All posts by sydneypi
Who Hires Private Investigators?
I Think My Partner is Cheating on Me: What Can I Do?
Here is What Private Investigators Can’t Do
Discover What Private Investigators Can’t Do

A common myth is Private Investigators have access to all types of information, especially information that the public cannot access. However, the reality is that in Australia we are restricted by the Privacy Act.
Keep reading to find a summary of what we can’t access.
Background Searches
Private Investigators cannot access information on government databases. This includes, and is not limited to, records held by:
- Australian Taxation Office (employment history & taxable incomes)
- Medicare (health & medical history)
- Centrelink (government income)
- Service NSW (this includes finding details from car registrations)
- Immigration records (when people have entered or departed the country and visa status)
- Births, Deaths & Marriages NSW (marriage status – determining if someone is married or has been married.)
- Criminal Background Checks – this can only be obtained through the NSW Police with a signed consent form from the person who is being checked.
Information through private companies
In terms of private information through private companies, Private Investigators cannot obtain information in relation to:
Banks
This includes what bank accounts people have under their name, bank balances and transactions made in their accounts including credit cards.
Information gathering Private Investigators are not permitted to complete
This includes what bank accounts people have under their name, bank balances and transactions made in their accounts including credit cards.
Hacking
Private Investigators cannot access information on government databases. This includes, and is not limited to, records held by:
- Hacking Phones – There is software out there which YOU can install on people’s phones, however this is something you have to do. Private Investigators cannot hack someone’s phone remotely, especially iPhones. This includes Instant messaging such as Messenger, WhatsApp & WeChat.
- Hacking Computers – Private Investigators do not hack people’s computers.
- Hacking Emails/Social Media – we cannot hack a person’s email account or social media accounts such as Instagram and Facebook.
Missing persons
The police have better technology and resources to find missing persons. Generally Private Investigators stay away from missing persons.
Online dating
We cannot find out who people are on dating sites as they generally use an alias. We do not have access to databases of private online dating websites.
What can we do?
If you would like to know what Private Investigators can do, please see our blog on about what we’re legally able to do.
If you require anything outside of the scope of what we have outlined above, give us a call and we’ll let you know if we can help you.
What Can Private Investigators Legally Do?
Introduction to: What Can Private Investigators Legally Do

This is another question we get regularly. People seem to hold private investigators in very high regard when it comes to their powers of obtaining information. The truth is that they don’t really have much more power than the average person, apart from legally being able to investigate a person or watch someone, referred to as surveillance in the PI world. We are still governed by privacy laws, security laws and surveillance devices laws.
The Privacy Act
Since the Privacy Act was introduced in 1988, it has continually made it harder and harder to obtain information. Before then information was freely available with limited consequences on those who passed information without consent. From 1988 onwards information was generally obtained illegally with people paying off government officials or private sector employees in return for private information. As time has gone by and penalties increased, including jail time, the availability of this information has diminished. Technology advancement has also played a big part in this as everything can be traced. For example, a government official used to be able to look up on their internal system and pass on the information without anyone knowing. Now, they must use a login to access the information and it can all be traced electronically.
Government Databases
One major misconception is private investigators don’t have access to government databases like ATO, Medicare, Service NSW and Centrelink to name a few. What we do have access to as private investigators are commercial databases which we pay money to access. These databases are generally not available to the public as they have strict guidelines on who can access them. They are also usually subscription-based and cost a lot of money. The information on these databases come from various unknown sources that are generated over a long period of time.
A Licence to Stalk
In relation to what we can do physically as a private eye, we are once more restricted by the laws of the average person, except when it comes to watching someone. We effectively have a license to stalk; however, this is within reason. It must be discreet and without the person knowing. As soon as they’re aware of our presence it would be considered harassment if we were to continue. Stalking is defined under the Crimes (Domestic and personal Violence) Act 2007 as:
‘the following of a person about or the watching or frequenting of the vicinity of, or an approach to a person’s place of residence, business or work or any place that a person frequents for the purposes of any social or leisure activity’.
Recording
When it comes to visual and audio recording, we are once again hindered by rules and regulations under the Surveillance Devices Act 2007. The section that is most relevant to Private Investigators, and the everyday person, is Part 2 which regulates the installation, use and maintenance of surveillance devices.
The main thing you get from this is that we must not knowingly record or listen into someone’s private conversations. We must not also record a person if you are in a private conversation with them unless you tell them. As private detectives we can write in as much detail what we heard afterwards and produce this in a report. We just can’t record it and provide you the recording.
Filming is a bit more relaxed, however it is a grey area. We can film anyone who is visible from a public area. For example, if we are standing on the street and can see a person through a large window then we could film it. The grey area is that we can’t film them if the reasonable person would think that they are in a private space which could not be seen from the general public.
Monitoring Location
Monitoring a person’s location also falls under the Surveillance Devices Act 2007. It stipulates that you cannot monitor a person in the lawful possession or having lawful control of an object without express or implied consent. An object can be anything, including a car, a phone or even a boat.
The only act that would give you an exception to any of these rules is the Child Protection Act 2000. If it is in relation to looking out for a minor, then you may be able to get permission to do so if the child would be at harm in anyway.
Thinking Outside the Box
As private investigators we must think outside the box sometimes to achieve results. Some investigators may bend the rules to get what is needed; however, in summary all investigators in NSW are dictated by the same rules.
How Do You Become a Private Investigator in Sydney NSW?
As a private investigation company based in Sydney, we get this question a lot. We find people and clients, funnily enough, are very interested in this line of work. It certainly is a different type of job and makes a very interesting talking point over a beer at BBQs or dinner parties.
