Love day boon for spies tracking infidelity
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-02-14 07:02

For many, Valentine's Day conjures up images of love, romance, flowers and chocolate.

But for detective agencies across the United States, the romantic holiday is a boon for business as it is the ideal time for a spouse to catch a cheating mate.

For detective agencies across the United States, Valentine's Day is a boon for business as it is the ideal time for a spouse to catch a cheating mate. [AFP]

"Valentine's Day is the biggest day of the year for private investigators," Tony Delorenzo, of Private Detectives of America, a New Jersey-based company, told AFP.

"This year we're doing surveillance Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday because if somebody has a lover it will be on one of those days to catch him."

Delorenzo and several other sleuths contacted said that in the run-up to the February 14 holiday, they had been overwhelmed with appeals by men and women seeking to find out whether their partner was unfaithful.

"Let me put it to you this way," Paul Dank, co-owner of Advanced Surveillance Group, a detective agency based in Michigan and with offices in 14 other states, told AFP.

"We're having a real, real difficult time finding anybody else that can assist us with surveillance right now and we are referring cases to other companies."

He said Valentine's Day was an opportune time to catch a cheating partner as it was the one day lovers would battle all odds to be with each other.

"People involved in a relationship tend to make a big ceremonial meeting on or near Valentine's Day to celebrate it," Dank said. "They feel they have to do something new, special so they go out and buy new underwear, flowers, candy and they get a hotel room with a Jacuzzi."

Telltale signs of a cheating spouse is the surprise "business trip" or late office meeting, unexplained gifts and the depressed friend who needs a shoulder to cry on.

"This is the one day when infidelity and extra-marital affairs reach their peak," said Ruth Houston, author of "Is He Cheating on You -- 829 Telltale Signs".