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Can a private investigator access my Snapchat?

24 July 2021

Can a private investigator access my Snapchat in the UK?

One of the most frequently asked questions is "Can a private investigator access my Snapchat in the UK?". Accessing a Snapchat account through a login and password procedure without permission from the account owner is clear. No, we cannot. A Facebook account is accessed through a login and password, which if accessed by a private investigator would be ILLEGAL under UK law.
You should consider some things however as the log in is one matter and the public information is a different situation entirely.

When considering this you must remember the information you post is immediately made available to Facebook/Snapchat who control your data and if it is public then available to anyone with the inclination to look.

If you are the subject of an investigation, seasoned private detectives will utilise the inherent public nature of the data to their own ends.

However, a private investigator has many ways to access media posted a non-private Snapchat account such as snaps, videos, stories, and more. 

To protect yourself, you may want to pay closer attention to what you post, while configuring your account settings for suitable privacy.

For more information on this type of information gathering known as Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) please see our informative video linked here.

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A trained Private Investigator with years of experience reveals the 3 things you must know about Open Source Intelligence in the context of Private Investigations.
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How do Private Investigators find the information you are looking for? A detective working with Operant Investigators gives details on how OSINT provides significant data points for investigators.
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A common problem all agents encounter, especially so in cities is the problem of parking. A good parking location for a vehicle is essential in ensuring line of sight (LOS) and gathering recordings behind tint or disguised. Now you may be thinking, you would solve this problem through foot surveillance. This isn't always helpful, residential areas may not have many people on foot nearby, there may be nowhere to sit or bled in and a host of other reasons may want your bottom firmly planted in a car seat for this one. So you arrive or even better, as part of a recce (reconnaissance) or planning, you notice a parking problem. I find it helpful to break up the different problems into categories, I will list the types of scenarios. 2 Primary types of areas Urban - City or Town Rural - Villages, farms, greenery or forests Primary types of problems No LOS - Cannot observe the property or points of egress LOS but too distant - Cannot record of observe with any accuracy or with the level of responsiveness needed LOS but blocked - Your vision is obstructed temporarily Too close - The risk of exposure is too high and no places further away are available Primary causes of problems Temporary blockage by vehicle - A behemoth has just parked in your LOS Double yellow lines - No parking here Single yellow lines - Restricted at certain times, they will always be the times you need to be their All spaces are in use - The most frequent issue Moved too many times already - You've been moving around frequently and are reaching a point where further movement between spaces will compromise the surveillance A mixture - A mix of the above It is incredibly frustrating when your turn up to perform your surveillance and have nowhere to park. You know the client will not be happy and your stuck in a tough spot. Parking for private investigators is an essential part of the work and for some cases is strictly required to ensure good results.
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by Grant White 25 September 2021
Who is able to hire a Private Investigator in the UK? Is it legal?
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Can a Private Investigator access whatsapp messages? Can they see your private messages?
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How much does a Private Investigator charges for their services, what kind of fees can you expect and what will the cost be?
by Grant White 18 September 2021
Many people ask: "What do private investigators get hired for?" So, we've compiled a list: What do private investigators get hired for? 1. Surveillance. 2. Finding addresses. 3. Finding someone. 4. Verifying information. 5. Gathering intelligence for further action. However, this is not an exhaustive list of what a private investigator can do. There are many different applications and benefits of hiring a private investigator. Here are some of the benefits of hiring a private investigator: 1. Save money - Instead of dedicating an in-house employee to do the job, a quick and easy way would be to hire a PI short term to get the job done properly. 2. Save time - Time is money; private investigators investigate for a living, they can do the job quickly, professionally, and accurately getting the best results. The term 'Private Investigator is not that specific', but rather an umbrella term for people that act in the area of investigation - each with varying skill-sets and specialisations. Here are some of he common skill-sets a private investigator may specialise in. 1. Financial & Cryptocurrency investigations. 2. Business intelligence. 3. Surveillance. 4. Social engineering. 5. Tracing. 6. Fraud. 7. Background checks. 8. Employee absenteeism. 9. Property. 10. Company checks. Sometimes private investigators are picking up the pieces of a previous investigation, and can include many of these above listed investigations in one case.
8 September 2021
The penal code review in France which made Private Investigator use in civil proceedings legal.
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