Given most people have never really heard of this profession (outside of movies and TV shows) they don’t know how to get investigator license, or where to go to find out more information. That’s why at Sydney PI, we thought we’d give share with you an overview of how to become a private investigator in NSW. As this differs from state to state, this is a guide specific to NSW.
What Qualifications Do You Need to Become a PI?
To legally follow someone around as a private investigator you’ll need to obtain an investigator’s license, which is issued by the NSW Police force under the Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate. Before the license is issued, you must successfully complete a Certificate III in Investigative Services. This will enable you to legally do surveillance on a person and investigate a person.
Click here for more information
The best way to obtain your private investigator certification is through a fast track course. The cost ranges from around $1,600 to $2,000 and you can do it as fast or as slow as you want. The course structure is usually comprised of an online component and practical sessions.
Below are two organisations that run the short course we recommend:
How Do You Obtain Your Private Investigator Licence?
In NSW a private investigator falls under the Commercial Agents & Private Inquiry Agents Act 2004 and is categorised as Commercial Agent activities and Private Inquiry Agent activities.
The first step is to obtain a probationary licence. A Probationary Operator licence is issued subject to a condition that the licensee may only carry out the activities authorised by the licence while under the supervision of the holder of a Master Licence or the holder of an unrestricted Operator Licence.
This is reasonably easy to do. Simply follow the below steps:
- Fill out the form on this website and pay the $130 fee.
- Once your application has been processed you will be asked to go to the local police station and to give your fingerprints. Once this has been processed you will be issued your probationary license.
- You then have a maximum of two years to complete your Certificate III in Investigative services. You can then apply for a full operator’s licence.
- You can choose to pay for a 1-year licence or a 5-year licence. See costs here.
- Once your full licence has been issued you are free to sub-contract to companies as a private investigator.
If you have any questions on how long does it take to become a private investigator or how do i get my private investigator license, please contact the SLED Contact Centre directly on 1300 362 001, 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
Do You Need to Hire a Private Investigator in NSW?
If you are looking for Private Investigation services in Sydney NSW, contact our professional staff today on 1300 773 293. Alternatively, you can contact us online and we’ll get back in touch as soon as possible.
Additional Resources
-
Learn more about the comprehensive duties of a private investigator.
-
Understand what private investigators can and can’t do.
-
Find out who hires private investigators.
Should I Hire a Licensed Private Investigator
So you’ve finally decided to do something about your problem and you’ve built up the courage to call a private investigator. You jump on google and there are lots of investigators advertising. You don’t know much about the industry and you’ve never done this before. How do you decide which one to use?
Well the first thing you should be checking is if the company is a licensed private investigator. This will quickly narrow down your search. All investigators must be licensed to operate in each state of Australia that they wish to operate. Just like you have to be licensed to drive a car. This means they are governed by a code of ethics and have operating procedures to abide by. Licensing for investigators was brought in to weed out the cowboys or rogue and dishonest people.
Unfortunately, there are still plenty of investigators around that are not licensed or are only licensed in other states. The risk you run by not using a licensed private investigator Sydney is it is harder to hold them liable for dishonest and misleading behaviour. If they are licensed they can be prosecuted or lose their license and be forced to stop trading.
Licensed private detectives should display their license on all advertising including their website and email signatures. If you can’t see a license number then there is a pretty good chance they are unlicensed.
A good way to check is by asking for their license number so you can check it with the local government authorities. In NSW, Private investigators are regulated by the Security Licensing & Enforcement Directorate (SLED) which is a department under the NSW Police. The license type a Private Investigator should hold is called a Commercial Agents and/or Private Inquiry Agents licence (CAPI). You can search their license number by going to the following link. Or simply google “check private investigator license NSW” to find the link.
If you want to do a full check on the company ask them to send through a ‘’company extract”. This will allow you to view the official company name and the Directors names of the company. Also ask for any trading names under that company. Run a basic search on google on the Director Names, the company name and any trading names. Make sure there isn’t any negative reviews, articles or bad publicity. Investigators should have full transparency on who they are. If they are not willing to provide this information I would suggest they have something to hide.
Unfortunately, there are unlicensed investigators operating that take full advantage of people in vulnerable situations, pulling on those emotional heart strings, extracting large amounts of money up front, promising the world and never delivering. Or they don’t disclose all their costs upfront and you end up with a huge bill at the end. This is your hard-earned money and you want to know it is being spent wisely and used effectively.
As a further check it is wise to check public reviews on the company. Google Maps is a great place for this. A lot of companies will have plenty of good reviews however check the lower rating reviews to see what peoples bad experiences are as sometimes there can be fake reviews pushing the bad ones down.
Our company is fully licensed in NSW, QLD & VIC. Our licence is displayed on our home page. https://sydneypi.com/ We are completely transparent on who we are and are happy to provide any documentation on request to prove our legitimacy.
Hiring a Private Investigator in Family Law
Hiring a Private Investigator in Family Law
Hiring a private Investigator in family law proceedings can help you gather evidence which can help you win your case. Family law proceedings can be expensive but the cost of a private investigator can be one of the most cost effective expenses you incur.
Here is some of the valuable evidence that can be obtained through engaging a private investigator.
Drug Use
Often parents believe that the other parent is either using drugs or selling them. This results in the parent exhibiting abnormal patterns of behaviour like driving to various places at odd times and meeting suspicious people in suspicious places. A private investigator can follow a person to obtain evidence which may be used to support the claim that the other parent is involved in criminal behaviour that can pose a serious risk to the children in family law proceedings.
Intoxication
It is regularly a concern of parents that the other parent may be using alcohol to excess. Engaging a private investigator can confirm if the other parent is drinking too much or visiting bars and clubs at times when they should be taking care of the children. This evidence can be put before the court to confirm that a child is at risk whilst in that parent’s care.
