Thailand Investigations Blog
Do You Want to Know the Truth?

The modern oracle known as Wikipedia defines a GPS as: “The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S. space-based global navigation satellite system. It provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to worldwide users on a continuous basis in all weather, day and night, anywhere on or near the Earth which has an unobstructed view of four or more GPS satellites. GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for map-making, land surveying, commerce, scientific uses, tracking and surveillance, and hobbies such as geocaching and waymarking. Also, the precise time reference is used in many applications including the scientific study of earthquakes and as a time synchronization source for cellular network protocols.”

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Some feel that the GPS is an ordinary device. But used properly, it can be used as a very invaluable surveillance tool that can immensely help in any ongoing investigation. Not every private investigation agency has one, and on top of that we here at Thailand Investigations are proud to say that we have been able to resolve many cases through the use of our GPS real time tracking device.

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The GPS device itself is very small, and can be grasped in the palm of your hand. So you simply slip it inside the glove compartment or under the car – or wherever you feel it will stay without being detected – and monitor the subject’s movement and position from a distance. This way you won’t be fooled by alibis such as “I went out for dinner with my boss / friends,” or “I was just doing some overtime work.” You’ll know where they’ve been, and if they’re not telling you the truth, you may choose to ask them why yourself, or have us look for the answer for you.

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What’s good about our system of using the GPS device is that you can use it yourself. For example, you want to track the movements of your spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend, simply place the tracking device in his or her car – a place where it cannot be found. Is he going to a go-go bar? Is she seeing another man or being unfaithful? These are just some of the questions the GPS real time tracking device can answer for you.

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You get the option to use this very nifty little device for 15-30 days, which gives you enough time to determine if you need more expert help. Once you’re done using it, simply retrieve it and return it to us. If you need our services, you can discuss it with us then and we can also use the data you’ve collected as a starting point for a deeper and more thorough investigation.

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We here at Thailand Investigation believe in using the latest technologies in order for us to deliver the best kind of service. We understand that what our clients go through is not an easy process, and prolonging their suffering is something we do not want to be a part of. As far as we are concerned, the speedy resolution of the case is paramount, along with the presentation of facts and other information that our client needs. And combined with our skills, the GPS real time tracking device complements our service in so many ways.

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A number of clients we’ve had here have been victims of some sort of manipulation. A lot of them only realize this when it’s too late, to their detriment. Manipulators exploit a guy’s weaknesses to the full and then his guard is down, hit him where it hurts – usually in a financial way. And really, who wants to experience that? If you must and want to have a relationship with a Thai girl, let it be healthy one, one with trust and the right relationship dynamics. Manipulation definitely is not a part of an equation for a healthy relationship. So to evaluate the kind of relationship you are in and determine if you are being manipulated or not.

Lying

Of course, lying is obviously a bad sign, but the real challenge here is to determine the truthfulness of your partner. A background check made against her claims is a very effective test to help you see if she can be trusted or not.

They are passive aggressive.

Sometimes you feel it, and sometimes you don’t, but the basic point is that manipulators never truly give in. They’re always on the offensive. There are the two types of aggression that they use – one is a passive the other is open aggression. Each has its own uses. Open aggression is easy enough to distinguish, but passive aggression is much harder to distinguish. Oftentimes manipulators divert the conversation to focus on your weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Usually they disguise this aggression by pretending to be hurt or by giving subtle suggestions. The effect is that you don’t see you are being abused, and thus fall into their trap.

They use their bodies.

Let’s face it – you’re probably intimate with your partner. But is the intimacy being used as leverage? Many guys fail to notice this, which is why a lot of manipulative partners employ this strategy. Seduction is a powerful agent of manipulation, remember that. For many, seduction makes them forget about all their defences and simply give in. This is what wily manipulators are counting on. Sometimes they’re just teasing you and want to get what they want without necessarily giving you what you want, but it is also not unheard of some going all the way just to get what they want.

They pretend to be stupid.

