Private Investigator Exam Private Investigator Assessment 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PI installs a GPS tracker on a vehicle. Which condition makes this legal in most US jurisdictions?
- The PI has a valid state PI license
- The vehicle is owned by the PI's client who consented to the tracking (Correct answer)
- The subject is under criminal investigation by police
- The tracking device is removed within 30 days
Correct answer: The vehicle is owned by the PI's client who consented to the tracking
In most states, GPS tracking is only legal when placed on a vehicle by or with permission of the registered owner; placing a tracker on someone else's vehicle without consent is illegal.
Question 2: What is a 'field report' in private investigation?
- A report filed with law enforcement at the end of a case
- A written document recording observations, activities, and evidence collected during fieldwork (Correct answer)
- A financial accounting of expenses incurred during an investigation
- A psychological profile of the investigation subject
Correct answer: A written document recording observations, activities, and evidence collected during fieldwork
A field report is a detailed, objective written account of all observations, actions, and evidence gathered by the PI during active fieldwork.
Question 3: Under which circumstance would a PI be justified in making a citizen's arrest?
- When their client instructs them to detain a subject
- When witnessing a felony being actively committed and law enforcement is unavailable (Correct answer)
- When a subject refuses to cooperate with a PI interview
- When a subject attempts to evade surveillance
Correct answer: When witnessing a felony being actively committed and law enforcement is unavailable
Citizen's arrest authority is extremely limited; in most states it only applies when a felony is directly witnessed and law enforcement authority is not immediately available.
Question 4: What is the purpose of an 'asset search' investigation?
- To locate stolen intellectual property
- To identify and document a person's or company's financial holdings and property (Correct answer)
- To recover physical assets taken in a theft
- To assess the value of a business before acquisition
Correct answer: To identify and document a person's or company's financial holdings and property
An asset search reveals a subject's financial resources, including bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, and business interests, often used to aid in debt collection or litigation.
Question 5: A PI's client asks them to hack into the subject's email account to gather evidence. How should the PI respond?
- Proceed if the client signs a liability waiver
- Refuse, as this violates the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and is a federal crime (Correct answer)
- Subcontract the task to a cybersecurity firm
- Ask the client to obtain a court order first
Correct answer: Refuse, as this violates the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and is a federal crime
Unauthorized computer access is prohibited under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), and a PI who complies could face federal criminal charges.
Question 6: What distinguishes a 'confidential informant' from a 'witness' in a PI investigation?
- A witness is paid for information while an informant is not
- A confidential informant provides information with an expectation of anonymity, while a witness typically can be identified (Correct answer)
- A witness only testifies in criminal cases while an informant works in civil cases
- An informant must be registered with the state PI board
Correct answer: A confidential informant provides information with an expectation of anonymity, while a witness typically can be identified
Confidential informants provide information under the expectation of anonymity to protect their identity, whereas witnesses are identifiable and can be called to testify.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'reasonable suspicion' as it applies to private investigators?
- A legal standard that grants PIs police-level search authority
- A belief based on articulable facts that a person may be involved in wrongdoing, used to justify further investigation (Correct answer)
- The client's belief that a subject is committing fraud
- A court-approved standard allowing PIs to detain suspects
Correct answer: A belief based on articulable facts that a person may be involved in wrongdoing, used to justify further investigation
Reasonable suspicion is a factual basis for believing wrongdoing may be occurring, which guides a PI's investigative direction, though it does not grant law enforcement powers.
Private Investigator Exam Private Investigator Assessment 5
A PI installs a GPS tracker on a vehicle.
Which condition makes this legal in most US jurisdictions?