Philic Man
The private investigation business has long been dominated by men. In 2009, Philic Man broke into the industry by setting up her own investigation firm, with 80 percent of the employees being women. Man tells Grace Tsoi about the joy and difficulties of being a female private investigator.
HK Magazine: Being a private investigator is not a very common career choice. What stimulated your interest?
Philic Man: Some of my relatives worked as private investigators. So when I was a kid, I knew that the profession of private investigator existed in the world. Every summer, I used to follow my relatives who worked as private investigators. I would hide inside the van and observe how they worked, how they used the equipment.
HK: What inspired you to open your own investigation firm?
PM: After graduation, I worked in different investigation firms, and I saw the dark side of the industry. Some black sheep would just take a couple of pictures, claim that they accomplished the job, and charge sky-high prices. But basically, they had done nothing! I have also seen some private investigators tell their targets that they were being investigated and then asked the targets for money to cover it up. It’s fraud!
HK: Why did you mainly employ women?
PM: We have employed females of different ages, education levels and backgrounds. People are usually less wary of women, so our targets will not be so vigilant in the presence of women. With make-up and different attires, it’s also easier for women to change their looks during an investigation. Females are more detail-oriented and better at observation. Many of our clients suffer emotionally, and they often find women to be better communicators with whom they can share their problems and worries.
HK: What are the basic qualities of a good private investigator?
PM: Sometimes we have to go on business trips. Say a client asks us to follow a target in Europe. The further away you go, the more difficult the task is. You have to understand the culture and language of a foreign place—you have to assimilate into the environment, so that the target will not be alerted.
HK: A private investigator has to follow targets and collect evidence. What kind of equipment and props do you have?
PM: One of our employees has a PhD in electrical engineering. So we tailor-make the equipment for our clients, such as secret cameras that can be installed at home or a video recorder that is put inside a handbag. We also have a range of props. Our company has seven vehicles—we need different vehicles in different scenarios. For example, if we have to follow targets who are richer, there’s no way for us to use an old car! We actually keep a dog as well, and it is sometimes needed during investigations. It’s a very well-trained dog.
HK: What are the common types of cases that you deal with?
PM: 80 percent of our clients are females, and we deal with a lot of cases that are related to extra-marital affairs. That’s why we always place a tissue box in our offices—many clients may be depressed and have breakdowns. But we don’t only take adultery cases. There are more and more clients who employ us to conduct background checks on their love interests. Some parents also hire us to check on their kids, to find out what they are really doing.
