Latest news with #privateinvestigator
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Private investigator reveals the TV clue you need to look out for, which proves your partner is cheating on you
WHETHER it's a romantic comedy or a thriller, your online viewing habits might be telling more of a story than you realise. According to one private investigator, streaming services are becoming an unexpected tool in uncovering infidelity. 3 Joseph Barton, an investigator who specialises in catching cheating partners from says he has experienced how Netflix played a part in one man's cheating secret being revealed. The case Joseph investigated started with a woman noticing a string of romantic comedies appearing in the couple's shared Netflix watch history. She thought this was strange as her husband was supposedly working away at the time, and romcoms were never his thing. Joseph shared: 'She thought it was odd at first. 'It wasn't his usual genre, and the titles kept stacking up while he was meant to be in meetings or working away in hotels.' At first, she thought the account was malfunctioning and that it was a mistake, but as time went on, she noticed that more of these movies were appearing in their watch history. After this had gone on for a few weeks, the wife confronted him, but he dismissed it. He claimed the account had been hacked or that it was somehow mistaken and that he would never watch those types of movies. Eventually, her suspicion was strong enough that she called in the experts - who later tracked her husband and confirmed her suspicions. The private investigator shared: 'It was a textbook case of digital breadcrumbs. Astronomer CEO Andy Byron Resigns After Viral Affair Exposure 'Streaming websites like Netflix record what's been watched and on which profile. "That was enough to raise the alarm.' Joseph says it's not just Netflix. 3 DIGITAL FOOTPRINT Cheating partners are being caught out by everything from shared streaming accounts and smartwatch data to food delivery receipts and digital photo timestamps. He added: 'We've had people catch their partner out because Deliveroo showed an order to a flat they didn't know existed. 'Or because a smartwatch logged activity during a time they were supposedly asleep.' 3 WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR If you suspect something isn't right, Joseph recommends paying attention to any digital accounts you share, particularly ones with detailed activity logs. He explained: 'Netflix lets you see what's been watched and from which device. 'You can also check recent login activity to spot anything unusual.' But he also warns against jumping to conclusions too quickly. Joseph added: 'Sometimes it's innocent, maybe someone else used the profile, or it's a shared household. 'But when the activity doesn't match the story you're being told, it's worth looking closer.' Top 10 names of suspected cheaters a tool that allows users to check if a specific Tinder profile is active, reveals the most commonly searched names by users who suspect a partner may be cheating. Jack James Josh Ben Tom Sam Alex Ryan Adam Luke Emma Chloe Laura Amy Sophie Lauren Emily Sarah Ellie Katie
WIRED
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- WIRED
From Cheating Exposés to Dating Background Checks, TikTok Detectives Are Thriving
Jul 28, 2025 7:00 AM Private investigator influencers are staking out suspected cheaters and vetting dates for their clients, posting the tea for their followers. But there's a dark side to morality-based surveillance. Illustration: Jacqui VanLiew; Getty Images It's a dark November night in Los Angeles. The car in front is lit by its rear lights only. After driving for 20 miles, it stops, suddenly, in the middle of the street. A man in a dark t-shirt gets out and runs towards an apartment. A woman appears and jumps up, wrapping her legs around him. They start making out before going to get tacos and, later, returning to her place. At 6 a.m. the next morning his car is still outside the woman's apartment. A few hours later, they emerge holding hands, heading to a local farmer's market where they kiss and hug publicly. The whole time a private investigator named Stephanie A., who goes by Your Fav Investigator online, has been sending videos of the interaction to the man's wife, who she says hired her to sleuth for suspected infidelity. Once presented with the video evidence, Stephanie says she never heard from the wife again, but the video remains on her social feeds. While the man's face is obscured and no personal information is revealed, the video of his misdoings has been 'liked' by over 85,000 people on Stephanie's Instagram. Infidelity stake-out videos on Instagram and TikTok titled 'Trust your gut… CASED CLOSED!' and 'Pickleball or cheating?' are her bread and butter. 'I love everything about [being a PI]' Stephanie, 39, explains over Zoom. 'The investigation prior to the case, the adrenaline rush during surveillance. I really enjoy helping people find peace of mind or clarity in their situations.' She did not want her last name used due to the nature of her work. 