“Do you have boots on the ground in South Africa?” “Can you do a background check in Brazil?” “Is it safe to travel to Mexico?”
With more and more companies doing business globally, we hear these sorts of questions often. However, to have a meaningful discussion with your investigative partner, you should be prepared to answer more than a few general questions. This basic overview of international investigations will help you get the information you need.
How does a U.S. company conduct international investigations?
The answer is simple: through partner organizations. Yes, some companies have a footprint in many parts of the world. However, no investigative firms have in-house boots on the ground everywhere in the world.
Before Contacting an International Investigations Firm…
To get the best results, the investigation firm needs the right information. Let’s review a couple of common requests for examples of information you’ll need to provide.
Background Check
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- Location (country, city, town, etc.) of the person or business of interest. If you want a background check of a person who’s relatively new to the area, previous addresses will lead to better results.
- Purpose of the request. Employment? Vetting a potential business partner or new acquisition? Related to litigation or an international investigation?
- Goal. What type of information are you interested in? Do you want, say, open source information or do you want more in-depth information with source interviews, site visits, etc.?
- Consent. For employment-related matters, you will have to obtain written consent from the person being investigated. However, for other matters, are you able to get consent? Based on the jurisdiction, the information available without permission can vary greatly.
- Timeline. The process to obtain certain types of information in other countries can vary widely.
Executive Protection Detail
- What are the specific locations and itinerary?
- How many travelers? When will they be traveling?
- What is the purpose of the travel?
- Will you need vehicles in addition to personnel?
- Any other special requests?
- Are there any known threats against the individuals or company?
- Have there been any previous incidents of concern?
The above questions typically start the conversation. Based on the information provided, the international investigations partner will likely have additional questions specific to your needs.
Keep Your Options Open
Unless you have regular needs in a particular country or have an established partner, it’s always a good idea to request services from multiple vendors in areas outside of the United States.
Here’s why.
In many parts of the world, there may be limited resources. A U.S. investigative firm may only have one investigator in a particular area. If that individual isn’t available, the U.S. firm may not be able to fulfill your request. Depending on the urgency of your request, this could be problematic. If time is of the essence, you’ll want to have an alternative.
If you have international background screening or international investigations needs, please contact us at (212) 871-1274.
