For one reason or another, you may find yourself in the position where you need to track another person down, but you don’t know where to start. After all, despite the fact that the Internet has made it easy to connect with people, it has also made it extremely difficult. In fact, the number of Internet users has grown by nearly 100 million in the last 12 months alone, which can make finding one specific person similar to finding a needle in a haystack.
Luckily, there are a number of effective strategies anybody can use to track down a person who they might need to find.
Common Reasons You May Need to Track a Person Down
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Before diving into how you can start to track another person down, let’s look at some common reasons where using these strategies is applicable:
- You are attempting to reconnect with an old friend who you lost contact with years before
- You are trying to contact family who you lost contact with or just discovered existed
- You are trying to vet their background and make sure they are who they say they are
- You have reason to believe a person is trying to deceive you and are trying to prove the theory
All of the above are valid reasons you may use some of the following strategies to track someone down. However, it’s important to never use information you find on a person for illegal purposes such as stalking or to commit another crime.
5 Ways to Learn Information About Someone via the Internet
Believe it or not, despite the Internet being as large as it is, finding somebody is not as difficult as it may seem. Many websites have loose privacy restrictions regarding data that are hidden within the terms of service. After all, researchers determined that it would take roughly 76 hours per year to read all of the service agreements that you sign over the course of that year.
This means that, for most people, there is a large amount of information on them circulating throughout the Internet. By using the following five methods, you can try to grab some of that circulating information to track a person down:
1. Submit a people search
People search sites specialize in gathering information on people and compiling it in a database. A person can then submit a free people search request by providing a person’s name and last known location, which the website will then check against its database. Any information on that person stored within the database will then be given to the person requesting it. Since all the information is public record, this is an easy and legal way to gather information on a person.
Social media is one of the biggest causes for a person’s digital footprint, so it’s best to utilize the platforms. Looking at tips for finding someone on Reddit, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms can quickly lead you right to them. Whether it’s contacting them directly after finding their account or simply grabbing listed contact information, social media platforms allow us to connect with people all over the globe.Â
3. Ask your friends or family
If the person you’re looking for is related to you in some way or is a friend of a friend, it’s possible that those in your social circle might already know a way to contact them. Don’t hesitate to reach out to those around you to see if they can help in any way.
4. Try a basic Google search
While resorting to using a basic search engine may not be your ideal first choice, you can garner a surprising amount of information. Simply punch in a person’s name, age, education, or other defining qualities and see if anything pops up on Google. In some cases, you can refer to images as social media profile pictures are often taken from the platforms.
5. Conduct a background check if necessary
Finally, for employers, running a background check on a person may be the only way to gather the level of information you are seeking. If needed, turn to a third-party background check platform who can give you the information you need.
Reconnect with or find an individual today
With so many people in the world, finding a single person walking around out there can be exceedingly difficult. Fortunately, the above five tools can help you track a person down. Whether they’re a long-lost friend, family member, or simply a business connection, learning how to track down an individual can bring benefit to your life.