'It's like riding shotgun into someone else's drama.' With a family history in law enforcement, and a background in loss prevention, Stephanie is at the vanguard of a new wave of very online private investigators, often focused on outing cheaters, with each of them sharing the ins and outs of the PI life to massive TikTok followings in the US and beyond. And true crime-obsessed audiences are eating it up. 'People love the tea. It's like riding shotgun into someone else's drama,' says Stephanie. Once relegated to hidden-camera reality shows like Cheaters, dozens of prominent social media PIs have sprung up over the last few years, focusing on topics like insurance fraud, missing persons, and even high stakes heists. But by far the most viral videos center on infidelity, with the most popular internet PIs carrying out surveillance and even background checks on men their clients have deemed suspicious. 'It still shocks me how bold some people are, not just lying and cheating openly in public, but sleeping over and playing house while their spouse is out of town,' says Stephanie, who has been working as a private investigator for 12 years. The boom in these investigations comes at a time when online shaming around cheating seems to have reached a fever pitch, the most recent example being former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who was caught tightly-embracing his company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, on the jumbotron at a Coldplay concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts on July 16. The couple scattered from the jumbotron's gaze—Byron literally diving out of frame—prompting Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to quip 'either they're having an affair or they're just very shy.' Predictably, the footage went massively viral, resulting in both Bryon and Cabots' resignations and Byron's wife being inundated with Facebook messages from strangers offering their sympathies. The moment has also been endlessly memed, turned into a video game, and online betting companies are offering odds on whether the ensnared couples are going to get divorced. It's easy, in what to most is an entertaining internet lark, to forget that people's very real lives are impacted by exposés such as this. And while many people believe that justice is being served in public cheating scandals, others feel that intense surveillance tools should not be deployed on strangers, particularly ones who are not public figures. Still, there's no denying that there's a massive audience for the cottage industry of influencer investigators. Jamie Cohen, an assistant professor in media studies at Queens College, City University of New York, and a writer on internet literacy, says there's a rawness to these social media stings that appeals to the public. 'We like watching true crime content [on social media] because we can lean into a plot that isn't scripted or gate-kept by traditional media; there's no executive producer or editors, it's happening in fairly realtime.' Like all good crime novels, the best stakeouts have numerous twists and turns. Lisa Allen-Stell, who runs her own agency, Pink Lady Investigations in California, recalls being hired on a two-year contract by a married man who wanted to make sure that his mistress—who was also married—wasn't in a third relationship with his married best friend. Keeping up so far? It turns out that the best friend was spending most of his time with men, not the mistress. Allen-Stell got into online investigating after a 'horrible' divorce and custody battle made her empathetic to the plight of women in similar circumstances. So far she's racked up 1.4 million likes on various stakeout videos and stories about her work as a PI. All of the PIs interviewed for this piece have completed the relevant training in their local jurisdiction, but certification requirements differ across states and countries— some, like Idaho, don't require any. And while PIs like Stephanie and Allen-Stell don't market themselves as influencers, they do utilize popular TikTok formats in their posts. Stephanie often posts rundowns of her meals when she's tailing suspects in restaurants or does her skincare routine in her car, noting, 'everyone seems to love it.' In her recent videos, Allen-Stell demonstrates how to sweep a hotel room for hidden cameras, and talks about the HydroJug cup she's "obsessed" with, taking it on stakeouts and flights. Taken as a whole, their channels offer a mix of authority and accessibility—a marked shift from the PIs of old, or at least our collective perception of a PI. Philip Marlowe and Jake Gittes never broadcast from the front seat of their car, wearing a Yankee's hat and under-eye masks, but for Stephanie, it's her preferred stake-out attire. This unvarnished relatability has helped Stephanie and Allen-Stell blow up, with both able to make a living from their work. Stephanie charges a minimum retainer of $650 for surveillance cases, and says she's built a 'comfortable and growing' career, with most of her cases coming via the internet and her Instagram and TikTok pages fueling 'major growth.' TikTok's Creator Rewards Program, which is open to accounts with at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in a 30-day span, even pays for views, with partnerships across both platforms adding another income stream to her work. Allen-Stell offers background checks from as little as $20, with surveillance costing clients $125 per hour in most cities, and slightly more in Los Angeles and San Francisco due to higher overheads. For Stephanie, a financially successful business has brought her closer to her dream of building an all-women surveillance team. She says her clients—particularly the ones who found her via Instagram and TikTok—are almost exclusively women are women, . 