Hiring a Private Investigator for a Deep Search

The modern world is always on the move; the average person moves about 11.7 times. And that's just a generalized statistic. When we zoom in by age, people below 34 move quite a lot compared to older individuals. We are talking about an average tenure of 2.8 years on the job and 3 years in the same rental property. 

And yet, it's still virtually impossible for somebody to disappear off the grid entirely unless they move to a place where they keep to themselves - no phone, social media, friends, and other things that leave breadcrumbs to locate them. 

So let's say you have someone you want to track down; it could be a long-lost family, friend, or love who's fallen off the face of the earth or someone who owes you money or is crucial to your legal situation; how do you go about it? 

An overview of skip tracing

"Skip tracing" is the art of locating a person's whereabouts. The subjects are difficult to find or intentionally avoid contact. A "skip" is the old colloquial term for someone who has "skipped town." "Tracing" refers to the methods used to track them down. 

While skip tracing can involve asset searching (especially when looking for financial information tied to a person, such as bank accounts, property records, or business interests), the primary focus is finding the individual rather than just their assets. 

Asset searches, on the other hand, are more narrowly focused on uncovering financial holdings and resources rather than a person's whereabouts. 

In short, skip tracing is mainly about finding people, while asset searches deal with locating assets. Nonetheless, as you can imagine, when it comes to skip tracing, some people are easier to find than others. It could also depend on the tracing investigator; some private investigators are more skilled at finding people than others.

Moreover, it's our experience that trying to find someone can be more manageable without worrying about spooking the subject. Skip tracing must be done correctly. It can be easier when you hire a private investigator to avoid breaking laws about privacy, trespassing, etc. 

That ties in with the above point about private investigators and how they are experienced in doing things that a regular person just wouldn't be able to do. 

What skills do we use in skip tracing?

Tracking down people requires piecing together information that may not be linked. Some of the skills we use include:

• Investigators at our organization track down subjects with the aid of US UNITE, our advanced computer system that operates exclusively within our organization. The state-of-the-art technology rapidly analyzes extensive data stores to deliver precise results. Our database system, US UNITE, which we apply with investigative skills, forensics identification, and database examination capabilities, enables us to discover people who prove difficult for others to track. US UNITE enables our investigators to perform detailed skip tracing effectively because of its in-house capability and their investigative expertise.
• Research. We use data sources such as credit header data, Skip Masher, and TLO to locate information. These can provide comprehensive reports, including a person's address based on their credit info. We also collect information from public records to determine where a person has been mentioned in a court case or if they've registered property such as real estate or vehicles.
• Data Mining. We also collect information from social media and look at old pictures or old platforms and forums where a person may have posted something about their job, relationships, and lifestyle.
• Interpersonal Skills. We can also find information from family members, neighbors, or even acquaintances in the local community, be it a church, market, school, or place of business.
• Analytical Thinking. It's not just about reading databases, searching the internet, or interviewing people; we still have to figure out how reliable these sources are and how to interpret certain details. A lot of it comes with experience, from how we see how specific details work out in a case. We learn from that and determine how reliable specific databases are.
• Surveillance. Tracking someone may not necessarily be a desk job as sometimes there's going to be some point where someone has to follow someone discreetly and collect information, minus breaking the law.

Advantages of hiring a PI 

Skip tracing is nuanced even if you have technology and can read databases, you'll still need to interpret the information and connect the dots. Moreover, there will always be new sources, laws, and technology that you may know nothing about.

• Access to state-of-the-art technology to dig for information efficiently and thoroughly
• Expert analysis to determine which leads to focus on
• Security, in that we won't share your information while trying to find somebody you want
• Access to high-quality, usually premium databases that are not available to regular individuals
• Lawful skip tracing so the information we provide won't be inadmissible because of privacy violations, wiretapping, and such black hassles.

Choosing a professional investigator is the surest way to guarantee peace of mind in a skip-tracing job. We are talking about a person experienced in dealing with all the dynamics of the operations, not just the laws, data sources, and privacy concerns, but also the patience that the process requires. 

In such operations, data comes bit by bit, and plugging it into the picture over time often leads to a eureka moment. So, realistically, skip tracing using a PI is worth it. It will cost you because you need to hire the best to get the best. However, it will be worth it when they bring you the information you want. 

How Much Does Skip Tracing Cost?

The fees for thorough "locate" searches conducted by our investigators total $750. The highly proprietary in-house computer system US UNITE enables us to maintain accuracy and efficiency. The cutting-edge technology enables our team to provide successful outcomes through accurate operations.

What other search services do we offer besides skip tracing?

While skip tracing is primarily about locating people who are difficult to find, we also offer asset search services to individuals who want to locate hidden assets in a legal, business, or personal matter. 

It could be about tracking down assets of an estate in probate or locating assets that your business partner, ex-spouse, debtor, or someone you won against in court is hiding from you. Our asset search services can get you what's rightfully yours and help enforce court judgments.

Here's a breakdown of our asset search services costs. 

Basic Background/Asset Search

• Coverage. All 50 states and includes data from our in-house computer system.
• Turnaround Time. 24 hours or less
• Cost. $1,500.00 + $45.00 for FedEx (Total: $1,545.00)

Financial Institution Account Search

• Coverage. Bank, savings, and checking accounts.
• Statewide Search. $4,800.00
• Nationwide Search. $7,500.00
• Turnaround Time. 5-8 working days

Brokerage Account Search

• Includes. Stocks, bonds, and securities.
• Statewide Search. $4,800.00
• Nationwide Search. $7,500.00
• Turnaround Time. 5-8 working days

All payments are via Visa or MasterCard, and once we get something that we think will help you, we'll put it in your email or any other address you specify. 

Locate people in the U.S. with expert skip-tracing

If you want to hire a PI for a skip trace, call us here at Martin Investigative Solutions. We offer free consultations and are available all the time. We operate across the USA and are happy to answer any questions you have. We can be reached at  800-577-1080. Call today to start your search.

Martin Investigative Services

Martin Investigative Services office is located at 620 Newport Center Dr Suite 1100, Newport Beach, CA 92660 

Open: 24/7

Phone: (800) 577-1080