The movie and entertainment industry is well-known for depicting private investigators as seedy characters involved with a variety of dangerous or criminal clients. But real-life PIs are about as recognizable to those accounts as bare-faced Kardashians are to their Instagram followers. Sure, a good Chicago private investigator may have to bend some rules and cut some red tape, but following the law is always paramount. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Private Investigation is on the rise with an 8% growth rate expected nationwide by 2029. But before diving into the job field or choosing a PI on the fly, it’s important to know the most common specialties they offer.
Insurance Fraud Investigations
Insurance companies collect approximately $1 trillion in annual premiums. Insurance fraud costs Americans approximately $80 billion per year and non-medical fraud is responsible for at least half of those costs. Proving fraud can be a lengthy and stressful process for businesses, but it is necessary for business survival. So it’s no wonder insurance fraud is one of the most popular specialties for private investigators.
Background Checks
According to national research conducted by the Brandon Hall Group, approximately 95% of employers admit to making a bad hire every year for their company. The cost of a single bad hire can range from 30% of the employee’s annual salary to over $240,000 in company expenses overall. The right background check is crucial to business security and success. And unlike simple online or HR database options, a Chicago private investigator specializing in background checks can dig as deep as legally possible to ensure you always get the right fit.
Civil Investigations
When two adults can’t work out a dispute on their own, a civil investigation may be required if the matter goes to court. While a civil trial isn’t a criminal matter punishable through incarceration, it may still require professional evaluation and specific evidence that the right Chicago private investigator can uncover. In today’s world of “he said, she said”, it’s no wonder civil investigations are among the top PI specialties.
Domestic Investigations
Approximately 36% of women and 26% of men in Chicago experience physical violence in some form by an intimate partner. Programs devoted to Chicago domestic violence helped over 3,200 adults and children survivors throughout the state in 2019. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, those abusive numbers have undoubtedly expanded as calls to hotlines in some regions have fallen over 50%. Domestic issues can include physical, mental, and verbal concerns, including abuse, rape, stalking, and continual bullying by family or household members in and outside of the homestead. Many private investigators incorporate spousal surveillance to discover the evidence they need to prove infidelity, abuse, and other domestic issues to help their clients legally secure alternative living solutions.
General or Other Private Investigations
Most professional private investigators focus on a specialty, but they may layer those to cover multiple client needs. Specialty niches are often included as well, such as auto theft, child custody, criminal defense, felony cases, probation, missing persons, and sexual assault. Give us a call today to be connected to the right Chicago private investigator for your specific needs.