'Investigative work includes critical thinking, discretion, patience, and being quick on your feet,' she says. 'I've found that women tend to blend in more easily during surveillance and often have a sharper eye for detail.' PI work calls for empathy and emotional intelligence, she adds, 'especially since the majority of my clients are women navigating deeply personal situations. Plus, it would be cool to have an all-woman team, especially in a male dominated industry.' Based in Queensland, Australia, Cassie Crofts, AKA Venus Investigations, is also focused on safety, with a team of investigators offering women background checks on potential dates or flatmates. Marketing herself as 'Part detective, part BFF, 100% confidential,' her confessional-style TikToks have racked up over 39,000 likes to date. Crofts got into the industry when, over a glass of wine, a friend confided that she thought her partner was cheating. The group wanted to find out more, but the obligatory socials search aside, they didn't know where to begin. Hiring a traditional'old man in a trench coat' didn't really feel like an option, so Crofts, a 37-year-old radio journalist, earned her private investigator certificate after months of formal training and classroom time. While she does offer in-car surveillance like Stephanie, she more often focuses on background data for definitive proof, accessing databases available to PIs. In one case, she traced a man's supermarket rewards card to a town miles from where he told his wife would be—a town where his ex-girlfriend happened to live. She also might ask for information around shared bank accounts. Sometimes, it's even simpler than that. 'There was one case where they had access to each other's phones, and I said to check his most frequently used emojis. There was an eggplant there, and he wasn't sending her eggplants,' Crofts says. Like Stephanie, Crofts says the majority—'80 to 90 percent'—of her client base is made up of women and non-binary people, and with good reason. '[Suspecting your partner of infidelity] could be the most heartbreaking, devastating moment of your life,' she says. 'The idea of going up to a middle-aged man in a suit and spilling the deepest worries about your relationship and the love of your life is a really hard thing to do, let alone to someone who doesn't feel like they're an empathetic presence. We try to provide that sort of support to people when they're going through this scenario.' Nicola Fox Hamilton teaches cyberpsychology at Dublin's Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and co-hosts the In bits cyberpsychology podcast. She says safety is one of the reasons these investigations resonate with women. 'You have men taking ideas from the manosphere, be it extreme people like Andrew Tate, or people who are more benignly misogynistic. Women are aware that there are quite a few men who think this way, and it's probably increased their fear so they want to know more about men before they meet them, to filter out that stuff and to actually meet a partner who is a decent human being and who values them as an equal.' But not every case is focused on infidelity. Allen-Stell says that one of her most harrowing cases involved a 17-year-old girl hooked on heroin and being trafficked. Allen-Stell claims she and the girl's parents cornered the traffickers at a roadside motel. She says the parents went in and got the girl and they waited for police. 'She was super skinny and vomiting, but I protected her with my life, like she was my kid,' Allen-Stell says. According to Allen-Stell, the girls' father then began slashing one of the perp's tires, causing Allen-Stell to tap out, not wanting to be caught in anything illegal. Naturally, online audiences want to know how the stories they get so invested in turn out. Stephanie says her followers often ask ''Can we know what your client did after? Did they leave? Did they stay?'' But, beyond vague details, no good PI will reveal personal information about their clients; protection is paramount. Licensed PIs are protected by law, but amateurs could be putting themselves at risk of harassment, or stalking lawsuits by doing so. When Allen-Stell and Stephanie do share videos online, they say it's always with the client's approval. Just one client of the PIs WIRED interviewed wanted to share her experience for this piece, and only briefly. Chloe (not her real name) worked with Allen-Stell when she had concerns over her daughter dating a 'significantly' older man. 