Have you ever wondered what happened to your old friend, that high school friend you lost contact with when he moved to France? Thanks to the internet, finding that person can be easy, knowing where to look.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: With Google
Step 1. Use Google
Of all the methods out there to find a person, Google is probably the simplest. However, it will not be enough to enter only the name.
- For example, let's look for Dave Wilson who was the Cascades drummer in the 1960s. In the Google search field, type "Dave Wilson," including quotation marks. These force the search engine to filter only results that have both names in that specific sequence so you won't get answers like: "Dave Whickershnaker loves playing volleyball only with Wilson brand balls".
- As you can see right away, you will need to narrow your search further, because Google returned nearly 900,000 results!
Step 2. Refine your search
To do this, also insert a unique element for Dave Wilson: Cascades, the name of his musical group. At this point you will find what you are looking for.
Now you know what happened to Dave Wilson - he passed away in 2000
Step 3. Use more specific search tools
Sometimes the simplest technique leads nowhere. The person you are looking for may have changed their name, may have "retired" from social life or may have died before leaving their "footprint" on the web. When all this happens, there are alternative solutions.
- Type in Google "search for people" and you will be offered a list of sites that help you find the person you are looking for, many even for free.
- Attention because "free" means that you will be given only partial information and to get the complete (and often more useful) information you will have to pay.
Method 2 of 3: With Other Sites
Step 1. Search for the person on Facebook
This social network has around a billion subscribers and the chances of finding a person still alive are pretty good, even if it will be more complicated than a Google search.
-
Start by looking for the person's name, for example John Smith. Type "John Smith" in the search field and the results will be listed immediately.
Facebook is quite "smart" and will propose people who are close to where you live first, regardless of the number of mutual friends. However, you know that John Smith doesn't live where you live, so you need to expand your search. You can click on the magnifying glass to the right of the search field or select the function at the bottom of the menu that reads "See more results for John Smith". You will be redirected to a more comprehensive search page
Step 2. Don't forget to use the search filters provided by Facebook
If a regular search doesn't lead to anything, try digging deeper. At this point you can narrow the field a lot thanks to the tools you find on the left side of the screen. Click on the 'Pages' filter and you will find the John Smith you were looking for: he plays in a band and lives in England.
Step 3. Choose a professional solution
Sometimes, the person you are looking for does not appear on the internet. Then you have to resort to a site that searches public records and you will have to pay for this service.
- Professional sites offer the option to pay for each service, to get just contact information or a full report of everything about the person you are looking for. This last solution is very useful if you are checking the history of a possible employee or business partner.
- The price and the quality of the service are very variable. Do more research to figure out which agency has the best cost / benefit ratio and consult reviews from former clients.
Step 4. Search the virtual white pages
Do you remember the large yellow or white telephone directories that were left at the entrance of the house and were written in very small characters? Those that reported all the information of the telephone users of the province? Well, now the online version exists!
Paginebianche.it has many search tools. You can enter the phone number and find the address or vice versa. If you type in the basic information you have, the site will give you all possible results related to it
Method 3 of 3: By Alternative Means
Step 1. Contact mutual friends
Maybe the person you're looking for hates all social networks and is proud not to appear in any Google search. What to do in this case?
Brainstorm. Who do you know who might have his contact? During the second year of university, did you all go out together with Riccardo every Wednesday for a pizza and a beer? Maybe he knows where Giorgio is. You may have to disturb an old friend you haven't talked to in years, but the effort will pay off
Step 2. Get on the trail of the person you are looking for
If you can't think of any mutual friends, then you have to move on to "dirty work". You'll have a better chance of success if your research is limited locally.
Think about the last place where he lived, worked or attended. If the government can search and find people, then you stand a chance too! See if you are able to meet someone to help you piece together what happened to the research subject. You may be directed to the right path
Step 3. Assign a private investigator
It might seem like a bit of an exaggeration, but if you have some money to spend, why not give it a try? This person does all the research work, even the less "transparent" one, for you, while you can enjoy the fact that you are not forced to view all the Google results one by one.
