investigation information

What Happens During A Confidential Consultation?

September 23, 2026 by pdldevv2 Leave a Comment

A confidential consultation represents your first opportunity to explain your circumstances to one of our
experienced private detectives, such that we can qualify your requirements and explain how we might
proceed should you instruct us.

At PDL, our initial no-obligation free consultations are available by telephone, secure web conference or
at our Mayfair base.

Is The Consultation Confidential Throughout?

Yes. Confidentiality applies from the first point of contact and throughout – regardless of whether or not you ultimately instruct us. It’s natural that the enquiries our potential clients bring to us often relate to sensitive personal, commercial, or legal matters. We therefore only utilise secure methods of communication, and handle all information received with due care and attention, at all times, without exception.

What Will The Private Detective Ask Me During The Consultation?

We will begin by asking you what you’re looking to learn or achieve, and what the current situation is to date in relation to the matter at hand. In short – what do you already know, and what do you need to establish. We will structure the conversation to distinguish confirmed fact from assumption, and help you to identify the central investigative question

What Will The Private Investigator Ask About My Reason For Enquiring?

One element of our conversation is our attempt to understand the legitimate purpose of an instruction before we accept it. This is key to our unwavering commitment to conducting all investigations diligently, lawfully, and ethically. Read more in our Statement of standards. PDL uses only lawful methods – without exception – and will decline any instructions that request or appear to require any compromise in legality and ethics. Where a potential client’s objective itself is legal, we can advise on alternative lawful methods that may help achieve that objective.

Will You Tell Me Which Investigation Service I Need?

Yes. We invite you to explain your concerns and objectives and request our advice on which of our investigative services would be helpful. During the consultation, we assess the objective and design an approach around the specific circumstances. It is not you as the client’s responsibility to design the investigation itself.

Are Timescales And Costs Discussed?

Potentially, yes – depending on the nature of the investigation required, and whether further research is required by either party before the process itself becomes clear. Once we understand the objective and likely scope, we can explain the factors that determine timings and fees. We always explain our fees transparently, before any agreement is made.

What Should I Prepare Before The Consultation?

The short answer is – whatever will make it easy for you to communicate the current situation and desired outcome to us. It may be helpful for you to think through the key assets, dates, persons etc – the timeline of events that led you to consider hiring a private detective. This is helpful but not essential – ultimately, our expertise and experience means we know which questions to ask you to reach a point of understanding your case and conveying investigative possibilities.

What Happens After The Initial Consultation?

1. We consider your case – its requirements and the investigation required to achieve success for you. 2. We propose a way forward – an outline of the process, timelines, and fees. 3. Should you instruct us, we proceed and undertake the investigation itself 4. We report findings to you and advise on how these findings can inform any legal or personal next steps.

Arrange A Confidential Consultation With PDL

Contact us now to discuss your concerns and discover the investigative routes available to you or your organisation: +44 (0)20 3747 1865 Or via the confidential enquiry form below.

Signs You May Need An Employee Fraud Investigation

August 5, 2026 by pdldevv2 Leave a Comment

Employee fraud can take many forms – including theft, false expenses or expense manipulation, misuse of company assets, data theft, bribery, or conflicts of interest. Discrepancies may be warning signs of employee fraud – or may have innocent explanations. This is where PDL’s corporate investigations come in: to provide answers and/or reassurances to concerned employers. We are here to assist our valued corporate clients to establish salient facts, gather evidence, and ultimately make informed and proportionate decisions.

What Is An Employee Fraud Investigation?

An independent private investigation of the conduct of an employee, contractor, or other person with
trusted access to an organisation – with the purpose of determining whether this individual’s actions are
indicative of fraud.

What Are Warning Signs Of Employee Fraud?

1. Discrepancies In Financial Records

This means repeated discrepancies between invoices, purchase orders, bank records, expenses, payroll or stock systems. Of course administrative error is possible. But where discrepancies recur, are unable to be explained or corrected, the organisation must establish why.

2. Processes Being Overridden

Internal process exists to guide and protect organisation and employee alike. Repeated avoidance of process is often a sign of an underlying issue. If an employee is bypassing necessary process – or controlling a process too closely – further investigation may be necessary.