'I specifically chose a woman for the job as I felt her insight and intuition would be invaluable in a sensitive situation,' she says, adding that she would recommend Allen-Stell to anyone seeking a PI. While sleuthing comes with potential pitfalls, the subjects of these investigations can also be at risk. The true crime audience has a voracious appetite for seeing the guilty party punished, particularly when cheating is involved. 'Some private investigators are sharing way too much,' says Allen-Stell. 'I hope they're not on surveillance showing the person's actual house. What if a neighbor happened to see 'Oh, she's doing surveillance, so that means this person is cheating?' I don't think it's fair to out people publicly.' But, if the internet wants to know something, it finds a way, as a viral June 2024 video tracking down a man accused of cheating on a domestic US flight, proved. The video, posted by a TikTokker who had no connection or background info about the man, detailed the flight number in question and details about the alleged cheater's family. In the case of Byron, of Coldplay concert infamy, there are multiple articles asking 'who is his wife?'and speculating about his family. As 404 Media writes, the incident is 'emblematic of our current private surveillance and social media hellscape,' where TikTok commenters are using facial recognition tools to identify random people online. 'I think shaming is the extension of the algorithmic flow toward extremism,' says Cohen. 'The internet normalizes content as it progresses, meaning anything extreme must continue to become more extreme … We're also living through a period of perceived lawlessness and true crime investigations and shaming seem like justice, albeit amateur, vigilante justice.' Writing on Reddit in 2023, user Electronic_Gur_843 appealed for advice after being 'blasted publicly on the internet' for a 'mistake.' 'It was a traumatic experience that resulted in me being torn down by hundreds of thousands of people. It was on me for making the mistake, but it was also blown out of proportion. I don't want to reveal too much but I can assure you it was nothing illegal or bad enough to deem me a 'bad person.'I was just young/naive about the power of the internet and stirred up some drama.' They say their google results turn up 'pages of articles' about them, adding the whole experience left them 'severely depressed.' According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of adolescents have been cyberbullied and 9.5 percent of adolescents have made a serious suicide attempt, as of 2023, meaning that putting a stranger's business on main can have real, and sometimes devastating consequences. 'The aim of public shaming is to hold people accountable for their behavior that operates outside of the social norms, or is considered to be offensive,' says Fox Hamilton, adding that this is usually done with the aim of creating a society where everyone toes the line. But this mentality also means if something bad happens to someone—like being caught cheating online and having your family messaged by strangers as a result—we're more likely to victim blame, because we see them as deserving it. Ironically, Fox Hamilton says that 'people who have that belief in a just world are often more likely to publicly shame or jump on the bandwagon with stuff like this, because they think 'you did a bad thing, it's your fault, and I'm not responsible for anything bad that happens here.'' There's also a slippery slope when we start policing people according to our own morals and assumptions. In response to the Coldplay concert scandal, right-wing influencer Matt Walsh wrote on X, 'One of my least popular (but still correct) opinions is that adultery should be a criminal offense punishable by serious prison time for both parties involved.' It's not hard to imagine how that logic could be used to apply to a woman trapped in an abusive marriage, or people who don't subscribe to monogamy. When the target is a public figure, like a CEO, audiences can feel even more justified in attacking. 'There are so many issues going on in the world at the moment with big tech companies, and I think to some people Andy Byron represents that in a symbolic way,' says Fox Hamilton. Whether they're posting a video recounting a case, or posting active surveillance, the PIs interviewed by WIRED all say they are careful to obscure faces, and any identifiable landmarks to protect the identities and locations both of the accused, and the accusers. In Stephanie's case, she sometimes goes a step further, reenacting cases for video—a step taken to make sure of her client's confidentiality. None of their clients or clients partners have been doxed online. Allen-Stell agrees the public can take things too far—describing the Coldplay show fallout as a 'witch hunt.' 'What started out as holding people accountable has turned into the sport of public humiliation,' she says. 'It's reckless. The internet is not a courtroom, and random users are not investigators.'
