The More You Give Me, the Better I Can Help You.
Here's the direct answer about information needed to start an investigation: I need basic identifying information about the subject (full name, location in Costa Rica, physical description), details about your situation and concerns, what you need to discover, and any evidence or suspicions you already have. The more complete and honest this information, the more effective and efficient the investigation will be.
You don't need perfect documentation or comprehensive files to start. Many clients contact me with fragments—a name, a suspicion, a handful of concerning incidents. We work with whatever information you have. But understanding what's most helpful lets you prepare for our initial consultation and ensures investigation starts on the right foundation.
After 27 years conducting investigations in Costa Rica, I've learned that the best outcomes happen when clients are thorough and honest upfront. Withholding information—even embarrassing details—only wastes time and money. Everything you tell me is confidential, and I've heard it all. Your honesty helps me help you.
Let me explain the essential information every investigation requires, optional details that strengthen investigations, how to organize information before contacting me, what happens if you don't have certain information, and why complete disclosure matters more than perfect documentation.
Essential Information Every Investigation Requires
These are the basics I need to assess your case and begin investigation.
About the Subject (Person Being Investigated)
Full legal name:
- First name and both last names (Costa Ricans use both paternal and maternal surnames)
- Any name variations, nicknames, aliases they use
- Maiden name if applicable (especially for marriage/divorce verification)
Why this matters: Costa Rica databases and records are indexed by legal names. Searching "Maria Garcia" versus "Maria Garcia Hernandez" returns completely different results in Registro Civil, Registro Nacional, and court systems.
Physical description and identification:
- Age or approximate age
- Height, build, hair color, distinguishing features
- Recent photo (extremely helpful for surveillance identification)
- Cédula number (Costa Rica national ID) if known—makes record searches much easier
- Passport number if foreign national
Current location in Costa Rica:
- Where they live (address, neighborhood, general area—Jaco, Tamarindo, San José, etc.)
- Where they work (company name, location, typical hours)
- Places they regularly frequent (gym, bars, restaurants, friend's homes)
- Vehicle information if known (make, model, color, license plate)
Why location matters: Investigation feasibility and cost depend heavily on subject's location. Surveillance in remote Osa Peninsula costs more than surveillance in central San José. Background checks require knowing which jurisdictions to search.
About Your Situation and Concerns
What prompted you to contact a PI:
- The core issue—infidelity suspicion, girlfriend verification, background check, missing person, etc.
- Timeline of events that raised concerns
- Specific incidents or behaviors that seem suspicious
- What changed that triggered investigation consideration
Your relationship to the subject:
- Spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, business partner, employee, family member, etc.
- How long you've known them
- Current status of relationship
Why this matters: Context helps me understand investigation urgency, legal considerations (spousal surveillance has different implications than business partner verification), and what evidence format you'll need.
About Your Investigation Objectives
What you need to know:
- Specific questions investigation should answer
- What would constitute successful investigation outcome
- What you plan to do with investigation results (personal decision, divorce, business action, legal proceedings, etc.)
Why objectives matter: Different goals require different investigation approaches. Evidence for personal knowledge differs from evidence needed for Costa Rica court proceedings. Understanding your end goal ensures investigation delivers what you actually need.
About Timeline and Budget
Timing considerations:
- When investigation needs to happen (immediately, within weeks, no rush)
- Any time-sensitive factors (upcoming trip, business deadline, court date, etc.)
- Subject's schedule constraints (only in Costa Rica certain dates, traveling soon, etc.)
Budget parameters:
- General range of what you can invest in investigation
- Whether this is firm budget or flexible based on what's needed
Why I ask about budget: Not to upsell you, but to recommend investigation scope that fits your resources. No point proposing $5,000 comprehensive investigation if your budget is $1,500—I'll suggest what's achievable within your constraints.
Optional Information That Strengthens Investigations
You don't need all of this, but whatever you have helps.
Subject's Digital Presence
Social media accounts:
- Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp profile (if visible)
- LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, dating apps
- Usernames they use
Why this helps: Social media often reveals schedules, locations, relationships, lifestyle details useful for investigation planning. Also helps verify identity before surveillance begins.
Email addresses and phone numbers:
- Known email addresses (personal, work)
- Phone numbers (Costa Rica numbers, U.S. numbers, WhatsApp)
Subject's Routine and Patterns
Daily schedule information:
- Work hours and days off
- Regular activities (gym at 6am, bar on Friday nights, etc.)
