Questions about AI investigation reports

Ridgeline Intel synthesizes open-source intelligence (OSINT) from publicly available data categories including:

• Court records and civil litigation filings
• Property records and deed transfers
• Business registration and secretary of state filings
• Social media profiles (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram)
• News archives and press mentions
• UCC filings and lien records
• Professional licensing databases
• Open-source intelligence directories

We only use legally accessible public data — no dark web scraping, no illegal data aggregation, no purchased data broker files.

BeenVerified, Intelius, Spokeo, and TruthFinder are designed for consumer self-service lookups. They return raw data dumps — lists of addresses, phone numbers, relatives — without analysis or professional judgment.

Ridgeline Intel is built for professional investigators. It generates a structured intelligence dossier with:

• An executive summary with professional assessment language
• Risk score (1–10) with written rationale
• Synthesized findings across multiple categories (identity, records, social, business, media)
• Source citations for verification
• Report format ready for case files and client deliverables

Additionally, Ridgeline's subscription model makes it far more cost-effective for investigators running 20+ cases per month compared to per-report consumer services.

Ridgeline Intel handles the research phase that a human investigator would otherwise spend 2–4 hours on per subject. A skilled PI's value is their judgment, field work, source cultivation, and legal expertise — not manually pulling public records.

Our reports are best understood as a force multiplier for investigators: use Ridgeline to complete the public records research instantly, then apply your professional judgment to the findings and determine next steps. Many of our users are investigators who use Ridgeline as a first pass before deciding whether a case warrants deeper work.

For straightforward background checks that don't require field work, Ridgeline can be the entire research deliverable.

Ridgeline Intel reports are research tools, not certified legal documents. They are appropriate for:

• Identifying leads for further investigation
• Supporting context in case files
• Determining what records to formally request via subpoena or FOIA
• Briefing attorneys before depositions or negotiations

For use as evidence in formal legal proceedings, findings should be independently verified and obtained through proper legal channels where required. Consult with your attorney regarding admissibility in your jurisdiction.

Yes. Ridgeline Intel researches only publicly available information — the same data any person could legally find through manual research. Using OSINT for professional investigation purposes is legal in all US jurisdictions.

Note: how you use the resulting reports may be subject to regulations depending on context. For example, using background check reports for employment decisions in the US may trigger FCRA compliance requirements. Ridgeline Intel is not a consumer reporting agency (CRA) under the FCRA. Users are responsible for ensuring their use complies with applicable law.

Most reports are generated within 2–5 minutes of submission. AI research begins immediately after you submit a case.

You'll receive a notification and can track status in real time. The full report typically appears within 3 minutes for standard cases. More complex subjects with extensive public records may take up to 15 minutes. In rare cases involving very common names requiring disambiguation, generation may take longer.

You always receive the report at the URL linked from your submission confirmation — no need to check back manually.

Ridgeline Intel stores the name, case type, and generated report content associated with each investigation request. We do not acquire, purchase, or maintain a proprietary database of subjects' personal information — we only research and store what we find from public sources at the time of the query.

Subject data is retained for your account history and is not sold to third parties. We comply with applicable privacy laws. If you have specific data retention requirements, contact us to discuss enterprise arrangements.

Three plans available — see full pricing:

• Starter — $199/mo: 50 reports/month. Background checks, due diligence, OSINT, person search. Case dashboard, email support.
• Professional — $399/mo: Unlimited reports, priority processing, bulk CSV upload, advanced OSINT. Best for active investigators.
• Enterprise — $699/mo: Unlimited reports, white-label output, API access, dedicated account support.

At 50 reports/month on Starter, effective cost is $3.98 per report — significantly cheaper than manual OSINT research at $150+/hr or per-report services at $30–$100 each.

Four case types currently supported:

• Background Check — Comprehensive public records search on an individual. Covers identity, criminal/civil records, social media, business affiliations.
• Due Diligence — In-depth research on individuals or business entities for legal or financial decisions. Includes corporate structure and litigation history.
• Person Search — Locating and profiling an individual. Useful for skip tracing support and subject location indicators.
• OSINT Lookup — Open-source intelligence research for investigative purposes. Best for insurance fraud triage and general investigation support.

All case types produce the same structured dossier format with an executive summary, categorized findings, and risk score. See Use Cases for detailed examples of each.