Skip tracing is one of the tools debt collectors rely on when pursuing uncooperative debtors. It is also a tool that private investigators and attorneys make use of. The big question is whether a license is involved. In other words, do debt collectors need a license to practice skip tracing?
By the letter of the law, no. Anybody can search for someone using the tools debt collectors commonly use. But debt collectors do have to be licensed in order to conduct their businesses. Likewise for private investigators and attorneys. With that being the case, most professionals who utilize skip tracing as a tool to find people trying to hide are licensed in some way.
Skip Tracing: The Basics
Skip tracing is considered both a skill and an art form. It is the practice of employing a variety of sources to find people who do not want to be found. What types of people are we talking about? Consider the following scenarios:
1. Debt Collectors
Debt collectors are among the most active skip tracers. Imagine Salt Lake City’s Judgment Collectors working on behalf of a client with a sizable money judgment waiting to be paid. As the creditor, that client wants to be paid as quickly as possible. But the judgment debtor has no intention of paying.
Judgment Collectors will search high and low until the debtor is found. Once found, the agency will contact the debtor to let them know the game is up. Arrangements can be made to get the debt settled.
2. Attorneys
An attorney might utilize skip tracing for the exact same reason. He is attempting to collect an outstanding money judgment on behalf of a client. But there are other reasons an attorney might utilize skip tracing: looking for the heirs of a deceased person, looking for someone who will ultimately be served with a lawsuit, looking for the rightful owner of a piece of property, etc.
3. Private Investigators
Private investigators utilize skip tracing for a whole host of reasons. An ex-wife might hire a private investigator because her former husband hasn’t been keeping up on child support and maintenance payments. An investigator might be brought in to help search for somebody who seems to have disappeared without a trace. The possibilities are endless.
How They Do It
How professionals go about utilizing skip tracing is somewhat shrouded in mystery. That is by design. They do not want the people they are looking for to know how they go about finding their targets. So debt collectors, attorneys, and private investigators aren’t running around publishing all their secrets.
That said, some of what they do is obvious. Skip tracers make use of publicly available databases including property records, arrest records, and court records. They also take advantage of social media. Most people would be surprised by how easy it is to find someone on social media.
Skip tracers also have access to proprietary databases that the average consumer would not even know about. The databases are compiled by the same organizations that put together data for advertisers and financial institutions.
They Can Find Almost Anyone
Although skip tracing is not 100% effective, the experts at Judgment Collectors say that a good skip tracer can find almost anyone. Some people are harder to find than others, this is true. But almost anyone can be found in the digital age, when all of us leave a digital trail behind us.
If you owe a debt, just pay it. You are never going to outrun a skilled professional who knows how to utilize skip tracing.
