about 200 million credit bureau files that are consistently being instantly updated by hundreds of thousands of input updates weekly.

Social Security Tracing is unregulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act which means that it is not a restricted search and does not require permissible purposes under the federal law. However, some state laws have superceded federal law. In a few state such as California, a Social Security Trace requires that a notification footer be created every time a Social Security Trace is run. What that means is that a record is kept on the bottom portion of the credit bureau file of the company running the SSN Trace.

When using Social Security Tracing, it is important to understand that there are three credit bureaus (TRW, CBI and Trans Union) that offer such a trace. In order to make a more wider geographical sweep of credit bureau headers, it is usually best to run more than one source.

One of the added features of an SSN tace is the fact that you'll obtain other information that can be helpful.

1) Death Claims Notification
All the credit bureaus subscribe to the Social Security Administration's National Death Claims Index. This is a database of people who have filed claims on an SSN number for death benefits. The original purpose of this extra feature is to insure against credit fraud by using a dead person's SSN number.

2) Multiple Social Security Numbers
When investigators frequency run an SSN Trace on various types of people who are under investigation, they soon notice that many of these people are using more than one SSN number. Sometimes this is a clerical error on the part of people who input information to credit bureaus. More often, however, this is a result of the subject attempting to use a secondary SSN number to cover his trails. Nine times out of ten, this is instantly spotted and tagged with the subject's other file.

NUMBER TWO
VOTER REGISTRATION SEARCH

Voter Registration searches are, in my opinion, the second most effective search for helping you locate a missing person. Believe it or not, it's one of the most overlooked sources of information mainly because it's a rather new search as far as online computer searching is concerned and many investigators miss the concept and value of the information in this record. Voter Registration files contain name and address information, and in some states, they will also contain the SSN number. Frequently there are massive voter registration drives conducted by political office seekers and you would be surprised at the number of people who register to vote but who are otherwise very careful when it comes to filling out any application that would end up in a credit bureau file.

Registered voter files contain all of the following fields on each individual voter record. The fields which are marked with an (*) may or may not be available. The fields are:

• FIRST NAME
• MIDDLE INITIAL
• LAST NAME
• OCCUPATION*
• COUNTY CODE,
• DATE OF BIRTH
• STREET ADDRESS (Home or NCOA)
• REGISTRATION DATE
• TELEPHONE NUMBER*
• ZIP CODE
• SEX/GENDER
• CITY (home or NCOA)
• SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER*.

The voter registration search also contains forwarding address information (NCOA) so you are also getting a national charge of address with this search.

NUMBER THREE
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODES

Uniform Commercial Codes (commonly called UCC's) are notices of lien filings done at each county courthouse and then sent to a state repository. This information is then collected by various online information providers as an online search. A UCC is actually a legal document required by a creditor giving public notice of a lien placed on certain property until the loan is paid off. A UCC becomes valuable in skip tracing or locating a missing person simply because it can be used as a pointer to someone how knows something about your subject under investigation. It's important to remember than, behind every UCC filing, is a loan and a credit application.

When you find a UCC on a debtor skip, you will frequently find that the company that filed the UCC is either also looking for the subject or better, was looking for the subject and found the subject knowing their current where about.


NUMBER FOUR
NATIONAL IDENTIFIER

A National Identifier is the forth best computer search for locating a missing person but it's only to be used when you don't have a Social Security Number to conduct a Social Security Trace. A National Identifier pulls information from the same sources of information that a Social Security Trace does but it uses a different input of information. Instead of a mere SSN number, the National Identifier searches uses a name and last known address in an attempt to locate a more current address. Naturally, this search which runs through massive credit bureau files looking for matches, doesn't work quite as well as a Social Security Trace. You will get less frequent hits with this search. It will, however, provide you with a Social Security Number even if it pulls the same address information that you already have. When you pull an SSN number on the subject and not a more current address, it's advisable to go back and run a Social Security Trace. This is an often overlooked step by some missing persons investigators because they have the misconception that they are going to pull the same information again. That might happen but you have to understand that the SSN number is a much better input source than a last known address to obtain matches in credit bureau files.