One great way of misdirection is to act dumb. For many people, the normal attitude would be to preserve pride and always appear to know better. It’s the reverse for manipulative people. This pride is precisely what manipulators capitalize on when they try to act dumb and appear to be less smart than they really are. This way, they become less suspicious because people normally dismiss them automatically. The dismissal in turn, gives the manipulator more freedom to do what she or she wants – covertly and discreetly – because no suspicion is cast on him or her. Many men make the mistake of underestimating the intellectual capacity of their partners, which in turn makes this tactic so much more effective.

Many people continue to be victimized today by all sorts of scams and the fraudulent activities from business partners. Money is indeed hard to come by these days, and everyone’s looking for ways to earn extra. However, unscrupulous individuals take advantage or many people’s ignorance in the basics of starting and running a business. They promise a lot and quick of return on investment, but in the end always fail to deliver what they promised, and like the snakes that they are, slither away with the hard-earned money you entrusted to them.

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How then, do you identify a legitimate business opportunity from a fake one? Here are some tips we’re put together on how you can avoid being victimized.

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Don’t be too free with your trust.

While a business partnership always operates on the principle of trust, you also need to have the person partnering with your EARN your trust. Always take steps to cover your back and protect your interests. There are also risks in business, but don’t take risks that are too bold. Never trust completely – even if things fail and it wasn’t intentional on the part of your partner, you still lose in the end. Try to play safe as much as possible.

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Always have a legally binding agreement.

Always set down things on paper. An honest partner will agree to a fair and secure contract. If he doesn’t, then alarm bells should start ringing in your head. Also, have a good business lawyer look at the papers before you sign to determine if the agreement is fair and if there are some holes in the contract that you need to fill.

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Do a background check.

Business is business, so you should never be hesitant to have a background check done on some one. Background checks can expose all sorts of skeletons in the closet that you would consider to be uncomfortable for a potential business partner to have. If the check turns out to be clean, then you can have more peace of mind knowing that your potential partner turned up to be what he / she says he / she is.

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Be on top of your business as much as possible.

Never allow yourself to be left in the dark when it comes to running your business. Always be on top of things and be informed about what’s happening now – do inspection and regular checks to keep people on their toes. Double check hard data and never reply on hearsay. The accounting numbers are especially important. Also you can opt to install monitoring software for your office to be able to see what your employees are up to.

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When people approach you and present you with something that’s too good to be true, chances are, it really is. Even friends can be unwittingly used by the malicious minds as a means to make you a victim and get their hands on your money. Always use your common sense and never allow greed or excitement to get the better of you.

Relationships, as a rule of thumb, are really unpredictable. Especially if you’re dating a local, who was born and raised with a different culture. No matter how “high end” or “well bred” she may seem to be, the cultural divide is something you just cannot ignore.

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We’re not saying it’s a bad thing though, it’s just that a lot men get blinded by this whole difference that they fail to see that they’re being manipulated and led on for a ride by these women. Unbeknownst to them, they are simply “business opportunities” that will be used and then discarded when the benefits run out.

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To help you clear your head, here are a few pointers that you might want to ponder on for a bit before plunging headlong into a serious relationship:

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1. Never underestimate your “partner”.

On the surface, she may seem to be a meek and mild mannered woman, but we kid you not, these women are not beyond manipulation, lying, and deceit. And on a positive note, there is really no reason to believe that these women are not intelligent and do not possess wits and wiles that can possibly be superior to yours. We hate to break it to you, but if they are indeed the unscrupulous types, they’ve been at this game far longer than you have and know the ins and outs of the game intimately.

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2. Background checks are a must.

It’s not always a guarantee that just because you’ve known the person for awhile, she can be trusted. Even if you both met in an ideal manner, it always pays off to do a background check. You never know what kind of skeletons your girl is hiding in her closet. This is especially needed if you plan on staring a business together. This can also tell you what kind of family she has (just in case she invokes her family when asking for money).

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3. Never go all out.

Many men prefer to live false lives of fantasy, and go all out, not leaving anything for themselves. A lot of clients we’ve handled made the mistake of giving the girl credit cards, telling here the combination of the safe or even the PIN for his ATM card. Only when the whole thing comes crashing down – painfully, most often – do they say to themselves, “Why didn’t I think of that before?” or “I should have done this before.”

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Of course, this is not to say that all relationships of this kind do not flourish – there are instances when the relationship is genuine, and things work out, but such is not always the case. You need to give yourself a safety net and protect your interests so that just in case things don’t work out as expected, at least you won’t be at a total and complete loss. Be sure to always use your head, cover all your bases, and think things through before making any decisions.

