OIC Surveillance & Intelligence 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a stationary vehicle surveillance in Oregon, which practice best minimizes the risk of being identified as a surveillance operative?
- Park directly in front of the subject's residence for best visibility
- Vary your parking position and use cover items such as newspapers or coffee cups to appear natural (Correct answer)
- Keep the engine running at all times to enable quick departure
- Use a vehicle with tinted windows parked in the same spot every day
Correct answer: Vary your parking position and use cover items such as newspapers or coffee cups to appear natural
Varying position and using natural cover items help the investigator blend into the environment without drawing attention.
Question 2: In an Oregon workers' compensation surveillance case, which type of activity footage is most legally valuable to the insurer?
- Subject sleeping or resting indoors
- Subject performing physical tasks inconsistent with claimed disability in a public area (Correct answer)
- Subject inside their home with curtains open
- Subject speaking with neighbors in a private yard
Correct answer: Subject performing physical tasks inconsistent with claimed disability in a public area
Footage of the subject performing activities that contradict the claimed injury, recorded in public, is the most legally actionable evidence.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'pretext' in the context of Oregon investigative work?
- A legal warrant authorizing surveillance
- A fabricated identity or scenario used to elicit information (Correct answer)
- A written summary of surveillance findings
- A chain-of-custody document for evidence
Correct answer: A fabricated identity or scenario used to elicit information
Pretext refers to assuming a false identity or creating a cover story to gather information without revealing the investigative purpose.
Question 4: Under Oregon law, a private investigator who trespasses onto private property to obtain surveillance footage may face which consequence?
- The footage becomes inadmissible and the PI may face criminal charges (Correct answer)
- The footage is still admissible if it shows illegal activity
- No consequence as long as the client authorized the entry
- A verbal warning from the Oregon DOJ
Correct answer: The footage becomes inadmissible and the PI may face criminal charges
Evidence obtained through trespass can be suppressed and the PI may face criminal trespass charges regardless of what the footage shows.
Question 5: A subject's social media account is set to public. How should an Oregon PI handle posts relevant to a case?
- Screenshot and document the posts with timestamps as permissible public evidence (Correct answer)
- Ignore social media as it is not admissible in Oregon courts
- Create a fake profile to send the subject a friend request before reviewing posts
- Only collect social media evidence with a court order
Correct answer: Screenshot and document the posts with timestamps as permissible public evidence
Publicly available social media content can be documented and used as evidence without legal restriction.
Question 6: Which element is essential when writing a surveillance log for an Oregon insurance case?
- The investigator's personal opinions about the subject's credibility
- Objective time-stamped entries documenting observed activities without interpretation (Correct answer)
- Speculation about the subject's future activities
- Details about the subject's medical history
Correct answer: Objective time-stamped entries documenting observed activities without interpretation
Surveillance logs must be factual, objective, and time-stamped to be credible and useful in legal or insurance proceedings.
Question 7: During foot surveillance in a commercial area, the subject suddenly stops and looks back. The best response for the Oregon PI is to:
- Make direct eye contact to appear confident
- Immediately abort all surveillance and return to the vehicle
- Continue walking naturally past the subject or duck into a nearby store (Correct answer)
- Confront the subject and identify yourself as an investigator
Correct answer: Continue walking naturally past the subject or duck into a nearby store
Maintaining natural movement or entering a nearby establishment prevents the subject from confirming they are being followed.
OIC Surveillance & Intelligence 2
When conducting a stationary vehicle surveillance in Oregon, which practice best minimizes the risk of being identified as a surveillance operative?