Here’s one key on your computer keyboard that you’re probably not using that will greatly increase your success as a private investigator when you’re using Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) for a case your working.

That key is the “pipe” key.

It looks like this: |

On most keyboards you can find it above the “Enter” key.

On some keyboards I’ve seen it all the way to the left next to the “z” key.

Pipe Key Location

Google Dorking

I discourage the use of google if at all possible. It is a HUGE privacy suck that follows (and records) you everywhere – both figuratively and literally.

However… you can perform some specific searches using the tools they have and get some amazing results. Sometimes this is called “google hacking” or “google dorking”.

Example 1

If you want to search a specific website for a word (rather than searching the entire internet for that word) you can use the “site:” command.

You can search an website for all the times the word “walrus” is used if you format your search on google in this way:

site:example.org walrus

Obviously, change “example.org” for the website you want to search.

But let’s take it to the next level.

The Real Example

Say you want to find all sorts of pdf documents on a website. And maybe all the power-point presentations. And the excel spreadsheets. You can do that with this “site:” command and the “pipe” key.

Look at this command…

site:*example.org ext:pdf | ext:doc | ext:ppt | ext:pptx | ext:xls | ext:xlsx | ext:csv

Note it is searching the site example.org for all files with the extension (ext:) for word documents (doc), excel documents (xls), etc.

But use the “pipe” key in-between each file extension search.

I will leave it up to your investigator’s mind how to use this on you cases, but it can be handy.

Remember to always use this, and all sources and methods, legally and ethically!

As I say every week… Do the right thing even if it’s the hard thing!

If you like these helpful tips, then don’t miss out on my free special report If You Want To be a Private Investigator Give Up… Unless You Do These Three Things. If not, you can get it right here…

Committed to your success,
Larry Kaye, P.I.

P.S. – I am not an attorney and nothing here is legal advice. Duh.