Private investigators often play a critical role in protecting businesses no matter how big or small, but what businesses might actually need a corporate private investigation? What does a corporate investigator do? What benefits can your business get from hiring a corporate private investigator? We asked the experts at Haywood Hunt in Toronto for their tips and here’s what they said.
Corporate private investigators are commonly hired by small businesses and large corporations alike. They help their business combat various types of wrongdoing such as false claims and fraud.
Corporate private investigators work as private detectives for companies. They usually are the people who investigate incidents such as personal injury and workplace theft. Corporate investigators may also become a part of the hiring process by conducting in-depth background checks. Essentially, what a corporate private investigator does is safeguard the company or business that they are working for in several ways. They can do this because most corporate private investigators have a professional history in business. Not to mention a history in law enforcement plus numerous training and state licenses in their area of practice.
Below are some of the common tasks that corporate private investigators take on for the businesses or companies that they are working with.
When the company needs to go into trial about something, then it should be able to prepare all the necessary data that can help them win their case. Corporate private investigators can help with trial preparation via intel gathering and research ahead of the trial. This research and data gathering may include finding witnesses and information to help corporate fraud lawyers win the case.
There are some cases where certain individuals who play an important role in the company or business may go missing. Or, they may not want to be found. Perhaps they are former employees who have stolen some money or maybe they are people who have hidden some assets. A corporate private investigator may be able to find individuals as well as hidden assets.
With how things have evolved in the past 10 years, being social media savvy is not enough. Especially, when you want to find hidden information about someone. Some corporate private investigators are trained to legally look for data on social media that may not be easy to find by social media searches alone. Investigators who are trained in OSINT can find information on someone's hobbies, interests, political views, relationship status, location, and biases. Better yet, they can find this out just by looking up individuals on social media.
Insurance fraud investigation gathers data when a company suspects that some individuals may be trying to get compensation for false claims. Or, if there is an accident that happened under dubious circumstances.
A due diligence investigation looks up a company’s client history, performance, finances, and functions. This is often conducted when there is a possible company merger or a similar event. A due diligence corporate private investigation may be able to protect a business. They do this by preventing them from dealing with a shady company or individuals that may have ulterior motives.
The surveillance investigation is the service to use when a company wants to check if there is insurance fraud or worker compensation fraud. This private investigator service requires a deep understanding of federal and state laws as well as ethics.
Do not hesitate to be very direct when it comes to discussing the pricing of services as well as other important clauses in your contract. Cost and fees should be discussed ahead of signing contracts. Each specific cost of services should be billed in detail. Know that the pricing can vary widely depending on your location. The range of services that you may want to avail of will also impact cost.
Once you have all the information above, you will be in a better position to decide which private investigator firm or company you might want to work with. Then, hire your investigator for the corporate private investigation. Comparing services, prices, as well as other factors can make sure that you are getting the best bang for your buck. You will also be hiring the right corporate private investigator with the services that you need.