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Grim update in search for missing NYC man who disappeared in Turks and Caicos
A decomposed body found during the search for a missing American man who vanished while vacationing in Turks and Caicos has been identified. Brian Tarrence, 52, was enjoying a romantic week-long getaway with his wife when he disappeared from their Airbnb rental in Grace Bay on June 25, just three days into the trip. He left the rental as his wife slept, after enjoying an intimate dinner and the afternoon on a boat. On July 5, authorities assisting in the search for the missing Manhattan man found a decomposed male body in Grace Bay, near the couple's accommodation. On Wednesday, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force confirmed the remains belonged to Tarrence. 'An autopsy conducted on July 11th revealed no signs of trauma, and at this time, there is no suspicion of foul play,' the police department said. Officials have not yet announced a cause of death. This will be determined by a full autopsy and toxicology report. The positive identification draws an end to a painful weeks-long process for his wife and loved ones back in the United States. 'The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force extends sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,' acting Commissioner Rodney Adams said. 'We urge members of the public to refrain from speculation and allow the investigative process to confirm the identity through official channels.' Tarrence's family had hired a private investigator to help find him. 'Everything prior to the point where he walked out of that house, he seems fine,' private investigator Carl DeFazio said during the search. 'The worst thing is not knowing,' he added. 'Every day that goes by is not good.' On June 22, the couple arrived at world-famous Grace Bay Beach on the northeast coast of Providenciales - a pristine stretch of shoreline famed for its crystal-clear waters, powdery white sand and upscale luxury resorts. After being notified of his disappearance, local police reviewed security footage near the Airbnb, which showed Tarrence - wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers - walking toward the tourist-heavy downtown area around 3.30am. 'That's a little bizarre in itself,' DeFazio told News 12, referring to the mystery of why Tarrence left the rental. 'He's in the middle of town. His wife was sleeping.' The area where Tarrence disappeared is 'very safe,' according to the investigator, and the New Yorker had both his cellphone and wallet with him when he left. 'We have him on camera, and he walks into town, and then he basically disappears, and we haven't heard from him since,' he told the outlet.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Body found in hunt for American who mysteriously vanished during romantic vacation with wife in Turks and Caicos
A body has been found in the search for a New York City man vanished while vacationing in Turks and Caicos after mysteriously leaving his rental in the middle of the night. Brian Tarrence, 51, of Midtown Manhattan, arrived to the coral islands on June 22 for a romantic getaway with his wife of one year, staying at an Airbnb in Grace Bay before their planned return to New York on June 29, as reported by News 12 Westchester. On Saturday, the search - which consisted of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and a private investigator - was a few hours deep when 'the body of a deceased male in a decomposed state' was found in Grace Bay. Authorities have not yet established or stated whether the body found at around 9:06am is Tarrence's. 'We the police extend condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and ask that the public not speculate and await positive identification of the deceased,' acting Commissioner Rodney Adams said. Just three days into their trip, Tarrence mysteriously left the rental while his wife slept - and hasn't been seen since. 'Everything prior to the point where he walked out of that house, he seems fine,' private investigator Carl DeFazio told the local outlet. 'The worst thing is not knowing,' he added. 'Every day that goes by is not good.' On June 22, the couple arrived at world-famous Grace Bay Beach on the northeast coast of Providenciales - a pristine stretch of shoreline famed for its crystal-clear waters, powdery white sand and upscale luxury resorts. Three days later, on June 25, Tarrence and his wife spent the afternoon on a boat before heading to dinner. However, later that night, his wife awoke to find that he was no longer in the rental home. After being notified, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police reviewed security footage near the Airbnb, which showed Tarrence - wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers - walking toward the tourist-heavy downtown area around 3.30am. 