how do investigators find information about ppl? can they have special access to our database?? can they read our sms? do they follow us around 24 hrs??

just curious, because i thought they all only exist on tv. but i googled and found many sites offering investigating services o.O

some PI do normal investigation works... find clues from existing clue... follow ppl... bla bla bla....

the one u mentioned more like hacking based investigators...

most PI are ex cops. so they use their cop skills for their clients. they also have connection from within the force that will help them track addresses and what not. can they read out sms? nope.. unless they have someone working in telcos who illegally break the company rules. it is illegal btw to do this.

because there are nothing such as a perfect murderer or a perfect crime.

every crime scene will leave some trace, this is why we need investigators.

perhaps, everything we do also leave some trace.

maybe..maybe not...

it depends whether a person really knows how to cover his/her tracks smartly w/o leaving any traces

But you see, that's what the investigators are thinking too: "Maybe, or maybe not", and then they went on and investigate anyway.

If one is not careful, a large amount of information on him/her can be found online. That's probably the first thing investigators use. They might even hack into your computer or online databases to get information.

They can then try to use connections to find information through the public registry (Pendaftaran Negara) or other records (insurance, bank accounts, employer's database, utilities)

They could also (discreetly) interview/listen to your friends, colleagues, family members, bankers, barbers, clients to know more.

Apart from that, they might also tap into telephone lines to listen to telephone conversations. They might plant cameras, microphones, GPS tracker on your vehicle, clothes, phone, watch, pen etc.

They could also shadow you by following you wherever you go and then investigating your contacts.

wtf.. its like being stalked

No, it's worst. The PIs are professional stalkers. They get paid to do it. I think a related movie would be

i watch a documentory on NSA, there is one former NSA guys that commented on the film like enemy of state give people a impression that NSA is all powerfull and can track anyone easily anywhere in the world.

but i reality the NSA have hard time adjusting from their cold war mentality, their entire organization is designed to track soviet target that are often easy to find but hard to kill, today fighting terrorist that are hard to find and easy to kill required a rethink for their surveilance process.

one of the 911 hijacker at one time stayed in a hotel that are right next to NSA HQ, and no one in NSA realize that.

now in US NSA have setup secrect room at telecom company exchange that basically collect every single data and voice connection in and out of the US. they have scientist that working on software to make sense of all these data, to make a real time search of some pattern of voice or data communication. what they are doing is trying to find a needle in a huge haystack.

This post has been edited by robertngo: Jul 29 2009, 10:58 PM

wtf? sounds lousy

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Added on August 1, 2009, 9:58 pmcan we sue those connections they use to gather our information... ie. banks are not supposed to reveal our information to anyone else other than for court purposes right?

if we caught an PI stalking us, can we bring them to the police? or sue them for invading our privacy?

This post has been edited by Iambored: Aug 1 2009, 09:58 PM

I think most of those activities are illegal but it depends on the contract you signed with your utilities provider. They might have stated in their terms & conditions that they would not be liable to any fines or legal action if they give your information to someone else but I think many of us don't bother going through the 20 pages of t&c, right?

First of all, you must have enough evidence/s that he has been following you. How would you provide such evidence/s?