- Travel patterns (weekends in Tamarindo, monthly trips to San José)
- Known associates and friends
Why routine matters: Surveillance is most efficient when I know where subject will be and when. Random surveillance hoping to stumble upon incriminating behavior costs more and succeeds less than targeted surveillance at predictable locations.
Evidence You've Already Gathered
Documentation you have:
- Text messages, emails, social media messages
- Photos, screenshots
- Financial documents (credit card statements, receipts, bank records)
- Any documents subject has provided (employment letters, property papers, etc.)
Your own observations:
- Dates and times of suspicious incidents
- Locations where concerning behavior occurred
- Names of people involved
- Patterns you've noticed
Why this helps: Existing evidence provides investigation starting points, helps verify or refute what you've discovered, and sometimes reveals leads you didn't realize were significant.
Background Information (If Available)
Subject's history:
- Where they're from (Costa Rica city/town, or which country if foreign)
- Previous marriages or relationships if known
- Employment history
- Education background
- Family in Costa Rica (names, locations if known)
Why background helps: Context about subject's history sometimes reveals patterns, connections to investigate, or explanations for suspicious behavior.
For Specific Investigation Types
Infidelity investigations:
- When suspicions started
- Changes in subject's behavior, schedule, appearance
- Known or suspected affair partner's information
- Places subject goes that seem suspicious
- Technology use changes (new phone, password changes, secrecy)
Girlfriend/boyfriend verification:
- How you met
- What they've told you about their life, work, background
- Red flags or inconsistencies you've noticed
- Money requests or financial aspects of relationship
Background checks:
- What specific aspects need verification (criminal, property, marriage, employment)
- Why verification is needed (pre-employment, business partnership, relationship, legal matter)
- Whether subject will consent to certain checks (criminal records, employment)
Missing person cases:
- Last known location and date in Costa Rica
- Circumstances of disappearance or last contact
- Known contacts in Costa Rica
- Reason they might be in Costa Rica
- Whether this is voluntary disappearance or concern for safety
How to Organize Information Before Contacting Me
A little preparation makes consultation more productive.
Create a Simple Information Summary
Document template (you can use this format):
SUBJECT INFORMATION:
Full name:
Age/DOB:
Physical description:
Current location in Costa Rica:
Photo: [attach if available]
SITUATION SUMMARY:
Why I'm contacting a PI:
My relationship to subject:
Timeline of concerning events:
What I need to find out:
INVESTIGATION OBJECTIVES:
Specific questions to answer:
What I'll do with results:
Timeline needs:
Budget considerations:
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
Evidence I already have:
Subject's routine/schedule:
Social media/contact info:
Other relevant information:
You don't need formal document: This is just helpful framework. Handwritten notes are fine. Email with bullet points works. The goal is organizing thoughts so our consultation is efficient.
Gather Digital Information
If you have digital evidence:
- Screenshot text messages, social media posts, emails (with dates visible)
- Save photos in clearly labeled folder
- Copy subject's social media profile URLs
- Organize by date if time sequence matters
Don't worry about: Perfect organization, legal formatting, extensive documentation. Raw information is fine. I can work with messy evidence.
Write Down Questions You Have
List what you want to ask me:
- Questions about investigation process
- Concerns about legality or ethics
- Specific methods you're wondering about
- Timeline and cost questions
Why write questions down: Easy to forget what you wanted to ask during consultation. Having list ensures you get all concerns addressed.
What If You Don't Have Certain Information?
Missing information doesn't prevent investigation—it just affects approach.
If You Don't Have Subject's Full Legal Name
What I can work with:
- First name and approximate age
- Physical description
- Where they work or live in Costa Rica
- Photo
How we proceed: Investigation starts with identification—confirming full name through surveillance observation, employer contact, public record searches at known addresses. This adds time to investigation but is absolutely doable.
If You Don't Have Subject's Location
What I need instead:
- Last known location in Costa Rica
- Known associates or contacts here
- Work information if available
- Reasons they're in Costa Rica
How we proceed: This becomes locate investigation before other investigation aspects. Finding subject's current location is first step, then surveillance or background checks follow.
If You Have Limited Evidence
Investigation can still proceed with:
- Just your suspicions and observations
- Minimal documentation
- General concerns without specific proof
How we proceed: Investigation generates evidence where none exists yet. That's literally the point of investigation—discovering what you don't have proof of yet.
If Subject Knows You're Suspicious
This affects approach but doesn't prevent investigation:
- Subject may be more cautious temporarily
- Surveillance requires extra discretion
- Investigation may take longer as subject's guard is up
Why to proceed anyway: People can't maintain perfect vigilance indefinitely. Eventually behavior returns to normal patterns, and investigation captures it.
