[AMA] True Life: I'm a Fraud Investigator (aka P.I.)

IceCreamAssassin

When in doubt, throttle out
TCG Premium
Jan 28, 2011
12,488
16,864
Cary
Well by less than popular request a thread to ask question about sweating in a van all day....

I have only been doing this for about a year, but still have seen a few things and know a few. Also have stories from other guys I work with.

So fire away...

Do cops bother me -
Most of the time the cops are the good guys for us. They will give us a heads up if are being watched by neighbors or whatever. If it's a town the size of, let's say Crystal Lake or something similar we will call the cops and let them know we are there so if they get a call about us they will just leave us alone. If the people calling get bitchy they will come out and talk to me to let me know I should either move, or be careful.

Now in super big cities or really small ones we don't call. Big cities give zero fucks about us and small cities usually don't have police or just have a sheriff somewhere that's impossible to talk to. I called in one smaller city because I saw the police station. It was 10am and the call went to a recording. About an hour later the sheriff called me back and sounded either drunk or retarded. On my message I just said I'm an investigator working in the area today, gave him my vehicle info, and then told him when if be leaving. Well when he called me the questions never stopped... What was I there for? Am I FBI? Military? Does he need to be concerned about a bomb? Etc... It was just silly.

I did have one bad experience with a cop in the middle of nowhere Indiana. I was in a parking lot across from the house I was watching. I saw him pull up so I got out my I.D. And company I.D. Waited for him to knock on my window. He knocked so I came up from with both my hands out first. He flipped his shit and pulled his gun... I stopped and waited for his instructions. Finally got to my seat and opened the window to hand him my I.D.s. He said I scared the shit out of him... He then asked me who I worked for, who I was watching, and a bunch of other questions. We don't tell police who we are watching, so he was upset I didn't answer all his questions. Then he asked to search my van, I said no, he called for back up. Back up arrived and he asked me to get out so he could search me. I asked if we do all this crap will he just leave once he finds nothing? He said yes, so I got out, was searched, they searched my van, then he apologized cause he thought I was hiding a felon in the back of my van. Dude was an idiot and by far the worst cop I've ever felt with in my life. He must have known someone in one of the houses close by and thought I was watching their house. That's the only explanation I have for him going full retard.

So there you go, I have stuff like that... Ask away.
 

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
61

IceCreamAssassin

When in doubt, throttle out
TCG Premium
Jan 28, 2011
12,488
16,864
Cary
Awesome new title :rofl:

Has anyone that you're investigating ever confronted you?

I've never been confronted by the person I'm watching... If someone does it's usually neighbors.

We don't park right at the place we are watching... It's down the street or around the corner. Sometimes it's a few blocks away waiting for you to drive by.
 

IceCreamAssassin

When in doubt, throttle out
TCG Premium
Jan 28, 2011
12,488
16,864
Cary
:rofl: ok, legit question.

Whats the worst reaction been? Bat to the truck? Ever have a gun pulled on you?

Edit: Treed by wombat.

I've had a few scary things happen.

When we follow someone we wait till they park, hurry and get in a good place to video, jump in back of van, record them till they get back in their vehicle, then jump back up front to follow again.

Well this happen on the south side and I followed this guy to a few different homes. At one I jumped in back recorded, jumped back up front, and grabbed my phone while I waited for home to drive past me. Just then I get a knock on my window and look over to see a guy knocking with a gun. I cracked my window and just said "what's up" his response .." I don't know here you think you are white boy, but you're in the wrong neighborhood." So I just pulled away and left the area. Went back to the subjects residence and waited for him to return.

Another instance was in Peoria. We sit up front whenever we think we can get away with it. If people approach us we just say we are a process server waiting for someone. This works 99% of the time. So I was sitting up front at the departure route waiting for the subject to hopefully drive by. I see something in my mirror and look back to see four guys running towards me. Three had guns and one had a bat. All were pretty tatted up and no shorts one with saggy ass pants. So I just started my shit and took off, went home. As soon as I starter to drive away they stopped running and turned around so they were definitely after me for whatever reason.

