10 Best Private Investigator Surveillance Techniques

There are generally speaking 3 major things that derail a private investigator during surveillance assignments. A private investigator getting burned on surveillance or a private investigator losing the subject during surveillance. These derailments can be financially costly to a private investigator.  To help assist investigators in being more covert and efficient during surveillance assignments, we will share 10 surveillance techniques to help you stay undetected while obtaining as much video documentation as possible.  Let’s get into the surveillance techniques.

Wearing Sunglasses Helps an Investigator Be Confident

Wearing sunglasses (in appropriate seasons) allows for a couple of things to happen for a private investigator.

Firstly, wearing sunglasses allows private investigators to watch a subject without being noticed by the subject of the investigation. Investigators should not look directly at the subject but rather indirectly at them. 

Secondly, wearing sunglasses can make a surveillance vehicle feel more comfortable when the following someone in mobile surveillance or while on foot. I have personally noticed this and have observed this with other investigators in the field.  

There is supporting evidence that shows individuals feel more confident when they “hide” behind sunglasses as it hides micro-expressions and boosts the wearer’s self-confidence.  

So if you are feeling less than confident following someone whether you are driving or on foot, put on a pair of sunglasses and see if that changes how you feel when conducting surveillance.   

Conduct a Thorough Preliminary Investigation

Before a surveillance investigator begins surveillance, a preliminary investigation must always be conducted.

A preliminary investigation by the investigator should include at a minimum the following:

Running Information Through Subscription Databases (Tracers, IRB Search, Etc.)

Most investigators receive basic information about the subject of an investigation like:

• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Vehicles
• Spouse Name
• Social Security (Sometimes)

A private investigator will run information using the name, address, or social security number to learn more about a subject. Information like possible judgments, vehicles, additional addresses, additional phone numbers, and known associates of the subject will be revealed using these databases.

Searching for Vehicle Information

Whether the investigator is provided with vehicles by the client or not, the investigator should conduct database searches for the subject related to vehicles. This would help identify registration information for provided vehicles or identify any additional vehicles the subject may own.

Social Media Searches

The investigator should conduct social media searches from popular social media platforms in order to scrape any relevant information about the subject that could be useful to the client or the surveillance investigation general.

To read more about searching for information about a subject, I have written in detail about skip tracing here.

Changing Appearance

Private investigators in most cases work alone so they may find themselves around the person they are conducting surveillance on in different locations. 

A subject may travel to a Walmart and the investigator will conduct foot surveillance and document what they can of a subject while in the store.  

The subject then leaves the store, travels to a Ross department store, and enters. Depending on how much time the investigator spent near the subject in the Walmart, it may benefit them to change their appearance so as to not be recognized.  This is a proactive investigative decision on behalf of the investigator.

Changing your appearance could be as simple as wearing a hat and a jacket (which you weren’t wearing before) or removing a hat and jacket to disrupt a previous appearance.

An investigator could change their clothing entirely to help change their appearance. 

Some female investigators have been known to have wigs in their vehicles to help with changing their appearance. 

One of the best techniques a private investigator can have is to not be memorable.  If changing your appearance helps with that, you are on the right track.

Use a Buffer Vehicle

There are instances where it benefits a private investigator to have a buffer vehicle between the investigator and the subject of the investigation.  If you are following a subject for extended periods of time, you don’t want your vehicle to be in the rearview mirror of your subject at every turn. 

This is a proactive private investigator surveillance technique to help remain undetected, especially on long surveillance days where the subject travels from place to place.  This surveillance technique can be very helpful on single-lane roads if the investigator feels comfortable that they will not lose the subject during mobile surveillance.

Be Unmemorable

Private investigators who try to be overtly sneaking and don’t make an effort to blend in are the ones that typically draw unwanted attention to themselves whether it be from strangers or the very person they are conducting surveillance on.

So how can you be unmemorable? Here are a few tips:

Don’t Wear Memorable Things

Private investigators that wear clothes that are easy to identify make it easier to be remembered.  If a private investigator is wearing a shirt with a large picture or funny slogan, the subject of the investigation may remember the shirt when the investigator is conducting foot surveillance.  

Avoid wearing anything flashy like large amounts of jewelry.

Avoid wearing bright-colored clothes that may stand out. Try to wear earth color clothes is possible.

Don’t Have a Memorable Vehicle

Surveillance vehicles need to blend into the area I discuss the different types of surveillance vehicles here if you want to read more about that.  That means not having a color that would stand out to an individual.  Yellow cars are much more memorable than brown cars.  

Vehicles that have damage or bumper stickers are easy to pick out and identify than ones that do not.  Remove license plate frames if possible as well.

