Undercover Investigation – Best Way to Get Evidence

What is an undercover investigation?

An undercover investigation is an investigation which is performed in secret by licensed private investigators using modern surveillance equipment and which results in getting hard evidence which will be accepted by court.

When should I use an undercover investigation?

When you need real evidence of crime, be it adultery, theft, corporate espionage or worse, but don’t want the suspect to know he is watched, your best bet is undercover investigation. An undercover investigation is generally used to:

• Get solid proof of adultery. Often a court will not make a positive decision on a divorce cause without irrefutable proof of marriage breakdown.

• Determine fraud. For instance, an undercover investigation will determine if an insurance claim is legitimate – or fraudulent.

• Thwart corporate espionage or theft. An undercover investigator will be able to mix in with a company’s staff and get evidence of transgression acceptable by court.

• Get hard video or photographic evidence for any kind of different scenarios.

Why can’t I just do it myself?

You may be tempted to save money on hiring the undercover investigator and do the job yourself or entrust it to someone you know. Both decisions are bad – not only will you or your friend spend more time on the investigation, you risk ending up without any evidence or evidence that is not admissible to court, and still having to hire an undercover investigator. You can even get noticed and put the suspect on his guard, making gathering further evidence harder for the investigator and impossible for yourself. Remember – it’s always better to hire a professional than trying to do the job yourself, failing and making it harder to complete.

Benefits of hiring an undercover investigator:

That said, there are much more benefits in hiring an undercover investigator since he is not only more professional than you in all matters detective, but also:

• An undercover investigator has access to special equipment and posesses professional knowledge. Do you know how to tap the phone line? Do you know how to hide a spy camera so it won’t get noticed?

• An undercover investigator has a better knowledge of laws, rules and court proceedings. He will provide you with evidence that is guaranteed to serve as solid proof in court.

• Since an undercover investigator is intimately familiar with laws, he knows how to avoid breaking them while conducting surveillance. If you do manage to tap the phone line yourself, in the eyes of the court, all evidence collected that way will be considered void. Furthermore, you risk ending up as an accused by unwittingly breaking a law. An undercover investigator, on the other hand, will only use legal methods that will provide him with evidence which will be accepted by court.

• An undercover investigator may have close ties to police – personal or professional. This means that getting permission for certain kinds of surveillance will be much easier.

• A licensed undercover investigator is authorized to access certain records that can greatly help in finding needed evidence.

• Having an undercover investigator means you are having his testimony in the court – and the judge is very likely to listen to him.

So unless you’re an ex-policeman or a ninja, it’s advisable to hire an investigator instead of trying to get the evidence yourself. 

Choosing a right private investigation agency (PIA) for an undercover job

While it is certain an undercover investigation is the best way to acquire needed evidence, it is very important to choose a good PIA for your job. The most important requirement of an agency is to have a staff of undercover investigators approved by the Singapore Police Force and working full-time. Look out for agencies that are obviously cheap or that try to spare on your confidentiality or convenience. Some agencies don’t want to give out information on their past jobs to preserve the confidentiality of their clients, meaning you won’t be able to view an agency’s portfolio. Finally, use your own judgment – and you will find a PIA that will carry out your undercover investigation successfully and get you the hard proof you need to win the case.