Employment
Sometimes parties to family law proceedings are not honest about where they are working or the amount they are earning. It is a regularly easy to task to confirm where a person is working and to prove the falsity of their declarations in court about their income. A private investigator can follow a person from their home to where they work on several occasions and provide this evidence in the form of a report to the Court.
Why Use a Private Investigator in Family Law
Ultimately you need the best evidence you can to win a family law case. However you need good evidence to support your claims and the best evidence that can sometimes be used is that of a private investigator. Once you have the evidence you need it is then up to your lawyer to use this in Court.
How much does it cost to hire a Private Investigator in Sydney?
Cheating on Hens Nights
Is your partner heading out for a hens or bucks night? Or perhaps it’s a whole weekend which means they have a leave pass over night, so you wouldn’t have a clue what they are getting up to.
Are you concerned about their integrity?
How do they behave once they have a few drinks?
Who are they going with? Is that known unfaithful or loose friend going who is a bad influence on those with partners?
Are they being very secretive about the plans for the night or weekend?
If the answer is yes, then you may want to have them followed for an evening to see how they behave. It’s quite common that after a few drinks this can lead to other things like taking drugs, flirting with the opposite sex leading to kissing and sex, going to strip clubs or ordering strippers in, and visiting brothels or even ordering them in to the hotel.
It’s common to be feeling insecure about your partner. Sometimes it’s nice to know that they are just doing the right thing, so you can trust them next time they go out.
As a private investigation firm, we send our agents out all the time for these exact circumstances. We have agents of all ages, sex and appearances to ensure they blend in perfectly. We are able to get up close and monitor these things and report back to you in real time with photos and footage, so you can make quick decisions for when they come home.
If you are feeling anxious about the night or weekend then give us a call to discuss your situation. We have a fixed price schedule, so you will know exactly what you will have to pay with no surprises.
Real Estate Agents Stealing For Sale Signs
Are you a real estate agent with a nasty and malicious competitor? Believe it or not, in the professional world of Real Estate nasty tactics like stealing sign boards is a real problem.
We have known real estate competitors to knock down sign boards, pull them out and throw them into the bushes or even remove them and take them away. Its an unfortunate fact that this really does happen. Usually, the customer has a reasonable idea of which company it is and when it happens.
In this case we have our agents sit and watch the signboards in several locations waiting for the perpetrator to come along, sometimes in broad daylight. If it is at night, we obtain this evidence on specialised camcorders to get clear footage. The advantage of using a licenced investigator is to report them objectively and from a third party.
We suggest you report them to the real estate licence board. This act would more than likely cause them to lose their licence. Furthermore, reporting them to your local police would potentially provide a crime conviction. Finally, exposing the act to shows like current affair or today tonight would have an enormous affect. These shows would have a field day exposing these dirty tricks. By exposing them publicly we believe this will not only tarnish the real estate agent’s reputation, it will likely deter other agents from doing the wrong thing through fear of being caught. It will also make the public aware of this problem and increase neighbourhood watch providing a much more difficult environment.
If this is your problem, give us a Sydney Private Investigations a call as we would love to help you catch your competitors.
Husbands Cheating on Business Trips
The husband comes home from work and announces that work is sending him away on a business trip. This is the classic scenario that enables a husband to play up while he is away from his wife and family. He is away from the watchful eye of his wife or partner and with no responsibilities and no accountability for his time this provides the perfect opportunity for cheating to take place.
There are perfectly legitimate reasons for husbands to attend work trips. Either a conference is to take place or a meeting at the Head Office or regional headquarters. But what seems like a perfectly honest reason for spending time away from home can often turn into something more sinister. The husband now has the perfect chance to get up to mischief and possibly get away with it.
Being Uncontactable
A cheating husband on a business trip will usually say they have to turn their phone off during meetings. If these meetings are extending into the evening or weekend then this should be a signal that something is wrong.
Another excuse is that he will be in transit and needs to turn his phone on airplane mode. This also means that he is uncontactable for long periods of time. This is another warning sign.
Yet another excuse is that he is feeling tired and needs to get an early night. He will make a phone-call around 8pm and say that he is turning in for the night. If he is usually up late when at home this should also send the alarm bells ringing.
The husband will usually not want their wife to know which room they are staying in at the Hotel. This means that their wife will be unable to contact him by the hotel phone.
If you are unable to contact your husband at any time on his business trip there is a chance that something is up.
What is He Up To?
Our experience as private investigators tells us that husbands can do any one of the following things during a business trip that constitutes cheating;
• Visiting a strip club
• Flirting with women at bars
• Meeting an escort
• Sleeping with a work colleague
What a Private Investigator Can Do?
A private investigator can be present at the Hotel where a husband is staying on his business trip. If booking details are known in advance the private investigator can even book a room next to, or on the same floor as the husband. This means that the private investigator can gather evidence such as;
• Whether he is actually at the business meeting or conference
• Whether he is going out to bars and clubs
• Whether he is going to dinner with a woman
• Whether a woman is visiting him in his room
The private investigator can report back via text or phone-call with pictures and video which enables the wife to know exactly what is going on. This gives the wife peace of mind or alternatively confirms her suspicions.
The Cost
The cost of a private investigation to follow a husband on a business trip can be more cost-effective if as much detail about the trip is known. The private investigator can be at a designated place and time and the whole investigation can be finished in a matter of hours. If a second agent is required this can also improve the chances of success if the Hotel is large or it is a busy conference. This means that there is a greater chance of catching the husband cheating if that is indeed what is going on.
