Private Investigator Shares Her Best Tips On Both Physical & Online Safety
Tips from a private investigator on how to protect your privacy to stay safe in this digital age.
Better safe than sorry is an old adage that is still relevant to this day. In fact, it is now more important than ever but it’s also more complicated to ensure one’s safety as that encompasses many avenues of potential danger to look out for. Not only is it imperative that we consider our physical safety but with the digital boom, it has become a necessity to also consider the privacy and safety of our online interactions.
The following tips were compiled by an online private investigator, who uses her platform to create awareness regarding online safety on social media as well as sharing tips on personal safety, such as what self-defense equipment you must carry to tips on protecting your privacy. Read through her most important tips below and you'll know what to do to ensure your future safety too.
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Image source: jadeesavv, Andrew Neel
I feel like I shouldn't have to say this but, unfortunately, I do. Stop leaving your blinds open. Close your blinds. When I go out on surveillance, I can see everything inside of your house. And I zoom in on my little camera and I can see what you're watching on TV. I can see everything. It's like a gold mine. Stop leaving your blinds open.
Image source: jadeesavv, RR Abrot
Stop tagging yourself in places when you're still there. Save the photo or the video, post it after you've left. I can't explain how many times I've been sitting outside of somebody's house. I can't figure out why they're not there. Where are they at? Go to Instagram. They've tagged themselves at the café across the street, and sure enough, there they are. It's not safe to do. When you are out, stop leaving a footprint of where people can find you. Piggybacking off of that, don't tag places that you frequent. Don't tag your gym, don't tag the coffee shop that you go to every Tuesday at 2:00 PM. People can start understanding your patterns and your habits, and that's not good. You don't want people who don't know you to start to know you.
Image source: jadeesavv, Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas
Stop posting where you work on Facebook. Your aunt doesn't need to know you just got hired at the bank. Just call her and tell her that. If you're out at the bar and somebody thinks you're really cute, they find out your name, they find your social media, they don't know your address, but they know where you work. Now they can sit outside of your work and wait for you to come out. They can lurk in the distance and they can follow you home. And now they do know where you live.
Image source: jadeesavv, note thanun
I hope the moms don't come for me for this one, but stop posting your kids' school online. Just in general, it's not safe. But piggybacking off of what I just said, if I've gone to your work and you're not there, and I know that you pick up your kid from school and I know where your kid goes to school, my next stop is your kid's school. You're quite literally leaving a footprint, a pattern on the internet for people to find you and your kids.
Image source: jadeesavv, Alistair MacRobert
Don't forget to lock your windows. We have a tendency to open our windows and then we'll close them and walk away. We forget to lock them. This leaves yourself really vulnerable for if people are walking around trying to look for open windows.
Image source: jadeesavv
A tool like this is great. Essentially it's a door stopper. You put it underneath the doorknob, and if somebody tries to open the door, it stops the door and doesn't allow anybody in. This is great even if you have a lock on your door. I love to use these on my front door as well, because you can never be too careful in this world. Here's a little diagram on how it works. You can see it has a stopper and it's sitting underneath the doorknob so nobody can open the door.
Image source: jadeesavv
It is a door wedge. These are perfect for if you're traveling, especially if you're a female traveling alone. It has an alarm on it. So, you wedge it in the door. If somebody opens the door, the pedal goes down and sets an alarm off. You're alarmed that somebody is trying to enter the hotel room or the Airbnb that you're in, or your home. And these are absolutely great, you can buy these in packs of like 2, 4, or whatever. Here's a little photo of what that looks like in the door in case anybody needs the visual.
Image source: jadeesavv
This looks like a glittery lipstick tube, but it actually has a flashlight and a little zapper. It's multipurpose and it's great because it's inconspicuous and nobody would really know you had it on you. And I know that not everybody in every state is allowed to have these, but if you are, these are great to have.
Image source: jadeesavv
Having one of these birdy alarms is great. You can attach it to your key chain. If you feel like you're in danger and you're in a public place, you hit the alarm. It makes a scene, everybody's looking, and it really can save your life.
Image source: jadeesavv
A tactical pen is always a good idea. It's quite literally a pen you can write with, but it also has multipurpose. It has a sharp end that can break glass. It has a flashlight and other uses as well.
