How to Spot the Signs of a Private Investigator Following You

Do you have a creeping suspicion that someone has put a private investigator on your trail? Well, perhaps you are not paranoid after all. Private investigators or PIs do discreet surveillance, but even so, they may give themselves away. 

It might be a personal, business, or government-related issue; it doesn't matter, though, as the thought of being under surveillance can be genuinely disturbing. So, let's discuss how to tell if you're being shadowed, what signs to look for, and how to protect your sanity. 

Reasons You Might Be Being Followed By A PI

If a private investigator is following you, you may be the primary subject of their investigation or are a lead in another case. Either way, PIs perform undercover investigations in various situations ranging from online research to physical surveillance. Some of the reasons you may be in their crosshairs include:

Child Custody Situation

For example, if you or someone you know is involved in a child custody battle and their ex wants some leverage, they may get a PI to record their behavior, hoping it will be worth it in court. 

Suspicious Partners

Infidelity cases are the bread and butter of PI operations. If you're being followed, it could be that they want to record evidence of infidelity for someone else.

Business Deals Or Partnerships

Another reason a PI may be following you could be to gather evidence for someone negotiating a business deal with you or someone you know.

Missing Person Situation

For example, you may be someone's long-lost partner, friend, or family or have information that may assist in such a case.

Insurance Fraud

A spook may be in your shadows to collect evidence of a fraudulent insurance claim for an insurance company.

Corporate Investigations

Your employer may want the person to collect evidence of misconduct, theft, and other impropriety you may be involved in.

Hidden Assets

You might be being followed to see if you could give away some information that may help track down hidden assets in a divorce case, business dispute, insurance fraud, or any other fraud case.

Background Check

It may also be that the operation is part of their background check services for HR departments before they give you a job or regular people such as parents who want to know about you because you are suddenly dating their child.

Can A PI Detect If I’m Being Followed Digitally Or In Person

If someone is following you online or in person and you feel you are in immediate danger please call the police.  If someone has been stalking you for a while, digitally or IRL, you can hire a PI to gather evidence and find out who the stalkers are. You can then call the police or file a lawsuit against them. The PI probably will conduct a thorough bug sweep in your home or place of work to identify and remove hidden cameras and listening devices. They can also help remove tracking software from your devices and identify whether the perpetrator is disguised as your friend or follower on social media.

How Do You Tell If A Private Investigator Is Shadowing You? 

If you want to see signs a PI is following you, look for things that weren't there in your life but are happening now and more than once. We are talking about catching the same person or vehicle in multiple locations or through multiple turns or stops, strange people at your place of work, unusual activity around your home, and someone going out of their way to keep their eye on you in a public place. If you have the sneaking suspicion of being followed, try changing your activity, get them off guard, and see if they also pivot.

Key Signs To Look Out For:

• Repeated Sightings. The same person keeps showing up in multiple places where you are just doing your usual activities.
• Same Vehicle Following You Long Distance. The same car may be making the same turns and stops when you randomly change your driving, or perhaps the driver is switching lanes frequently or remains at a safe distance to throw you off, but you still notice them there.
• Suspicious Parking. Unfamiliar vehicles near your office or home, especially tinted glass cars.
• Excessive Observation. Someone doing too much to keep an eye on you in public places while pretending to be doing something else, for example, reading a newspaper, walking their dog, having a phone conversation, or working out.
• Unusual Activity Around Your Home. You or your neighbors have seen people watching your house or conducting suspicious activities.
• Being Approached With Odd Questions. It could be a stranger or a new mate. Either way, their questions will be unusual, like suddenly wanting to know about your lifestyle, whereabouts, neighbors, etc.
• Strange Activities From Your Phone Or In Your Car Or Property. Eavesdropping devices such as location trackers and audiovisual bugs can generate strange noises. It could be a faint click when you sit down in your car, a fast-draining battery, static noise from electronics, or unusual wires in your car or home. 

Most people know the basics of  PIs' style of operations, but you may not know that we don't have any more powers than regular citizens in the eyes of the law. We are not allowed to trespass or break into private property to dig for clues. 

Most of the time, when we surveil individuals, we record their activities in public spaces, as this is not illegal as long as we do not threaten or infringe on their rights. We also can't bust criminals even if they are in the act of the crime- -unless it's a citizen's arrest.