I’ve spoken time and again on this blog about how there seems to be a prevalence of private investigation agencies that offer their services to the general public. Normally this kind of boom is a good thing for customers and prospective clients, as they have a lot of choices spread out before them and PI agencies are driven to become more competitive and deliver the best results possible, which in turn gives better output for the industry as a whole.

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The sad thing is though, that there are a lot of agencies who post their services online, but are not transparent with the kind of information they give to potential clients. Most simply have a generic email or a mobile phone number you use to contact them – which, as I would like to remind you, are both easy to produce on the fly and are thus completely disposable and expendable. Rarely have I seen agencies with fixed addresses or offices.

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This kind of practice is very suspicious, simply because there is no reason for a private investigation agency to hide who they are. I mean, it’s a lot better if you are as accessible as possible not only to your clients but also to people who want to contact you. The very reason why clients contact us is to dig into issues or find people – that sort of thing – we do not want them to practice investigative skills for them to find us. When you think about it, it’s really ridiculous.

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This form of operation begs the question of why these agencies are so afraid to post a means through which clients can reach them easily, even after the case has been ‘resolved’. As I’ve said before, mobile phone numbers and email addresses, even websites themselves, are easily replaced. Are they afraid of follow-ups from clients? I understand that not all results of any PI agency are perfect or fit with what the client expects, but these should be discussed and explained to the client at the very beginning of the working and professional relationship between the two parties. But a private investigator or private investigation agency should always be forthcoming with his / her contact information, especially when it comes to the client.

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Remember that legitimate PI agencies that are confident in the quality of their work have absolutely no reason to hide themselves from clients, and are not afraid at all to display all the relevant contact information so that not just new, but former clients can readily reach them. It is outfits, on the other hand, who have outstanding tasks that have yet to be completed, or are guilty of botching up an investigation are wary of being tracked or traced by dissatisfied customers and clients.

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Mobile numbers and emails can easily be replaced should the need arise. Office addresses and business names, on the other hand, are harder to throw away. So look for the physical business locations and visit them from time to time. And more importantly, look for agencies that are established and stable, such as Thailand Investigation, who have already built a good and honorable reputation for themselves.

Last time, we talked about the different tools of the trade that help a private investigator get the results and the information he or she needs. But as mentioned, the tools don’t make the man (or woman). There always needs to be a requisite set of skills and characteristics that every good PI should possess that will help him or her put the tools of the trade to the proper and the appropriate use. It would be a waste to have good tools but be lacking in the skills to get things done.

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One characteristic that PIs should have is OBJECTIVITY. Not being clouded by bias or be blinded by emotion. Clients hire us to get them facts, not suppositions. For example, someone who has a bias against cheating men (or women) might commit the mistake of jumping to conclusions before he or she can get all the necessary facts to confirm that infidelity is indeed taking place. And the one who suffers at the end will be the client, who has put all trust on the PI. Allowing your biases to cloud your judgment will just not do and is absolutely sloppy and unacceptable for any PI.

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Another skill that private investigators should have is a good grasp of investigative processes and procedures. Certain circumstances might prompt the PI to do the things usually done by law enforcement agencies, such as collecting evidence, and so on. Having these skills also help the PI run in harmony with the authorities, and not against them. It is not unheard of for the results of an investigation by a PI to be of help to the police. Investigative skills are a bit hard to explain here in detail, given the complexity of the whole process, but suffice to say that there is a reason why many of the most successful private investigators in the world have substantial background in law enforcement.

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A private investigator should also have some skills in the self-defense department – you never know where a case will take you, so it’s always important that a PI knows how to take care of himself. Also, in relation to the dangerous aspects of the job, PIs should also know how to be discreet, as some investigations have a lot riding on them, and tipping off the wrong people about the ongoing investigation can have untold and disastrous repercussions.

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The bottom line is that these skills and characteristics are not easy to come by. In the same way not everyone can paint well or sing the notes off a song, private investigation, in a sense, can be considered a calling – it isn’t for everyone. Not just some John Doe can wake up one day and decide that he should put up a private investigation agency. It takes a lot to be successful in this business – it’s a right mix of the skills, characteristics and tools that helps the PI become good at what he (or she) does.

