Skip tracing isn’t about finding someone who’s gone off the radar. It’s about connecting threads, reading between the lines, and knowing when something doesn’t sit right. Whether you’re tracking down a debtor, a witness, or someone involved in a fraud case, skip tracing is part instinct, part method, and a lot of persistence.
This article highlights nine insights drawn from real-world fraud investigation work that can make or break a skip tracing effort.
- Start with What You Know, Not What You Think You Know
It sounds obvious, but people skip over the foundational stuff. Before you start chasing leads, stop. Double-check the basic facts. Are the names spelled correctly? Has the address changed slightly, enough to throw off a search?
This first step is easy to overlook when you’re eager to make progress. But skipping it can waste hours later.
- Social Media: A Goldmine
Not every subject is active on Instagram or posting status updates. But their friends might be. Or a tagged photo could reveal where they were last seen. This isn’t about snooping; this is smart, open-source sleuthing. Social media can paint a filtered version of someone’s life.
- People Leave Clues in Paper Trails
Public records, utility bills, and rental agreements all leave footprints. Even if the person you’re looking for is careful, their world isn’t always as cautious. Co-signers, old addresses, outdated email accounts, all of it matters.
In some fraud investigation cases, a simple parking fine helped lead investigators to someone who’d been missing for two years. It’s not always about big breakthroughs. Sometimes it’s following up on the little ones that others dismiss.
- Every Contact Is a Potential Clue
Talking to people can sometimes reveal more than you’d expect. A neighbour who remembers a dog’s name. A friend mentions a job offer in another city.
- Technology Helps, But It Can’t Think for You
There are tools out there, some great ones, that help with skip tracing. Databases, location tracking, even AI-assisted searches. But they can’t replace instinct.
In one investigation, an advanced tracking software listed a person at four possible addresses. But only one had a pattern that aligned with their known behaviours.
- Cross-Reference Everything
Don’t trust a single source. If you find an address, confirm it through another channel. Phone number? See if it’s tied to any old profiles. A job listing from their LinkedIn? Call the company, if it exists.
Cross-referencing sounds tedious, and it can be, but it’s the backbone of good fraud investigation work.
- Don’t Assume They’ve Gone Far
Sometimes people disappear right next door. You’ve seen cases where someone changed their name but stayed in the same town or moved only a few blocks.
It’s tempting to assume someone who’s “missing” must be living in another state, under a new identity. If they’re trying to stay under the radar without drawing attention.
- Look for Changes in Behaviour or Routine
People tend to leave patterns. When those patterns break, it usually means something. A sudden pause in social activity. A car that hasn’t moved. An email that stops being checked.
One investigation services team tracked a fraudster who, oddly enough, never changed their Spotify habits. That account activity helped narrow down their time zone even when every other lead had gone cold.
- You Might Not Find Everything, And That’s Okay
Here’s the truth not everyone wants to admit: sometimes, despite your best efforts, you don’t get the full picture.
Skip tracing isn’t always a straight line. You get pieces, fragments, possibilities. But that doesn’t mean the trail is cold. It means you pause, regroup, and revisit. Even in complex fraud investigation scenarios, there’s rarely a dead end.
- Conclusion
Skip tracing in the context of fraud is a strange mix of detective work and patience. It’s not always glamorous. A lot of it is sifting through boring details until something clicks. But when it does, when the dots connect, it’s incredibly satisfying.
If you’re in this line of work, or brushing up to improve your approach, keep this in mind: the most successful investigators don’t only follow steps. They stay curious, ask odd questions, and take notes that don’t seem useful until suddenly, they are.
