Mike Lort, a private investigator, answers a range of questions about his profession. He describes notable cases—such as exposing a blackmail ring that led to deportations, tracing a celebrity’s stolen guitar, and uncovering a forged consent form that reunited a Middle‑Eastern banker with his child. He notes that when clients suspect infidelity, roughly 70‑75 % of suspicions are confirmed, and he stresses the importance of proportionate, legal surveillance: investigators must be licensed (e.g., in the UK via accredited associations, ICO registration, and DPA checks), avoid illegal hacking or phone intrusion, and adapt tactics—overt or covert—based on the subject’s awareness. He outlines typical tools (change‑of‑clothing kits, nondescript vehicles, hidden audio/video gear, modern monoculars, technical sweeps for tracking devices) and emphasizes core skills: intuition, meticulous detail‑checking, verifying sources, and thinking multidimensionally. Lort also shares practical advice: conduct deep background checks and a “fiancé test” before marriage, limit online personal data to lower one’s profile, and join professional bodies for training and credibility. He reflects that investigative work is a lifestyle demanding constant vigilance, with no two days alike—ranging from desk research and database queries to field surveillance, door‑knocking, and undercover operations. Ultimately, a private investigator’s role is to uncover the truth—whether in matrimonial, fraud, corporate intelligence, or missing‑person matters—while staying within legal and ethical bounds.
1. Mike Lort is a private investigator.
2. He answered questions from the internet.
3. A client was being blackmailed.
4. The client had a mistress.
5. Blackmail is a criminal offense.
6. The mistress’s computer was compromised.
7. Data from the computer was printed, shared with the client, and left on his car.
8. Forensics were used on the computer to seek leads.
9. The address and vehicles were swept for listening devices.
10. The blackmailing group was identified; a couple of individuals were deported.
11. When hired to determine if a spouse is cheating, more spouses are actually cheating than not.
12. The speaker estimates that cheating occurs in 70% to 75% of such cases.
13. In the UK, private investigators must be licensed to practice.
14. An accredited private investigator is registered with the ICO, has insurance, and is DPA‑checked.
15. Investigators must ensure their actions are proportionate and necessary for court admissibility.
16. Investigators can place surveillance teams on the ground to follow a subject.
17. Investigators can run background reports and check for bugs or tracking devices.
18. Private‑sector investigators cannot hack into emails or access phone information.
19. Investigators cannot access people’s bank accounts or other private data.
20. An assignment involved tracing a famous guitar and returning it to its rightful owner.
21. The guitarist’s possessor denied knowledge, but proof existed.
22. The investigator traveled to the US with the guitar, and stewardesses thought he was part of a famous band.
23. A case involved checking whether a female office worker was having an affair with her ski instructor at a popular ski resort.
24. No infidelity was found in that ski‑instructor case.
25. An internal fraud case was investigated for a bathroom‑supplies company where items were disappearing from the client’s warehouse.
26. An agent was parked in a car park while the fraud team moved goods out in vans using the same car park.
27. The agent became blocked in by the vans and had to remain in the vehicle until they moved on.
28. That vehicle was never used in surveillance again.
29. Investigators often use nondescript vehicles and plan extensively for hidden audio and video equipment.
30. Early in their career, investigators carried backpacks with battery packs and large‑format cameras.
31. Many people associate investigators with binoculars.
32. Modern investigators may use a small, single‑handed digital monocular that can capture, record, and transmit live images over long distances.
33. Private investigators commonly conduct pre‑employment checks, fraud investigations, lawyer support for court cases, brand protection, and investigations of counterfeit goods.
34. They also handle matrimonial infidelity and cohabitation investigations.
35. Clients approach private investigators to find the truth, facts, or to connect dots.
36. Services range from tracing individuals to corporate‑wide intelligence gathering.
37. Private clients often come after being scammed, facing internal family‑office issues, or dealing with breaches of trust such as unfaithful partners or wayward family members.
38. To detect a tracking device on a car, a technical sweep is required.
39. A technical sweep includes a physical search of the vehicle’s underside, engine, and compartments, plus an electronic scan for emitting signals.
40. In the UK, the Association of British Investigators provides a list of accredited and approved investigators.
41. Globally, the World Association of Detectives lists nearly a thousand investigators in over 80 countries.
42. From a photograph, one can often learn personal details about a person without direct contact.
43. Parents frequently post pictures of their children outside school with school badges or signs, revealing school attendance and home addresses to strangers online.
44. Individuals have both a personal reputation (with friends, family, colleagues) and an online reputation that should be protected.
45. A case involved a Middle‑Eastern banker seeking his child; the estranged wife was traced to the US, the mother was proven to have forged the father’s signature on consent documents, and the father was awarded custody.
46. A typical day for a private investigator varies and may include desktop research, database interrogation, open‑source intelligence gathering, field questioning, surveillance, interviewing neighbors, or door‑to‑door inquiries.