Fortunately the Internet has made it easy for anyone to track down the person they’re looking for. You just need to know the right tools and the best strategies to get the contact information that you want.
Here are four tools that all cybersleuths should know about
1) Get Public Records With Instant Checkmate
A ton of personal information about you and every American is a matter of public record. Cities, states, and even the Federal Government collect info about you and make it publicly available through the Freedom Of Information Act.So you can track down someone’s known address, criminal history, and even date of birth using a background check service like Instant Check Mate. There you can learn not just their current address, but also old addresses where they have previously lived. Some records might even include a phone number and email address.
2) Search Social Sites With yoName
Another powerful way to gather information about somebody is by pouring through all of their social media accounts. Tech-savvy individuals will typically divulge lots of personal information on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media networks. |
| Image Credits: lifehacker.com |
But searching through all of the major social media sites one by one can be a chore. Fortunately, yoName offers a tool that allows you to get all of the social media information you want in just a single search. Enter someone’s name and the last city you know they resided, and you can get results from several popular social networks and blogging platforms.
3) Use Advanced Googling
Some people avoid using Google because the search results are too plentiful to be of any use. But the trick to using Google is to make smart use of its advanced search features. Rather than simply searching for the name in the search box, you should put quotations marks around the name (like this “Maggie Simpson”).That will only give you results where the two names appear together. You should also write variations of the name, or include the middle name, to really thoroughly comb through Google’s index. You could also go to Google advanced search page if you don’t want to enter the special functions into the search bar manually.
4) Find Property Ownership Information With Property Shark
Propertyshark.com compiles property ownership records from California, Florida, New Jersey and eleven other states. If the person you’re searching for has a bought a house or another piece of property within the region, you will be able to get their exact current address. While the basic membership is free, you may have to pay in order to get information on certain regions.
Pilar TavarezAbout the Author:
Pilar Tavarez is a blogger living in San Diego, California. He blogs about online research, social media, and internet security.