Skip tracing usually involves collecting personal information about someone who may not want to be found. Whether it’s used to locate a missing person, a debtor, or someone avoiding being served legal documents, the process often happens without the individual’s knowledge or consent. As such, it raises some ethical and privacy concerns, making many people wonder where the legal boundary is between what’s legal and what’s invasive. The truth is, skip tracing is legal, but only when done the right way. In the U.S., there are strict federal and state laws that regulate how personal data can be...

Skip tracing can be incredibly useful, but only if you do it the right way. Despite the goal being locating someone who is hard to find, the methods you use must follow strict legal guidelines. Illegal practices such as using deceptive tactics, accessing private data without permission, or violating privacy laws can lead to serious legal trouble. That’s why it’s so important to understand the proper, legal approach to skip tracing before you begin. The skip tracing process starts with collecting known details, and then using public records, online databases, and social media to build out...

Long gone are the times when just knocking on a door or having to flip through a phone book was all that could be done to locate someone. In the present, people leave bits of data that can serve as clues scattered across records and social media platforms. When you’re trying to recover debt, serve legal documents or secure a witness, the question shifts from “Where can I find them?” to “How do I find them fast without violating privacy laws or ethical guidelines?” A skip trace bridges that gap using legal tools and investigative techniques to locate individuals who are difficult to...