Field Investigations

Where Intelligence Becomes Boots on the Ground

From digital footprints to on-the-ground verification, our investigators carry cases from online detection to physical evidence. Operating through the same in-house team across 100+ countries, we turn scattered signals into court-ready evidence that supports legal enforcement action.

Ask About Our On-the-ground Operations

Confidence in Every Investigation

Investigations only carry legal weight when they're conducted to a defensible standard. IP House investigators are licensed where required across the regions we operate, and our evidence-handling practices are designed to align with applicable surveillance laws, legal standards, and ethical guidelines.

Global Operational Reach

With investigators operating in over one hundred countries across five continents, we reach markets, jurisdictions, and supply chain hotspots many competitors can’t access.

Government-Recognized Partnerships

Formal agreements with government bodies such as the UK Intellectual Property Office and the U.S. IPR Center back our enforcement support with government-level credibility.

Licensed Investigators

Our investigators are licensed in every region they operate and are held to strict standards that go beyond what local regulation may require.

From Intelligence to Decisive Action

Field Investigations begin when online detection and disruption need to go further, transforming digital intelligence into deeper investigations and evidence that supports legal and law enforcement action.

Detect Disrupt Escalate Enforce

Brand risk can surface anywhere.

Whether findings are made in the digital world or our investigators are tipped off in person, every lead becomes an opportunity to uncover the source, gather evidence, and advance the investigation.

HUMINT Threat & Target Identification

Some networks stay hidden from digital monitoring entirely. We gather direct, human-sourced insight into operations that only reveal themselves through in-person engagement or surveillance.

Supply Chain Hotspot Identification

Illicit goods move through physical hubs long before they reach a customer. We identify supply chain hotspots and high-risk locations where counterfeit activity concentrates.

Reclaim control of your brand presence.

Illicit goods need a route to market, a place to sell, and a network to move through. We disrupt each layer, targeting the physical infrastructure that keeps the operation moving.

Disrupting Distribution Routes

Illicit goods depend on established supply routes to reach the market. We work to interrupt those routes at supply chain hotspots, cutting off the paths counterfeit goods rely on.

Market & Vendor Disruption

An infringer needs a place to sell. We coordinate with landlords, market operators, and local authorities to remove infringing vendors from physical points of sale.

Interrupting Illicit Trade Networks

Individual takedowns rarely stop a network. We target the connections between suppliers, distributors, and sellers, disrupting the broader operation rather than one link at a time.

Follow the trail to identify the operators.

Infringers rely on anonymity and fragmented intelligence to stay hidden. We trace identities, assets, and shared infrastructure to expose the full scope of the operation.

Attribution

Anonymous accounts and pseudonyms shield the people actually responsible. We link digital footprints across platforms, correlate behavioral patterns, and examine geographic and temporal indicators to connect anonymous activity to real, identifiable individuals and organizations.

Asset Tracing & Financial Investigation

Illicit operations generate real revenue that flows somewhere. We trace assets through public records, corporate filings, and cryptocurrency transactions, mapping ownership and financial flows to reveal the true scale and structure of the operation.

Cross-Border Investigation

Criminal networks rarely respect borders, and a single-country view misses the bigger picture. We launch cross-border investigations, online and offline, mapping illicit networks and identifying suspects tied to the broader operation.

Where evidence supports enforcement.

Strong investigations produce stronger evidence. We build court-ready evidence packages and coordinate with law enforcement to support legal proceedings and enforcement worldwide.

Evidence Development for Litigation

Findings only matter if they hold up in court. We build timelines, establish intent and scope, and assemble court-ready evidence packages, complete with sources, screenshots, and timestamps, to support litigation and criminal referrals.

Law Enforcement Collaboration

Strong evidence still needs the right partners to drive action. We coordinate with law enforcement agencies to support knock-and-talks, cease-and-desist delivery, and, where warranted, raids and seizures that disrupt criminal operations.