The two most popular vehicles private investigators use are minivans and mid-size SUVs according to a survey conducted by P.I. Advice.

Limit Your Interaction With a Neighborhood or the Subject

One of the biggest mistakes private investigators make is by inserting themselves into the investigation. 

Investigators can be too quick to pretext a neighborhood or make contact with the subject of the investigation’s residence (to confirm they are home).  You never know who is watching an investigator in a neighborhood and who could be reporting that to a neighborhood group.

If an investigator must pretext a neighborhood or a subject’s residence, it would benefit the investigator to depart the neighborhood and park many blocks away so as to not allow the neighborhood to connect the investigator to a vehicle. 

There are too many social apps and chat groups neighbors are using these days.  Don’t assume one suspicious neighbor won’t let an entire neighborhood know you are knocking on doors or that your actions appear suspicious. 

If you would like to read more about pretexting and the laws surrounding pretexting, you can read that here. 

Flowing in Subject in Heavy Traffic

Following a subject in heavy traffic whether in the city or on a freeway can lead to private investigators losing sight of their subject. 

In order to eliminate the chance of losing sight of a subject, it is recommended if possible to follow directly behind the subject until one reaches an area less congested.  

Following a subject without a buffer vehicle will make it easier for the investigator to make turns with the subject with no interference from other vehicles and lower the chances of multiple vehicles coming between an investigator and a subject.

Entering a Gated Community

There are many different types of gated communities.  Some residential communities have gate guards around the clock. While other communities have a gate clicker or code that lets guests or homeowners enter a location. Be sure to follow laws related to entering these locations. 

If a gated communities gate is always open, there is likely less expectation of privacy than one that is only opened with an access code.  If the gate is closed and only opened by individuals with access it is recommended that surveillance not be conducted within the community.

Some tactics that have been used to gain access to a community are the following:

Following Another Home Owner into the Community

If the gated community does not have a human gate guard, following behind another car is a way that many investigators are able to gain access to a gated neighborhood. While it is not recommended that a stationary surveillance position be established within the community, the investigator can at least drive by a residence and document any vehicles at the residence.

The investigator can then exit the neighborhood and wait for known vehicles to depart.

Fake Flower Delivery or Newspaper Delivery

If a human gate guard exists, conducting a fake flower delivery or newspaper delivery pretext may enable you to gain access to a gated community.

Simply purchase flowers or a few newspapers to prepare for the pretext.  If you purchase flowers, simply tell the guard where you are going to deliver the flowers and in most cases, you will gain access.  It is recommended to tell the gate guard you are delivering to a residence/person that is not the subject of the investigation but someone that actually does live in the neighborhood.

For the newspaper delivery pretext, the investigator will tell the gate guard that a newspaper subscriber was missed in the morning and you are there to deliver the paper. They may be familiar with the person who typically delivers to the neighborhood.  If the gate guard tests you in that manner, simply play dumb and tell them that a different route manager asked that you deliver the newspaper.  Don’t press the issue if there is too much resistance from the gate guard.

Walking into Gated Community

Sometimes the investigator does not feel confident or comfortable pretexting a gated community guard.  It is understandable so don’t feel bad about it.  Many times gated communities have a pedestrian entrance that anyone can walk through.

Park your vehicle away from the gated community and simply walk into the community. Generally speaking, most gate guards don’t say anything about walking in. If challenged just tell them you are walking for exercise and play dumb if they say you can’t come in for some reason. Don’t draw any unwanted attention to yourself. 

Follow from Behind on Foot

It is difficult for a private investigator to be in view of a subject if they maintain a foot surveillance position behind a subject.  It sounds simple but some investigators try to get too fancy with foot surveillance and either compromise an investigation or lose sight of the subject altogether.  Keep it simple and stay out of view while maintaining a good view of the subject.  Read more about foot surveillance techniques here.

Keep Mobile Surveillance Simple

There are main mobile surveillance techniques to help investigators disguise the fact that they are following someone or to help keep up with a subject during difficult mobile surveillance moments. 

Generally speaking, it is the fancy techniques whether working a one-person or two-person surveillance that causes an investigator to lose sight of their subject.  Keep the mobile surveillance techniques basic so you the investigator is not the reason for losing a subject. There are plenty of reasons losing a subject will happen that are out of your control. Let the things out of your control be the reason and not the surveillance techniques. 

Some of the Best Surveillance Investigators Don’t Overdo it

To be good as an investigator you don’t have to be fancy. If an investigator masters the fundamental surveillance techniques not only listed here but in other articles on this site, they will stay with their subjects longer and get burned less on surveillance. 

If you are new to the investigation field I recommend you read my book before you get started as it provides the information you need before getting started.