I am considering hiring a private investigator to find a person.
Basic facts:
This person is not a love interest, and I have no intent of harming them. So please no “creepy stalker” remarks. If I find them, and they want no contact, I will respect that.
The person was last seen by a family member (of mine) over ten years ago.
I am not aware of any evidence that the person’s disappeared under mysterious or suspicious circumstances, so getting police involved doesn’t seem like a meaningful plan.
The person’s last known whereabouts were in Philadelphia. It is unknown if they remained there, or are even still alive.
What should I consider when hiring a private investigator/private detective? Should I start with a PI in Pennsylvania or would it be best to start with one in my own state (Virginia)? Can PI’s cross state lines or do I need to find a multi-state licensed PI or hire multiple PI’s in case evidence is found indicating a move from Pennsylvania?
Have you considered using some of the online search tools first to see if they have an electronic presence? Several of the deep web search engines tie in with better searching, for a fee. You might be able to narrow down your search area using multiple deep web searching at minimal cost (initially) then use that data with a PI.
First I would try to find them myself using the internet. Sites like Public Data.com and the like will be much cheaper and quicker than a private detective. I could be that this person just moved for personal/employment reasons.
many PI’s have multiple state licenses. And it most instances the originating state is the one concerned with licensing. So if they have to cross state lines for a records/address check it isn’t any big deal.
If the travel is long, many will simply subcontract the job to a private dick who is closer.
My former employer retained a PI on several occasions. The PI wouldn’t accept a job unless he had, at a minimum, the sought after person’s date of birth, place of birth, and Social Security number.
I’ve had moderate luck (maybe 50-50) with Google searching for very-long-ago acquaintances and school chums in my “approaching 60” age group. Younger people, better luck. 40 or under tend to be on Facebook, but I find Facebook to be incredibly frustrating to search, it has to be the worst search system ever. It also depends how common the name is, how likely they are trying to be unfindable, and how tech-savvy they are. Some people use their real name online, many don’t. If your friend is barely literate, odds are they will not appear at all unless they’ve been involved in an interesting crime. If they are heavily involved in a interesting or unique hobby or sport, odds are they show up in blogs and news articles. And so on…
That is one lousy PI. Sounds like all he’s doing is a phony credit check.
I routinely track down people online for family members using the usual search tools like PeopleSmart as a starting off place. Lots of similar web sites with differing features and thoroughness. If you know their name, approximate age and anywhere they have lived recently (and 10 years is recent enough), you can find out quite a bit.
I agree with the pre-search recommendations already given in this thread, but I’m responding on the assumption that you’ve already done that (or aren’t interested in doing so). There are many, many firms that operate in multiple states that you can retain to do a simple skiptrace. Depending on the amount of information you’re able to provide (and it sounds like you’re able to give a last-known address, which is extremely useful), you’d probably be able to get at the very least a list of likely addresses and contact information for your target for $150-$300. From there, it sounds like you’d be reaching out to the person yourself, but it will obviously cost more if you want investigators to start making calls on your behalf.
I can’t think of any reason you’d need to hire multiple investigators in order to do what will likely amount to being a simple computer search. If you get to a point where you’re having people knock on doors to track someone down, the firms referenced above are going to have the resources to get an investigator with boots on the ground in the relevant state(s). It is extremely unlikely that you’d need to do that footwork yourself. Just make sure you talk to them in advance of each step they take about the time and estimated costs involved.
It’s probably a matter of making sure he’s looking for the right person. If you want “Tom Jones, who lived in Indianapolis in the 1990s,” there are going to be several people who fit the bill, and if your Tom Jones is being sought by a private investigator, there’s a chance he’s using another name. It’s a lot harder to change you SSN, and people who alter their birthdays have to keep it withing a few years of the actual date. Also, if Tom Jones went through a legal procedure to change his name, having access to his original birth records can confirm that “Stuart Little” is really “Thomas Stuart Jones,” because he can pull the original birth record.
All the PI is asking for are specific identifiers, so he doesn’t have to track down every person with that name. You wouldn’t want to pay him to do that anyway. It might also be a way of checking that you have a legitimate reason for tracking down this person; if he owes you money, you probably have all the info he’s asking for. If you met him once at a party and want to stalk him, you won’t.
The most important qualification for a private investigator is what databases they have access to. Ask them. IRBSearch & TLO seem to bee the favorites.
You might also check with the Salvation Army. They have a basic missing person search procedure that not many people are aware of. They will do a phone call search in the last known city. If that person is contacted by the SA and that person doesn’t want contact with you the SA will keep the information confidential (you won’t be contacted).