Intelligence & Investigation, Connected

Field Investigation

Field investigations put licensed teams directly into supply chain hotspots and physical markets, verifying and building on what online intelligence uncovers.

Surveillance and on-the-ground monitoring identify high-risk locations and confirm suspected activity firsthand.
HUMINT (Human Intelligence) gathers direct, human-sourced insight into networks operating out of reach of digital monitoring.
Field teams verify online intelligence, confirming digital findings before an investigation moves forward.
Licensed investigators collaborate with law enforcement to execute raids, seizures, or prosecutions against confirmed infringers.

Integrated Approach

Connecting online findings to physical confirmation into one continuous case creates a complete, verified picture of a subject, event, or claim.

Test purchases verify authenticity and gather evidence across both digital and in-person transactions.
Reporting and chain of custody help preserve evidential integrity from initial detection through final disposition, supporting legal and law enforcement action.
Evidence developed online or in the field builds the record needed to support litigation and legal action.
Market impact assessments map the scale and distribution of infringing activity across online and physical channels alike.

Online Intelligence

Digital investigations trace threats through their online footprint, from dark web trawling and covert outreach to OSINT research across platforms.

Online monitoring flags suspected infringements and identifies targets for deeper investigation.
Covert outreach and engagement on websites, forums, social media, and apps uncovers the bad actors behind the activity.
Dark web trawling collects data from hidden networks for proactive threat intelligence.
OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) traces and identifies unauthorized sellers or networks.

Validate Brand Risk Across Global Marketplaces

Test Purchases

A test purchase is more than a transaction. It's the first step in building a defensible case.

Our investigators discreetly acquire suspected counterfeit, gray market, or infringing products to verify authenticity, seller authorization, and identify the extent of the threat. Every purchase is documented through a secure chain of custody, producing evidence that can support targeted investigations, legal proceedings, and coordinated enforcement. Most importantly, each purchase generates intelligence that can uncover wider networks, identify repeat offenders, and guide the next phase of an investigation.

15,000+ test purchases made annually
B2C and B2B purchases
Undercover resources including Covert Trading Entities (CTEs)
Dark web trawling and covert outreach
In-person engagements
Product evaluation

Choose the right test purchase approach, from standard to complex.

Tier 1

Tier 1 focuses on rapid acquisition and is ideal for clients who need a streamlined click and buy purchase with optional verification of product authenticity, without extensive documentation or legal evidence. Tier 1 test purchases can also be used as a cost-effective ‘Mystery Shopper’ service across 100+ countries.

Tier 2

Tier 2 includes more detailed reporting and evidence of chain of custody. Our team thoroughly documents the purchase process, ensuring all steps are meticulously recorded. This level of service is ideal for gathering robust evidence that can be used in legal proceedings or to support enforcement actions.

Tier 3

Tier 3 is for more complex situations potentially involving lengthy interaction or operation within a B2B environment. It involves extensive undercover operations to engage with sellers over an extended period. This tier is designed for scenarios where infiltration and sustained interaction are necessary to uncover sophisticated illicit activities.

Read Our Latest Report

IP House and Digital Citizens Alliance Expose How Global Piracy Networks Operate as Organized Crime Syndicates

Download Report

Evidence Handling and Reporting

Strong cases depend on disciplined evidence handling and documentation.

We collect, preserve, and document evidence through every stage of an investigation to maintain its integrity from initial findings to case closure. When a case advances to litigation or criminal referral, every finding is supported by a clear chain of custody and documentation that can withstand legal scrutiny.

Chain of custody investigation reporting
Full documentation including sources, screenshots, and timestamps
Evaluation of physical products, digital purchases, and network investigations
Storage and disposal options
Built for intelligence analysis alone or for civil litigation or criminal referral
Expert guidance from investigation onset to operational conclusion

Stay in control of your brand,
anywhere it lives.

Our experts are here to help you assess your IP protection needs.

Ask About Test Purchases