Why would somebody hire a Private Investigator to find me?

[Maeb]

This is a strange one I think a private investigator is tracking me and I have no idea why.

I'm sorry to put this in two threads (it's also in Legal) but I didn't know where to place it and I'm so worried as to why someone would be trying to find me. I'm not into anything shady and never have been, and apart from a weird stalker boyfriend when I was 14 am pretty much trouble free.

This is what has happened so far:

On Thusday my parents received a call from a man claiming to be a courier and that he needed to know when I was in to sign for a package. I moved away 20 years ago so my mum said I wasn't around but she could sign for it, but the man insisted it had to be me. My mum took his mobile number and gave it to me later on.

I phoned the number which went into voicemail with a man with Manchester accent saying 'A1 Couriers' so I left my name and number. I rang again later, and a man answered, I told him I was returning a call regarding the courier and he sounded confused, and didn't know what I was on about. It felt like he was stalling me (after all a wrong number is a wrong number) and after a minute or so he suddenly remembered his BIL has a courier company. He repeated my home phone number back to me as I was hanging up.

Nobody called back and something felt fishy as I'm not expecting any deliveries, and don't use my parents address so I googled the number and an advert for a private investigation company was the only result.

Yesterday I received 3 missed calls from a mobile number (which I have saved). When I called the number back, nobody spoke but it sounded like there was a porn film playing in the background.

This morning my landline rang and when I picked up I said hello 3 times before a man (who sounded like the courier voicemail message and the 'brother-in-law') said he must have the wrong number. When I 1471'd the number had been withheld.

My partner rang the courier company number and when the man answered 'A1 Couriers' DP asked him if this was MobileTraceUK...the man answered yes so DP hung up.

I am really paranoid and somewhat scared. I don't like the fact that somebody is calling my elderly parents. Why would somebody choose this route to find me? I've had the same mobile number and email address for 13 years so it can't be anyone I know well.

If anyone has any advice on how to handle it, can I ask them to back off or reveal why, any legal avenues I would so appreciate it.

Having looked at the website for this company it just looks like they find telephone numbers for people and charge about £200 for the "service". They don't seem to do any other investigating that I can see.

Can you make a Data Subject Access Request to this company? They have to give you all the information they hold on you for a small admin fee of no more than £12 (I think) under the Data Protection Act. Their confidentiality claims don't mean they can bypass the law.

I just saw that you linked on the other thread to their site which means that they will be able to track lots of hits and come in and view your thread. Not necessarily a problem but you might want to be aware of it.

very strange- am wondering if its mistaken identity? My friend was traced by a private investigator, in her case for a good reason as a relative she didn't know about had died and she inherited some money. However it was all quite above board and not sneaky like yours. Could you pop into your local police station? If they see you and see that you are scared maybe they will look into it rather than dismissing you.

Sounds like a bit of a shit firm. If I'd paid £200 for their dodgy service I'd be really annoyed.

Not that I would - you can trace mobile numbers for a lot less than £200!

Actually depending on your posting history I suppose if anyone did look at who was linking to their site it might reveal stuff about you....

AgentProvocateur - if only...my family is rat poor! Maybe Keanu Reeves has come to claim me as his bride...ah!

noddyholder - but if it's legit they don't have to lie to get information. If it's debt collection, still no need to lie. I moved out of my parents and hometown when I was 17 with no debts. I would be easily traced from then through electoral rolls so why go to my folks?

All sounds rather sneaky and dodgy to me.

I would be worried as well. Maybe you should make your profile private for now OP?

Debt collectors can lie (bit of an obvious statement there ) My exh had run up debt and they actually phoned my next door neighbour to ask them if he still lived here How they got next door neighbour's number I don't know. Really creepy though.

They always act in a furtive manner it is most odd. They are usually dodgy people who do teh job and expect anyone tehy are looking for to be evasive and liars too. The ones who came to my house insister I prove I wasn't my lodger it was a nightmare

Well, I've just changed our home phone number and I'm waiting for my Experian credit check.

I'll just have to wear a variety of disguises when I leave the house.

My poor mum is really spooked.

I don't know why people keep going on about debt when op has said she's never had any!

PooPooInMyToes - if only people knew how canny (ahem...tight) I am with my money! I think people have suggested it may be that someone has used my name to acquire a loan or something, which although sounds so horrific and stressy that I am literally putting my fingers in my ears and shouting lalala it is a possibility.

It may be they are trying to trace another person with the same as me...

Long shot but have you been involved in a road traffic accident, sometimes if there are suspicions about one of the parties in an insurance claim the insurers get companies to check phone numbers and addresses to see if the person matches with policy details. Not suggesting they think you are dodgy but they might have suspicions about one of the other parties in any accident.

A friend of mine once worked as a 'private investigator' and her work was mainly for banks and credit card companies tracing people who owed money. She had to phone their parents and pretend to be an old friend, and ask for their address. She was not honest to the parents, but it was above board, not dodgy.

Or maybe it's related to an adoption in your extended family?

flimflammery - but I don't owe any money. Again, my family is very vanilla, not wealthy, and if someone was trying to trace me, why lie?

NorthernNumpty, no accidents, or any involvement with the law.

It's so odd, and to be honest quite disconcerting. I'll be checking out my front window for someone taking photos with a long lens camera!

SHE DOESN'T OWE ANY MONEY!

She may do if someone has used her identity!
Bloody odd though, hope it all turns out okay.

Every six months or so, I get a call from a "courier company" asking me if I have seen my (admittedly, a bit dodgy) next door neighbours, as there is an "urgent parcel that needs signing for" or "an envelope that has been returned to them as undelivered that they need to re-send". Sometimes they ask me to describe who lives there, to "make sure they are the intended receipients."
I always decline to answer any questions, as they are clearly (and have admitted, when challenged), to be debt collecting agencies.

How strange! Hope you get to the bottom of it. nothing useful to add but bumping for you

Just to update, I received 5 calls from an unknown/withheld number on Monday evening within 45mins and they didn't leave a message.

On Wednesday morning I had 6 calls from a Manchester number, again no messages.

My Experian report came through and there were no surprises or anomalies.

I bought a PayAsYouGo sim and have used it to call the Manchester number (it just rings and rings) and the porn playing mobile number (straight to voicemail).

So I have no idea what this is about.

Talk to the police about harrassment?

That's really strange. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.