A growing share of the cases we see begin online: a teenager targeted on social media, an anonymous account that will not leave someone alone, a company whose client data surfaces in a forum, a fake profile using your photographs. These problems feel invisible and endless, but they leave traces. A private investigator in Greece who understands open-source intelligence can turn those traces into documented findings that you, your lawyer and the authorities can act on.
The office of Petros Drolias, licensed private investigator in Athens since the early 1990s, has handled more than 1,500 cases in 14 countries. Our online investigations combine structured open-source research, careful evidence preservation and the field experience to connect what happens on a screen with what happens in real life.
What online investigations cover
Each of the six services below focuses on a different kind of digital threat. They often overlap: a stalking case may involve a fake profile, or a data leak may lead to a scam campaign.
Cyberbullying
Online bullying of children and young people can be relentless, and it rarely stays online. We help parents and schools document the behaviour properly, preserve messages and posts before they are deleted, identify those involved where possible and prepare material for the platform, the school and, if necessary, the police. For broader concerns about young people, see our teen concerns service.
Cyberstalking
Cyberstalking can involve constant messages, fake accounts, monitoring of your posts or threats. We analyse the pattern, preserve evidence in a way that keeps its value, and use open-source techniques to establish who may be behind it. We then support you and your lawyer in seeking protection through the authorities and the courts.
Removal of personal information
Personal addresses, phone numbers, private photos or outdated news can follow you for years. We map where your information appears, identify what can lawfully be removed or de-indexed, and pursue removal through platform tools, search engine requests and your rights under the GDPR. We are honest about what is achievable and never promise results that depend on third parties.
Organised online groups
Some threats are not one person but a coordinated group: romance and investment scam networks, harassment campaigns, or fraud rings using fake shops and accounts. We map the accounts, websites and payment routes visible in public sources, document links between them and prepare a structured report for the victim, their lawyer and the authorities.
Social media investigations
Public social media activity is often relevant evidence: a claimant photographed skiing while on sick leave, an ex-partner's public posts in a custody dispute, a business partner's undisclosed connections. We research and archive public content lawfully, record dates and sources and present the results clearly. We never use deception to access private profiles or messages.
Dark web research
Stolen credentials, customer databases and confidential documents are traded on dark web markets and forums. We search for references to your company, domains, executives or personal details, assess what has been exposed and advise on the next steps, working with your IT team or advisers. This is research and monitoring, not hacking.
How an online investigation works
We start by understanding what is happening and preserving the evidence before anything is deleted. We then agree the specific questions to answer, for example who is behind an account, how far the content has spread or whether data has been leaked, and you receive a written plan and cost estimate.
The research itself uses open sources, specialised tools and, where useful, field enquiries offline. The deliverable is a written report with dated captures, source links, an analysis of the findings and recommended next steps, suitable for platforms, employers, schools, lawyers or the police.
Common mistakes to avoid
People facing an online threat understandably want to act immediately. Some reactions, however, make things harder to resolve:
- Deleting messages or blocking too early. Blocking can be right for your wellbeing, but first make sure the evidence is saved. Deleted conversations are difficult or impossible to recover.
- Confronting the person. Replying, threatening or trying to expose them publicly often escalates the situation and can alert them to delete their traces.
- Paying a blackmailer. In extortion cases, payment rarely ends the demands. Stop engaging, preserve the evidence and seek help.
- Trying to hack back. Accessing the other person's accounts, even to prove what they are doing, is a criminal offence and would undermine your own case.
- Relying on screenshots without context. A cropped image without a date, time or profile link is easy to dispute. Proper preservation records where and when the content appeared.
A hypothetical example: a professional in Athens discovers a fake profile using her photographs to contact her clients. By preserving the profile correctly, mapping the connected accounts and identifying the patterns behind them, it becomes possible to present a clear case to the platform and the police, rather than a series of disconnected screenshots.
Staying within the law online
The internet makes it easy to cross legal lines without realising it. Article 19 of the Greek Constitution protects the privacy of communications and makes illegally obtained evidence inadmissible. Article 370A of the Penal Code criminalises illegal interception, and the GDPR and Law 4624/2019 govern personal data. We therefore never hack accounts, guess passwords, install spyware or obtain data from platforms or telecom providers outside lawful procedures.
Get help now
If something online is affecting your safety, your family or your business, contact us for a free, confidential consultation in English. Call 24/7, send a message through our contact page or book a consultation. If you suspect your own devices are compromised, our counter-surveillance service can check them.