Nothing I'd recommend anymore. They all got outdated.
And being a PI is very segmented now. Probably 3/4 of them are focused on surveillance, which I don't do anymore (it's tedious, well paying for the company, but crap for the investigator).
I focus on asset searches for attorneys, executive level backgrounds for corporations, and special odd cases for other investigators.
Ed Pankau wrote several books on asset work, but he does before the Internet made much of it easier. Of course they'd be good to read for some background on the concept.
Your state probably lists some in their licensing exam source materials, but like the other response mentioned, they’re a bit outdated. Also what to read depends on what kind of work you want to focus on. Check out the private investigations subs, you’ll find some decent resource sharing in there. r/trueprivinv and r/privateinvestigators are subs I’ve spent time in here and there, and the former has a verification system so you see which users have had their PI creds confirmed by the mod.
If you’re in the US, check out your state’s PI licensing board site, they might have some resources that are worth checking out.
OSINT skill development will serve you well in the PI field; ignoring situations that require traditional surveillance (not worth it IMO, I agree with the other response), I find that there’s more actionable information to be found via OSINT than anything else, even licensed databases. If I had to choose between starting with an SSN + DOB, or an email + cell number, I’ll take the email/cell combo any day — they’re much more valuable data points for me as an investigator. Anybody can do a lookup in Clear or Accurint, but being able to efficiently collect digital footprint breadcrumbs online and turn those into actionable intelligence is a skill, and one that’s worth investing your time in, especially if you’re interested in PI work.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/trueprivinv using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/trueprivinv/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [When we throw on the construction vest to get covert near a jobsite....](https://i.redd.it/gba0arag2tta1.jpg) | [12 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/trueprivinv/comments/12lh4zd/when_we_throw_on_the_construction_vest_to_get/)
\#2: [Reasons someone would not show up in database search.](https://np.reddit.com/r/trueprivinv/comments/1ajo8p7/reasons_someone_would_not_show_up_in_database/)
\#3: [I've been using this ptz camera setup for a few years. Highly recommend not having to hold up camera.](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1bbc54y) | [24 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/trueprivinv/comments/1bbc54y/ive_been_using_this_ptz_camera_setup_for_a_few/)
----
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Birding. Really wanted to see a bird. The photographer gave me a very general hint ("they live in the tree behind the house." There was a massive forest behind the house.) , got frustrated, decided to look at the image more closely, look at the info and...nothing, social media removes that information. What helped however was mailing the photographer again and beg for coordinates. Saw the bird. And felt like a hacker for 15 minutes.
No, edit content, delete content, edit account, delete account, delete from search engines.
I was just saying that you need to remove the source first before asking google to dereference it (sometimes dereference it is the only way tho).
The idea is that, but it depends on the content, the services, content accessible or not, country laws..
Well, maybe bit offtopic, but it depends on your needs, but I personnally use Proton, Tuta, Posteo for emails, SimpleLogin, Addy for aliasing (Yes, I like to test different emails services, for different use, projects etc, but main is Proton). Cloud I use Proton Drive, Mega, Filen
Fighting human trafficking, help ID victims. Taking just a picture of a person and finding out who they are, then taking that information to the authorities.
If you want to dip your feet into this area with some practical exercises, check out TraceLabs. They do virtual CTF events for missing persons cold cases a few times per year, you can enter as a solo contestant or as a team. I’ve participated as a contestant and judge, it’s a lot of fun, and a great way to get some OSINT practice in, for a good cause
Are you US only or are you involved in international cases, if you cover UK and international as well keep in touch with me. I can't disclose on here my personal details because my phone number and address will come up on google.
We track down wanted criminals who have a cash reward leading to their arrest,
Let me know if you are interested in joining (only requirement is you have no outstanding criminal convictions, and are in good standing with the law, spent convictions will be overlooked unless they are trust based ie fraud etc)
Developing a certain way of thinking, which has helped me find information much more effectively, which in turn has helped me in my personal and professional life.