NUMBER FIVE
FORWARDING ADDRESSES

The forwarding address is a frequently used missing persons computer search that sometimes provides new addresses. Back in the older days of conducting locate investigations, the only way to obtain this information was to either go in person to the post office branch that serviced the last known address or write the postal branch a letter. In those days, it was referred to a Freedom Of Information Request and the post office charged you one dollar to check and see if they had a forwarding address on file.

Effective a year or so ago, the USPS stopped providing this service. The online forwarding address search became more valuable and the only way to legally get to this information. What has happened is the USPS authorized only a handful of computer data companies to act as what they called NCOA agents (National Change Of Address). These agents purchased the change of address information on computer tape and then resold these tapes to authorized online information providers. That is the situation today.

It's also important to note that many NCOA databases also provide forwarding address information for magazine subscription services. These magazine subscription databases and sometimes more useful to the missing persons investigator for an obvious reason. An accomplished skip might understand not to file a postal forwarding address file so they don't get collection letters forwarded to them and don't get collection agencies to readily find them but they paid for their magazine subscription, want to continue to read their magazine and don't realize that this ends up in a database.

NUMBER SIX
DRIVER LICENSE INFORMATION

I have a driver's license and you likely do to. We all have to renew those licenses every so often because they expire. If you are a skip on the run, you might opt to take a change and drive with an expired driver license but in today's USA your chances of evidently getting stopped by a police officer are fairly good. People renew their driver license and provide new address information because they state requires them too. (And I might add, collects additional tax at the same time) Most driver licenses have to be renewed every four years. It's important to know when your missing person's driver license last expired and/or when it will next expire.
Online information services usually offer driver license searches for some states.

NUMBER SEVEN
ALPHA VEHICLE REGISTRATION

Just like someone's driver license will expire, a more alarming problem for a skip is their vehicle registration. Although you can frequently get away with driving on an expired driver license for awhile, you can not get away with driving on an expired tag for very long before a law enforcement officer notices it. When a vehicle is registered with the state every year, they collect more taxes and ask for your current address. Again it's important for the skip tracer or missing persons investigator to know when the subject's tag was last renewed in state vehicle registration and when the tag has to be renewed again. Most of the online information services provide a search for this type of information. The reason why I a listing Alpha Vehicle Registration number seven instead of number six is that when you apply for renewal of a driver license, they often have your or take your photo and finger prints. This kind of tells the skip, "I better not lie." That type of information is not procured when you renew your tag.

ONLINE SEARCH: Most comprehensive online information providers offer a way to order and obtain tag traces in most states. However, (and it's important to point this out) there are usually less expensive ways of obtaining the information. A few states will let you tap into their online system to obtain the information at a much cheaper rate.

COUNTY COURTHOUSE RECORDS: If you check county courthouse records anyway, most county records departments have places in which you can check vehicle registration by name. This is something you'll need to find out about in your location.

STATE VEHICLE REGISTRATION: As stated, some states will permit private access of online databases for auto tag searches.

NUMBER EIGHT
ONLINE CRISS-CROSS DIRECTORIES

Criss-Cross directories have been around investigator's offices in hardcopy form for a very long time. More recent forms of the criss-cross directory are online searches and CD-Roms.They are basically compiled from or with the same information found in a telephone book. However, these products work a little different then a telephone book. These directories and databases give investigators a way to use three pieces of information

1) NAME

2) ADDRESS

3) TELEPHONE NUMBER

The idea behind the criss-cross directory rather you are using an online search, CD-Rom product or hardcopy directory is the fact that, if you have one of those three pieces of information, you can get the other two. The CD-Rom and Online databases are merely databases that, when you input one of the three pieces of information, you get the other two. The hardcopy criss-cross directories are indexed and printed with three different indexes.

Of course, the online databases and CD-Rom databases provide the investigator more than just a local criss-cross directory, they will let you criss-cross the nation.