What To Do If You Suspect That A PI Is On Your Trails

So let's say you feel a PI is following you; what should you do then? Well, you just need to make life difficult for them. You don't need to confront them if you don't feel safe, but you also don't have to play your life a show for them. Depending on why they are following you, you could be giving away significant leverage in legal matters that you or someone you love is involved in. So here's what to do about your sneaking suspicion. 

Steps To Take If Being Followed By A Pi

• Calm Down And Observe Closely. Notice the pattern, such as the same person or an unfamiliar vehicle showing up several times wherever you go. Take photos discreetly and record the time, dates, and license plate.
• Ditch Your Routine. Go out of the way to shake the person or vehicle and see how they react. Leave your house at different times than usual, switch lanes, stop at unusual places, or even walk.
• Retreat To Safety. If the person is creeping you out, go to a public or well-populated space.
• Confront The Person Carefully. If you are back in your element, try approaching the person carefully and politely, asking why they keep showing up in the same places as you, or suddenly asking strange questions when you are just new acquaintances.
• Consult An Attorney. As already mentioned, PIs are not above the law. If you believe that someone is breaking the law to investigate or record your activities, it may be worth discussing your options with an attorney.

Important Points To Remember: 

If you think you are being followed, it's important to remember that your right to privacy is protected under the law and that a PI should not trespass or break into private property to investigate or monitor your activities. They are also not allowed to follow or record you in places where you reasonably expect privacy, such as public restrooms, locker rooms, and your own home. 

That said, just because you think you might be being followed doesn't mean it's true. It's essential to avoid any rash conclusions before a thorough investigation. 

Is Hiring A PI Worth It If You Believe A Pi is following you?

Yes, absolutely. Let's say that this is a situation where a PI is truly surveilling you. They are going out of the way to bend the rules just to get the information they want; hiring a PI of your own to investigate and document the person's behavior, especially any illegal or inappropriate thing, is going to be worth it when you bring a case of privacy infringement. 

And even if your PI concludes that you are not being followed and that it's a mere coincidence that the same vehicle or person keeps showing up wherever you are, the peace of mind will be worth it. 

Hire Someone to Follow Car Routes for Proof of Behavior Patterns

Common strategies for tracking someone’s car such as GPS trackers can get you into legal trouble. In most states, it's illegal to implant a GPS tracker onto someone’s car without their consent.  That is where private investigators come in. The experts can help you with mobile surveillance which means physically tracing someone’s car. They can also help with covert photography, witness interviews, and trash surveillance operations. These services can help you identify cases of infidelity, fraud, or business and political sabotage. 

How Much Does It Cost To Hire A PI?

PI fees vary from agency to agency and depend on your unique situation and how the agency calculates its fees. Some PIs charge a one-time, flat fee or an hourly rate, while others use a combination to suit the nature of the investigation. We don't have experience with other agencies' exact fees, but we'll say that we have reasonable rates and include a 100 % money-back guarantee on all our services. Here's a breakdown of our fees:

• Basic Background/Asset Search: $1,500.00 + $45.00 for FedEx (Total: $1,545.00). It covers all 50 states and includes data from our in-house computer system. Expect, at most, a 24-hour turnaround time.
• Financial Institution Account Search: We can do a statewide ($4800) or nationwide ($7500) search of a person's bank, savings, and checking accounts to find hidden assets
• Brokerage Account Search: We can do a statewide ($4800) or nationwide ($7500) search of assets concealed in the form of stocks, bonds, and securities.
• Bug Sweep Of A Residence Under 2,000 SQ. FT:  $3,975.00
• Bug Sweep Of A Home Over 2,000 SQ. FT: IS $1.85/SQ. FT.
• Bug Sweep Of A Business: $2.35/SQ. FT.
• Vehicle Sweeps: $1,975.00

To summarize, if you believe that a PI is following you, you may be right or wrong, but you shouldn't conclude anything without a thorough investigation. It may be a coincidence that you start noticing a strange person or car in your spot, or someone may want some information from you for the reasons explained above. Either way, you want to talk to two people, your lawyer and a reputable PI, so you can determine what's going on and discuss your options.

A PI can help you find the information you need to make an informed decision. So call us here at Martin Investigative Solutions, and we'll gladly discuss your situation. We offer free consultations, so give us a call at 800-577-1080.

Martin Investigative Services

Martin Investigative Services office is located at 620 Newport Center Dr Suite 1100, Newport Beach, CA 92660 

Open: 24/7

Phone: (800) 577-1080