private investigators
Licensed civilian detectives
Private investigators are people hired to gather information, conduct surveillance, or find missing persons outside official law enforcement.
They work for attorneys, businesses, or individuals on matters like infidelity, fraud, or background checks.
Often called PIs or private eyes, they appear frequently in detective fiction: She hired a private investigator to follow her husband.
- stakeoutProlonged covert observation
- hidden cameraConcealed recording device
- sleuthPrivate investigator
- gumshoeInformal term for detective
- detectiveProfessional crime investigator
noir fiction · insurance fraud · skip tracing · follow the money · licensing requirements · asset recovery · deep background · surveillance · digital forensics · case · pi · fraud detection · background check · dossier · smoking gun · confidentiality agreements · forensic analysis · operative
- Licensed Occupationsdoctors, nurses, lawyers, dentists, pharmacists
- missing personsmissing person, disappearance, missing children, missing child, vanished
- securitysecurity guard, security cameras, alarm system, security system, lock
- power playerspower brokers, insiders, dealmakers, influencers, kingmakers
private investigatorspolice officers
Sworn law enforcers
law enforcement · FBI agents · federal agents · public prosecutors · sheriffs
private, privacy, investigate, investigation, privately, investigator, detectives, investigative, investigations