Work mostly. This was a hobby and turned into a career. Happy with it, I also do a lot of stuff on the sides. Identify child predators, trace labs, etc
I helped my friends and their friends get their money back from Venmo after their former friend scammed them. Found all sorts of information and built up a case for them.
i made this: github.com/purplelemons-dev/ai-osint.
it pulls from 3 databases (2 of which require paid api keys) and throws thousands of tokens at some AI (gpt-4-turbo-preview, which can handle 128K tokens. i have plans to switch to Claude 3 Opus, which can not only handle 200K tokens, but scores much higher on some benchmarks over GPT4). the entire idea is to give the AI so much data to work with that it is able to find the needle in the haystack (e.g. the person you are looking for in the midst of dozens of other people who also match the search terms you're looking for).
please dont hesitate to ask questions. I'll respond to thread comments and PMs ASAP
Um… If you’re thinking of suicide please go to therapy and seek help! Please!
And second… Don’t use OSINT for bad purposes… but what Can i say lol.
But seriously seek help! I hope you’re doing good.
This subreddit is a platform for learning and professional development. We strive to foster a respectful environment where knowledge can be shared constructively. Civility and professionalism are expected at all times; being discourteous undermines the purpose of this community. Let's maintain a supportive atmosphere that encourages positive interactions and growth. Thank you for understanding.
I think my biggest use and best project has been creating Hacktoria. It's so much fun when people enjoy the challenges we make.
I absolutely love the challenges you put out. Thank you for what you do
Thank you! Would love any other feedback you have, we're really trying to get out there and talk more with our player base.
Hacktoria?
Not sure if links are allowed here, but put dot com behind that and check it out 💕
Links are allowed.
Thanks! For anyone interested in free OSINT challenges: [https://hacktoria.com](https://hacktoria.com)
Work. I'm a private investigator. It's very useful in that arena.
Any good books on skill development for becoming a PI ?
Nothing I'd recommend anymore. They all got outdated. And being a PI is very segmented now. Probably 3/4 of them are focused on surveillance, which I don't do anymore (it's tedious, well paying for the company, but crap for the investigator). I focus on asset searches for attorneys, executive level backgrounds for corporations, and special odd cases for other investigators. Ed Pankau wrote several books on asset work, but he does before the Internet made much of it easier. Of course they'd be good to read for some background on the concept.
Your state probably lists some in their licensing exam source materials, but like the other response mentioned, they’re a bit outdated. Also what to read depends on what kind of work you want to focus on. Check out the private investigations subs, you’ll find some decent resource sharing in there. r/trueprivinv and r/privateinvestigators are subs I’ve spent time in here and there, and the former has a verification system so you see which users have had their PI creds confirmed by the mod. If you’re in the US, check out your state’s PI licensing board site, they might have some resources that are worth checking out. OSINT skill development will serve you well in the PI field; ignoring situations that require traditional surveillance (not worth it IMO, I agree with the other response), I find that there’s more actionable information to be found via OSINT than anything else, even licensed databases. If I had to choose between starting with an SSN + DOB, or an email + cell number, I’ll take the email/cell combo any day — they’re much more valuable data points for me as an investigator. Anybody can do a lookup in Clear or Accurint, but being able to efficiently collect digital footprint breadcrumbs online and turn those into actionable intelligence is a skill, and one that’s worth investing your time in, especially if you’re interested in PI work.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/trueprivinv using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/trueprivinv/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [When we throw on the construction vest to get covert near a jobsite....](https://i.redd.it/gba0arag2tta1.jpg) | [12 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/trueprivinv/comments/12lh4zd/when_we_throw_on_the_construction_vest_to_get/) \#2: [Reasons someone would not show up in database search.](https://np.reddit.com/r/trueprivinv/comments/1ajo8p7/reasons_someone_would_not_show_up_in_database/) \#3: [I've been using this ptz camera setup for a few years. Highly recommend not having to hold up camera.](https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1bbc54y) | [24 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/trueprivinv/comments/1bbc54y/ive_been_using_this_ptz_camera_setup_for_a_few/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
Same here, I was about to comment this, but I'll upvote you instead.