There are a number of other searches that can be used with these products that include:

SURNAME SEARCH:
You input a name and obtain matched listings of everyone with the same name. In certain types of missing persons cases, this search sometimes produces an easy hit. For example, if you had an assignment in which someone asked you to find a long lost army buddy than had a somewhat unusual last name, you could use this type of search and sometimes get a national list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of a dozen to two dozen people with the same name. Of course, in the case of a John Smith or Arnold Thomas or other more common names, you are just going to get too many hits to narrow it down. Moreover, on females this type of search doesn't quite work as well because long lost females have a habit or changing their last name when they marry, divorce and/or remarry. Not only that, single or widowed females sometimes don't list their first name, only their first initial which makes the number of hits or names you get go way up. To make things even worse, data indicates that many females who marry just let the telephone listing be in their spouses name which means they will not even be in the database.

NEIGHBORHOOD INQUIRY SEARCHES:
You input a street and city and obtain a list of everyone who lives on that street which is good for telephone interviewing and, in the case of using this search on a last known address in a missing persons cases, you develop neighborhood sources you can call from your office phone.

The next two sources of information are not online searches but are usually public records searches that make very useful skip trace and locating missing persons tools that can be hand searched at county court houses.

ACCESS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
There are many databases to tap into for criss-cross information. Many are free on the net. However, the ones that are free tend to be low grade searches. CD-Rom Criss Cross is a little better but the problem is, the information goes out of data quickly. One solution to that, is to purchase a yearly subscription to PhoneDisc. Hardcopy criss-cross directories are worth having but they are not cheap these days. Most Chamber Of Commerce offices and public libareieis will have them for their city and you'll find that the large Chamber Of Commerce offices and public libraries in large metropolitan areas have them for the complete state.
None of these sources are as current as the better online pay per inquiry sources as the information is more timely.

NUMBER TEN
MARRIAGE RECORDS ANOTHER HIDDEN GOLDMINE
Marriage records can be found at the country courthouse just like traffic tickets can be searched and are usually considered public record information. I know what you are thinking, this guy got married five years before he skipped town-what good is that going to do me? No it's not going to give you his current address but it's going to give you some keys that might unlock that information on the form of other types of information.

The information contained in marriage records differs somewhat from one state to another but here is what you frequently find actually find in the state of Texas.

• NAME
• MAIDEN NAME
• ADDRESS OF BOTH PARTIES
• DOB OF BOTH PARTIES
• SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
• DRIVER LICENSE NUMBER
• MAN OF THE CLOTH PERFORMING MARRIAGE
• CHURCH OF MARRIAGE
• OCCUPATION
• EMPLOYER

