Skip tracing, as the business of finding a person is known, may seem to the uninitiated like the modern-day equivalent of the black arts practiced in the Middle Ages.
Professional skip tracers claim to be able to locate just about anybody, anywhere in a matter of minutes by means of a couple phone calls or taps on a computer keyboard.
And they often deliver. How do they do it?
Their main secret is the social security trace. In using this type of search, theyre simply running the subjects social security number through the credit bureaus and getting back so-called header files from his/her credit report. Header files contain only the section of a credit bureau file, which provides the subjects full name, address, and vital information such as date of birth and sometimes even current employment. Header files were, until recently, considered public information under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The Graham, Leach Act has, however, restricted their use to permissable purposes, meaning, essentially, business/investment transactions, insurance, employment, and litigation.
Given a permissable purpose (and the new law is often interpreted quite liberally), skip tracers can run social security traces by phone or computer and locate people very quickly, since nearly everybody uses credit nowadays. A skip tracer may be able to locate several dozen via credit bureau files every morning before lunch!
But what if the skip tracer doesnt have the subjects social security number? In that case, he can resort to whats known as a national identifier search which uses the last-known name and address, without the social security number, to locate the individual. (This search, needless to say, doesnt always work, as many adopt aliases.)
The skip tracers secret, then, is to trace people through the credit bureaus files. Can you do the same? Actually, no theres a catch. The catch is, you have to have an account with a major credit bureau; but the credit bureaus will open accounts only for specific types of businesses, such as information professionals. And of course, if you use an information pro to run the trace for you, theres a fee.
Still, there are many ways to locate a person without being an information professional. Here are some ideas.
First, start with the phone book. Sound obvious? Youd be surprised how many people forget to try locating their subject through his local phone directory. (If he or she is out of town, you can probably find his/her local directory at your public library.)
Try locating him/her online, using Internet phone directories like whowhere.com or bigfoot.com.
Check him out on HotBot. Enter his name in quotes on the search form; this search may yield a personal home page or other types of Web pages where hes mentioned. Also you may want to click on the Email Addresses feature below the search form to search for his email address.
Run a Department of Motor Vehicles search. This is one of the most effective ways to find somebody, provided hes residing in a state which permits this type of search. Call the Department of Motor Vehicles for the appropriate state and ask to have a name search run while you wait. (If you know the subjects license plate number, they can also trace him, or at least his vehicle, that way.)
Relatives and neighbors. If you know names and phone numbers of relatives (or can get them, as through a birth certificate), call and ask for him as though he is there (this way, youre more likely to get an honest response). If hes not there, dont give up. Ask if there is anyone they know who may know how to reach him a spouse, for example. Also, you may want to call neighbors. Using criss-cross directories (many are online, such as bigfoot.com) or real estate records (also often online, see the state/county public records section of this website) you can locate the names and addresses of neighbors, or an information professional can run a so-called Atlas Search and provide this information. (Note: to evoke honest answers, always speak to relatives and neighbors in the most casual, non-threatening way possible.)
Employers. Perhaps youre working from a credit application or by some other means know his present or former employer. Call there and ask to speak to the subject; act surprised if youre informed hes not working there anymore. Ask where he (or she) presently works and how you can get in touch with him. Call the Human Resources Department and ask where his last W2 was sent.
Associations, Licensing Boards, Hobbyist Groups. When people move they take their occupations and hobbies with them. Assuming you know or can find out his occupation and/or personal interests, try locating him through his professional association or hobbyist group. Click here for more information on Professional Associations Licensing Boards.
Check to see if he has a fishing or hunting license (one-third of adult males do).

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