Why Complete Honesty Matters More Than Perfect Information
I'd rather have messy truth than polished lies.
Information You Might Be Embarrassed to Share
Tell me anyway:
- How you discovered certain information (reading texts, checking location, following them yourself)
- Financial aspects of relationship that seem exploitative
- Sexual details if relevant to infidelity investigation
- Your own behavior you're not proud of
Why this matters: I've heard everything in 27 years. Nothing shocks me. But incomplete information causes me to investigate wrong angles, waste your money, or miss crucial context.
Example of why honesty matters: Client didn't tell me she'd already confronted husband about affair. When surveillance showed him being extremely cautious, I didn't know why—wasted three days before she admitted confrontation explained his vigilance. Full honesty upfront would have saved time and money.
Information That Seems Irrelevant
Mention it anyway—let me decide relevance:
- Small details that seem insignificant
- Hunches or intuition without hard evidence
- Background information you think doesn't matter
Why: What seems irrelevant to you might be key lead for investigation. Detail you dismiss as unimportant sometimes cracks case open.
Withholding Information Never Helps
Common reasons people withhold information (and why not to):
- "It makes me look paranoid": I need to know what you're basing suspicions on, even if it's just gut feeling
- "It's embarrassing": Everything is confidential. Embarrassment wastes money when it prevents complete disclosure
- "It might make subject look bad unfairly": Investigation will reveal truth either way. Context helps me interpret findings accurately
- "I obtained it questionably": Tell me how you got information. I won't judge. But I need to know what I'm working with
Common Questions About Providing Information
What if I got information by checking their phone or email without permission?
Tell me. I won't use illegally obtained evidence in investigation, but knowing what you found provides leads for legal investigation methods. And honestly, most clients have done some level of checking that might be questionable—I'm not here to judge. I'm here to help you get legally admissible evidence if needed.
Can I provide information anonymously during initial contact?
For initial consultation, you can share as little identifying information about yourself as you're comfortable with. Use first name only, general location, burner email—whatever makes you comfortable discussing situation. However, if you hire me for actual investigation, I need to know who you are for contract, payment, liability purposes.
What if I only have suspicions but no concrete information?
Suspicions based on changed behavior, inconsistencies, gut feeling—these are valid reasons to investigate. Describe what you've observed that raised concerns. Investigation determines if suspicions are founded. You don't need proof to hire investigator—proof is what investigation provides.
How much detail should I provide about my own situation and background?
Enough context for me to understand why you need investigation and what you'll do with results. I don't need your life story, but knowing whether this is for divorce, business decision, personal knowledge, immigration case, etc. helps me recommend appropriate investigation scope and ensure evidence format meets your needs.
What happens to the information I provide after investigation?
Maintained confidentially in secure files. If you hire me, case file includes information you provided plus investigation findings. If you don't hire me, initial consultation information is deleted. Files are not shared with anyone except you unless you authorize it or court orders disclosure (extremely rare). After case closes, files maintained securely then destroyed per retention schedule.
The Bottom Line on Information Needed
Starting an investigation requires basic identifying information about the subject, details about your situation and concerns, clear objectives for what you need to discover, and honest disclosure of what you already know.
Essential information:
- Subject's full name, location in Costa Rica, physical description
- What prompted investigation and your relationship to subject
- What you need to find out and why
- Timeline and budget parameters
Helpful but optional:
- Photos, social media profiles, contact information
- Subject's routine and schedule
- Evidence you've already gathered
- Background information about subject
Most important: Complete honesty, even about embarrassing details or information obtained questionably. Withholding information only wastes time and money.
After 27 years conducting investigations in Costa Rica, I've learned that perfect documentation matters far less than honest communication. Come with whatever information you have—fragments, suspicions, messy evidence, incomplete details. We work with what you've got and build investigation from there.
The clients who get best results are those who trust me with complete truth upfront, even when truth is uncomfortable to share. That's when investigation can be most effective and efficient.
Ready to Discuss Your Situation Confidentially?
Don't worry about having perfect information organized. Share what you know, what you suspect, what concerns you. I'll ask questions to fill in gaps and determine what investigation can accomplish for your situation.
Contact me to discuss investigation. Everything confidential. No judgment. Just honest assessment of what's possible.
Contact to Discuss Investigation Information
Whether you have comprehensive documentation or just suspicions and fragments, reach out to discuss your situation. I'll work with whatever information you have and explain what investigation can discover.
WhatsApp (Fastest Response): 407-955-6150
Phone: 321-218-9209
Email: codygear@gmail.com