Looking up people is an important part of the investigative process. The internet has made searching for someone’s name easier than ever. When investigating a person, you can search online for their address, phone number, relatives, associates, criminal record, and more. Here are some ways to find information about people that will help in your investigation.
Search for a person’s name
As the detective, it is easy for you to search for a person’s name. Your police department may even have a system in place to help you search by person’s name. When doing research, it is a good idea to look at their picture as well. Doing this can help you identify them quickly.
Police agencies will not tell you the name of a person they are looking for in case you need to contact them later on. They will tell you their name and description so you can check the record to see if you can find out more about them.
Keep in mind that people do change their names and may be reluctant to give you this information. You may have to make a phone call to verify information.
Search for a person’s address
When you want to go find someone, you should first find their home address. You can find their address using Google maps, Bing Maps, or Yahoo Maps. You can also use online sources that can be integrated in your offline maps.
Reach their contact details
When someone registers a new account, they will normally provide contact information, including their phone number. Google offers an easy-to-use search feature that will list all of the contact information that someone has publicly available on various social media networks, including Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for SMS alerts to be notified of important updates to someone’s contact information.
Find their friends
If you suspect that someone is a fraudster, you can search for their friends.
Look up a phone number
This should be obvious. Many people don’t realize that if they gave out a number and it hasn’t been used in a long time, they don’t have to give it up. You can go to Google and do a reverse telephone lookup and get a number. You can use this information to track down people who might have gotten a hold of that number.
Look up their name
Sometimes you don’t want to simply search for the person’s name. It’s the same reason you want to do a reverse telephone lookup first. You can use a site like D List to look up the phone number of a person without having to do a reverse telephone lookup.
Look up their social media account
Your suspect might have a social media account, but they might not.
Find relatives and associates
Are you able to find people who have a personal interest in the subject? This could be a relative who will be able to provide insight into what type of person they are. This is a great way to show they are able to learn from their mistakes, and a person will be much more likely to trust you as you get closer to finding the person. The next step is to find relatives and associates.
Do your research
Find out where the person lives or works
If you are working on a missing person case, you will want to find out where the subject lives. You can look up their family members and friends who may have information. If a friend was with the subject the last time they were seen, you can see if they have been seen since. You can find information online or with a good old-fashioned phone call.
Check out criminal records
Every criminal record online is public and free to view. Use this information to get a clear picture of the person in question. Find out if they have committed any crimes, whether minor or serious, or whether they have outstanding warrants or probation. You can also search for any arrests or court proceedings.
Find recent employment history
It’s also helpful to investigate recent employment histories. By looking at their work history, you’ll get a clearer picture of the person’s personality, career and work ethic. This will give you more information to use to learn more about them.
Find information about their family
Family members can be an important source of information, especially when there’s a family tragedy.
Find other information about the person
After you have identified who you are looking for, you can start to dig a little deeper. You can check out any social media accounts they have. You can even find out what they are most active on. Find out who their associates are. Who are their family members and friends? Are they in the military? Are they in an organization that regulates a particular industry? You can do research to figure out whether or not this person will have a criminal record. People who have a criminal record are more likely to be involved in more criminal activities.
Find a criminal background check
A criminal background check will reveal much more information about a person than just their name. Many criminal background checks check include information about an individual’s criminal record.