While many cases have evidence that provides clues to the offender, some cases leave investigators with no apparent information at all. In these situations, criminal profilers are often assigned to the investigation. In many cases, the developed profiles may help detect, apprehend, and convict the offenders. There also are situations where the profile of an offender might be off the mark. As a result, it is important to bear in mind that while criminal profiling might be useful in tracking down offenders before they commit another crime, profiling should not be viewed as being 100% accurate. Much of the success of profiling hinges on whether profilers accurately identify key characteristics of offenders, such as age, race, gender, and lifestyle. Missing the mark on these characteristics might lead investigations down the wrong path and ultimately allow offenders to inflict additional harm on society.