Here's another related idea that some people might be able to help with.
It occurs to me that from time to time incidents occur such that prompt action might recover missing property, but by the time the police get involved the trail has gone cold.
So does anyone here know anything helpful (from personal knowledge please, not hearsay or supposition) about the capabilities of private investigators, and the constraints within which they must operate?
Sadly, the main hindrance with Fraud cases is the paper trail we have to follow; much of what we require - bank records, telephone information, email accounts, etc, falls under the provision of "Special Procedure Material" because of the confidentiality in which it is held. To obtain this, we have to draft vast "Production Orders", which must then be heard at Crown Court, then served on the individual or company holding the material - then we have to wait for their reply. It can take weeks to make any serious headway into even quite simple frauds and, much to my immense annoyance, this is partly what allows fraud to run rampant in this country.
On the subject of Private Investigators, they have the same capabilities as any other private citizen. They do not have legitimate access to police databases or other information sources; that's not to say they can't get it, but to do so would be illegal. Private Investigators are not constrained by significant legislation such as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (in most respects), the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (which applies to public authorities) or other such legislation governing police powers and procedure.
PI's, in my experience, are either ex-service (police or similar) or hopeless wannabes. They are largely unregulated, which gives them considerable freedom in certain regards. However, that same freedom means that they are no different to any other member of the public. If a PI were to make a Production Order request for somebody's bank records, it would almost certainly be refused; as far as the court would be concerned, it would be no different to giving the material to the proverbial man in the pub - and the PI is under no obligation to treat such material sensitively.
PI's are very useful for civil investigations - typically divorce proceedings, property disputes and suchlike - but for criminal investigations they are almost unheard of. In all my service, I have never seen a criminal prosecution brought by an individual who had engaged the services of a PI, and - depending on circumstances - I would strongly advise saving your money. There is also a strong possibility, depending on the methodology used by a PI, that any evidence they gather for criminal proceedings may well fall outside lawful methods of being obtained - and, as such, be inadmissible as evidence.
I appreciate the police can be frustrating (especially with fraud), but at least we have the
potential to solve the case and bring about a resolution. A PI may track your goods down - using methods that are just as open to you as well - but I wouldn't expect much more than that. Equally, if they are unsuccessful, you will be considerably out of pocket.