The kind of technology and tools at a private investigator’s disposal are very important in the aid of the resolution of the particular case he or she is on at the moment. Tools serve as complements to the skills of the PI, making the job not only easier, but also making for a more thorough and accurate result for / report to the client.

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One of the tools here at Thailand Investigations that we are particularly proud of is the Real Time GPS tracker. GPS stands for Global Positioning System – in which a satellite in outer space tracks a specific device, and beams its real time coordinates back to the receiver on Earth. Also, the device itself is very small, and can be grasped in the palm of your hand. So you simply slip it inside the glove compartment or under the car – or wherever you feel it will stay without being detected – and monitor the subject’s movement and position from afar. This way you won’t be fooled by alibis such as “I went out for dinner with my boss / friends,” or “I was just doing some overtime work.” You’ll know where they’ve been, and if they’re not telling you the truth, you may choose to ask them why yourself, or have us look for the answer for you.

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Another important tool we use is computer monitoring. Our computer monitoring system keeps you in the loop and makes sure that you are always a step in front, never ignorant of the situation. It’s really bad when you realize the truth only when it’s too late. Computer monitoring software will enable you to be on top of one aspect of you security – emotional and financial – and alert you early to any signs of problems. Our service is always about finding out the truth, and this system is one way of giving you hard, unimpeachable facts. And the earlier you find out, the better. It’s easier to solve that way.

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Lastly is mobile monitoring. Here, you can gain access to more information regarding all phone calls that the target mobile phone makes or receives. You’d also know all the details, like the numbers being called, the time and the duration or a particular call, along with the name it is assigned to in the target mobile phone. Through mobile monitoring, you can also read all text messages and email accessed through the target phone. The program / software is also very easy to use, and is completely undetectable. All you need to do is to give the phone that you want targeted to us and wait for about 30 minutes so software can be programmed in. After that, it’s as if you own the phone, even though its someone else’s. We then monitor all communication that the phone receives and then make regular reports to you about it.

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Of course, the tools cannot ever make a private investigator – it’s a mix of different factors and considerations that make a PI good at what he or she does. Still, it never hurts to have the proper tools to help get the job done quicker and better.

One of the most common pitfalls of men who get victimized by unscrupulous women is because they get easily reeled in by sob stories and other plays on their emotions. Of course, they realize only when it’s too late that all these things were just mere acts of practiced and professional liars and cheats.

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One client for example, got victimized not just by one, but by FIVE different women before he finally thought of getting a private investigator to look into the background of his latest fling. This particular client usually went into a “live-in” situation with these girls – that is to say he let them inside his home and had them live there. He said he always fell for the ones with the sob stories, and he really wanted to help them live a better life. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with helping a girl out, but when you try to imagine yourself as some white knight on a horse, well, that kind of house of cards is bound to fall down sooner than you think. Needless to say, these girls robbed him slowly (so as not to arouse any suspicion and to have a steady stream of “income”) before here realized it was too late. The first four got away and haven’t been heard from since, the last one was caught red-handed and is in the custody of the local authorities.

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You may think it’s easy to NOT commit that kind of mistake, but you have no idea how many cases we get that run along the same vein. The buttons these women press differ for each man they encounter, but trust me, they know how to play men like a musical prodigy on a piano – in time you’re singing their tune as well, without any clue that you’re just being led on for a ride.

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The most important thing to do in these kinds of situations would be to use your head first before plunging in headlong into any emotional (and financial and / or material) investments with women you haven’t gotten to know for too long. It may sound overly cheesy and teenager-ish, but there really is merit to the old saying that it’s better to be friends first. Now, to make me sound completely adult, that’s only when you want a serious relationship – if you want something more casual with a lot of physical intimacy, then there’s no need for you to commit to anything big, just a couple of Baht for expenses for the day. There’s hardly a need to bring a woman home, much less trust her with the keys to it.

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Trust is nice and should be a staple in any relationship, but only when the person deserves it. And not all sob stories are true, and even if they were, that doesn’t mean the person telling them to you can be trusted. Before you use the proverbial “heart” use a bit of your head and common sense first.

