# federal employees and private eyes



## TheoMiller (Oct 4, 2013)

I can't get the google to work properly, so, here's my question:

I'm writing this story where there's a suspected catfishing scheme and the private eye knows the [likely faked] internet boyfriend works as a part of the US Department of Agriculture Forestry Services and is stationed in Maine, and even knows his full name. Would it be possible for the private eye to get confirmation of whether or not a person by that guy's name - "John Smith" or such like - works there?

Not anything else, just whether or not he's an employee. It seems like it would fall under the FOIA, but there's also the exceptions to protect privacy.


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## popsprocket (Oct 4, 2013)

Not that I know much about the department of agriculture, but if it's not a secret organisation why couldn't the private eye just pick up the phone and ask to be put through to John Smith? Or go to the reception desk and ask to see him or pretend to be a post worker with a package for John?


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## TheoMiller (Oct 4, 2013)

> Or go to the reception desk and ask to see him


Because the private eye has limited money and lives halfway across the country.


> pick up the phone


I'll have to look into that, but I can't seem to figure out which office of the Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation & Forestry he would have to call, and I'm trying to be accurate.


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## popsprocket (Oct 4, 2013)

The readers won't know either. They won't look it up either.

The ones that do know will go "haha that's wrong" and that is the extent of how much it matters. It's enough to call the govt department that he works in. Don't get caught up in overcomplicating it.


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## TheoMiller (Oct 4, 2013)

But is that legal? I mean, if the PI couldn't get a hold of the correct department or whatever, could they ask about federal employees like that? Or is that a breach of the privacy rules?


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## TheoMiller (Oct 4, 2013)

The MC is a shiny brand new PI, just FYI. And wow, that's a lot of acronyms.


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## popsprocket (Oct 5, 2013)

I don't live in America so I don't know about that but I can't imagine why it would be illegal. All kinds of people have business that they may want to conduct with the department so it can't be unusual for someone to call in and ask to speak with an employee specifically.

If your PI wants to feel smart maybe he can do some research on what John Smith does there and then call up and ask speak to him, saying something "John Smith suggested I give him a call for help in doing [x], may I speak with him?"


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## egpenny (Oct 5, 2013)

Most PI's have access to locator programs on the internet.  They have to pay for the service, but the programs are used for skip-tracing and other  investigative reasons for finding someone.  And if you just enter the name online you're going to get a bunch of hits.  The PI will have to sort through them to find the right person, but Maine isn't that populated, so it shouldn't be that much of a gigantic job.  Of course, if the man's name is John Smith, the PI might not live long enough to sort through everyone :shock:  As a test enter your own name and see how many of you there are.


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## egpenny (Oct 5, 2013)

Once he knows the man is there, it shouldn't be that hard to verify.  The Forestry Service isn't a secret organization or an intelligence agency.  A phone call to the office he works out of should do the trick.


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## TheoMiller (Oct 5, 2013)

Yeah, no, John Smith is an example name. Dunno yet what I'll call him. Naming is distracting. Thanks, guys.


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## J Anfinson (Oct 6, 2013)

I don't know about other states, but here in Oklahoma PI's are licensed through the Council of Law Enforcement and Training and have to take a course through them to get their license. One of the benefits they have once they get that license is the use of the Department of Motor Vehicles. They can walk into any tag office and look up plate numbers. I don't know how much that helps you, but looking into what all sorts of benefits PI's have in the state your character is in may help you sort this out.


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