Retrieving Deleted Text Messages
Do you need to retrieve deleted text messages from a phone. This is a task for the professionals with sophisticated equipment that can download the deleted messages to a usb device for easy viewing.
Often people delete messages from a phone so that they can’t be detected. However little do they know that messages can be restored. The chances of retrieving these messages diminishes as time goes by so it is best to act quickly if the device is in your possession.
Not all data from phones can be recovered since it will depend on the brand of phone and the operating system that is running on the phone. The essential requirement is that you have access and the pin number of the phone.
This evidence can be used in court with the messages having the date and time stamp recorded.
Turnaround time is usually 3-5 days, plus postage time.
Cheating with the Personal Trainer
Suspect your partner is cheating with their personal trainer? It happens more often than people think.
We were recently contacted by a gentleman who suspected his wife was cheating with her personal trainer. This was because she was coming home later than expected from her training sessions and it seemed she hadn’t even worked up a sweat. He decided to call us and we arranged for surveillance upon his wife for the purpose of finding out just whether or not she was working off those calories with the appropriate exercise.
It turned out that she was not attending the training sessions all of the time and the personal trainer was taking her back to his house for some exercises of the intimate kind.
Our private investigator captured footage of her going into his apartment and reported back to the husband of hat was taking place. Needless to say he was not too surprised as he already had a suspicion. With this information the husband was going to confront his wife to see if the relationship was worth salvaging.
This was another successful outcome for the team at Sydney Private Investigations.
Using a Private Investigator to Find Someone
Using a private investigator to find someone is the most efficient and cost effective method. Private investigators use the skills and know-how that they learn from their industry experience and training gathered over many years. This gives them the skills to locate a person using electronic database searches and online tracking or traditional forms of surveillance using state of the art covert technology.
People often want to track down:
● Family relatives
● Old school friends
● Ex-lovers
● Biological parents
Whatever the reason for finding someone a private investigator will remain confidential about the whole process and any discussions you have with them are governed by the various codes of ethics that they abide by. They have a duty of confidentiality to keep your communications with them private.
If you are looking to find someone with the aid of a private investigator they will need some information about the person such as:
● Name (including former names and middle names)
● Phone numbers
● Email addresses
● Facebook account
● Current and former addresses
● Occupation
● Friends or relatives details
● Car make and model
The more information you provide to the private investigator the better and the greater the chance of a successful outcome. The private investigator can locate where they are living, where they are working, and perhaps their current phone numbers.
You can waste a lot of time trying to track someone down if you don’t have the right skills. This type of skill takes a long time to develop and that is why Sydney Private Investigations are leaders in their field.
Listen here to one of our successful cases where we located the father or a girl which was broadcast with her permission on a popular Sydney radio station.
Hiring a Private Investigator
Hiring a Private Investigator can be a difficult decision to make. But hiring a private investigator is sometimes the only way to get the answers to some serious questions such as;
● Is my husband cheating on me?
● Is my wife cheating on me?
● Where does my husband go after work?
● Why can’t I contact my wife on her mobile phone?
● Why is my husband so protective of his phone?
● Why does my wife have new lingerie?
The answers to these decisions can be confirmed with the use of a private investigator.
Hiring a private investigator in Sydney is an easy process. One phonecall with our discreet consultant could be the best decision you ever make.
KIIS FM Private Investigator
As featured on the Kyle & Jacki O Radio Show we recently obtained the details of a listener’s father who she had lost touch with.
IPAD Reveals Boyfriends Male Lover
We recently assisted a girl who discovered emails from an overseas male lover of her boyfriend. Her boyfriend had given her a used IPAD as a gift. However, when she started using the IPAD, suspicious emails and text messages continued to appear. These messages revealed that her boyfriend had engaged in a sexual relationship with a man on a recent trip to Eastern Europe.
Her boyfriend was a businessman who went on trips overseas with his friends and it seems that he was engaging in sexual activities with other men on those trips.
His girlfriend engaged our services to investigate the IPAD and we were able to enlighten her on the true nature of her boyfriend’s activities. She is now not in a relationship with this man who has moved on to another unsuspecting woman.
If your spouse is going on business trips overseas and you have received suspicious emails from what appears to be sexual partners, you have a right to know about the risks this poses to your health.
If you have an IPAD or phone, then we can assist in the forensic examination of these devices to bust your spouse and to reveal his or her true sexual identity.
Need a Private Investigator in Bali
Rising Trend of the Boys Trips
With over 2.5 million tourists visiting Bali in 2015, of which 600,000 were Australians, Bali is becoming increasingly popular for ‘boys’ trips’ away. Whether it’s for a party week away without partners, a bucks’ weekend or a surfing safari, the low cost of travel and accommodation coupled with Bali’s close proximity to Australia is seeing a rise in these sorts of trips. Unfortunately, the trips away usually involve a lot of drinking, partying and often unsavoury behaviour, some which can give partners back at home unnecessary concern.
The boys will often set the tone of the trip with drinking beginning at the airport in Australia, throughout the flight to Bali and generally for the rest of the trip.
Beautiful Girls
Bali is a very popular destination for people from all around the world. They are attracted by the year long hot weather, strong surfing culture, beautiful beaches and affordable food and accommodation. In response to this influx of tourists locals have caught on to the party culture and now have day clubs for people to hang out in with DJ’s, beach bars, roof top bars and nightclubs. Everyone visiting is there to relax in some way or another and going out for drinks is definitely one of them. These venues entice a lot of beautiful girls in Bali, both local Balinese girls and foreigners. Everyone is there for the same reason to drink, unwind and have some fun. This makes it the perfect place for cheating to occur.
How a Private Investigator Can Help
A private investigator can be hired to follow these groups of guys and see what they get up to. Australian visitors tend to go to the same places due to word of mouth and reputation. It is quite easy for an investigator to follow them around and blend in especially someone of Australian descent.
