Private Investigators in Illinois

In Illinois, all private investigators are required to be licensed through the Division of Professional Regulation. In order to obtain their private investigator license, private investigators must pass Illinois’ rigorous licensing requirements, including a written examination and an in-depth background check. Applicants must score a 70 or higher to pass the exam before submitting their formal application to the Division of Professional Regulation. Although most private investigators come from law enforcement or military backgrounds, it is not a requirement. Many private investigation firms value alternate experience, such as a degree in Criminal Justice or previous experience in security, just as highly. However, Illinois does require private investigators have at least one year of experience (equal to 1,500 hours) in active investigatory work before they can sit for the examination.

ICS of Illinois is owned and operated by Ben Lopez, who has over 15 years of experience in the private sector, including time spent as an Investigator for the city of Chicago, and as a Cook County Deputy Sheriff. In the state of Illinois, like most other states, it is illegal to act as a private investigator without an Illinois Private Investigator License from the Division of Professional Regulation. ICS strictly adheres to all federal, state, and local laws, so rest assured that any ICS private investigator assigned to your case is fully licensed, insured, and up to date with all continuing education requirements. At ICS, our Illinois private investigators meet or exceed all industry standards, providing you with effective and discreet investigative services.

Adultery, Infidelity or Cheating Spouse Investigations

Being the victim of infidelity is never easy, but if you suspect your partner is cheating, you deserve to know the truth. ICS can obtain the proof you need to move forward with your case and protect yourself and your interests from an unfaithful lover. Some common suspicious behaviors amongst cheaters are excessive or secretive computer use, hiding of cell phone and personal finances, working uncharacteristically late or going on business trips at the last minute, lack of, or a sudden increase in sexual appetite, being diagnosed with an STD (even STDs with long incubation periods should be considered suspicious), abnormal activity on the home phone like hang ups when you answer or hang-ups after a specific number of rings, or claiming that a wedding ring has been lost or stolen. If your partner is engaging in these or other suspect activities, contact ICS to begin an investigation today.

Illinois defines adultery as “sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their spouse.” Adultery is illegal in Illinois under the “alienation of affection” law, and lawsuits can still be brought, although proof of adultery only provides grounds for a divorce, and does not factor into property distribution or child custody decisions. Today, there are an average of 32,500 divorces/annulments granted in Illinois each year, but it is difficult to know how many of these divorces were the result of adultery. Nationally, 53% of marriages end in divorce, 57% of men and 54% of women admit to cheating in past or current relationships, and the average affair lasts for 2 years.

Even if you aren’t married, a private investigator can reveal invaluable information about the affair, such as the number of additional partners being seen and the amount of money being spent on the affair(s). An investigation with ICS will answer all these questions and more, helping to empower you in this difficult time.

Child Custody, Visitation and Support Investigations

In child custody cases, the primary concern for all parties involved is to protect the welfare of the child. In the state of Illinois, the Office of the Attorney General, County States Attorneys, and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services is responsible for making this decision. These agencies are mandated under state law to enforce court orders and collect child support. When a judge and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services determine who will receive custody of a child in Illinois they take several factors into account, including a parent’s ability to provide a loving, clean, safe, and stable environment for the child. Every year 50% of parents entitled to child support money never receive the full amount owed to them, with 25% getting no money at all, even though a court has required the other parent to pay. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to accurately assess a child’s living situation and track down deadbeat parents due to limited state and federal funding, making it impossible for them to follow through on each and every case.

If you feel your child’s best interests are not being met by your current custody arrangements, or if child support payments aren’t being made, ICS can help provide the proof you need to take your case in front of a judge. In the course of the child custody investigation, ICS might need to speak to friends, family, childcare workers, co-workers and the DHS to get the clearest picture of your child’s welfare. At ICS, we will focus solely on your case, and have access to be the best tools and resources available to provide a thorough, discreet and professional investigation. We can solve your case using surveillance, skip tracing, hidden asset checks, public record searches, undercover investigations, and much more.

Missing Person and Locate Person Investigations

Traditionally, missing persons cases are handled by local law enforcement and the FBI, in collaboration with the AMBER Alert system. Missing children in the state of Illinois are listed with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who collaborate with state police and the FBI. Illinois police advise you to report a missing person immediately; waiting 24 hours could be detrimental to their investigation. But these institutions can't always help, especially in light of recent budget cuts, and often are bound by laws and regulations that may prevent them from even recognizing an individual as a Missing Person. Unfortunately, this is especially true in cases involving missing adults. Many lost person cases simply fall outside the scope of criminal investigations, for instance, if you’re searching for a friend or family member with whom you have lost contact. ICS can help you find someone whether a crime has been committed or not, even if the police have already attempted to solve the case. In 2011 the state of Illinois is averaging about 140 open Missing Person cases, with less than 1% of those cases involving missing adults. If you have an unsolved missing person case, or need to locate a lost person in Illinois ICS can help. If you want to reconnect with a loved one, find your birth parents or locate a debtor/defrauder, contact ICS to begin your investigation today.

Illinois Background Checks

If you need a background check performed on an individual living in Illinois, or if you live in Illinois and need a background check performed out of state, ICS can help. Background checks are one the most common and well known tools an Illinois private investigator can provide. Often, a background check is the only information a client needs. In cases where a more in-depth investigation is called for, the background check is a great starting point, providing the investigator and client with valuable leads to pursue. If you need an Illinois background check, or if you have a case involving one, ICS is ready to work for you to provide the discreet and confidential service you need in a delicate and professional manner. ICS has been helping people in Illinois just like you get results since 1967.

Computer Forensics and Cellular Forensics

In an increasingly technological world, it has become more important-and more difficult-to keep your personal information safe. Part of keeping your information safe involves knowing who has been accessing your personal electronic devices, and determining if information has been viewed or copied. ICS can retrieve and analyze data from electronic storage devices, like desktop and laptop computers, network servers, external storage drives, flash drives, digital cameras, smart phones such as the iPhone or Android phones, and more. All data retrieval methods used by ICS are complaint with all federal and Illinois state laws, so any data recovered will be available to use as evidence. In addition to recovering emails, instant messages, and text messages, ICS also offers virus and spyware detection and removal, pornography detection, email tracing, computer and network intrusion detection and prevention, Internet history evaluation, and hidden files detection. Contact ICS today to ensure that your data and digital devices are safe. ICS can help protect you from the increasing threat of identity theft.

Technical Surveillance Countermeasures

Technical Surveillance Countermeasures are steps taken to detect and prevent unwanted surveillance. Technical surveillance often takes the form of eavesdropping by bugging a house, tapping a phone line, or installing hidden cameras, with the intention of committing corporate espionage, privacy invasion, extortion, identity theft, information theft, or stalking. Being the victim of technical surveillance can endanger your personal safety, and leaves you vulnerable to potential financial damages. To ensure that you haven’t fallen prey to technical surveillance, ICS will perform a technical surveillance countermeasures sweep, which consists of eavesdropping detection and debugging, sweeping for bugs, performing a physical and electronic inspection of the area to check for infrared, laser, audio recording, hidden cameras, wireless microphones, radio transmitters, phone taps, GPS tracking, and cell phone interceptors. A technical surveillance countermeasures sweep is not an investigation in itself, but rather is a service offered by ICS; if evidence of illegal surveillance is found, ICS will collaborate with local authorities to report findings and take appropriate action.