Finding someone using limited information can be confusing and difficult, especially if you aren’t sure where to start searching for the best results. Instead of wasting time figuring out how to find someone, you can use our article to review the best search methods.
Try all of the methods we discuss below for the best chance of getting stellar results and figuring out all you need to know.
Why Might You Want To Find Someone?
There are plenty of reasons why you might want to find someone using online or in-person resources that you have limited information about. Over the course of life, you may have lost touch with family or friends, old college classmates, or even exes, and want to reconnect.
You may also be searching for a long-lost relative that you’ve never met or discovered you have a previously unknown family member that you want to try and form a relationship with.
All of these reasons are highly valid for trying to track down someone’s whereabouts. However, it’s important that you keep in mind when reaching out to someone that they may not want to form a connection with you; staying realistic and respectful about your searches helps to measure your expectations and gives you the best results.
The Best Online Methods For Finding Someone
The following methods are the best online searching tactics for finding someone that you might not have a lot of information on to start with.
People Search Tools
People search tools like the one on Information.com are incredibly helpful when it comes to narrowing down information about a person using just their name and location. Simply input this information about the person you are searching for into the website, run the search, and then review the report that comes back.
This report will be compiled from information that comes from public records and includes vital information such as phone numbers, email addresses, location and employment history, criminal records, and known friends, family members, and work associates.
You may also be able to see social media account information, which can be an easy way to reach out to the person in question.
Internet and Social Media Searches
Searching a person’s name directly through a web browser using a search engine, such as Google, or through a social media website can be effective, but take longer than simply using a people search tool.
For these search methods, simply input all of the information you know about the person you are looking for into a search engine and review the first few results; the more pages of search results you click through, the less accurate the results are likely to be.
To search social media websites, you may need an account on the website yourself, and the person in question will likely need to have their information to be set to ‘public’ or something similar for it to be viewable.
You should also keep in mind that some social media websites tell the person when you view or interact with their profile. If you are trying to remain secretive while you decide whether or not to reach out to the person, you may want to avoid websites with this feature.
Phone Number Searches
A phone number search can be a great way to find someone if all you have is their old phone number.
Phone numbers can be input into phone number search tools, web browsers, or social media websites to pull up all related phone numbers, name information, or accounts tied to that specific phone number.
Genealogical Searches
If you are searching for a long-lost family member or a relative that has previously been unknown to your family, then a genealogical search tool can help.
The most popular website for this is ancestry.com, though there are a plethora of genealogy and DNA tracing websites around today that can help you trace family trees and easily connect you with the individuals you are searching for.
Offline Search Methods
If you prefer to search offline, these methods can help you get started when it comes to narrowing down the whereabouts of an individual.
Speaking With Friends and Family
Mutual friends and family may be able to help reconnect you with a long-lost family member, a friend from college that you lost touch with, or an ex that you no longer speak to. By working your way through connections, you may be able to regain contact with the individual in question.
You should stay aware that speaking with mutual friends and family and attempting to trace an individual’s whereabouts this way can inform the person in question that you are searching for them; this might not be something you want to be widely known in certain cases. Stick to online search methods if you prefer a more subtle way of finding someone.
Private Investigators
Private investigators can be a costly and more intense search method, but these individuals can get results when you really need them. Private investigators will charge between $50 and $150 an hour on average for their services and are the best option for tracking down an individual that you are having issues finding online.
Narrowing Down Someone’s Whereabouts
Understanding how to find someone can be difficult, and you never want to spend hours searching the internet or speaking with friends and family members just to turn up nothing. Use the suggested search methods in our article to trace someone’s whereabouts, find a valid phone number or email address to contact, or make connections with long-lost friends, relatives, or exes.
Make sure that you are always respectful with your searching and when reaching out to speak to an individual, and you’ll gain the best search results in no time.
