PI Skills and Competencies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When conducting a covert mobile surveillance, which driving behavior best helps a PI avoid detection by the subject?
- Maintain a fixed two-car gap at all times
- Vary following distance and use parallel streets to avoid constant visibility (Correct answer)
- Stay directly behind the subject to prevent losing them
- Use high-beam headlights at night for better visibility
Correct answer: Vary following distance and use parallel streets to avoid constant visibility
Varying distance and using parallel routes prevents the subject from noticing a consistent vehicle in their mirrors.
Question 2: A client requests that a PI obtain a subject's private bank account records without consent. The PI should:
- Obtain the records using a pretext call to the bank
- Decline the request as it violates the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (Correct answer)
- Use a third-party data broker to retrieve the records
- Submit a subpoena on the client's behalf
Correct answer: Decline the request as it violates the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act prohibits pretexting to obtain financial records, making this request illegal.
Question 3: Which photographic technique is most effective when documenting surveillance evidence in low-light conditions?
- Use maximum optical zoom to avoid moving closer
- Shoot in burst mode with flash enabled
- Use a wide aperture lens and raise ISO while minimizing noise (Correct answer)
- Switch to video-only mode for better light sensitivity
Correct answer: Use a wide aperture lens and raise ISO while minimizing noise
A wide aperture allows more light, and a higher ISO increases sensor sensitivity, improving image quality in low-light environments.
Question 4: During a witness interview, the subject becomes hostile and asks you to leave. The PI should:
- Continue asking questions to complete the interview
- Identify yourself as law enforcement to calm the situation
- Cease the interview immediately and leave the premises (Correct answer)
- Record the conversation without informing the witness
Correct answer: Cease the interview immediately and leave the premises
A witness has the right to refuse an interview, and continuing after refusal can constitute harassment or trespass.
Question 5: When writing a surveillance report, which element is most critical for its use in legal proceedings?
- Use of technical PI terminology to appear authoritative
- Precise timestamps, objective descriptions, and authenticated photos (Correct answer)
- The investigator's professional opinion about the subject's guilt
- A narrative summary without attached exhibits to keep it concise
Correct answer: Precise timestamps, objective descriptions, and authenticated photos
Courts require reports with accurate times, factual observations, and authenticated evidence to establish credibility.
Question 6: A PI discovers that a subject is conducting activities that suggest imminent danger to a third party. The best course of action is to:
- Continue surveillance and report findings only to the client
- Immediately notify law enforcement about the potential danger (Correct answer)
- Confront the subject to gather more information
- Document the activity and wait for the client's instructions
Correct answer: Immediately notify law enforcement about the potential danger
Imminent danger to a third party creates a duty to warn that supersedes client confidentiality obligations.
Question 7: Which open-source intelligence (OSINT) tool is commonly used by PIs to map connections between individuals, organizations, and events?
- Maltego (Correct answer)
- Google Street View
- LexisNexis Accurint
- TLO (TransUnion)
Correct answer: Maltego
Maltego is an OSINT platform specifically designed to visualize relationships and link entities graphically.
PI Skills and Competencies 2
When conducting a covert mobile surveillance, which driving behavior best helps a PI avoid detection by the subject?