Evans couldn't provide the victim's current home address, but gave the calltaker a number of the victim's previous addresses. The calltaker was convinced the man on the phone was the victim, Judge Ronayne said.
"Winz is also the victim here," he said.
Evans was asking questions about the victim's benefit, and asked for a break-down of the benefit to be posted to him and for the call taker to give him the address he had for the victim.
The calltaker was alerted that something could be amiss when Evans abruptly hung up on the call and told his manager.
His manager listened back to the recording of the interview and compared it with other calls with the victim, then phoned police, who traced the call to Evans.
Defence lawyer John Kovacevich said Evans was remorseful for what he had done, and admitted to the offending at the first opportunity.
Judge Ronayne acknowledged Evans' early guilty plea when handing down his sentence.
The chairman of the New Zealand Institute of Private Investigators [NZIPI] Ron McQuilter said Evans was not a member of the industry authority.
"It's unfortunate that anyone can apply to be a licensed private investigator... there's no actual actual requirement in the act to put forward qualifications or previous experience [to gain a licence].
"We can't stop them being licensed but that's why having a code of ethics and being part of the Institute does give the client some comfort."
Mr McQuilter said private investigators must apply be part of the NZIPI and were screened by the committee before being accepted.
Complaints were brought before a complaints committee to be investigated.