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A JOB OPPORTUNTIY IS WAITING FOR YOU OVERSEAS

Natalya lives in a small village in Moldova, one of the poorest countries in Eastern Europe. A single mother of two young girls, she must also take care of her sick brother, and struggles to find work in her economically depressed town. Natalya’s neighbor Katerina tells her of an employment opportunity in Odessa, Ukraine, with a local bar owner. Katerina says she can get Natalya work as a waitress in a bar and offers, for a fee, to help arrange Natalya’s travel to the northern port city.
Within a few weeks, Natalya is on a plane to Odessa, eager to make money and support her brother and daughters. However, once she arrives, Natalya realizes that she has been horribly deceived—that there never was a bar, or waitress job, and that Katerina—her neighbor and friend, has helped to sell her into sexual slavery. The bar owner turns out to be a small-time criminal and pimp, and the bar is his brothel. Before she has time to process what’s happened, her passport is confiscated and she is driven from the airport to a cramped apartment where she—along with a dozen other young women— will stay for the duration of her servitude.
First, she is raped by the pimp who claims he must “try out the goods” and Natalya has her first taste of the violence and degradation that is to follow. Before long, she is forced to service more than a dozen clients a day—business men, locals, and tourists—interested in quick sex for cash. After several months of sexual abuse and physical violence, Natalya is mentally and emotionally destroyed and is resigned to her position. Eventually a friendly client “buys” Natalya from her pimp, and sends her home. But once back in Moldova, it is apparent that there is no work in her small village. The only answer, thinks Natalya, is to prostitute herself in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau. “I am already broken, after all….”
Defining TraffickingSex trafficking is the exploitation of women and children, within national or across international borders, for the purposes of forced sex work.1 It includes the recruitment, transportation, harboring, transfer or sale of women and children for these purposes.
Each year, an estimated 800,000 women and children are trafficked across national borders.2 According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, human trafficking is estimated to annually generate 9.5 billion dollars of revenue.3 Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concluded that human trafficking is now tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today.4
According to the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the United Nations Inter-agency Project on Human Trafficking in the Mekong Sub-region, sex trafficking appears to be growing in scope and magnitude, with increasing numbers of countries involved due in large part to globalization and the relative ease with which traffickers are able to transport victims between countries.5
Sex trafficking is a widespread problem, implicating nearly every country in the world:
Around 75 percent of all human trafficking victims are trafficked for sexual exploitation.6
About two million women and children are held in sexual servitude around the world, but many experts believe the actual number of trafficked peoples is upwards of 10 times as much.7 Because of its clandestine nature, it is difficult to determine the magnitude of human trafficking. According to the Dutch National Rapporteur Against Trafficking in Human Beings, only around 5 percent of trafficking cases are ever reported.8
An estimated 120,000 women and girls are trafficked into Western Europe each year.9
There have been reports of sexual trafficking in at least 20 U.S. states, with most cases occurring in New York, California and Florida.10 Once issues of domestic trafficking are included, all 50 states would be implicated.
An estimated 14,500 to 17,500 women and children are trafficked into the U.S. each year.11 And at any given time, there are 30,000 – 50,000 sex slaves in the United States.12
Sex trafficking fuels the commercial sex industry, which includes both legal and illegal prostitution.
Sex trafficking happens in both public and private locales. In some cases, trafficking victims are highly visible and engage in street-level prostitution, but in most cases, sex trafficking takes place in underground venues, such as private homes or brothels. Often, public and legal locations such as massage parlors, spas and strip clubs will be a front for illegal prostitution and trafficking.13
Human trafficking is sometimes called the “new slavery,” because it retains many of the same characteristics of a slave (trafficking victim)/master (trafficker) relationship. In the new slavery, women and girls are purchased cheaply and sold to customers at a high profit margin. Rather than serve one master or in one locale, victims are passed around among a variety of “owners.” And because of the seemingly endless supply of women and girls, slaves are ultimately disposable.14
Many countries lack tough anti-trafficking legislation and even when legislation is in place, laws are often not enforced. Relatively few trafficking cases are prosecuted, and of those, very few result in convictions. Fear and shame keep many women and girls from seeking help, and widespread police corruption, exemplified by Thailand and Russia, makes it unsafe for trafficking victims to approach local and national authorities.15
Occasionally, women and girls are rescued from traffickers and receive support, care and compassion. More often, though, trafficking victims are treated like criminals by the police. Women and girls arrested in trafficking circles are often processed as illegal immigrants rather than trafficking victims, and are immediately deported to their home countries where, because few economic alternatives exist, they begin the cycle of trafficking and exploitation all over again.

The TOP 3 Reasons to Hire a Private Investigator!

A Private Investigator today is not like the P.I.’s on T.V. They actually do an abundance of activities that go from the mundane, background checks for corporations, to the exciting, child abduction recovery. Hiring a P.I. is simple, most people believe it costs too much or they just don’t know where to go to get their services.

Costs are reasonable and you can find P.I.’s in all of the common places – Yellow Pages, Google, referrals etc. But why would you want to hire a P.I. and what do their services entail? Here are the Top 5 reasons people hire P.I.’s and what the services should include – so you have a checklist to review as you hire any potential P.I. for your needs:

1. PERFORM BACKGROUND CHECKS

Who would need to conduct a background check to ensure their safety (monetary or physical safety):

Human Resources Departments at large or small corporations – an new employee could potentially be bringing some bad habits or issues with them that could potentially cost you tens of thousands of dollars in losses, lawsuits and/or lost man-hours of work.

