What is skip tracing?

Simply put, skip tracing is all the activities involved in finding someone who can be hard to track. Interestingly, the word ‘skip’ here derives from the phrase ‘skip town’, usually because of a debt or other responsibilities. ‘Tracing’ refers to the research and investigation actions that aim to find the individual missing. The good news is that skip tracing is legal in a lot of countries, as long as it is done right. Skip tracing is usually conducted by investigators as it involves gathering a large amount of information, including emails, addresses, phone numbers, etc. 

Who would use skip tracing? 

Well, really, anyone. Skip tracing can find people who owe money, someone who is hiding to avoid certain responsibilities such as a court case, a missing person or someone who has committed other types of misconduct. It can even be used to find the owner of  an abandoned property or a witness for a case. For this reason, the type of information that can be used is endless, so it is important to be aware of all the types of laws that govern the data that is needed to find the right person. 

Information for skip tracing

Skip tracing can take a few hours to many weeks. It can be difficult to predict how long the process will be. Organisations will need to look at multiple types of data to find the missing person. The kind of information you can legally obtain might depend on the jurisdiction. The investigators may look through:

• Public records
• Social media
• Credit reports
• Utility records
• Employment records
• Online databases

Public records

Public records such as marriage or divorce records, property records, court or criminal records can reveal a lot of important information such as confirming someone’s legal name and leading to other sources that can provide more clues. For example, a marriage certificate will have the spouse’s name which can make the search smoother as they can be easier to locate. It can also indicate whether someone has changed their surname because of marriage or divorce. Birth records can confirm the date of birth which can verify that the name they found and the person they are looking for match. 

Social media

Social media plays a key role in skip tracing as they can help identify someone’s whereabouts. Something as simple as a tree in the background can help investigators figure out where the wanted person is located. If the image does not reveal any whereabouts, the metadata of the picture can give a general location of where it was taken and when. Investigators may choose to look through friends’ lists as well as tags to identify any people who have seen the person they are looking for. 

Credit reports

Credit reports can notify investigators if there have been any financial transactions such as opening a new credit card and indicate where this took place. They can also reveal potential addresses of the missing person. It’s not only banks that show up on credit reports but in some cases hospitals can be included as well. 

Utility records

Utility records can be very helpful in skip tracing as they can include a more accurate home address.

Employment records

If they can be obtained, employment records can highlight where someone has been working, their address and phone number or even who their emergency contacts are. At the very least they can help determine a rough location of the missing person and perhaps whether they have changed their name or not. 

Online database

A single Google search can have a lot of benefits for skip tracing. The search can uncover where a person works, any social media the investigators were not aware of as well as any close friends they might have been in contact with. A reverse phone number look-up can give investigators someone’s legal name and if they have a landline number, they might even be able to locate their address. 

Legal limitiations

It is pretty obvious that skip tracing hunts for private information. In skip tracing, gaining the consent of an individual before looking through their records is not really possible. As a result, all the activities are governed by legal frameworks. In Australia, the Privacy Act 1988 outlines how companies should store and handle personal data. It is a reminder that organisations should not push legal and ethical boundaries to achieve their goals. Not complying with local laws and regulations can create unwanted problems that should be avoided. 

It is advisable that companies and investigators stay up to date with relevant laws to ensure they are not breaking any unintentionally. In some cases, debt collection principles, as well as harassment laws may also apply. 

What does it take to achieve effective skip tracing?

Skip tracing can be a time-consuming process.Today, anyone can perform skip tracing. The so-called ‘internet detectives’ have been able to find numerous people through some internet searches for clues. This is why individuals should be:

• Persistent
• Mindful
• Careful
• Organised
• Resourceful

Persistent

Results may not appear for days so it is important to stay focused and not give up or reduce efforts needed to find the right person. Skip tracing is not an easy task and most investigators know that. As humans, putting large amounts of effort into something that is not paying off can be discouraging but investigators need to stay vigilant and focused at the task regardless of early results. 

Mindful

It is critical to be aware that the person who an investigator is searching for is just that. A person. They have their own lives and issues and skip-tracing may invade their private life which they are trying to protect. It is necessary, then that it is performed with respect to the individual and their personal information. 

Careful

Skip tracing cannot only lead to legal trouble but unwanted scammers as well. There are many websites created with the sole purpose of tricking people into giving private information. Whether that is the missing person’s or the investigators. They then sell this information to third parties while the investigators get very little value out of the transaction. If companies do not hire the right individuals, they might fall victim to people claiming that they have found the person they are looking for and ask for money in exchange for their information. 

Organised

Hiring an investigator or someone who has experience with skip tracing can be beneficial as they will have a plan and steps in place that they can follow. They will also have a better idea of how to approach the process in a methodical, ethical and efficient manner. 

Resourceful

It is clear that there are many types of information someone can obtain to find someone. However, there can be difficulties along the way that can jeopardise the process and drag it out. A resourceful investigator will be able to take advantage of all the opportunities to collect information and overcome potential barriers along the way. An individual with good problem-solving skills is perfect for the job.