Skip tracing is the process of locating a persons whereabouts, typically someone who is missing, unresponsive, or hard to find. It is often used by debt collectors, process servers, bail bondsmen, or bail agency enforcers. The term "skip" refers to the person being searched for, and is derived from the idiomatic expression "to skip town," meaning to depart in a rush or hoping to elude creditors or law enforcement. The skip tracer is the person who performs this task, which may be their primary occupation.
Skip tracing is performed in stages. The first step is to gather basic information about the subject, such as their first, middle, and last name, aliases, and nicknames, as well as their date of birth, last known physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. Skip tracing often includes more than uncovering a simple location and contact data, like a phone number or email address. Other details that can typically be useful to skip tracers include social media accounts, employment history, criminal records, and more.
While free internet search services can occasionally be helpful, the best services will cost a fee, and an experienced process server and skip tracer has access to high-tech methodologies, insider information, and cutting-edge surveillance techniques. It is legal to practice skip tracing in the U.S. as long as you're not breaking the law to retrieve the information you're looking for.
