For locating a person who has moved without leaving a forwarding address, skip tracing is used. The reasons for missing of a person may vary. These may include missing due to loans, family obligations, life insurance fraud, criminal prosecution, escape from jail, and so on. Skip tracing services are offered by professional private investigation organizations. A skip tracer can be hired for finding a missing person. However, private investigators should know some techniques for offering skip tracing services. Some of them are given below.
- Finding known data such as name, date of birth, social security number, employment history and address of the missing person is the basic thing an investigator should do first.
- A profile sheet has to be maintained that describes the educational, professional and social nature of the missing person.
- Checking for the telephone directories and calling the information operators may also help to some extent.
- Tracing the last known address from the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Drivers License Bureau.
- When the person to be tracked is in business, then checking can be done by contacting the suppliers, customers, competitors and past employees.
- Some information may be available by interacting with the local banks, credit unions, and finance companies related to the person.
- Voter registration records, death certificates, birth certificates, and marriage licenses should also be checked from country clerks.
- Sometimes Federal public records, the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Federal Prison, and some others may also give some clues in finding a missing person.
- The criminal records and genealogy records may also help in tracing a person.
- Professional license can be checked if the missing person is a real estate agent, insurance agent, cosmetologist, commercial truck driver, or a construction contractor.