3. Assets Or Stock Missing

Meaning unexplained loss of stock, assets, vehicles, data, or any other company property. While isolated losses can occur – signs like repetition, links to certain shifts, timings, individuals or access privileges may denote a closer look is required.

4. Records Altered Or Unavailable

This means missing audits, deleted information, gaps in paper trails, and similar issues with records and communications. This is particularly concerning when the relevant information is edited or lost shortly after questions have been raised.

5. Complaints Received

Tip-offs from other employees who have witnessed concerning matters first hand may be the starting point for your employee fraud enquiry. It’s important in these instances to ensure the confidentiality of the complainant while investigating the matter thoroughly.

6. Inflated Performance Figures

Fraud may not always appear as a loss. It may be manufactured success in the form of false sales or manipulated targets. Results consistently exceeding all realistic expectations – then seeming uncertain under scrutiny – are the key warning sign here. When Is An

Employee Fraud Investigation Appropriate?

Essentially – whenever you strongly suspect employee fraud is taking place and have initial pieces of verifiable evidence with which to begin the investigation. Where we can be helpful is in that we are experienced, diligent, discreet, and entirely separate to the organisation itself – meaning we can retain professional distance and impartiality. How PDL

Conducts Employee Fraud Investigations

Designed around the suspected conduct, the available evidence and the decision the organisation needs to make. A typical process involves:

1. Confidential consultation – at which we establish your concerns, existing evidence, and relevant risks – then propose a way forward.

2. Evidence-led investigation. If instructed, we examine the relevant financial, documentary, corporate and operational information and use our specialist methods and expertise to establish fraud or its absence.

3. Clear findings and next steps. We provide an organised report explaining what has been established, what remains uncertain and the evidence supporting each conclusion. We follow the evidence, protect confidentiality and maintain legality and ethics throughout.

Discuss A Suspected Employee Fraud In Confidence

If you or your organisation are concerned employee fraud may be ongoing, please contact PDL on +44 (0)20 3747 1865 or via the confidential enquiry form below to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation.

Is It An Offence To Put A Tracker On Someone’s Car?

March 16, 2026 by pdldevv2 Leave a Comment

One of the most commonly asked questions we encounter at PDL is “Is tracking someone’s car legal?”.

It’s a deeply understandable question, as vehicle tracking can provide so much helpful information in a range of crucial professional or personal circumstances, but it is of course vital to ensure any investigations are conducted within the law at all times.

We’ve put together this post to discuss: 
What Car Trackers are 
How Car Trackers Work 
When And Why People Wish To Track Vehicles 
Is It Legal To Put A Tracker On Someone’s Car 
How To Ensure You’re Acting Legally

Car Trackers: What Are They, And How Do They Work?

 A tracker in this context means a small GPS tracking device designed to be discreetly and covertly attached to a car, other vehicle, or asset.

The tracker then enables the remote tracing of the car’s location and movements, providing what can be invaluable insight into its location, and the ability to potentially interpret its owner/operator’s behaviour, and intentions.

When And Why Do People Wish To Track Vehicles?

 The reasons are many and varied, but all share something in common. At the heart of them is the desire firstly to understand the vehicle’s location and movements, and secondly to be able to demonstrably prove this in a range of legal, personal, or professional circumstances.

Examples might include an employer tracking company vehicles, an organisation or individual protecting an asset against theft, or an individual concerned about another’s whereabouts. Very different reasons – but all sharing that same desire to gain insight and understanding, to inform future decision making.

Is It Legal To Put A Tracker On Someone’s Car?

The short answer is it depends. On intent, on method, on if and how data is gathered – and then used, and on many other factors. It’s important to ensure that the process used – and equally importantly, the justification for the vehicle tracking itself – is thoroughly explored, understood, and soundly reasoned out. For one thing to ensure your behaviour is legal, and for another to ensure that consequently any findings are admissible in court if and when required.

How Do I Ensure I’m Acting Legally?

Because this issue is complicated, and variable, the only answer we can provide is to contact us to discuss your needs. Our 25 years experience in – among other things – tracing, surveillance, and legal matters gives us as much knowledge around legality and ethics as it does the practical on-the-ground skills to enact operations in practice.