With the help of a private investigator a concerned wife or girlfriend can get up to date information about what their partner is doing throughout the course of the holiday. Surveillance can include activities such as monitoring the hotel they are staying at or even a private villa depending on it location or layout. Investigators can monitor activities during the day at the day clubs, bars and even just hanging on the beach. A private investigator will report back to the wife or girlfriend and inform them where their partner is, who they are with and what they are doing. The private investigator can send back to the wife or girlfriend pictures and videos through email or their phone. Technology has enabled the flow of information to be quick and low cost.
Cost of a Private Investigator in Bali
The cost of hiring a private investigator in Bali is much more affordable than most people think. The extremely low cost of food and accommodation and its close proximity to Australia makes the price similar as if it were being conducted in Australia. The investigator will need to have daily costs covered such as meals, drinks to blend in, transport and accommodation however these are minimal.
When it comes to cost it is better to get peace of mind, whatever the outcome of the investigation. It could be that the husband or boyfriend is completely loyal and faithful and simply has a great time with the boys.
Should I Hire a Private Investigator?
The decision to hire a private investigator is often a difficult decision to make. A person usually has some suspicions about their partner cheating but doesn’t know how to confirm it. It’s a serious decision and the outcome of the investigation can be life-changing.
However, with knowledge of the investigation process and what is involved, the decision to hire a private investigator can be made a lot easier.

THE INITIAL PHONECALL
The initial phone call with a private investigator is usually free and should cover three main things;
1.Your Situation
The first thing you should do is explain your situation. Usually, a brief explanation is all they will need so there is no need to go into a huge amount of detail. The private investigator just needs to know the basic facts. The investigator will usually ask you some additional questions to get details of the information you probably haven’t thought about.
2.Your Objective
Once your situation has been established it is important to make clear what you want to achieve and your desired outcomes. For example, some people just want to confirm their partner is lying about where they are while other people want evidence of their partner meeting someone with photographic evidence of any physical connection with the other person.
Ultimately you will have some expectations so it’s important to communicate what you want to the private investigator.
3.Your Budget
The third thing you need to make clear to the private investigator is your budget and how much you want to invest in the process. Investigations can range from a few hours to a few days. With your budget in mind, a good private investigator should tailor the investigation to suit.
The cost of hiring a private investigator is more affordable than most people think (although prices do range). Like any professional, charges are generally by the hour however a good investigator will know how to achieve your objective in a short period of time to keep the costs down. If there is a need to extend surveillance the investigator should advise you throughout the job of the additional costs and obtain your authorisation. Although this will increase the cost, this money well spent if it gets you the answers you need.
When it comes to cost, be wary of investigators who charge at the lower end of the spectrum, such as $40 per hour, because like any professional you get what you pay for. They are usually new to the industry and their experience could be limited. Although they have a lower rate they could potentially cost you a lot more in the long run due to their inexperience. For example, they may not get you the answers you need which would be a total waste of money.

THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS
The typical way an investigation operation takes place is as follows;
Setting up the File
A good private investigator should have a procedure for establishing a file to refer to. They should require you to complete a form with the details of the person that is to be investigated and any other relevant information. You should also provide photos of the person you wish to be followed.It’s very important that you ensure that all information provided and obtained is confidential. A good private investigator should issue you with a formal confidentiality policy detailing the proper security measures to ensure that your communication to them through email or phone remains confidential. Always check if their website has a privacy policy.
Initial Payment
To commence the investigation, a private investigator may require a deposit. This deposit may be refundable if surveillance does not go ahead. Always check if there is a cancellation fee as some companies do not disclose this up front. On this note they should inform you of all costs and charges and ensure that you understand all future costs that could be incurred. It is important that you obtain a schedule of fees and charges so there are no surprises.
The Surveillance
A typical investigation involves following a person from the place and time as agreed between you and the private investigator. The investigator should report back to you by phone as often as you require. This way you get to know what is happening real-time. They will inform you where the person is, what they are doing and who they are with.
You can then choose to continue the investigation if you want more evidence or to stop the investigation if you have already discovered what you wanted.
The Evidence
After the investigation is complete the private investigator should provide you with a detailed written report, including photos of what occurred, as well as any video footage. You should ensure that any photos and videos are time and date stamped leaving no question as to when the events occurred. Once again you should ensure that the report and photos remain confidential. Some private investigators destroy this information so it never gets into the wrong hands.You can then use this evidence to make decisions about your future.

SHOULD YOU HIRE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR?
This question is easily answered if you simply ask yourself;
- “Do I want to confirm my suspicions that my spouse is cheating on me?”
- “Do I want to stop worrying and get answers?”
- “Do I want these answers now?”
- “Do I want to move on with my life?”
If the answer is YES to any of these questions then you should hire a private investigator sooner rather than later for your own health and well-being.
CAN I DO IT MYSELF?
It’s nearly impossible for a person to follow their own spouse. The average person doesn’t have the skills necessary to carry out a private investigation themselves. Private Investigators are professionally trained in specialised investigation techniques and have years of practice. There are many techniques and skills to successfully follow someone without being noticed.
If you try and do it yourself you will more than likely come unstuck. Whether it’s losing them while you’re driving behind them or simply being noticed. Even with a disguise, they will recognise your mannerisms, the way you walk and probably the poor following skills which will give you away.
This is a job best left to the experts…
Private Detective Sydney
We can respond quickly and commence investigations immediately!
Call now and speak to a private detective who will discuss your options with you. All information is completely confidential.
End your worries and take action. We can help you.