That's the most scared I've ever been.
 

Mook

Mr. Manager
Staff member
Admin
May 23, 2007
206,715
117,608
Elgin
Real Name
Mike
I've had a few scary things happen.

When we follow someone we wait till they park, hurry and get in a good place to video, jump in back of van, record them till they get back in their vehicle, then jump back up front to follow again.

Well this happen on the south side and I followed this guy to a few different homes. At one I jumped in back recorded, jumped back up front, and grabbed my phone while I waited for home to drive past me. Just then I get a knock on my window and look over to see a guy knocking with a gun. I cracked my window and just said "what's up" his response .." I don't know here you think you are white boy, but you're in the wrong neighborhood." So I just pulled away and left the area. Went back to the subjects residence and waited for him to return.

Another instance was in Peoria. We sit up front whenever we think we can get away with it. If people approach us we just say we are a process server waiting for someone. This works 99% of the time. So I was sitting up front at the departure route waiting for the subject to hopefully drive by. I see something in my mirror and look back to see four guys running towards me. Three had guns and one had a bat. All were pretty tatted up and no shorts one with saggy ass pants. So I just started my shit and took off, went home. As soon as I starter to drive away they stopped running and turned around so they were definitely after me for whatever reason.

That's the most scared I've ever been.

Are you allowed to carry?
 

wombat

TCG Elite Member
TCG Premium
Sep 29, 2007
14,099
2,968
WI
I've had a few scary things happen.

When we follow someone we wait till they park, hurry and get in a good place to video, jump in back of van, record them till they get back in their vehicle, then jump back up front to follow again.

Well this happen on the south side and I followed this guy to a few different homes. At one I jumped in back recorded, jumped back up front, and grabbed my phone while I waited for home to drive past me. Just then I get a knock on my window and look over to see a guy knocking with a gun. I cracked my window and just said "what's up" his response .." I don't know here you think you are white boy, but you're in the wrong neighborhood." So I just pulled away and left the area. Went back to the subjects residence and waited for him to return.

Another instance was in Peoria. We sit up front whenever we think we can get away with it. If people approach us we just say we are a process server waiting for someone. This works 99% of the time. So I was sitting up front at the departure route waiting for the subject to hopefully drive by. I see something in my mirror and look back to see four guys running towards me. Three had guns and one had a bat. All were pretty tatted up and no shorts one with saggy ass pants. So I just started my shit and took off, went home. As soon as I starter to drive away they stopped running and turned around so they were definitely after me for whatever reason.

That's the most scared I've ever been.

After reading those, no amount of money is worth that. None. :nope:
 

Primalzer

TCG Elite Member
Sep 14, 2006
25,259
61
Well this happen on the south side and I followed this guy to a few different homes. At one I jumped in back recorded, jumped back up front, and grabbed my phone while I waited for home to drive past me. Just then I get a knock on my window and look over to see a guy knocking with a gun. I cracked my window and just said "what's up" his response .." I don't know here you think you are white boy, but you're in the wrong neighborhood." So I just pulled away and left the area. Went back to the subjects residence and waited for him to return.

Another instance was in Peoria. We sit up front whenever we think we can get away with it. If people approach us we just say we are a process server waiting for someone. This works 99% of the time. So I was sitting up front at the departure route waiting for the subject to hopefully drive by. I see something in my mirror and look back to see four guys running towards me. Three had guns and one had a bat. All were pretty tatted up and no shorts one with saggy ass pants. So I just started my shit and took off, went home. As soon as I starter to drive away they stopped running and turned around so they were definitely after me for whatever reason.

That's the most scared I've ever been.

Fuck. That. Shit. :eek3:
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 90 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant. Consider starting a new thread to get fresh replies.

Thread Info