The recent accusations that Tiger Woods has been cheating on his wife of five years with as many as twelve women begs the question; How did he get away with it for so long? If someone is cheating they likely leave clues. With this in mind, I have developed the top five sources of clues that may indicate you have a cheater in your midst.

5. Friends

Friends are good sources for signs that something is going on. Do the suspected cheater's friends treat you differently than before? Does the cheater isolate his/her friends from you?

A client attended a holiday party in Long Beach, CA. At the holiday party the client met some of his wife's friends for the first time. One of her friend's commented, I had no idea you were married. Another friend also expressed shock to learn that the wife was married. The husband talked to the friends more and learned that none of them knew his wife was married. He dug further and later found that his wife was having an affair with a long time friend.

4. Work

Often, you can uncover signs of infidelity through the suspected cheaters workplace. Do his/hers co-workers act different around you then before? Are there signs the cheater is hiding something at work? Is he/she working longer hours than usual? Do the cheater's co-workers mistake you for someone else?

Recently, I had a client who visited her boyfriend at work. She introduced herself to a co- worker who promptly said, Oh, you are the teacher in Los Angeles? She quickly replied, No, I work at a dentist's office. She thought this was very strange and looked into it further. She found that her boyfriend was having a 1 year affair with a teacher who resided in Van Nuys.

3. Vehicle

A suspected cheater's vehicle can have a cornucopia of evidence. Check the odometer on the vehicle. Check inside the vehicle. Often a lazy cheater will leave evidence from a past rendezvous. In California, a registered owner of a vehicle can place a GPS monitoring system on their vehicle to track the whereabouts of that vehicle.

A wife and mother who reside in Orange County checked her husband's vehicle odometer and found that although he only worked 10 miles from home, he was putting 100 miles and more on his vehicle every day. She later found that her husband was having a relationship with a female in Riverside, CA.

2. Computer

These days a computer is a busy hub for day to day communication. Often, cheaters will use the computer to secretly communicate with their partner in crime. Is the suspected cheater online late at night? Does he/she quickly shut off the computer when you walk in the room? Check the browsing history on the computer. Check the temporary files on the computer. If you own and control the computer there are several types of software that can secretly document the activity on the computer.

A wife in Los Angeles placed a computer spyware program on her computer. Within two weeks, she found that her husband was sending pictures, talking to and eventually meeting three separate women in the Los Angeles area.

1. Cell Phone

A cell phone is the number one way to catch a cheat. The cell phone is the main communication device for cheaters. Does the suspected cheater hide his/her cell phone? Is there a pass code on the phone? Are there unfamiliar numbers programmed in the phone? When you check the phone bill are there recurring phone numbers for calls made late at night or every day?

A girlfriend and mother of three checked her boyfriend's phone bill that she paid. She found a phone number that would call about four times a day. She went to the boyfriend's phone and found the number programmed into the phone saved as "Jim Moore". When she called the phone a young female voice answered. She bravely questioned the female and found that her boyfriend was having a two month affair with this female, who he met at work. The other female had no idea he had a live in girlfriend and three kids.

These sources of clues are great ways to start an investigation. Of course, the best evidence is to catch them in the act. That can only be accomplished by hiring an experienced private investigator to conduct surveillance. A qualified surveillance investigator will supply you with detailed evidence of the affair.

Justin D. Hodson, CPI is an infidelity investigations expert. He is a Vice President and the Director of Surveillance at Gailey Associates, Inc. He also serves as the Vice President of Investigative Services for the world's largest association of licensed private investigators, the California Association of Licensed Investigators. Gailey Associates, Inc. is a full service investigations firm with offices in Garden Grove and Los Angeles, CA.