Any Questions On Vehicle Tracking?

How Do You Detect A Hidden GPS Tracker On A Car?

January 2, 2026 by pdldevv2 Leave a Comment

Covert GPS trackers on cars and other vehicles are among the most effective technical surveillance measures.

A question we commonly receive from our valued clients and potential clients – especially those concerned with surveillance, counter-surveillance, and the sense they’re being tracked or watched – is: How do I know if there’s a hidden GPS tracker on my car?

This post concerns various answers to that question: what to look for, what to avoid, how we can help, and also crucially – how to ensure you’re always acting safely and legally too. 

Before We Begin: Safety

There’s some vital housekeeping to cover before addressing any specifics. And this concerns what it may indicate that you initially find yourself in the position of asking the question “how do you detect a hidden GPS tracker on a car?”

1 – Are You In Fear For Your Safety?

Is the reason you suspect there may be a hidden GPS tracker on your vehicle indicative of a bigger issue that means you’re in any way fearing for your safety or wellbeing? If so – it’s essential to contact the police or relevant authorities to express your safety concerns and seek appropriate help.

2 – Have You Considered How To Investigate This Safely?

A willingness to investigate whether any GPS tracking devices are hidden on your own vehicle is one thing – but it’s important not to automatically presume you will do so safely. Examples of this include (but are of course not limited to) not doing so on or near an open road, and not with the car’s engine running. Our advice to you would always be to not undertake anything you can’t be certain of undertaking safely.

3 – Is This Part Of A Bigger Picture Of Your Counter-Surveillance Needs?

After considering your personal safety, if you find that this vehicle-tracking concern is part of a bigger picture of you needing counter-surveillance measures, you can contact us any time to discuss your needs. We’ll help you undertake an audit of all your needs in this field, identify any areas of concern, and help you to strategise to ensure you are not under any form of surveillance.

Hidden GPS Trackers On Cars: What To Look For

 The fact that GPS trackers are by definition technological devices can often create an assumption that the best methods used to detect them are also technological. And while that idea holds some truth and utility, there is no substitute for physically looking in, around, on, and under the car or vehicle itself. To reiterate – our advice is not to do this if you are inexperienced and in any way uncertain of the relevant safety and practicality.

Ideally, the attempt to detect a GPS tracker covertly placed on a car would combine physical and technological methods, and be undertaken by someone with significant prior experience, to ensure safety as well as certainty that no stone has been left unturned.

Why Use PDL To Find GPS Trackers Hidden On Vehicles

We have all the skills and experience required to help you. Here are the key benefits of working with us to locate GPS Trackers covertly placed on cars or other vehicles:

We deliver a combination of the physical and the technological so that nothing is missed.

Our significant experience means we have knowledge of all the tricks and hiding places used – meaning our sweep can go above and beyond what’s possible for the individual.

Our readiness to advise on any wider counter-surveillance measures required, if you fear the tracking of your vehicle is part of a bigger picture issue.

Please read more on why to use PDL more generally.

How Discreet Are Private Investigators?

November 1, 2025 by pdldevv2 Leave a Comment

Understandably, discretion is a primary concern of every client we meet – be they private individuals or corporate organisations.

The nature of private investigation work means operations are always some combination of: confidential, personal, professional, legal, and sensitive.

For this reason, it follows that – for us as private investigators – being discreet is essential to the operations themselves, and the consequent reassurances we can give to our clients.

Many potential clients have a worry around the private investigations industry as a whole – perhaps based on old stereotypes of private detectives, an old stereotype we work hard to entirely defy. And this worry makes them ask: how discreet are private investigators?

The short answer is: private investigators should be extremely discreet.

The longer answer might advise you to undertake some investigation of your own – in the form of asking questions and researching to ensure you’re working with a detective or detective agency that is absolutely clear in its understanding of discretion’s importance, and treats it with the value it warrants.

Private Investigators: Why Discretion Matters

There are many reasons that being discreet is so vital to private investigation work, including:

Covert nature of operations
Many investigation services such as covert surveillance and GPS vehicle tracking require discretion by their very nature. On-the-ground investigative operations must be undertaken efficiently and covertly in order to succeed.

