HOW YOUR INVESTIGATION WORKS
Every investigation begins with a question.
You may want to establish whether somebody you have met online is genuinely who they claim to be, locate an individual, understand the background of a person or business, investigate information discovered online, or make sense of digital material already in your possession.
Whatever the circumstances, our approach begins by understanding exactly what you need to establish.
James Rae Investigations follows a structured five-stage process designed to ensure that enquiries are focused, proportionate and transparent. Before investigative work begins, we aim to establish clear objectives, agree the scope of the investigation and explain what work is proposed and how it will be charged.
Throughout the investigation, the focus remains on answering the questions agreed with you — not simply collecting as much information as possible.
01
CONFIDENTIAL ENQUIRY
TELL US WHAT YOU NEED TO ESTABLISH
The first stage is to tell us about your circumstances. Our confidential enquiry form allows you to explain what has happened, provide the information you currently have and tell us what you would like the investigation to establish.
You do not need to know which investigative service you require or which research methods may be appropriate. What is more important at this stage is understanding the problem and the questions you would like answered.
For example, rather than simply asking us to ‘investigate someone’, the objective might be to establish whether an individual using an online dating profile appears to be genuinely who they claim to be, whether photographs appear elsewhere online, whether information they have provided can be independently corroborated and whether there are significant inconsistencies that warrant concern. Similarly, a business client may want to understand the background of an individual or company before entering into a commercial relationship.
The information provided at this stage allows us to begin defining the actual investigative objective.
“A clearly defined question leads to a more focused investigation.”
Submitting an enquiry does not automatically mean the investigation has been accepted and does not require the client to proceed.
02
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
UNDERSTANDING THE ENQUIRY
Once your enquiry has been received, it is reviewed before any investigative work is undertaken. We consider what you are asking us to establish, what information is already available, what further information may be required from you and whether there are realistic investigative opportunities.
We will also consider whether the proposed enquiries have a legitimate purpose and can be undertaken lawfully, ethically and proportionately.
Where necessary, we may contact you to discuss the circumstances in more detail. This can be particularly important where an enquiry is complex or where several different questions need to be separated into clear investigative objectives.
We may also explain where an objective is unrealistic, cannot lawfully be pursued, falls outside the services offered by James Rae Investigations, or where the available information means that meaningful enquiries are unlikely to be possible.
We would rather explain these limitations before you spend money than accept work that we do not reasonably believe can assist you.
WHAT WE CONSIDER
- What are you trying to establish?
- What information is already available?
- What information can potentially be researched?
- Are the proposed enquiries lawful and proportionate?
- Is there a legitimate reason for the investigation?
- Are there any important deadlines?
- What are the realistic limitations?
- What form of investigation or analysis is likely to be appropriate?
“Not every enquiry will be accepted.”
03
SCOPE, TIME & QUOTATION
AGREEING EXACTLY WHAT WE WILL DO
If we believe we can assist, the next stage is agreeing the scope of the investigation. Before work begins, we will identify the questions the investigation is intended to address and explain the enquiries we propose to undertake.
Depending upon the circumstances, investigative work may include research across publicly available online sources, social media platforms, websites, archived web content, corporate information, public records and other legitimate sources.
Where appropriate, we may also analyse information or documentation supplied by you. The exact approach will depend upon the nature of the investigation. We do not apply the same checklist to every case simply to generate a lengthy report. Research should be relevant to the agreed objectives.
YOUR INVESTIGATION SCOPE MAY SET OUT
- The background to the instruction
- The agreed investigation objectives
- Questions the investigation will seek to address
- Proposed areas of research
- Information required from the client
- Expected investigative time
- Charging structure or fixed fee where applicable
- Any agreed maximum expenditure
- Expected timescale
- Expected deliverables
- Known limitations
HOW INVESTIGATIVE TIME WORKS
Some services may be suitable for a clearly defined fixed fee. More complex or bespoke investigations may instead be based upon an agreed amount of investigative time.
Where work is charged by time, we believe clients should understand what they are paying for. Investigative time may include research, verification and cross-referencing of information, analysis of findings, review of relevant client-provided material, development of timelines or relationships, appropriate record keeping and preparation of the agreed findings or report.
Where appropriate, time spent on the investigation can be recorded so that there is a clear account of the professional work undertaken. If enquiries indicate that substantially more work would be required than originally anticipated, we will not simply continue accumulating additional charges without discussing the position with you. Where additional work is recommended, we can explain why it may be useful and agree any extension to the scope or budget before proceeding.
“NO UNEXPECTED EXPANSION OF THE AGREED SCOPE WITHOUT DISCUSSION.”
04
INVESTIGATION & ANALYSIS
FROM INFORMATION TO INTELLIGENCE
Once the scope has been agreed and any required payment or commencement deposit has been received, investigative work can begin. The precise enquiries undertaken will depend entirely upon the objectives of the case.
