Having someone you love disappear will make you look for all resources and opportunities to learn what happened. Skip tracing services can deliver excellent results in these cases. An Anderson private investigator knows how to make the most of this approach, giving you peace of mind and at least some of the answers you’re looking for.
What Is Skip Tracing?
Over 270 missing person cases remained open and unresolved in South Carolina in 2023. Across the U.S., over 600,000 people go missing each year.
Skip tracing is a solution that aims to locate a missing person. Certified private investigators in Anderson can conduct a skip trace to get more information about the current address or location of someone who has disappeared or who may be difficult to find. The procedure is also employed whenever people go off the radar and don’t want to be discovered for personal, legal, or financial reasons.
Skip tracing is a complex process that involves many steps. Multiple sources of information will also be employed to learn as much about the missing person as legally possible.
How Investigators Look for Information During a Skip Trace
SC private investigators have access to tools and databases unavailable to the general public. They’ll access these sources of information and look for additional data in:
- Phone number databases
- Credit reports
- Criminal records and criminal background checks
- Utility bills
- Various types of applications (loan, job, credit card applications)
- Social media profiles
- Online communities and forums
- Public tax records
- Travel records
If going through records isn’t enough, private investigators will contact friends, family, coworkers, and anyone else who may have interacted with a missing person. Such additional steps will need to be employed whenever a missing person doesn’t want to be found.
Some individuals will go to great lengths to protect their current locations. In such challenging instances, attempting to carry out a skip trace alone through online resources will prove to be ineffective at best.
In What Instances Can Skip Tracing Services Be Employed
People go missing for so many reasons. Skip tracing is often employed in the following scenarios:
- Serving legal documents
- Debt collection
- Child support and complicated child custody cases
- Court order enforcement cases
- Witness location
- Journalistic investigations
- Finding long-lost relatives
Needless to say, skip tracing can also be employed when someone goes missing for no apparent reason. Worried relatives will always have this tool at their disposal, as long as they chose a reputable and experienced SC private investigator.
Is Skip Tracing Legal in South Carolina?
Skip tracing is legal in South Carolina, as long as no illegal means to obtain information about a person’s whereabouts are employed. One example of illegal skip tracing would be gaining access to private documentation without the individual’s consent.
Experienced Anderson private investigators have a good understanding of the law. They know what the best, lawful means to collect information are. That’s why partnering with a professional makes a lot more sense than attempting to run a skip trace on your own and either breaking the law or being ineffective.
How Long Does a Skip Trace Take?
If you’re eager to find someone who has gone missing, you’d want immediate results. So, how long does a skip trace take to complete?
The answer depends on several things. A person who doesn’t want to be found will attempt a number of things to protect their identity and location. In such instances, a private investigator will require more time to gather evidence.
In some instances, a skip trace will yield results in a day or two. More complicated scenarios will have private investigators working on data collection for a week or even longer.
Get in Touch With an Anderson Private Investigator ASAP
Have you been trying to locate someone unsuccessfully? Has a loved one suddenly disappeared? If so, hiring professional skip training services makes sense.
Call us at 864-662-6992 now and our private investigators will offer a free consultation that focuses on the best ways to find information about your missing person.