Investigation Lessons: 6 Months and 192 Telephone Interviews Later
Since May, I have done about 192 (give or take) telephone interviews for various investigation matters.
The interviews that I have done have ranged from being for massive product liability cases to in-depth vetting of a possible CEO. In every single one of these cases, the names of these individuals were developed through open sources. All of these people were contacted unannounced, out of the blue.
They were not sitting around waiting for my call, happy to give some of their time to someone who needed help. They were contacted at random times, taking time from their busy schedules to answer questions, some of which were tough.
Here are some lessons that I have learned.
Human Sources Are Powerful
Investigator Steve Mason from Mason Investigative Solutions summed it up perfectly: “Human beings give context to digital information.” I am one of the biggest proponents out there for using open-source information and public records to gather intelligence. It’s discreet, cost-effective, and pretty powerful. And it’s because humans not only give context to the digital information — they also provide information that is truly unique and, at times, priceless.
Be Transparent and Honest
Chances are, the person on the other “end of the line” is not entirely comfortable …read more
Source:: Pry-Eye
