One of the most interesting things when photographs are taken on a digital device like a cell phone is that other information is recorded with the photograph… a lot of other information.

This is especially true when dealing with smart phones because they frequently allow their location information to be recorded on each photo. That means photographs often contain hidden data, which includes the location of where the photograph was taken.

This information is called the “meta-data” of the photo and contains information on the type of device that took the photo, the camera settings and (maybe most important to an investigator) the latitude and longitude where the photo was taken. Think for a moment how this can help you with skip tracing!

Unless this data is intentionally stripped away, most of the time, that meta-data travels wherever that photograph or image travels. This means when an image is posted online, if you use the proper techniques, you can find and read this meta-data, including the date, time and location where the photo was taken!

How to find location data on photos:

To see the meta-data of an image (either online or on your own device), search the term “EXIF information” on your favorite search engine and then choose the viewer you like best.

If you like this helpful tip, then don’t miss out on my #1 Best Selling book 51 Dirty Tricks Bad Guys Really Hate! (If you good at math… you probably can tell right away, there are 50 MORE tricks like this one in the book!)

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

P.S. – Privacy Hack: Remember to strip off the location data from your photos before you post them on line!

This week I made a quickie, impromptu private investigator training video on an email answer I gave to a viewer asking about marketing his detective agency.

I cover what kind of letters to send, how often to send them and I even touch on social media!

What kind of letters/articles to send…

Usually I sent ones I wrote myself or things I saw in the news.

Any time I saw something in the news or a new statistic and thought to myself, “Hey, this is kinda’ interesting. I bet my attorneys would be interested in this”, then I would write a brief summary or even just a note and send it off.

Something like…

Dear (attorney’s name),

I saw this in the news the other day and though you might be interested in it.

Or…

Dear (attorney’s name),

Enclosed please find an article I recently wrote on (subject). I thought you might find some of the information interesting for you or your clients.

I would send these letters to potential clients as well as my existing attorney clients.
(Don’t miss that! You need to stay in touch with your existing clients!)

How many law firms to approach at one time…

All of them.

At least all the ones you want to work for.

Once you’ve found your “voice” (your style), then I say approach all the firms you want to work for.

It’s a numbers game. Only 1 out of X number will hire you, so send to as many as you can. It will NOT generate more business than you can handle.

If you like that helpful tip, 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. You can get it right here…

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

Even when you “know” you’re in a fight, looking away for even one second can mean a “sucker punch” comes in and gets you! But don’t worry, in my experience, it’s usually not that bad.

In this week’s private investigator training video, I am not suggesting you take a sucker punch at someone.

Well… if your life is at stake maybe. But you better darn well be prepared to explain it in court!

What I am teaching is to be prepared on the “receiving” end of a sucker punch! And not to be scared of it either!

I learned this all from first hand experience both as a Loss Prevention Officer and later from surveillances I’ve done.

The L.P. part is great experience in the “been there done that” category of learning, but the surveillance has given me a real chance to “study” sucker punches.

When I Review My Surveillance Video

When I review my surveillance video of a fight, I see things I missed when it was actually happening. Recently I saw a teen jumped by 5 other teens. It happened fast and the victim definitely got the worst of it, but aside from a bit of bleeding from his mouth, he seemed fine.

The interesting thing to me was when I reviewed the tape I saw something I had missed when watching it live… one of the attackers actually set up for and succeed in delivering a kick to the victim’s head!

It was one of many blows the victim received (again, none of which was debilitating), so it “blended in” with the beating he was getting, but even then it was delivered when the victim was looking away.

The things I teach are almost always from first hand experience and if you want a behind the scenes look at getting into the P.I. business, be sure to check out my special report: If You Want to Be a Private Investigator Give Up… Unless You Do These Three Things. You can get it right here…

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

P.S. – Never underestimate your opponent!

I was recently asked what was the longest surveillance I’ve been on and the answer is 22 hours straight, but it didn’t start out to be long!

Be sure to watch the video for all the details, but here’s the biggest takeaway for you…

Be Prepared!

Make sure your vehicle is ready for a surveillance.

Make sure you have enough recordable media if your surveillance goes longer than you expected.

Make sure you have enough battery power to supply your devices including your camera! (You can learn how I set up the power supply in my surveillance van on The Investigator’s Ultimate Guide to Surveillance.)

Make sure you have food and water for your surveillance.

Make sure you have a bathroom plan for a longer than expected surveillance!

If you understand the importance of this tip, 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. – This surveillance paid about $1,400 and that was a payday any working private investigator can understand the importance of, but I was only able to take this surveillance because it was a reputable law firm client! Would I take a last minute case from a new client? I don’t know. It would have been a gamble.

Please think through now the pros and cons of taking last minute cases. It can make the difference between a case that ends with a nice, big payday and one that ends with disappointment and wasted time!

I talk about this in my book How to Make a Citizen’s Arrest, but the difference between the words “chase” and “follow” are huge and can make a big difference when you make your report.

I’m not sure it’s the best idea to give a statement to the police. It’s super complicated beyond what I can discuss here, but at the very least you may find yourself on the phone with 911 and that is recorded!

So here’s the thing…

Chase means you are pursuing the subject and he knows you’re behind him and trying to catch him.

Follow means you’re watching where he goes and (usually) he doesn’t know you’re there.

IMPOTANT: During a surveillance case the subject should NEVER know you are following him. Never.

If you understand the importance of this tip, 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. You can get it right here…

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

P.S. – This blog post marks 5 years to the day that I’ve been posting each week! And while I’m really excited to hit that anniversary, it’s probably important for me to add (yet again)… I am not a lawyer and nothing here is legal advice.