How Do I Spy on My Husband
How Do I Spy On My Husband
Concerned wives often ask us how do I spy on my husband? There are many ways you can carry out surveillance and spy on your husband with the use of some high tech equipment that is available to the general public. However the challenge is finding the right devices for the right job. You can waste a lot of money and a lot of time if you don’t get the right advice. And you may also lose the opportunity to carry out the surveillance if you don’t act quickly.
Computer Monitoring Software
Some cheating husbands list themselves on social dating sites and they often access these sites on the home computer. If you want to find out how your home computer is being used then computer monitoring software is a very valuable tool to search the computer for such evidence.
There is a range of software available, some are very difficult to use, and at the end of the day, just a complete waste of money. But others are simple and quick to install, and obtain the necessary answers you need very quickly. Although this is just one piece of evidence in the jigsaw puzzle.
Keylogging Software
If you really want to know what’s going on with your computer then you can install keylogging software which stores the keystrokes that are typed on your keyboard.
Keylogging software has been used in the corporate world for a long time and many parents use it to monitor the activity of their children. If used correctly keylogging software can tell you what has been typed into the computer including conversations and which websites have been visited. However this type of software should not be used for an illegal purpose such as obtaining passwords to log in to another persons social network, such as their facebook account or email accounts or dating profiles.
GPS Trackers
GPS trackers are an extremely useful tool in surveillance and when used properly can give very accurate positioning of its location. However there are a lot of poor quality GPS trackers on the market that have a low range, short battery life and are difficult to use. The instruction manuals are sometimes even written in a different language. Some of them are just a complete waste of money and are not worth the effort A cheap foreign made GPS just won’t have the qualities that you need to be able to take care of the surveillance yourself and may give you misleading information or no information at all.
A good quality GPS tracker will be durable, waterproof, small and robust enough to endure tough conditions. It should also have a long battery life of at least a few days. A good GPS device should also double as a listening bug and you should also insist that the GPS be able to be monitored with the use of your computer or mobile phone. That way you will know where the device is at all times.
Hidden Cameras
Hidden cameras are a valuable tool in any surveillance activity and can be effective in obtaining hard truths that are unable to be obtained any other way. You can use a hidden camera in your own home to monitor activities that you think are suspicious.
Some cameras are hidden within an everyday devices, however sometimes we don’t recommend these devices as a new item that is introduced into an environment is sometimes very obvious to spot.
A good hidden camera will have a long battery life, and if possible have a motion sensor which will only record if there are people in a room. It should also have a large storage drive in order to capture hours of video surveillance without the need for regular attention. You should make sure that the storage device (usually an SD card) is easily connected to your computer for viewing of these files.
Listening Bugs
Listening bugs come in all shapes and sizes, and more importantly all ranges of quality. There are a few essential characteristics of a good listening bug, that is the sound quality and detection range and secondly the battery life. If you purchase a cheap listening bug then you’ll be constantly checking the batteries, and even if the batteries are working you may not get a good quality recording.
So when you’ve selected the best quality listening bug it’s important to put it in a place that is discreet and that will give you the best chance of recording what you want to hear.
These devices, if used properly are again a very useful tool in carrying out surveillance yourself.
Using a Private Investigator
But sometimes it’s just best to rely on the skills of a professional and stop trying to do it yourself. We take our cars to mechanics, and get our teeth fixed by dentists. We get the best tax refunds from a Tax Agent and we go to lawyers for legal advice. So when it comes to expert surveillance and obtaining the evidence of a cheating spouse there is no-one more qualified than a licensed Private Investigator.
A good private investigator will follow your instructions, but also advise you on the best method of surveillance and help you make important decisions regarding the process. And a professional Private Investigator will communicate with you and keep you informed of how the investigation is progressing such as where your spouse is, who they are with, and where they are. You can then decide if you want to continue with the investigation or cease surveillance because you have already obtained the answers you need.
So overall there are a lot of options available to carry out surveillance on a cheating spouse. But the best thing to do is to get advice from a professional who will tell you what method is the best for you. This can take the stress out of an emotional situation for you and will ultimately get you the answers you need.
Jailbreaking iPhones
What is Jailbreaking?
Quite often we get asked what is jailbreaking. Quite simply it’s unlocking the phone from Apples operating system (iOS).
How do you Jailbreak an iPhone?
To jailbreak an iPhone is very simple and easy and only takes a couple of minutes. You simply;
- Download our recommended software for free from the internet
- Save the downloaded file to your computer
- Connect the phone to your computer
- Click on the downloaded file and it will run the software, unlocking the iPhone from Apple Itunes in a matter of minutes.
The successful jailbroken iPhone will now have an Application called Cydia visible on the last page of the iPhone.
The jailbreaking process does not change the look of the iPhone or the way it works. You can still use the phone to make phone calls, emailing, buying from the App Store, iTunes and all other functions. It is however a necessary process to install third party software on the phone that are not sold on iTunes.
Note: For instance, Cydia can then be used to install our Mobile Phone Spyware which also makes Cydia invisible at the same time. This makes the Spyware and Cydia completely undetectable.
What iPhone devices can be jailbroken?
95% of iPhones can be jailbroken.
Jailbreaking depends upon the particular iOS (internal operating system), not the model of iPhone.
Because phones are basically small computers now they have an operating system just like a computer runs Microsoft Windows. For example windows 10 is the latest operating system for a PC. You can find the iOS on the phone by:
- Open “Settings” Application
- Click on “General”
- Click on “About”
- Scroll down to “Version”
- Next to the word “Version” will be a number starting with a 7, 8 or 9. The number dictates which software is used to jailbreak the iPhone.
iPhones that have iOS 9.0.2 and below are generally jailbreakable.