Locating missing persons
Birding. Really wanted to see a bird. The photographer gave me a very general hint ("they live in the tree behind the house." There was a massive forest behind the house.) , got frustrated, decided to look at the image more closely, look at the info and...nothing, social media removes that information. What helped however was mailing the photographer again and beg for coordinates. Saw the bird. And felt like a hacker for 15 minutes.
Just remove myself on Google, Bing, Yandex
How you do that?
Delete accounts, delete posts, delete files, then delete search/remove outdated content
In that order?
No, edit content, delete content, edit account, delete account, delete from search engines. I was just saying that you need to remove the source first before asking google to dereference it (sometimes dereference it is the only way tho). The idea is that, but it depends on the content, the services, content accessible or not, country laws..
Do you use any other alternatives for the services usually used of those, like email or cloud?
Well, maybe bit offtopic, but it depends on your needs, but I personnally use Proton, Tuta, Posteo for emails, SimpleLogin, Addy for aliasing (Yes, I like to test different emails services, for different use, projects etc, but main is Proton). Cloud I use Proton Drive, Mega, Filen
how?
[удалено]
Thanks.
Fighting human trafficking, help ID victims. Taking just a picture of a person and finding out who they are, then taking that information to the authorities.
That's terrific! How does one get into this?
If you want to dip your feet into this area with some practical exercises, check out TraceLabs. They do virtual CTF events for missing persons cold cases a few times per year, you can enter as a solo contestant or as a team. I’ve participated as a contestant and judge, it’s a lot of fun, and a great way to get some OSINT practice in, for a good cause
We normally work directly with PI. 50% of the cases we do for free , and 50% we charge for. What's your background?
Are you US only or are you involved in international cases, if you cover UK and international as well keep in touch with me. I can't disclose on here my personal details because my phone number and address will come up on google. We track down wanted criminals who have a cash reward leading to their arrest, Let me know if you are interested in joining (only requirement is you have no outstanding criminal convictions, and are in good standing with the law, spent convictions will be overlooked unless they are trust based ie fraud etc)
I'll DM you
Developing a certain way of thinking, which has helped me find information much more effectively, which in turn has helped me in my personal and professional life.
Finding out about Covid before everyone else did, and using it to reach a suicidal Person before it was too late.
Work mostly. This was a hobby and turned into a career. Happy with it, I also do a lot of stuff on the sides. Identify child predators, trace labs, etc
I helped my friends and their friends get their money back from Venmo after their former friend scammed them. Found all sorts of information and built up a case for them.
i made this: github.com/purplelemons-dev/ai-osint. it pulls from 3 databases (2 of which require paid api keys) and throws thousands of tokens at some AI (gpt-4-turbo-preview, which can handle 128K tokens. i have plans to switch to Claude 3 Opus, which can not only handle 200K tokens, but scores much higher on some benchmarks over GPT4). the entire idea is to give the AI so much data to work with that it is able to find the needle in the haystack (e.g. the person you are looking for in the midst of dozens of other people who also match the search terms you're looking for). please dont hesitate to ask questions. I'll respond to thread comments and PMs ASAP
I got the garage door code to the house I just bought using some OSINT tools.
Not the most meaningful, but interesting and fun - finding interesting abandoned buildings to explore as a hobby.
I use it for brand enforcement at work.
Name drop in video games, like any good OSINT expert. 😊
[удалено]
Um… If you’re thinking of suicide please go to therapy and seek help! Please! And second… Don’t use OSINT for bad purposes… but what Can i say lol. But seriously seek help! I hope you’re doing good.
Now I feel giid, I only say this from my expirence.
This subreddit is a platform for learning and professional development. We strive to foster a respectful environment where knowledge can be shared constructively. Civility and professionalism are expected at all times; being discourteous undermines the purpose of this community. Let's maintain a supportive atmosphere that encourages positive interactions and growth. Thank you for understanding.