Trying to find a lost loved one can be a frustrating experience. Snippets of outdated information can often lead to dead ends, taking an emotional toll doing something that should be cathartic.
Fortunately, regardless of the reason you’re trying to reconnect with your loved one (or why you lost touch in the first place), there are several steps you can take to try to trace back to them.
The “grassroots” option is to try to get in touch with everyone you can think of who is acquainted with your loved one (think six degrees of separation). It might be easier to get the phone number for an old friend/roommate/spouse of your loved one than your loved one themselves and they, in turn, might have a way of getting in touch or other valuable information you can use.
Social media sites – most notably, Facebook – are a great resource for this kind of effort. If you don’t already have a Facebook account, you can set one up for free in just minutes, then start searching. Send friend requests to people who might be able to help you – or just message them directly. Who knows – the person you’re looking for might be one of their friends or easy to find with a quick Facebook search.
If the leads you get going that route dry up (or if you just don’t want to put yourself out there in such a public way), you can hire a private investigator or lawyer to do the digging for you. Before they make a single phone call, they will likely try a search with one of the two professional people finder companies – LexisNexis or TLO.
With just a name and last known state (or city/state combination), they can almost always get a current address, phone number, and a host of other public records. That information will be compiled into a tidy report that you’ll usually receive within a few business days – all for $100-$750 or more (some of which is likely non-refundable even if they can’t find the person you’re looking for).
Thankfully, there’s also an instant people search option with a money-back guarantee that not only rivals the professional people finder companies for information, but also offers unlimited searching starting at around $10.
Online people finder companies are available for public record searches anytime day or night. With just a name and last known city & state, you’re off and running – you can even try a free search below to see what’s out there:
Through our partnership with PeopleFinders.com, you'll receive Industry-Leading data by combining over 43 Billion Verified Public Records giving you the most comprehensive Background, Criminal, People, Marriage and Divorce Checks available Online. We receive income from our partnerships.
In just minutes, you could be speaking to your lost loved one – or at least know what they’ve been doing from public marriage/divorce records, criminal records, SSN search and more. If you’re tired of the not knowing, give it a try – you’ve got nothing to lose and plenty to gain.
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1. How to Run an Instant People Search
2. How to Find Anyone in the US
3. How can I find someone’s current address?
Ron is the lead writer for USATrace.com. Ron has over 40 years of experience both as a private investigator and attorney. He brings excellent value to the site with his insite on public records and the changing demographics of people search on the internet. You can contact Ron via ron.richardson@usatrace.com.