Filley and Associates Private Investigator News

The History of Private Investigation

The history of private investigators is fascinating; in 1833 Eugène François Vidocq  became the first private detective; a soldier in the French Revolution, he was able to solve cases that confounded the police.

Much to the disapproval of French officials, he founded the first private detective agency named "Le Bureau des Renseignements Universels pour le commerce et l'Industrie" ("The Office of Universal Information For Commerce and Industry") Even though French officials did not approve, Vidocq created and used many of the methodologies that have since been adopted by law enforcement.

Private investigators in the early days were only hired by governments, foreign and domestic, big corporations and the elite. In the Early 1890’s, a US investigation firm used a logo showing an eye and the tag line ‘We never sleep’.  This is where the term ‘private eye’ originated.

The turn of the century brought many changes, and private investigators became more available to the general public; their services expanded to tracking unfaithful spouses and finding lost loved ones and companies such as insurance agencies were using their services to investigate fraudulent claims. Investigators traveled both nationally and internationally to solve cases and provide information necessary for clients to make important decisions. 

In the United States, private investigators perform many of the same duties today, using tried and true investigative methods, as well as advanced technology.  Almost all states have requirements for licensing, which requires a criminal check, certified experience in investigations and the passing of a test.  Licensed investigators work hard to police the industry and root out any unlicensed or substandard investigators, who may damage the reputation of good investigators.

Private investigators often use cutting edge technology to solve cases, but more often than not, it is investigative technique, attention to detail, knowledge of human nature and ability to read people, as used by Mr. Vidocq, that solves cases today. 

Fraud Alert for US Attorneys

Attorneys, like investigators want to get quick results for clients.  Attorneys are also accustomed to handling large amounts of money, on behalf of their clients.  Con artists in China are capitalizing on the goal oriented efficiency of US attorneys by targeting them with the scheme described below, the use of which is currently growing.

Description of Fraud Scheme

Attorney is contacted by a US company.  The US company is being threatened with a lawsuit by another US company for non payment to a Chinese manufacturer, which produced goods for a joint project.

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Private Investigator FAQ

Information about California PI Licensing and Conduct

Have you ever considered the idea of becoming an investigator?  If so, we have included pertinent information below which should provide the reader with basic knowledge and answers to key questions such as “who, what, where, when, why, how and how much”.

The information listed below was written with the intent to inform the reader about what one needs to do to become a licensed as a Private Investigator in the State of California. Each state has specific PI Licensing requirements similar to the State of California.

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Nanny Cams

Should I use a Nanny Cam?

Nanny cameras are your eyes when you can’t be there. We live in a modern world, working parents are the norm now rather than the exception. Nannies provide invaluable assistance in child care. They allow your children to participate in many more activities and create better social connections. Plus the added benefit of a nanny over just a sitter also relieves you of some shopping and domestic work. Thus allowing you to spend more real time with your children, in some cases parents who work full time, that have a nanny, will spend more personal/ recreational time with their children than in households with one working parent.

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Chinese | Mandarin Cantonese and More

Speaking Chinese - The Many Dialects of China

Mandarin, Cantonese and ...

Whrn a client asks for a Chinese speaking investigator, they often do not understand that there are several dialects of Chinese. Mandarin is the official language in China and Cantonese is used in Canton, centered in Guangdong and Hong Kong regions, but many people outside of China don't know that China has many more separate and distinct local dialects used all over China. Each area has it's own language, some similar to the official language of Mandarin and some completely undecipherable to people outside that local area. These dialects are not accents, such as are found in the US, the UK and Australia in which the same or similar words are spoken differently. The dialects in China differ from each other much more than that.

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