When I first considered getting a Private Investigator's licence, many of my colleagues were perplexed. Some of my previous employment positions included working as a Paralegal, a Law Clerk, a Legal Assistant, and a tax collector. What does that experience have to do with Private Investigations?
The Private Investigations industry and the Legal industry are interwoven from several perspectives. Private Investigators are governed by various legislation, both Federal and Provincial, most notably the Private Security & Investigative Services Act (PSISA). This statute dictates exactly what actions a Private Investigator is legally permitted to do.
Should a P.I. not interpret and follow PSISA accurately, they risk losing their professional licence and possibly their livelihood. Many cases that a P.I. receives will have a legal component, such as collecting evidence for a Divorce proceeding or Insurance Act claim. Should this information not be collected properly, this could have a detrimental effect on the legal portion of the case.
According to the Ontario Private Security and Investigative Services Branch annual report, in 2022 there were over 2300 licensed private investigators in Ontario. Of these, about 50% are former police officers, and another 40% previously worked in the security industry. This leaves only 10% of the P.I. industry in Ontario who may come from an alternate background, such as the legal industry.
Most of my fellow P.I.s specialize in physical surveillance. This could include watching an accident victim who may be trying to claim insurance fraud, watching a spouse to confirm infidelity, or watching for suspected theft. I admit that I personally have no interest, nor attention span in conducting surveillance. If a client requests this task, I have industry connections to whom I can re-direct them to.
So then what are the niche services that Agent K offers? And how does my legal background assist with providing these services?
POTENTIAL EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND CHECKS
If you google 'employee background check Ontario', there are several large businesses that are listed, including: Certn, Triton and ADP Canada. Although quick and affordable, these services usually only provide a surface area 'tease' to the client. Yes, they should be able to confirm that your potential employee is likely not a murderer and has not recently claimed bankruptcy, but they have only scraped the surface of who this person really is and if they are a good choice to hire.
A background check from a 'big box' provider may not give the employer valuable specific information about their potential employee that could make a difference in them being a candidate. These services do not venture into the person's background to confirm who they are as a person or a worker, but rather simply rely on the information presented on administrative documentation.
According to Indeed.ca, 40% of candidates admit to lying on their resume. (And these are only the people that admitted to this). Applicants know that it is rare for anyone to verify the information they have provided so why not pad this with fabrications? Hey, they got your attention and you chose their resume, didn't you?
So what information might Agent K provide that the competition doesn't?
Agent K recognizes that this potential employee is a real person. Not only do they need to have the proper education and experience to fill the position, but they need to be a proper cultural fit for your business. Rather than letting their information be put into the general machine to spit out their data, Agent K will look beyond the surface to find out the true identity and character of this person.
I will take the potential employee's resume/CV and verify every point listed. Did they really obtain a master's degree in Engineering from the University of Waterloo? Is their scuba-diving involvement really just a hobby or are they running a side business? How many employees did they supervise when they worked for Dan's Landscaping? Do they have a substance abuse problem?
Using my special P.I. tools, I will verify the potential employee's identity and contact them directly to obtain the names of their chosen references. I will then contact each reference directly by phone or email to confirm their relationship with your potential employee and ask for their personal opinion. I pride myself in having a prominent 'Spidey sense' and I am able to evaluate if someone is being untruthful. I also have extensive experience in how to 'call out' someone if I suspect they may be lying.
The client will then be provided with a thorough report and recommendation whether they should hire this person for their company.
POTENTIAL TENANT BACKGROUND CHECKS
The main information that a landlord or property management company requires from a potential tenant is their financial position. Simply put, will this person be financially capable of paying their rent in full on time?
However, landlords do not have direct access to pull a person's credit report, therefore they will often ask their potential tenant to do this. That person doesn't know how to obtain a copy of their credit report, and it is too much of an administrative hassle for them, so there is a risk that they will choose not to pursue renting that property. The potential landlord-tenant relationship is then dissolved before it ever started simply because of a lack of knowledge.
Likewise, a landlord may ask their potential employee for a letter of employment or a recent paystub from their employer. But this is a document that can be easily fabricated and the landlord will likely not follow up to verify its legitimacy.
Agent K has the ability to streamline this process, making it incredibly easy and fair for both the landlord and the potential tenant.
I will contact the potential tenant directly to verify their identity and obtain their written permission to pull their credit report. (They will be provided with a copy). I will then follow up on every point listed on this report, including contacting employers directly to ensure this person is actually working where they claim they are. I also have the tools to verify this person's financial position should they be self-employed.