Parents who are looking to hire a live-in Nanny – will your children be safe with the person who is watching them? Do they have the certifications that you are requiring? A check can also determine any previous issues with past clients.

Homeowners or business owners who are looking to hire a general contractor for work – this is a big one. Are they true to their word? The contractor may have a background of overrunning job budgets or not finishing on time. They may also have outstanding liens against their company based on work that was not completed or previous project issues.

Get A Background Check Now

A family member who is looking into care facilities for elderly loved ones to ensure that they will be getting the best care possible – again if someone is taking care of a loved one, especially elder care, what are their certifications and are they current as described.

Dating someone on line – this is fast becoming one of the most researched fields for P.I.’s due to horror stories you hear about meeting people online and then having the person you thought they were turn into someone else.

Business ventures with a new partner – a new business venture is a touchy subject and a persons past can definitely affect the future of any relationship, especially if you are now venturing forth as partners. Find out what you can before the ink dries.

GET A BACKGROUND CHECK NOW – CLICK HERE

An extensive background check from a reputable source will include:
Bankruptcies, liens & Judgments Search
Business License
Cellular Phone Number Search
Civil History
Corporate & Limited Partnership Filing Search
Credential Verification
Criminal History Database
Criminal History On-Site
Drivers History
Education Verification
Employment Verification
Federal Civil History
Federal Criminal History
Fictitious Business Name Search
Fire Arms Search
License Plate or VIN Search
Media Searches
National Criminal Index Database Search
National Death Locator
OFAC (Office of Foreign Asset Control)
Officers/Directors Records Search
Personal Reference Verification
Phone – landline Number Search
Professional License Verification
Real Property Ownership Search
Sex Offender Search
Social Security Trace
Toll Free Number Search
UCC Filing Search
Utility Search
Vehicle and Vessel Search
Voter Registration
Watercraft Search
Workers’ Comp. Filing Search
Terrorist – Multinational Search

GET A BACKGROUND CHECK NOW – CLICK HERE

2. CONDUCT AN ASSET SEARCH

A private investigator is able to track real estate records and registered personal property belonging to any subject. Real estate records include assessor, deed, refinance and foreclosure records. Personal property records include aircraft, watercraft and stock ownership records for shareholders holding at least 10% of stock in public companies including the directors and top executive officers. the nationwide Asset Search also include tax Liens, judgments, notices of default, bankruptcies, lawsuits, business asset search, business credit check, business records, jury verdicts, news/media search and much more.

3. INVESTIGATE IDENTITY THEFT

Identity theft and identity fraud are terms used to refer to types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another individual’s personal data in a way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain. Unlike fingerprints, which are unique to an individual and cannot be given to someone else for their use, personal data—especially Social Security numbers, bank account or credit card numbers, telephone calling card numbers, and other valuable identifying data—can be used by someone to personally profit at the victim’s expense.

Unauthorized persons take funds out of others’ bank or financial accounts or take over their identities altogether, running up debts and committing crimes while using the victims’ names. A victim’s losses may include not only out-of-pocket financial losses, but additional costs associated with trying to restore his reputation in the community and correcting erroneous information about his financial or personal status.

The most common form of identity theft is when someone obtains the Social Security number (SSN) and perhaps a few other pieces of information about an individual, and uses that information to impersonate them and obtain credit in their name. The imposter might apply for credit, rent an apartment, get phone service, buy a car — and then not pay the bills, giving the victim a bad credit rating. Victims must then spend months and typically years regaining their financial health.

Private investigators can help you with your complaint to the proper law enforcement authorities by providing a declaration as to the search, which you can use with both law enforcement and your creditors. This process should help expedite the process of straightening out problems with creditors.