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How New Online Searches Can Help You Locate Someone Who Has Dropped Out of Sight

Every day, in towns and cities across the country, people go missing.  Sometimes they're the victim of crime. But in most cases, they drop out of sight on purpose.  Usually they're trying to escape some problem or avoid some responsibility.

People who disappear can include those who are:

- Responsible for an accident but do not want to pay for damages or face legal action
- Avoiding alimony or child support payments
- Deeply In debt and unwilling to work out payment
- Running from Law Enforcement or the Courts
- Evading taxes or liens or other obligations

If you are looking for a missing person, you should be aware of how searches on the Internet can now help you locate them.

You Can Now Get Access to Data while Sitting at Your Computer that Before Could Only Be Uncovered using Costly Private Investigators

It used to be expensive to track down a missing person.  You had to hire a private detective and pay them by the hour to do a "locate." 

Not any more - not now that so many public records and business databases are available through the Internet.  Anyone with online access and a bit of determination can do the same kind of investigative work themselves.  There are no guarantees you'll find the person you're searching for, just as there were never any guarantees with paid investigators. But the cost is minimal and no one will be more motivated than you to keep at it until you succeed.
 
What makes it so easy is a new breed of web-based investigative search services.  Sometimes referred to as Internet Detective or Personal Search services, these specialized services give you the speedy, accurate access to all kinds of formerly hard-to-get information. 

Note that these search services are not the same as the general search you may already use, like Google or Yahoo.  The general search are not the best way to hunt for someone who's missing.  The private search services are best because they're optimized for finding people.  Rather than a search making you scroll through thousands of unrelated listings, they take you directly to the data you need.

Basic Techniques You Can Use to Locate Someone

When you begin looking for someone, the first step is to collect as much physical information as possible about the subject.  If the person is part of your own family, you'll probably already have personal information available. Pull out any old files and records.  Look for clubs or organizations they belonged to.  Get bank or investment account numbers.  In particular look for any type of identifying records like a driver's license, employee id, etc.  A Social Security Number is the most important identifier you can have.

If the person you're searching for is not someone you knew personally, gather information from anyone who did know them, if possible. If you aren't able to get this information, there are ways to get it online through the search services.  It just makes it easier if you have some information to start with.

Organize what you collect and analyze it for any hints at where the person might have gone.  Sometimes you'll find a clue to where the subject is hiding right in this first batch of information.  It just wasn't apparent earlier because no one had examined the material closely enough.

What's more common, though, is to find links to other people or organizations that can assist you in your search.   That's the professional investigator's secret - to find a missing person, first find other people who know them and can lead you to them.

At times, finding a missing person is as easy as calling up a former associate.  The associate knows and can tell you the subject's current whereabouts. 

If these basic steps don't result in locating the missing person, the next step is to move to the Internet.  Below are some of the common steps that professionals use to gather information online that helps them track down a subject.  You can use these same techniques by conducting your own hunt through an investigative search service.

Techniques Professional Investigators Use Online That You Can Use Too

1. Do a profile search.  Look up all people with the same initial and last name, city and state.  If you don't get promising results at first, and the name isn't too common, expand the search to other cities and states.  In particular, look in the areas where the subject had relatives, friends, business dealings or other connections.  Once you get a list, try contacting them.  One of them may well be who you're searching for.

2. If you have a Social Security Number, do an SSN trace through the credit bureaus.  Credit bureaus are the most likely place to find anyone's most current address and phone number. Professional investigators say this is usually the best way to locate someone who's trying to hide.  That's because most people don't realize all the different types of activities they do that trigger address updates to their credit record.  Everything from filling out an employment application, to renting a new apartment and getting the utilities turned on.

3. Search Voter Registration databases.  This one is frequently overlooked but often effective.  The reason is that those who disappear tend to build a new life based on their old one.  If the voted before, they'll likely register to vote again.  The records are kept by state offices but collected and available through better specialized search services.