When purchasing our Mobile Phone Monitoring Software we can help you over the phone with the jailbreaking process.
For more information about our Phone Spyware click here.
![]()
The Camera Never Lies
We get many calls by customers who suspect their partner is cheating and ask us how we can help and what is the best solution for them. Quite often we recommend surveillance devices such as our GPS trackers. These are a very good tool when it comes to tracking all their movements and to prove where they are at a given time.
Other situations call for a record of a conversation. And in that case we recommend tiny listening recording devices which are able to pick up conversations at a distance of up to 15 metres away. These are exceptionally effective at recording your partner when you are not around and getting information you wouldn’t normally be able to obtain. The great thing is it’s all on record and you can prove what has been said.
But above all you can’t beat a good old fashioned photo and video evidence to prove exactly what has happened. Footage is obtained as a result of surveillance by licensed Agents. As the name of the article suggests…the camera never lies. And technology has made this even more so as photos and videos are now time and date stamped through meta data. There can be no questions of when the photo or video was taken.
Due to the advancement of technology agents generally don’t use traditional cameras anymore. They film everything through special hidden video cameras and photos are extracted from the paused footage. The advantage of this is you can get the precise moment when the cheating takes place. We call this the ‘Money shot”. The money shot is now a lot easier to obtain because of this reason. This enables us to get you the exact information you need to prove your lover is cheating.
![]()
Spouse Caught Cheating at Christmas Parties
Staff Christmas parties are designed for work colleagues to get together and celebrate the end of a work year, let their hair down and have some fun in a relaxed atmosphere. However, with the mix of alcohol, celebrations often lead to casual flings and long term affairs, especially if spouses are not invited. Statistics show that 70% of office affairs begin at alcohol fuelled company events.
December is a popular time for cheating at Christmas parties. A common scenario in Sydney is companies throwing their Christmas party in the city at restaurants, bars and even boat cruises which generally finish between 10pm and midnight. Colleagues then decide the night is not over and venture out to other bars away from the judging eyes of other colleagues where flirting can be taken to the next level. King Street Wharf and Cockle Bay are popular areas for this.
Sydney Private Investigations can send one of our agents to follow your partner to the venue where the Christmas party is being held and blend in to monitor their social activities and any flirtatious behaviour and give you the proof you need to confirm your suspicions.
Call us early and provide us with the time and date of the party so we can arrange for one of our agents to get the answers you need.
![]()
Online Dating
Melissa has started online dating and although interested in a particular person she was in doubt as to his credibility. All she had was his full name and phone number. Things didn’t seem right and he could be quite elusive at times.
Melissa contacted our office and asked if we could find out more information about him. With the information provided we were able to establish:
- where he lived
- where he worked, and
- how active he was in the online dating world
Once we had details we sent one of our Agents out to follow him from work to see what he did in his spare time. It turned out he had a family and was lying to Melissa about his marital status.
Melissa ended the relationship based on the information and evidence we provided her. All this occurred within one week of contacting our office.
If you are suspicious of your partners online activity we are able to help using our mobile phone searches.
![]()
Fly in Fly Out Layover
Melissa’s husband works in the mines in Queensland on a fly-in fly-out roster. They live together in Perth however he always flies via Sydney airport and has a layover for hours. She suspected he was meeting someone at Sydney before flying back home to Perth because he was never contactable during his stop for hours at a time.
Melissa contacted our office and we organised to have two Agents waiting at the airport. One Agent in the terminal to identify him coming off the plane and one Agent in a car ready to follow him in case he gets picked up or takes a taxi. He was identified walking off the plane and into the terminal and then followed in a taxi into town where he was taken to an escort agency.
Our Agent was able to film him entering the escort agency and leaving approximately an hour later. He was then followed back to the airport where he then caught his flight home.
All information was obtained in less than 4 hours. Melissa was then able to make decisions based on the information provided.
If your concerned about your partners travel activities and would like more information on How we can Help using our surveillance Agents contact us now.
![]()
Child Custody Case
Andrew did not have custody of his two children aged 7 and 9 years old. He knew the children were in an unstable environment with poor parenting, however he needed to prove this to the court in order to obtain full time custody. His ex-wife had specific rules in place by the court which Andrew believed she was breaching on a regular basis. The two main court orders he believed she was breaking were; no men allowed in the house or the possession or drinking of alcohol around the children.
Andrew engaged us to do surveillance on his ex-wife over three Saturdays to monitor her movements. During this time we were able to establish she had lots of men coming and going from the family home. She also left the kids at home with other men while driving down the street with another man to buy alcohol before returning home. Furthermore, parties would go until late into the evening.
All photos and video footage were time and date stamped which confirmed exactly when the events occurred. With this information Andrew was able to submit enough evidence to the court to get full time custody of his children.
This information was obtained after 30 hours of surveillance.
If you need help with your child custody issues we are here to help. Please see How We Can Help you using an Agent with our specialised surveillance techniques and information gathering processes.
![]()
Alarm Clock Camera
This discreet alarm clock camera is perfect for trespassers or capturing people on video. It has a high definition camera with night vision. You can choose to record continuously or in motion detection mode. This is perfect for capturing only when movement is detected.
Features:
- Motion detected hidden camera
- Records video and audio
- Infrared Night Vision
- Continuous recording
- SD Card Memory
- Playback on TV
- Working clock
- Battery and 240 volt operated
Call us now for next day delivery.
Office Romance with Colleague
Wendy’s husband had been coming home late from work regularly, especially on Friday nights. She also noticed he was taking more pride in his appearance then normal before going to work, especially with his personal grooming and the clothes he chose to wear on Casual Fridays. He also started wearing cologne.