Handling of sensitive information
Whether it’s desktop intelligence or preparing reports on the findings of background investigations, private investigators are habitually handling sensitive information. It’s important this is done with care and discretion in order to honour privacy and GDPR.
Legal consequences of findings
Often our work is part of building cases or building towards legal consequences and tangible outcomes for our clients. It’s important due process – including discretion – is maintained throughout to ensure findings remain legally admissible.
Indicative of serious, professional approach
Operation-specific points aside, it could be argued that a commitment to being discreet is strongly indicative of an investigator’s general level of professionalism and seriousness, and can be taken as reassurance of the detective or agency’s credibility.

How To Check A Private Investigator Is Discreet

There are three main ways to check a private investigator is discreet:

Have an open discussion with them.
Ask about the investigator or agency’s approach to – and policy on – discretion during your initial consultations and conversations with them. Then ask yourself: do they seem open to this line of conversation? And are the answers you receive satisfactory and reassuring? This should be yes, and yes.

Research the investigator or agency

This means considering their physical and online presence analytically, studying websites, reviews and testimonials, etc. This may also lead you to specific material designed to provide information and reassurance about the investigator or company’s discretion and professionalism. At PDL, for example, we have on our website a Statement Of Standards. We can also offer a Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to all clients, giving additional reassurance of confidentiality.

How do they communicate?

Being discreet should be at the heart of the way they communicate and handle interactions with you. The specifics of this will depend on the investigation, how you exchange information, how you/they want to work, and so on. But some examples are: how private are electronic communications? Is encryption used? Which email providers are being used? Or on the flipside – how are in-person meetings handled? Do they feel discreet, secure, private? Observe these points.

Any Questions On Discretion?

As part of our own commitment to being discreet – at PDL we are always open to hearing from you with questions on how we work, and what we do to ensure we are always discreet.

How Much Does A Private Detective Cost?

July 2, 2025 by pdldevv2 Leave a Comment

This question is extremely frequently asked by potential clients, and – more widely – anyone with an interest in the Private Detective industry. One reason “How much does a private detective cost?” is such a common question is that so much of our industry is necessarily secretive – as part of best practice discretion. Additionally, a significant proportion of the clients and potential clients who contact us at PDL have not worked with a Private Detective before, meaning they might lack a point of reference in relation to pricing and price points within our industry. For this reason, it’s important to us to always demonstrate our trademark transparency and consistency, to ensure any new clients who may be feeling tentative understand that they’re in safe hands, and can trust our integrity.

Private Detective Cost: A Bespoke Service

First and foremost, we provide bespoke services to our clients – be they corporate clients or private individuals. Our experience gives us the insight that a bespoke service is the only real effective approach to vastly varying client needs. We will always begin by taking time to understand you, your needs, and all salient facts. We will then propose a bespoke service, with operation-specific processes – designed to achieve a successful outcome for you. Consequently, it’s not strictly possible to outline exact fees for all our services without being disingenuous – because the short answer is that the fees will be determined by the exact services we provide to you – which in turn are dictated by your needs. However, in the interest of delivering as much transparency and clarity as possible, we will detail some specific ‘starting from’ fees later in this post, as a guideline. Factors In

Private Detective Pricing

Key determining factors in our pricing include: – Services / operations required: what technological needs are present? – Are ‘man-on-the-ground’ services such as covert surveillance required? – Is this the work of one operative, or more? – How much work can be completed as ‘desktop investigations’? – Does the operation require the additional insight of our lead private detective? And other similar factors – all of which we will discuss with full transparency as a natural aspect of discussing your specific needs. Examples of

Private Detective Fees

Notwithstanding that our private detectives’ fees are always determined by a client’s specific needs as determined by our consultations, as part of offering a bespoke service, please find below some sample fees:

Person Tracing Services – from £390

Asset Investigation (UK-based) – from £540

Background Investigations – from £650

Consultancy Services – from £200

Get In Touch

To discuss your specific needs, and arrange your free consultation, you can contact us now