4.  Search Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings. These are lien notices filed locally and maintained by each state.  The Search Services collect the data so you can access it more easily.  UCC's are created to document a lien placed on property for which a loan has been made.  It's valuable in tracking a missing person because it can lead you to a business that has had dealings with the person.  It's possible you can get contact information through them.
There are a variety of other databases you can access easily through an online Investigative Search service.  From post office Change of Address records to Driver's License Information to Vehicle Registrations for the missing person's car or truck -- even records of traffic tickets.  Any one of these database searches can either provide a current address for your subject or a link to someone else that can eventually lead you to them.
Final Word
If you need to find someone who's missing, you can now use one of the new Investigative Search services to help you locate them.  These services collect the data in one easy to use database or provide easy to use look up tools with automatic tie-ins to the public databases you need to search. That makes searching for a missing person faster, easier and more likely to end successfully. Order Here

People Search

How to Quickly and Easily Find Someone You Lost Track Of

Recently my wife's sister got curious about what had happened to her first husband after they split. That marriage had ended badly and they hadn't been in contact for nearly thirty years.  She tried searching for her ex-husband's name on Google and Yahoo but didn't get any hits.  Knowing I do research online in my work as a professional writer, she asked if I could find out anything.

I write for business and technical publications, so I use a number of high-priced databases for in-depth research. But I suggested she try a simpler alternative - a solution I use myself when I want to find someone quickly and easily.  I recommended she try one of the people search database services.  Even the better ones cost so little, they're practically free.  Most offer a trial period.  I gave her the name of one to try.

She was dubious. She's not very comfortable using her computer for much more than email.  Her stab at the search had already left her flustered.  Now she was going to have to "sign up for something and learn something completely new... oh my goodness," was the way she put it. 

Yet, later the same day I suggested it, she emailed back excitedly.  In just minutes, she'd found out all kinds of information about her ex.  It turned out that he'd done something of a turnaround after they'd broken up.  Their divorce resulted from fights over his serious drinking problem.  After they broke up, though, he'd eventually gone back to med school, gotten his MD and become an orthopedic surgeon.  He'd even been instrumental in developing some sort of device used by other surgeons in his field.

Unfortunately, the poor fellow had passed, but at least my sister-in-law found comfort in knowing that things had worked out for him after all.  She remarked that even though their relationship ended in the worst imaginable way, it had started from a good point.  She said she hadnt really wanted to contact him.  She just wanted to know what had happened to him.

Sometimes all we want is just to satisfy our curiosity about what happened to someone we've lost track of.  Most of us have an old friend or acquaintance we still wonder about.

A Better Way to Find People

I suspect that's what makes people searching so hot.  As many as half a million times a month, someone searches on Google alone, looking for a way to find a lost person.  Whether it's someone from the past with whom we've lost touch, or someone we met last weekend and yearn to see again, were always searching for others.

Unfortunately, most general searches fail.  Just like Googling failed for my sister-in-law.  The information is out there, somewhere.  But being forced to sift through so many unrelated results makes it nearly impossible. 

That's why I recommended she use a people search service - sometimes they're called Internet Detective services.  They pull all the information spread across thousands of servers and combine it into people-specific search databases.  Then when you drop in a name or an address or a phone number, whatever bit of information you have, you get instant gratification.  Up pops the latest scoop about your person. 

Thats totally unlike the cold mechanical response a Google or Yahoo gives:

Results 1 - 10 of about 55,100,000 for joe smith. (0.06 seconds)

You can almost hear the search yawn.

By the way - most searchers don't know this - search results don't actually extend beyond about a thousand entries.  Even when the search results page says they found millions and millions of hits, they don't actually bother to dig it up and give you access to all of it.  They're really just estimating from their own database tables.  Even they know it's a waste of time. 

Yawn, yawn, yawn

On the other hand, it's exciting when you do a person search on a dedicated database. You find what you're looking for in seconds.  Plus, you not only get current information, often you get historical data too.  You find not only where the person is now but also where they lived or worked before that and before that and before that. 

You can sort of see your old friend's life laid bare.   (Now what in heaven's name was George doing in Poughkeepsie, New York, in winter. He always hated the cold)

Sometime you find a person's life didn't turn out the way you'd have thought.  That's when the Criminal Check part of the service can help you find out what prison they ended up in!