Wendy suspected her husband was having an infidelity with a co-worker at his office, however she couldn’t prove it.
She called our office and we quickly arranged one of our agents to follow him after work on a Friday when she knew he was going to have social drinks at a bar near the office. Our Agent waited in the foyer of the office building and saw him walking out of the lift with his work colleagues, which were both men and women. . Our agent followed him to the local bar where they had drinks and socialised for a couple of hours. Nothing happened at the bar until it was time to leave.
Wendys husband left the bar with a woman who he seemed to be giving a lot of attention to over the evening. As soon as they were away from the group they were seen holding hands and kissing as they walked down the street.
Our agent filmed the whole thing discreetly. Wendy received the information she needed to make a decision to move forward.
The whole operation took less than 4 hours and Wendy was extremely satisfied with our service.
If you need help uncovering the truth, contact Sydney Private Investigations for professional and legal services.”
![]()
Sexting and Online Dating
Tania was starting to notice her boyfriend was becoming very protective of his phone when around her. He would not let his mobile phone leave his sight. He took it to the bathroom, the shower and it was always in his pocket. He would even put it face down if it was ever out of his hand. He slept with it right next to him every night.
He was not showing any intimacy in the bedroom and was becoming very distant. Whenever Tania confronted him that he may be seeing another woman he would become very aggressive and even accuse her of cheating with another guy. She suspected he was texting another female or was signed up for an online dating website however she couldn’t prove it.
Tania called us for help. She gave us a day that he was not working so we sent one of our Agents to the home address early in the morning to monitor what he got up to during the day. He ended up meeting a lady at Cockle Bay Wharf where they had lunch together. They were observed being very flirty together during the lunch. He was also observed paying for the lunch and on departure the Agent obtained footage of them kissing passionately before going their separate ways.
With the use of phone monitoring software Tania was able to get information to then instruct us to undertake surveillance to confirm her suspicions that her partner was cheating on her.
If you are suspicious about your partners phone habits. Call us now.
![]()
Girlfriend Cheating When Partner Out of Town
Peter travelled quite frequently for work overseas for weeks at a time. He had a suspicion his partner was getting paid as an escort while he was out of town. She didn’t work and was able to maintain a good standard of living.
Peter called us to follow her around for a week while he was out of town. We organised two agents to follow her every day for 5 days in a row from 8am until midnight.
During the time that we followed her she was seen meeting up with friends and socialising including going to restaurants, shopping and going to the cinema. On the third day after having dinner with two friends in Chinatown she said goodbye to them and walked a couple blocks away where she met an older man dressed in a suit. They were followed along George Street where the man could be seen trying to hold hands with her. She was seen holding hands briefly before breaking away to avoid any public display of affection. They arrived at a very nice apartment building located in Millers Point where they entered and walked out of view.
Our Agents watched the entry/exit until 2am with no sign of her coming out. We organised a third Agent to be back at the apartment building at 7am. She was seen exiting the front door around 7.30am and getting a taxi back to her home address.
Peter was updated on his return and it was confirmed she was providing high class escort services. She denied any actions as she only admitted to having dinner with friends in Chinatown. Peter was then able to make a decision and move forward.
If your concerned who your partner is with while you are out of town see How We Can Help using surveillance.
![]()
CEO having an Affair with PA
Tracy’s husband is a CEO of a large company and flys interstate regularly. He doesn’t give Tracy much notice when he does fly however she suspected he may be having a romance of some sort but couldn’t prove it.
Tracy called us on the same day when he was due to fly out to Perth. She knew the time he was supposed to leave the office so we sent an Agent to his workplace in Taren Point and waited for him to be picked up in a Taxi. Our Agent followed him to Sydney domestic Airport where instead of turning left into the airport the driver turned right and drove straight to a nearby hotel. When he arrived he walked directly into the Hotel bar and greeted his personal assistant, who had already checked in at the hotel, and gave him the keys. He put his bags in his room before returning back to the bar to then start enjoying a bottle of Champagne with his PA.
Tracey was notified immediately and she drove straight to the bar and caught them red handed cheating.
If your concerned about who your husband is spending his time with. Call us now.
![]()
Porn Addiction Wrecks Relationships
Thousands of Australians struggle with porn addiction in secret every day seriously affecting their relationships. For some people, looking at images is enough however for others Internet porn can lead them to compulsive and risky behaviour with others.
Some real life cases outlined below may sound familiar to you:
Men
A 27 year old man downloads porn onto a large hard drive or even a separate computer dedicated just for watching porn.
A married man views internet pornography for hours at home, then begins surfing pornography sites at the office and risks destroying his career.
Women
A married woman spends hours a day talking in Internet chat rooms and having cybersex, and eventually starts arranging to meet online strangers for casual sex in the real world.
Couples
A married couple view pornographic movies together as part of their loving relationship, but the husband starts spending more time watching and less time with his wife, who feels left behind and rejected.
Consequences
Unfortunately these are real life examples and they are occurring every day in many homes and relationships. It is a compulsive behaviour, which falls under ‘sex addiction’. Sex addiction leads to the breakdown of relationships and ultimately divorce.
How we can help
The addiction is usually denied and experienced in silence and secrecy. Once you have established there is a porn addiction you can take steps to rebuild the relationship. We have various types of software enabling you to detect and monitor the use of websites visited on either a mobile phone or a computer. This software will help you get the answers you need to discover your partners internet activity.
Click here to get more information on our phone spyware.
![]()
Computer Monitoring Spyware
Listening Bugs
Other Spy Products
We have an extensive range of Spy Products to suit any situation ranging from hidden cameras in everyday items to CCTV systems. We also have a range of discreet listening devices to adapt to any environment.
Contact us Now to discuss your options.
![]()

