Our managing partner, Philip Becnel, was quoted in an article in Pursuit Magazine, a trade publication for private investigators. The article, called “Should We Trust Trustify?” states:
When it comes to Trustify, one of the dominant voices of skepticism comes from Philip Becnel, a partner with the D.C. firm Dinolt Becnel & Wells Investigative Group. Becnel has written two books on private investigation and has appeared in numerous media outlets as a go-to expert on matters concerning the profession. “I like the idea of streamlining and modernizing the private investigations industry. I think that if you really define what it is you’re doing, or if it’s under a narrow scope, I think it’s possible that an app could play some role, but I think the private investigator app that’s one size fits all, I think it’s a fantasy.”
One of Becnel’s chief concerns is that if all transactions are conducted via an app, no one will be in charge of vetting the client. “You could be a stalker, you could be a mobster, you could be Al Qaeda, and you can hire Trustify, and they’ll get you what you need.”
Becnel also has qualms with Trustify’s price structure. “What they’re offering private investigators is way under market value. You just can’t do this work for $30 an hour. I think they’re going to have a really hard time finding people. They claim they have 2,000 investigators. I don’t believe it.”
Philip has been widely quoted in the news regarding the claims made by Trustify, which offers investigative services through an app-like interface.