Similarly to my potential employee background check, I will also collect the names of three references directly from your potential tenant, and contact each person directly to get their opinion.
What if your potential tenant is a new immigrant? With an established International network, Agent K has the resources to obtain information about a potential tenant from the country where they originated. This factor then provides a wider pool of tenants for the landlord to select from and also helps new immigrants find a space to rent.
Agent K can also find out supplemental information about a potential tenant which may assist the landlord in making their decision to rent to them. The Residential Tenancies Act specifically states that a landlord cannot stop a tenant from having a pet. Therefore, this is information that the tenant may not be truthful about upfront. They also may be planning to move in extra people after the lease has been signed, which could then cause further problems regarding utility costs, parking or a myriad of other issues.
For the cost of less than 50% of one month's rent, obtaining a thorough background check on a potential tenant is worth the investment. Should something go wrong after the wrong person is living in a rented space, it could cost thousands to legally get them out.
DEBTOR AND ASSET LOCATION FOR JUDGMENT/ORDER ENFORCEMENT
After working in the civil service and collections industry for a number of years, I consider myself as an expert in 'skip-trace' skills. This is an understood legal term in reference to locating people, primarily for the purpose of enforcing an already obtained legal judgment or order.
Through the use of specialized resources, I am able to find contact information for a person, or at the very least identify some strong leads of where they can be located. Once it is confirmed where a debtor may be residing, I can then also identify an asset that may be used as collateral to collect the money owed.
With my legal background, I can then assist the client to prepare the proper legal paperwork to place a lien against property or a issue a garnishment to collect employment wages. Upon the client's request, I also have the skills to communicate directly with the debtor and try to arrange an agreement of voluntary repayment of the debt. This could save all parties further legal costs and frustrations by resolving the matter without needing to proceed further using the legal system.
LEGAL RESEARCH
Using the free CANLII database, I have extensive experience finding the appropriate case law to include as evidence in a legal matter. By subcontracting this portion of a claim to Agent K, a lawyer or paralegal can save a lot of time, effort and money.
PREPARATION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTATION
As I am voluntarily no longer a licenced Paralegal, I no longer represent clients in court. However, I can save people a lot of time and money by assisting them in preparing legal documentation for jurisdictions where they intend to represent themselves, such as the Landlord & Tenant Board or the Small Claims Court. I will work with you, as the landlord or tenant, or the claimant or defendant, to complete and file the necessary paperwork with the court.
FINDING PEOPLE
I have a natural tenacity for finding every piece of a puzzle until I get an answer. By applying the use of specific resources and research techniques, I am able to produce a full and thorough profile of a person. Then by applying pattern methods and psychology, I can recognize leads that a fellow Private Investigator may have missed.
Through several years working in the collections industry, I have also developed a strong backbone and feel confident about contacting anyone about anything. I can comfortably 'call out the elephant' and open a bridge of communication between parties.
ROMANCE SCAMS
In 2023, the Canadian Anti-Faud Centre (CAFC) reported that romance scams cost 945 victims more than $50 million. These numbers are likely exponentially higher because many people are embarrassed to admit that they have been emotionally or financially conned by a predator.
Sadly, due to the sophistication of the networks that operate these scams, it is very difficult, if not impossible to try to recover money that the victim may have given to a person that they believe they have a relationship with. Therefore, I regret that I am not able to assist with the repercussions after the relationship has ended.
However, I can try to help stop the bleeding. I do have access to resources where I can communicate directly with the defrauder and verify their malicious activities. Then I can empathetically present the evidence I have uncovered to the victim, to help demonstrate the false situation. By unveiling the truth, the fraudster will often disappear from the victim's life out of fear that they could be identified should they wish to try to continue with the relationship.
A TEAM PLAYER
As I specialize in the research part of a matter, I am often hired by other Private Investigators to help them with a file. For example, they may have a client who has requested for them to do surveillance on someone but have limited information on that person. I am able to complete a full profile of the subject which may include:
- their full name and any akas that they may use
- several pictures to show what they look like, or how they may dress
- where they work and their usual work schedule
- other locations they may frequent and when they may be found here
- their daily habits
Having this information upfront can save a lot of time and effort for a P.I. who wishes to conduct surveillance because they will know where and when they should be looking for their subject. I also have access to special resources and tools that not every P.I. has obtained permission to use, which may provide me with specific contact information.
A Private Investigator with a legal background can offer many helpful services beyond surveillance.
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www.agentkpi.ca
