There are circumstances in which you may need to find a person. The person may be a friend you haven't heard from in a long time, a family member, or a former co-worker. If you don't know where that person is, you'll need to track them down to get up-to-date contact information. Also, you may want to track someone just to find out where they are. This article can help you.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Tracking Someone Through Social Media and Cell Phones
Step 1. Track the person you are looking for through current social media sites
Facebook and Myspace will allow you to search for members of these sites by name, where they live, the school they attended or their interests.
Enter the person's name and surname and the last known place of residence in the search bar on Facebook or Myspace
Step 2. Look at the GPS position indicators
Many social media accounts allow users to indicate a geo-reference when posting something. For example, if the person you want to track down is on vacation in Germany, their Facebook account may indicate "Berlin" as a reference for the photos posted. If the person hasn't set any privacy restrictions, you may be able to read places and determine where they are.
This only works if the person is friends by the site's rules, if you have a mutual friend who can watch for you, or if your security settings allow unfriendly people to see their posts
Step 3. Look at the "recordings"
Many accounts, such as on Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter and Google Latitude, offer "sign-up" services that allow you to indicate specific places visited by account holders. If you are friends with a person (or if they have not set any privacy restrictions), you will probably be able to see these recordings.
This will only work if you are friends with the person, if you have a mutual friend who can watch for you, or if your security settings allow non-friends to see their posts
Step 4. Enable a tracking plan or app on a mobile phone
If you want to keep records of where your child goes, you can activate a plan through many of the major telephone operators. For example, T-Mobile offers "FamilyWhere", a program that uses a cell phone's GPS to tell you where your child's phone is. The Google Latitude app, now replaced by other newer apps, showed where a cell phone was using GPS.
- It is a good idea to explain to your child that he is being monitored and why. This will help prevent him from feeling like you don't trust him.
- The rules are more complicated when it is not a question of minors. In many cases, it is illegal to install a monitoring app on an adult's cell phone without telling them.
Step 5. Use a GPS tracker
You can use a GPS tracker to track a car or other vehicle, but this is a legal gray area, so be careful. In general, it is a good idea to consider the following:
- You are the owner of the car or other vehicle, or you are monitoring a minor (and you are the parent or legal guardian).
- The GPS is visible and accessible.
- You could get the same information by physically following the car.
- Consult a lawyer if you are unsure whether it is legal to use a GPS tracker in your situation.
Method 2 of 4: Use a Site to Track a Person
Step 1. Follow a person's tracks for free on the appropriate sites
Many of these sites will provide basic personal information for free, but may require payment or compensation for more detailed information. Remember that providing your email address and password for any of these sites exposes your personal data to access, unless otherwise indicated on the site's registration page.
- PeekYou - a good site for finding people online, which searches over 60 different social sites, blogs, websites and other online sources.
- WhitePages - an easy-to-use site for address search in the United States.
- ZabaSearch - this global search engine allows you to search for someone's address and phone numbers, including any addresses or phone numbers not listed in the guides.
- Pipl - This search engine claims to unearth information that Google may not have noticed when looking for someone on the "deep web". Initial results are free, but there are fees for more detailed information.
- PrivateEye - this site can provide someone's details (name, address, telephone number, marriage certificates, bankruptcy declarations and much more). The site provides free information such as name and surname, city, state, age and any relatives, however additional details, such as a telephone number or address, are provided to the user for a fee.
- PublicRecordsNow - uses official archives and can search for someone using their phone number, name, email or address.
Step 2. Use a global site to track people
There are sites like wink.com that allow you to search multiple sites and services at once by doing a full search. This will save you time and help you gather as much information about the person as possible across multiple sites.
Step 3. Pay to use a site that specializes in locating people
There are sites that offer less comprehensive services and only provide parameters through specific information about someone.
These sites cost less, no more than 5-10 euros, than global sites to track people. They will use search parameters such as name, location, e-mail, address, telephone number, social security number and car license plate
Step 4. Register your search on a global site
For more detailed information, register your search on sites like Intelius.com and Checkpeople.com.
