Skip Tracing

What is an actual skip trace?

This is an odd phrase which pops up lots in many businesses but people actually aren't sure. It is simply a search for someone who has disappeared from previously known contact points.

The name comes from the phrase skipping town and relates to "skipping bail", where skip tracers were essentially bounty hunters. The phrase gradually changed to a point where skip tracing is now down by a variety of people, including lawyers, credit agencies, PI's, journalists and anyone else really who needs to locate someone.

While different people and organizations may have different tools to accomplish a trace, such as police with the powers of the state and journalists who have state protections, the general mechanics are very similar.

Many people assume that a PI (who generally has the most flexible toolbox to locate an individual) can simply punch up a website and type in a name and voila, location found. This is generally not the case (although in some jurisdictions, such as a few US states, this occasionally happens). The majority of traces requires several different sources which are brought together over time to create an initial slate of possible names and locations, which is then refined as the data is reviewed and refined, eventually leading to a small set of leads which can then be followed up on. If the trace is located, great, if not, the hypothesis and data is refined and re-spun through the tracing machine to come up with new potential hits.

This can take time depending on a wide range of factors, taking anywhere from a day to several weeks to make the find.

A PI can usually give a rough idea of the complexity of your case from the outset to locate someone. If the case is very difficult, it is a good idea to establish benchmarks to continue or end the case if not enough progress is being made. Remember, not all people can be found, particularly if resources and time are a factor. You and your PI should work closely to achieve the best results possible in the most reasonable time frame.

Blog post is courtesy Elemental Investigations: Private Investigator Edmonton, an Edmonton, Canada based private investigator agency. They can be found online at www.elementalpi.ca