The Basics of Skip Tracing: What You Need to Know

Skip tracing is an important application in many fields especially in debt recovery, real estate and law. The term ‘skip tracing’ is an alteration of the phrase ‘skip town’, this is a person who left a place intentionally to avoid being caught, usually to avoid paying their dues or legal responsibilities. The process refers to tracking the movements of an individual, usually in circumstances where the individual concerned is hard to track because of the efforts they have made to ensure that nobody gets close to them.

Why is Skip Tracing Important

The process of skip tracing is as follows; Otherwise, skip tracing is important for several reasons. In the framework of debt recovery it helps a creditor to recover ‘overdue’ debts from a particular individual who has shifted to another resident without forwarding the new address. To the legal practitioners, skip tracing may be useful in identifying the whereabouts of witnesses, defendant or party involved in a case who may be dodging court. In the real estate business especially in the sub segment of wholesaling, skip tracing is used as a way of identifying the property owners who could be interested in disposing off their properties and particularly so when the property looks as though it is abandoned or underutilized.

The Skip Tracing Process

The process of skip tracing typically involves several steps:The process of skip tracing typically involves several steps:

Gathering Initial Information: The first action is to gather as much data and information regarding the specific person in regard with the crime. This could be the full name of the sex offender, their last known address, any telephone numbers presently or in the past, any e-mail addresses, social networking site’s ID’s and any other identifiable information. The more data that are available at the initial stage the easier it will turn out to find the specific person.

Searching Public Records: Public record search is still the best initial step that may yield a great deal of information to the skip tracers. Such records may be property records, voter registration, court records, bankruptcies, and much more. Records that are available to the public will help someone in getting clues of the current or past residential areas of the subject, his or her employment details, and even his or her financial records if one is lucky.

Utilizing Online Databases: Fortunately, there are many online databases available for a Skip tracing professional exclusively. Such databases compile data from different sources, such as credit history, payment histories of utilities, and even on the social networks of the individual. Unlike ordinary individuals, most professional skip tracers can connect to various databases that common users cannot access.

Social Media Investigation: Skip tracing today is possible and can be quite effective through the use of social media especially through the internet. The use of converging social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and links truly demands people to reveal more than they actually imagine. Social media sites can be employed by a skip tracer to find some information about an individual or his/her current activities or relationships.

Contacting Known Associates: In the case that direct information is hard to obtain, it is possible to talk to people the individual is in contact with. This may involve contacting members of the family, friends or former colleagues of the person who may help in establishing their current status.

Fieldwork: At times, skip tracing may entail physical investigation, where investigations go to the last known location or probably areas of interest to the absconder. This is less frequently seen in the present era where digital tools govern the solutions, but it remains a key segment in specific cases.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

Unfortunately, skip tracing as with other investigative processes must be conducted within the legal provisions. Ethical skip tracers are forbidden to practice harassment, deceit or privacy violation. This is where one needs to usher in caution when working on cases related to skip tracing, especially regarding legal restrictions in one’s jurisdiction. For instance, in the United States, the FDCPA has particular guidelines that the debt collector has to adhere to when they engage in skip tracing. The violation of these rules is punishable by law; offenders are liable to fines and lawsuits.

Technology as Applied to Skip Tracing

Skip tracing has of late been enhanced through the use of technology that has helped make the work easier and faster. There is a myriad of information that can be searched, sorted, and real-time leads delivered in a matter of minutes when a modern skip tracing tool is employed as opposed to doing it by hand. Sophisticated software can go to an extent of applying an algorithm to estimate the next move of an individual as done in the case of a car thief.

Conclusion

Skip tracing is quite useful in many fields; for instance, it is used by debt collectors, real estate agents, private detectives, etc. This applies the elements of art in investigation with the elements of science in locating such hard-to-find people. But it is important not to lose the principle of ethical practice and to familiarize oneself with the legal requirements of skip tracing. It is for these reasons that technology will continue to shape the techniques and tools used in skip tracing to make it more requisite in professionals