How Does Skip Tracing Work?

In the world of high personal debt loads, it's hardly surprising that many people fall into a bad debt situation, unable to pay their monthly commitments.  Being unable to pay and falling behind on your debts often means that your account will fall into delinquent collections.

Therefore the process of recovering the unpaid items such as cars, boats, and electronics, and / or  recovering the missing cash payments is a constant process for many businesses.

This type of problem is often sent firstly to a collections department and then if insufficient records are available, or the person has skipped out of town without leaving an address then a process called skip tracing kicks in. Many people have never heard of the term skip tracing here's a good definition for you.

“Skiptracing (also skip tracing) is a colloquial term used to describe the process of locating a person's whereabouts for any number of purposes. A skip tracer is someone who performs this task, which may be the person's primary occupation. The term comes from the word "skip" being used to describe the person being searched for, and comes from the idiomatic expression "to skip town," meaning to depart, perhaps in a rush, and leaving minimal clues behind for someone to "trace" the "skip" to a new location.”   (Skip Tracing - Wikipedia.com)

The days when you went to the phone book, criss-cross directory, or reverse directory are old-school and costly compared to the skip tracing technology options today.

With the advent of technology in general, and by using the Internet in particular, the availability and quality of information about people has expanded dramatically.

What types of information can be retrieved for skip tracing purposes. By contracting with a private investigator who specializes in skip tracing, you can gain access to all kinds of national information databases regarding a debtor.  Here are a few we frequently use as part of our skip tracing process:

Databases

Address directories
Phone directories
Nearby Information (those people who live next door to the address you are researching)
Social Security Number Verification
Credit reports/scores
Employment Departments
    Provide recent name, address, salary, etc.
Driver’s License/Vehicle Registration Departments
    Provide name, address, and asset information
Tax and Revenue Departments
    Provide name, address, and asset information
Court and Law Enforcement
Utility records
Property Assessor
Licenses (marriage, professional, business)
Business registration
Permits ... to name a few.

The Renwick Group has experience working with many different types of businesses and organizations providing skip-tracing, fraud investigations, WSIB support, legal team assistance, evidence gathering, employee background checks, and more. We also work with individuals who need help with personal matters. Call us at 1 (888) 722-9807 or visit our website for information.