Private Investigator Exam Guide 3

Question 1

A PI is hired to locate a missing adult. What is the first recommended step?

Accepted Answer

Interview known associates and family members

Answer

Interviewing people who know the subject is a legal, ethical, and often highly productive first step in a missing person investigation.

Question 2

Which federal law restricts a PI's ability to obtain financial account information through pretext calls to banks?

Accepted Answer

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)

Answer

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act prohibits obtaining financial information from institutions through false pretenses, known as pretexting.

Question 3

What does 'skip tracing' refer to in private investigation?

Accepted Answer

Locating a person who has left their known address without notice

Answer

Skip tracing is the process of locating a person who has 'skipped' town, often using public records, databases, and interviews.

Question 4

Under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), PI access to DMV records is:

Accepted Answer

Permitted only for specific permissible purposes such as legal proceedings or fraud investigation

Answer

The DPPA restricts access to DMV records to specific permissible purposes, and PIs may access them only under qualifying circumstances.

Question 5

When a PI discovers evidence of an ongoing violent crime during an unrelated case, what should they do?

Accepted Answer

Report it to the appropriate law enforcement agency

Answer

Discovering evidence of a violent crime creates a duty to report to law enforcement to prevent harm, superseding client confidentiality.

Private Investigator Exam Practice Test