'That's a little bizarre in itself,' DeFazio told News 12, referring to the mystery of why Tarrence left the rental. 'He's in the middle of town. His wife was sleeping.' The area where Tarrence disappeared is 'very safe,' according to the investigator, and the New Yorker had both his cellphone and wallet with him when he left. 'We have him on camera, and he walks into town, and then he basically disappears, and we haven't heard from him since,' he told the outlet. Tarrence's family hired DeFazio as a private investigator to look into the sudden and uncharacteristic disappearance, as he has now been missing for nearly a week. 'So far, we haven't been successful in anything, but we're not giving up hope,' DeFazio said. DeFazio, who is also a former NYPD officer and Marine, has been working to obtain records of the 51-year-old's phone activity during his time on the islands, though he admitted the process has been slow, according to News 12. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police, who are also investigating the unusual case, have officially listed Tarrence as missing. 'We are trying everything we can,' DeFazio told the outlet. 'We've blanketed the area with photos, put it on social media and all kinds of things.' Police in the British Overseas Territory are deploying all resources to find the New Yorker, including drone scans and thorough reviews of CCTV footage to trace his movements on the night he disappeared, DeFazio shared, as reported by The New York Post. Tarrence's wife plans to stay in Turks and Caicos for now, holding onto hope of finding him. 'What I tell the family in cases like this: Stay positive until you have a reason not to be,' DeFazio said, as reported by The Post. The seasoned investigator, active since the 1990s, said he currently sees no evidence of foul play but isn't ruling out any possibilities. 'He's a smart guy,' he added. 'We don't know what's in his mind or if he did this on his own or if somebody took him in.' DeFazio also praised the island community's support amid Tarrence's disappearance, highlighting how missing persons flyers bearing his photo have been distributed 'everywhere in Turks and Caicos.' Now, Turks and Caicos police are urging anyone with information about Tarrence's disappearance to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477.
News.com.au
25-06-2025
- News.com.au
‘Keep hope alive': Family of Adelaide hiker last seen in Albania reveal major update after eight month ordeal
The family of an Australian who disappeared on a hiking trip in Albania have issued a fresh plea for answers, revealing their latest update eight months after he vanished. Cameron Twiss, 28, last spoke to his family ahead of trek into the Albanian Alps in October last year. His family are now fundraising for a private investigator following extensive searches of the area. 'So far Albanian police have not found any evidence and DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) haven't been able to help,' Cameron's brother Stuart said in the fundraiser. 'Our family has now employed private investigators, but despite their efforts, we've had no breakthroughs. 'We're reaching out to ask for help - any financial contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to us and will go directly toward continuing the search for Cameron.' Launched on Monday, the fundraiser had garnered more than $10,000 as of Wednesday night. Mr Twiss went missing in the Albanian Alps, which are also named the Accursed Mountains, which extend across Albania's northern border into Montenegro. Mr Twiss had planned to hike from an isolated village called Valbona, to another isolated village called Theth. Hiking websites generally consider the trip a moderately difficult trek while anecdotes on forums suggest hikers should take a guide on the journey during winter. The Adelaide Advertiser interviewed a hiking guide who took Mr Twiss and a group onto the trail, who revealed Mr Twiss split from the trek by himself part-way through the hike. The guide reported he was last seen heading for the busy path to Theth. The hike requires a day of travel by road to the remote starting point. Albanian authorities found Mr Twiss' passport in his hostel hundreds of kilometres away in the city of Shkoder. The hostel operator filed a missing persons report when Mr Twiss did not collect his belongings. 'Your support can make a real difference in helping us find answers,' Stuart said in the fundraiser. 'Please share this message and help us keep hope alive and find some answers in this hard time.'
