| "Skip tracing" is one of the terms used in the business | | | | If given a "permissible purpose" - and skip tracers have |
| of finding missing people. Professional skip tracers | | | | the knack of getting them - they can run the social |
| allege to be able to locate anyone, by using a vast | | | | security traces through phone or computer and find |
| array of methods. | | | | people in an instant, since almost everyone uses credit |
| Their major weapon is the social security trace. By | | | | these days. |
| using this method, skip tracers simply run the missing | | | | In rare cases, where the skip tracer does not have the |
| person's social security number through credit bureaus. | | | | missing person's social security number, a national |
| They get back header files from the person's credit | | | | identifier search" is used. This method employs the |
| report. Header files can give a plethora of valuable | | | | last-known name and address of the missing person. |
| information, including the missing person's full name, | | | | Thus, the skip tracer's secret is to find people using |
| address, and information such as date of birth and | | | | credit bureaus' files. However, not everyone is given |
| current employment. Until recently, "header files" were | | | | this permission. You have to have a valid account with |
| deemed public information under the "Fair Credit | | | | a well-known credit bureau; and credit bureaus |
| Reporting Act." However, the "Graham, Leach Act" | | | | generally only open accounts for particular types of |
| limited their use to permissible purposes" like insurance, | | | | businesses, like information professionals. You may hire |
| business/investment transactions, employment and | | | | the services of information professionals to do the job, |
| litigation. | | | | but it comes with a fee. |