When You Choose a Personal Search Service, Here's What to Look For

If you decide to try out a personal search database, here are the things I've found important to consider during a review

1.  Free versus Paid

I've been disappointed by the free services.  Their main concern seems to be to try and get you to click on some of the pay-per-click ads they're displaying - so they can make a little money. 

2.  Speed

You want a service that responds quickly.  Make sure you try it out. A fun test is to do a search on yourself.  You get to check speed and accuracy!
 
3.  Proprietary Database

If a service compiles their own database, they must be fairly successful.  It's costly to build and maintain. Such well-funded providers are much more likely to stay around.  From a usability standpoint, it's better too.  You get a single interface that you can quickly learn.

And I've never seen a free service that has its own database. Most of the free services I've checked out are really just link farms - they just point you at some public or government database. 

4.  Training and Support

Be sure you can easily learn to use any service you choose.  Actually, you'll find the better services are intuitive - how to search will make sense as soon as you look at it.  But better services will also provide extra, in-depth searching.  If you ever need the extra, it might require you dig into it a bit before you can fully use it.  Just make sure your service has easy, accessible ways to learn, like tutorials. 

And don't ignore support.  Sooner or later you'll have questions or there will be something you need help to get resolved.  It's best if they offer free, live support.

Final Word

Join the millions using the web to track down old friends and new friends. But make it easier on yourself by using a People Search service rather than a general search. Have fun finding out exactly what did become of your old friend (or even your old, not-so-friendly ex) Order Here

THE DISCREET PEOPLE SEARCH

For sometime, you have been uncomfortable at the job.  A co-worker on the night shift strikes you
as odd.  At times, he totally he freaks you out.  Reporting the situation to the law or
management may be somewhat overboard at this point, yet you are still concerned.  You recently
heard of the people search that can be performed online.  Though very interested ,you are worried
about the background search getting back to you, or even worse, the shady individual are
researching.  Is there actually a way to be discreet when finding out information about people?
Yes, you can certainly conduct a background check and people search discreetly.  Let’s first
discuss how public records are accessed to find people.

When looking to conduct a people search, one must first understand the definition of private and
public records.  Personal files containing social security numbers, birth dates, medical and
financial information is considered private and not intended to be accessible during your people
search.

From public records, people searches can be performed all over the web, both free and fee based.
Finding out almost anything about anyone can be done on your basic browser via a typical search
.  Below are six methods that work as great people finders, helping you to be discreet with
the search, while providing quality information at the same time.

JOT IT DOWN

Document every available fact about the person you are looking to find.  This includes previous
addresses, schools, names of relatives, nicknames, a profession, and any other personal
information that may be relevant to the individual.  This information will certainly aid when
seeking to conduct a people search in a search.

WHITE PAGES

The white pages are one of the first people searches you should conduct online.  This free
service is very reputable with its ability to search public records within all 50 states and most
cities.  You can also search strictly by last name, which may help find relatives of the actual
person you are seeking.

REVERSE SEARCHES

In the instance where you have a phone number or address for a person, you can perform a reverse
people search.  You can perform the people search for free through a search, but many
companies offer this service online and provide you with more robust details.

MUTUAL ASSOCIATES

Contacting a mutual associate who also has ties with the person you are looking for is a good
idea.  Whether it is a friendship or colleague, this could certainly help.  They just may have
the missing information you need to perform an effective people search.

SOCIAL NETWORKS

Accessing popular social networks is perhaps the most underrated method of finding people.
Individuals are frequently posting personal information about themselves on various websites.
This includes photos, current jobs, professional backgrounds, aliases and much more.  Some of the
most commonly used social networks to find people are Myspace, Facebook and Crushspot.

PUBLIC RECORDS

When all other sources have been exhausted, there is always the benefit of public records.  These
public records are now available online and include registered sex offenders and other
individuals in your community.

IN CONCLUSION

If you are looking to shell out money, there are services that can provide you with a plethora of
detailed information for your people search.  You can conduct the people search yourself, and
although you will not obtain as much information as a paid search, it is still effective
nonetheless.   With a bit of time and creative effort, you can find out information through your
people search, either protecting you from a crazy co-worker or connecting you with your high
school sweetheart. Order Here

For More Helpful information to aid you on your searches, Feel Free to check out our Sitemap

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