These sites can charge anywhere from $ 50 to $ 100 for a search, but they will likely give you more detailed information about the person you're looking for
Method 3 of 4: Hire a Private Investigator
Step 1. Get a referral for a private investigator, if possible
Ask a trusted friend about an investigator. Also do extensive research on investigators.
- You can also use an internet search engine to find selected and qualified investigators.
- You could also, and should, ask the potential investigator for references, and check them, even by telephone, before entrusting the assignment.
Step 2. Check the license
A professional private investigator will provide you with his license number immediately. With this you can check that the license is valid, that it matches the investigator's name, and if there are any problems or complaints recorded about him.
Step 3. Ask the investigator for an in-person consultation
Most investigators offer a free first consultation. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the investigator and ensure that he has an office.
If the investigator only works outside restaurants or on the phone, this is a bad sign. You need to be sure that you can easily contact him at an office during the search
Step 4. Evaluate experience, preparation, and education
Better to find an investigator specialized in the activity you need or well introduced to the environment of the person you are looking for.
Make sure he has insurance. The most serious private investigators are insured up to a few million euros. Although insurance is not always necessary, if something happens during work, you could, as a client, be held responsible if the investigator has no insurance coverage
Step 5. Ask about rates
The investigator's rates may vary according to the circumstances of the research and based on who you are looking for, so discuss the rates and all reimbursements in advance before entrusting the assignment.
- Expect to pay a higher rate for more experienced and trained investigators.
- Check if the investigator has a flat rate for a basic search, for a specific personal job such as finding a cell phone number, a criminal background search, or vehicle registration, or even a home or home bug search. in the car or a GPS tracking.
- Find out about the hourly rate. This may vary according to the skills required and the amount of information that the investigator must seek. Fares can vary from 40 to 100 euros per hour or even more.
Step 6. Talk to the investigator about any deposit or advance
Some private investigators may request an advance depending on the type of service requested and the circumstances of the investigation.
- Factors such as travel times, the estimated number of hours of surveillance, urgency, and hotel expenses may affect the amount of the deposit or advance.
- If you use the services of a private investigator through a lawyer, there will usually be no down payment - as long as the lawyer takes responsibility for paying the private investigator.
Step 7. Sign a contract
The contract should describe the services to be performed, and require complete confidentiality between you and the investigator.
The contract should also commit the investigator to document all research activities, and to provide a record or complete detail of the work performed
Step 8. Be prepared for any information the private investigator may or may not discover
There are no guarantees that you will be able to find the person you are looking for or to find out where they are. However, if the investigator does his job correctly, he may discover information about the person you are looking for that you should be prepared and ready to receive.
Method 4 of 4: Collect Person Information
Step 1. Make a list of the information you have about the person you want to track down
List the person's names, starting with the correct first and last name. If the person has nicknames, write them down as well. If you know the surname at birth and the surname acquired by marriage, write them down.
- Indicate the exact age or an approximate one, if you don't know it.
- Write down the last known address you have of the person. Add anything that might indicate that the person is now in another geographic area. For example, a former neighbor may provide information that the person has left Turin for a job in France.
Step 2. Find the latest contact information you have about the person
This includes the phone number, email address and contacts on social sites.
Step 3. Write down the last employer you know of
If the person you're looking for has an ongoing career in a specific field, they may be on a professional site indicating current contact or job information.
Step 4. Connect with friends or mutual acquaintances of the person you are looking for
Ask about interests or hobbies. These interests may imply that the person can be found on a specific interest site or blog.
Try to identify as many former friends and family as you can. The person can be traced through them
Step 5. Search for the person on search engines
They can be used to search for names and addresses.
- Search engines can also link the person to social sites, blogs, professional networks and those linked to specific interests.
- To Google someone, type the person's name and the state or region they live in now, if you have this information, for example: "Alessandra Bianchi Toscana". If it has a very common name, narrow your search using the full name, place of residence and any other personal information you may have.
- You can also type the person's phone number into Google, if you have this information, to get the full name and address.
Step 6. Search online for the person's known relatives, friends, and colleagues
By connecting to these people you may be able to track down the person you are looking for.