For an online identity or catfish investigation, for example, research may involve examining the information supplied by the individual, analysing relevant online profiles, researching usernames and identifiers, examining publicly available digital footprints, reviewing imagery using appropriate research techniques, identifying potential linked information and assessing whether different pieces of information corroborate or contradict one another.
A people tracing enquiry may involve combining known information with appropriate public and open-source research to identify potential leads, distinguish between individuals with similar identities and assess whether information can be reliably connected to the person being sought.
A business due diligence enquiry may involve examining company information, directors, associated businesses, publicly available corporate history, adverse media, relevant online information and other sources appropriate to the agreed objective.
Evidence and intelligence analysis may involve reviewing relevant material supplied by the client, organising information chronologically, identifying significant communications or transactions, developing timelines, identifying relationships between people or entities, recognising patterns or inconsistencies and highlighting areas that may warrant further enquiry.
Finding information is only part of an investigation. Information must also be assessed in context. Where possible, significant information should be corroborated using additional reliable sources rather than relying upon a single online result. We distinguish between what the available information establishes, what it merely suggests and what cannot reliably be determined.
WHAT INVESTIGATIVE WORK MAY INCLUDE
- Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
- Social media research
- Digital footprint research
- Username and alias research
- Reverse-image and image-source research
- Website and domain research
- Archived online material
- Public-record research
- Company and director research
- Adverse-media research
- Cross-referencing information
- Timeline and chronology development
- Relationship and association analysis
- Review of client-provided documents and communications
- Identification of inconsistencies
- Development of further investigative leads
“Not every technique or source will be relevant or appropriate to every investigation. The enquiries undertaken will depend upon the agreed scope, available information and lawful investigative opportunities.”
IF SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES
Investigations do not always develop exactly as expected. Research may identify an important new lead, establish an answer sooner than anticipated, reveal that a particular line of enquiry is unlikely to be productive, or indicate that additional work could materially assist.
Where a significant development affects the agreed scope, cost or direction of the investigation, we will consider whether it should be discussed with you before further work is undertaken. Our objective is not to use every available hour simply because it has been authorised. The objective is to use investigative time proportionately in pursuit of the agreed questions.
05
FINDINGS & REPORT
CLEAR ANSWERS. CLEAR LIMITATIONS.
At the conclusion of the agreed investigative work, the information identified is reviewed and assessed against the original investigation objectives. Depending upon the service and scope agreed with you, findings may be provided through a written investigation report, intelligence assessment, chronology, analytical summary or another agreed format.
A professional report may explain what enquiries were undertaken, what information was identified, how relevant information relates to the investigation objectives and what conclusions can reasonably be drawn. Where appropriate, supporting sources or material may also be identified.
Importantly, an investigation cannot guarantee that every question will have a definitive answer. Sometimes the most accurate conclusion is that the available information does not allow something to be reliably established. Where evidence is incomplete, contradictory or inconclusive, this should be made clear rather than presented as certainty.
YOUR REPORT MAY INCLUDE
- Executive summary
- Background and instruction
- Investigation objectives
- Scope of enquiries
- Research undertaken
- Chronology or timeline
- Key findings
- Relevant relationships or connections
- Supporting information
- Source references where appropriate
- Identified inconsistencies
- Limitations
- Conclusions
- Potential areas for further enquiry
“WE REPORT WHAT THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS — INCLUDING WHEN THE EVIDENCE DOES NOT PROVIDE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER.”
TRANSPARENCY THROUGHOUT YOUR INVESTIGATION
We believe clients should understand what they are paying for. Where appropriate to the type of instruction, investigative activity and professional time can be recorded against the case. This helps provide transparency regarding the work undertaken and allows the investigation to remain focused upon the agreed objectives.
For larger or developing investigations, updates may be provided at appropriate stages, particularly where a significant finding changes the direction of the enquiry or where additional work may need to be considered. We will not knowingly extend the agreed scope or incur substantial additional charges without discussing this with you first.
PROFESSIONAL INVESTIGATIVE TIME
When instructing James Rae Investigations, you are paying for the professional investigative work agreed within your scope — not for a predetermined outcome. Investigative work can involve considerably more than entering a name into a search engine.
Depending upon the instruction, professional time may involve identifying appropriate sources, conducting structured searches, evaluating results, distinguishing between individuals or entities with similar details, cross-referencing information, verifying findings, analysing relationships, reviewing material, maintaining appropriate case records and preparing clear findings.
The value of an investigation lies not simply in finding information, but in determining what information is relevant, assessing its reliability and understanding what it means in the context of the question you asked us to investigate.
TRUST & ETHICS
Professional investigation requires discretion, integrity and objectivity. Every instruction is considered on its individual circumstances and investigative methods must remain lawful, appropriate and proportionate.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Your enquiry and personal information will be handled discreetly and with appropriate safeguards.
INTEGRITY
We only undertake enquiries where there is a legitimate purpose and use lawful and proportionate investigative methods.
OBJECTIVITY
Our role is not to tell clients what they want to hear. We assess the available information objectively and report what the evidence can reliably establish.