A private investigator discusses tips and precautionary measures for ensuring your safety
#1
Image source: jadeesavv, Andrew Neel
I feel like I shouldn't have to say this but, unfortunately, I do. Stop leaving your blinds open. Close your blinds. When I go out on surveillance, I can see everything inside of your house. And I zoom in on my little camera and I can see what you're watching on TV. I can see everything. It's like a gold mine. Stop leaving your blinds open.
#2
Image source: jadeesavv, RR Abrot
Stop tagging yourself in places when you're still there. Save the photo or the video, post it after you've left. I can't explain how many times I've been sitting outside of somebody's house. I can't figure out why they're not there. Where are they at? Go to Instagram. They've tagged themselves at the café across the street, and sure enough, there they are. It's not safe to do. When you are out, stop leaving a footprint of where people can find you. Piggybacking off of that, don't tag places that you frequent. Don't tag your gym, don't tag the coffee shop that you go to every Tuesday at 2:00 PM. People can start understanding your patterns and your habits, and that's not good. You don't want people who don't know you to start to know you.
#3
Image source: jadeesavv, Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas
Stop posting where you work on Facebook. Your aunt doesn't need to know you just got hired at the bank. Just call her and tell her that. If you're out at the bar and somebody thinks you're really cute, they find out your name, they find your social media, they don't know your address, but they know where you work. Now they can sit outside of your work and wait for you to come out. They can lurk in the distance and they can follow you home. And now they do know where you live.
#4
Image source: jadeesavv, note thanun
I hope the moms don't come for me for this one, but stop posting your kids' school online. Just in general, it's not safe. But piggybacking off of what I just said, if I've gone to your work and you're not there, and I know that you pick up your kid from school and I know where your kid goes to school, my next stop is your kid's school. You're quite literally leaving a footprint, a pattern on the internet for people to find you and your kids.
#5
Image source: jadeesavv, Alistair MacRobert
Don't forget to lock your windows. We have a tendency to open our windows and then we'll close them and walk away. We forget to lock them. This leaves yourself really vulnerable for if people are walking around trying to look for open windows.
#6 I saw some comments saying, "I don't have a lock on my garage door" or "I'm a college student, what do you suggest for safety?"
Image source: jadeesavv
A tool like this is great. Essentially it's a door stopper. You put it underneath the doorknob, and if somebody tries to open the door, it stops the door and doesn't allow anybody in. This is great even if you have a lock on your door. I love to use these on my front door as well, because you can never be too careful in this world. Here's a little diagram on how it works. You can see it has a stopper and it's sitting underneath the doorknob so nobody can open the door.
#7
Image source: jadeesavv
It is a door wedge. These are perfect for if you're traveling, especially if you're a female traveling alone. It has an alarm on it. So, you wedge it in the door. If somebody opens the door, the pedal goes down and sets an alarm off. You're alarmed that somebody is trying to enter the hotel room or the Airbnb that you're in, or your home. And these are absolutely great, you can buy these in packs of like 2, 4, or whatever. Here's a little photo of what that looks like in the door in case anybody needs the visual.
#8 For my girlies, anything that looks inconspicuous but can be used as a weapon, I absolutely love.
Image source: jadeesavv
This looks like a glittery lipstick tube, but it actually has a flashlight and a little zapper. It's multipurpose and it's great because it's inconspicuous and nobody would really know you had it on you. And I know that not everybody in every state is allowed to have these, but if you are, these are great to have.
#9
Image source: jadeesavv
Having one of these birdy alarms is great. You can attach it to your key chain. If you feel like you're in danger and you're in a public place, you hit the alarm. It makes a scene, everybody's looking, and it really can save your life.
#10
Image source: jadeesavv
A tactical pen is always a good idea. It's quite literally a pen you can write with, but it also has multipurpose. It has a sharp end that can break glass. It has a flashlight and other uses as well.DE
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Demilked Editorial
SaaS Review Specialist · Demilked
With 5+ years in the creator, entertainment, and publishing spaces, Demilked shortlists, reviews, and ranks leading tools that actually make your life easier.