2 minutes
Websites to aid your collections efforts.
This was first published in Collection Advisor and is reprinted with permission.
I am often asked what sites I use on the internet to skip trace missing consumers and secured collateral and my reply is usually the same, “I use many sites and try to constantly update old ones and discover new ones.”
The sites I am providing information on are, for the most, part free.
Another site I favor is Google Images. It contains numerous photos pulled from all types of Internet sources. When you click on an image, it will transfer you to the site where the photo originated, and provide numerous data on your subject.
Then there is Fone Finder, which provides current telephone directories for the United States, Canada and most international countries. At this site you have the ability to search by telephone number, cities, and zip codes and it provides data on some very useful demographics, including average household income and property values.
Next we will look at another site which most tracers rarely use, Skipease. This site is a collection of some of the best public record searches I have been able to locate. Each people search engine at this site has its own strengths and weaknesses. By using these search engines, you have the ability to search by name, internet user ID addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and other selected personal identifiers. I have been able to use these databases to locate hard to find skips by collecting personal information from the multiple searches available at this one stop site. There is a lot of free data at this site, but be aware there some which will charge for premium information. Also I have information that this site is growing and will have even more locate links in the future so it is a good site to keep your eye on.
I actually found the Skipease site on a link from another very good site I often use, ECSI, which compiles a large number of useful skip tracing sites in one place.
Last but not least, I would suggest you take a look at the investigator links page of KM Investigations. Please note that this link is in the process of moving so follow it closely.
As you can see I have no “golden bullet” but rather a toolbox of many sources, which allows me to gather the required pieces of the puzzle and assemble them in order locate the person I am searching for.
Ron Brown, MCE, IFCCE, MPRS, CCCO, CARS, CFA, is senior investigator at ConSec Investigations, Oklahoma City.
