How to Know if You are Being Watched by a Private Investigator

If you want to know if you are being watched by a private investigator I think we should first start with this question: Why would a private investigator be following you? Are you going through a divorce? Do you have an insurance claim or disability claim in motion? There could be many more reasons and I have heard some pretty off-the-wall reasons. I will say this, if a private investigator is doing their job correctly and following my advice, you should never realize they are following you. But not all private investigators are created equal. So I am going to share the 11 different ways you may determine you are being watched by a private investigator. Here is my disclaimer which I have shared before with What to do if you are being followed by a private investigator.  Be very careful as it relates to being followed. You just never know if you are actually being followed by a private investigator or possibly someone that may want to cause harm. Paranoia could get the best of you and it may cause an incident with someone who is not a private investigator at all.  If you suspect someone is conducting surveillance on you, call the police and have them check out the vehicle. Do not approach anyone regardless of whether you think they are a private investigator or not. Safety is my primary concern for you.

If you see a new car parked on the street in your neighborhood

Don’t get paranoid if you see a new car in your neighborhood. Someone could be visiting your neighbor or your neighbors could have purchased a new car.  But that itself might be an early indicator that you need to be aware of that vehicle.  In particular, if the aforementioned vehicle wasn’t there when you went to sleep but was there early in the morning when you look out your window.

If an unfamiliar person comes to your door

If an unfamiliar person comes to your door, in combination with some of the other signals I will be sharing, you may have an investigator conducting surveillance on you.  This isn’t to make you paranoid. I am sure you have experienced folks knocking on your door in the past and you didn’t think a private investigator was conducting surveillance on you. I don’t share that to make you paranoid just to make you aware.

If your neighbor indicates to you someone has been asking about you

A private investigator may in some cases talk with a neighbor overtly or discreetly.  This will be a very good sign that a private investigator has been in the area at some point. It doesn’t mean surveillance is being conducted but it should raise some red flags in your mind. Hopefully, your neighbor will be willing to let you know if someone is inquiring about you.

The vehicle in your neighborhood has limo tint windows

In this day and age, it is not uncommon to see vehicles with tinted windows. Many, many vehicles, regardless of tint laws have limo tint all around their vehicle.  Tinted windows alone are not a sole indicator you are being watched by a private investigator. But, most private investigator vehicles are tinted all around their vehicle except for maybe the front windshield.

A vehicle is using a window shade

I used a window shade all the time during surveillance but for me, it was a bit more acceptable since I was working in sunny California.  Where you live this might not be uncommon however when you combine this with other clues indicated above, it might be an indication a private investigator is in the area.

You receive an unusual phone call

For many reasons, a private investigator may call your phone. I won’t get into the particulars about that part of it but in most cases, investigators are just trying to determine if the person they are conducting surveillance on is home (so they don’t waste too much budget sitting on a house where the person they are conducting surveillance on isn’t home). This one is a little harder to gauge as receiving calls from unknown numbers is quite common these days.  If you choose to answer it might still be difficult to determine if a private investigator is calling you or not.  Generally speaking, and I say this not even relating it to a private investigator calling possibly, be very cautious with any unknown caller.  There are all kinds of scammers out there in the world.

A vehicle parks in your neighborhood but the driver never exits the vehicle

A little suspicious for someone to park in your neighborhood and not exit the vehicle. If you wait long enough you may see the person exit the vehicle but it requires some patience on your behalf.  So don’t jump to conclusions right away if that happens. I have seen many people park for extended periods of time in my neighborhood only to find out they had a legitimate reason to be in my neighborhood. Those reasons included:

1. Arrived at an appointment early
2. Was a caregiver
3. Was lost
4. Pulled over to take a phone call

A vehicle departs the neighborhood shortly after you do (the vehicle is new to the neighborhood)

Now, this could be coincidental so keep that in mind. However, if you start to see some of the things I have previously discussed combined with this event, make a mental note of this vehicle. If you see it again miles away from your home, then it may be an indication you are being followed.

You notice the same vehicle over and over again

If a private investigator has done their job right this will be very hard to spot but not impossible. Your mind will play tricks on you once your brain has made up its mind that you are being followed. My best suggestion would be to jot down the license plate of the vehicle you think is following you. This will be to ensure that you are seeing the same exact vehicle and not just one that looks the same.

You see the same person repeatedly in different locations

Again, if a private investigator is doing their job correctly this would be difficult to see. And as you could imagine, this is a pretty obvious observation to share with you.

Connect with your neighbors

With the advancements in communication, neighbors and neighborhoods have become much more connected.  If you aren’t connected with folks in your neighborhood using a Facebook messaging group, using the Nextdoor app might be of use for you to connect with your neighbors.  Neighbors share things that seem suspicious or if there has been theft, vandalism, or crime in your area. The Nextdoor app has been around for quite a while and many private investigators have been discovered by neighbors using that app.

What to do if You are Being Followed by a Private Investigator?

I talk about this extensively and you can see that article by clicking the title above.  Always be cautious and do what you feel is safe to do. I would call the police to verify if you have something to be afraid of or if it’s just a private investigator.

Do Private Investigators Have to Identify Themselves?

The quick answer to this is no, not to you. Again click on the title above for more details on why that is.

How long can a private investigator follow you?

A private investigator can follow you for a very long time. Click the title of this topic for more details on this. The better question is when or why a private investigator stops following you if you are sure a private investigator is conducting surveillance on you.

How to Avoid a Private Investigator

There are many ways to avoid a private investigator like not answering your door or phone.  I won’t spend a great deal of time on this here but if you click the title it will take you to a more detailed explanation of how to ditch a private investigator.  Regardless of what you do, do what you feel is safe to do.

A suggestion from a private investigator (me) to you the reader

If there is one thing I can stress is that just one or two of the things I shared alone may not be enough to prove an investigator is watching you. A few of the things I have shared happening in a single day would be a good indication you are being watched by someone. Now, if you have no reason to believe you are being watched by law enforcement, a private investigator, or a company you work for, then you probably aren’t.  I have received phone calls from many people over the years that believe someone is following them however they have truly no reason why it would be happening. Private investigators don’t work for free. And I can assure you they don’t conduct surveillance on someone for fun.  Good private investigators are not there to cause distress or to let you know they are in the area. If they are good investigators that believe you are aware of their presence, they should discontinue surveillance.  Sometimes the investigator doesn’t know they have been made unless the person they are following makes it obvious they know they are being followed. It is a dilemma investigators deal with daily on surveillance (trying to make sure if they break off surveillance, it isn’t because they are paranoid, it’s because they have been truly made by the subject they are following). So be safe. Use good judgment. Don’t take the law into your own hands.  And if you are truly concerned that an individual is following you, please call the police. Counter Surveillance Book that can be purchased on Amazon