Some might think otherwise, but not everyone can be a private investigator. While movies and other pop culture seem to have glamorized the private investigator and depicted it as a somewhat easy job just any hack with a camera, a car, and a cup of coffee can do, this far-fetched from what a private investigator should be.

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In a somewhat related note to our post two weeks ago, this is probably one reason why many seem to think that being a private investigator is as easy as a bit of advertising, buying a bit of equipment, and renting some office space is enough to put up a PI agency. Especially in a country where PI’s do not need licenses or any sort of government accreditation to become a private investigator or establish an agency, it’s easy to be reeled in by false promises and guarantees.

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But if I may say so, being a PI is not merely a vocation or a job – usually the hours exceed that of the normal 8-5 gig, and when you take into account all the sacrifices, decision-making, technical expertise and all the other factors that go into what a good PI is, it really isn’t something just anyone can do.

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Dedication and determination

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These are two things that should be on the top of every PIs list of skills and characteristics. No matter how polished your investigative skills are, it really doesn’t matter if your PI is the type to give up easily. More often that we’d like, we run into all sorts of walls and hurdles that for most people, would just make them call it a day. But as long as there is a lead to follow, no matter how small, a good PI follows it up and never gives up – calling it quits is always the VERY LAST RESORT.

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Good investigative skills

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There’s a reason why it’s great to have someone with police or law enforcement experience be on (or lead) the team or agency – it’s because people like these (like myself) have had considerable experience in the investigative field, and we are taught all the tricks in the book that there are to know about investigating. How does one know if a lead should be followed or not? How does one establish contacts and who should they be? Only someone with good investigative skills and experience applying them in the real world can really answer these questions.

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Professional

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It is especially important here in Thailand that your PI has a professional attitude – because as we mentioned, there is no governing body or licensing office for private investigators. A good PI knows how to be discreet and is always honest with his / her clients.

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Has the right equipment

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Here at Thailand Investigations, we have all the necessary equipment to augment the skills that we have – GPS real time tracking, mobile phone and computer monitoring software, and a whole lot of other equipment that helps us give more concrete and accurate results to our clients.

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I believe we’ve discussed before how difficult it is when we handle missing persons cases. There is a reason why even in developed countries where it’s easier for people to leave paper trails which eventually lead back to them, here, it’s more difficult, especially considering the nature behind some of the cases we’ve handled.

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One of the things that make missing people cases so hard to solve is the fact that a lot of the leads we get are from the word of mouth. No matter how honest a person may be, it still is a fact sometimes stories morph into different things when passed from one person to another, so we really have no way of knowing whether what a particular person is saying is true or accurate.

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More of the difficulty of searching for people lies in the checking and double checking of the these kinds of information that we get, compared to whatever facts we’ve collected so far. The beginning of each case is usually the most difficult, as you have to start from scratch, replying on the investigative prowess and our considerable experience in this field to look for good places to start our search. But does become a very grinding effort when you have to verify every bit of information that comes our way. But that is really part of the job we are committed to do, as professional private investigators.

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Anyway, another difficulty lies in the fact that there are times when the subject being looked for actually DOES NOT want to be found, or if the people around him or her don’t want him or her to be found. So not only do you face the usual hurdles and obstacles, but also a lot of difficulty thrown your way be people intent on foiling you and preventing you from getting a favourable resolution of the case.

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In any case, but especially in these kinds of cases, there is a volatile mix of luck and skill involved – always in varying degrees – which make it impossible to guarantee results. Favorable ones, at least.

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However, I will be the first to say that there are also few cases more rewarding (or disappointing, for that matter) than being able to find a missing person. After all that effort you put into the case, after all the hours you log trying to piece things together, it is really a big load off your chest – not to mention the client’s elation – when you manage to solve cases of this kind. We’ve been behind a number of cases where fraudulent business partners and the like were found, vindicating their victims; as well as cases where we’ve reunited families. The latter especially, as we’ve posted before here, are the most touching.

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Finding missing people is part of the job of a private investigator. And while there are a lot of difficulties involved in solving cases like this, we are proud to say that thus far we have done a good job, and have exercised our skills to the best of our abilities to satisfy the needs of our clients.

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