BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — This Valentine's Day, the National Retail Federation estimates 53% of people plan to celebrate the holiday, while 27% are not planning to celebrate but will still mark the occasion. According to a Bakersfield Private Investigator, Valentine's Day is the busiest time of the year for him, and just in the last few weeks, he's received more than 20 calls requesting an investigation into a spouse for cheating.
“That could be staying out late, not showing an interest in your partner, not showing emotion, not being attached," Private Investigator Kirk Acosta said.
It begins with recognizing the red flags.
“Women are a little more intuitive, they see the flags better than men do," Acosta said.
Bakersfield Private Investigator Kirk Acosta says more women call him to investigate if their spouse is cheating while men will reach out for financial reasons.
“Each case is different because each case comes with its own complexities depending on the family dynamics. If the family is still together," Acosta said.
Acosta says once the clues are gathered, he starts the investigation.
"It's not on the date of Valentine's because that's a hyper focused day for both the spouses. If the affair is ongoing and they get back into that comfort level, that's when we usually catch them and it's a lot easier to catch them after Valentine's Day because they believe that their spouse is now comfortable and happy because of what they did for them on this day," Acosta said.
Some common places used as a lookout for Private Investigators are restaurants, hotels, and parking lots.
“You also have to analyze, is this person working more? Have they been hired in another position? Did they lose some work? Is there some financial instability?" Acosta said.
Acosta says you can't hide.
“If you are going to cheat, start with communication with your spouse because we could be watching you one of these days and the truth will come out."
According to a study done by WalletHub, the biggest reasons to break up with someone this year begins with cheating. 62% said they would call off the relationship if they found out their significant other was cheating. Other reasons include a difference in political views, money problems, COVID-19 related issues, and long distance. On the other hand, 53% of American's feel that financial infidelity can be worse than cheating.
