Online Detective Services: Private Investigator Vs Net Detective -

PIs can conduct physical surveillance , perform undercover work, and interview witnesses—tasks an online-only service cannot do.

Licensed PIs have access to proprietary databases (e.g., IRBsearch or Tracers ) that contain more current, verified data than public search engines. PIs can conduct physical surveillance , perform undercover

Consumer-grade "Net Detective" websites scan social media, address history, and some public records. They are generally low-cost but often return outdated or unverified information . PIs can conduct physical surveillance

Sometimes called "internet detectives," these are human professionals who specialize in digital crimes like doxing, catfishing, or identity theft. They use specialized digital certifications (e.g., from McAfee) to track IP addresses and recover deleted data. Licensed Private Investigators (PIs) perform undercover work

These services are often automated software platforms or web-based tools designed for specific digital tasks.