How to Use Your Computer to Investigate People

Finding Public Records

Know what to expect. When you are searching public records, you are only getting a small piece of the larger picture. You may find an arrest record, but the details are almost never included. Oftentimes reports will contradict each other, as they come from different sources with data gathered at different times. Always take everything you read with a large grain of salt, and do your best to verify any information through other means. Even information such as the person's favorite movies or music could be largely incorrect. They may have made that list five years ago and their tastes are completely different now.

Understand what is made public. Common information obtained from public records can include simple things such as name, address and phone numbers. In addition, birth, death, marriage & divorce records and criminal, court, sex offender registries can be searched in some areas. Licenses, property information and a number of other records are kept by the government and certain organizations.

Use a free public records search. There are a variety of sites online that will allow you to search public records for free, and even more that will do so for a fee. Keep in mind that all public records aren't necessarily free, and getting the appropriate permit and authorization can take a significant amount of time. Likewise, any records that a site returns may be outdated or incomplete. Here are a couple good places to start: Free Public Records Search Directory - This site allows you to search public records from any state or on a federal level. If the record cannot be obtained by the search, it will often tell you who to contact to obtain it. You will need to know the general location of the person you are investigating. Family Watchdog - This site contains the National Sex Offender Registry, and allows you to search for offenders by name or location. Keep in mind that details are often not provided, which can contribute to an unwarranted negative view. Your local department of corrections website - Almost all states will allow you to search publicly available criminal records. The address is different for each state, but searching for " department of corrections" should quickly get you there.

Use a paid search. A paid public records search may yield more results than a free search, but keep in mind that all of the records it retrieves are available if you put the time in contacting the various agencies. If you don't have time to do this, paying for a search may be a better use of your time and money.

Performing Web Searches

Use a people search engine. There are several search engines that focus solely on retrieving information about a person from their public social network profiles and online activity. These searches are usually free, though most offer advanced searches for a fee. Using multiple services may help to paint a more complete picture. Popular choices include: Pipl - This site will return social network information, age, and location for free. You just need to enter a name, though you can narrow it down by adding a location. Be aware that a common name will result in a lot of results. ZabaSearch - This is another search site that will return similar information, and provides quick links to paid searches for phone numbers and addresses.

Perform a search with a few different web search engines. Though it may seem obvious, you can actually find a lot of information about a person from a quick web search. The more you already know about that person, the more results you will get from the search. Use multiple search engines to find more results that others might not have. Search by name - This is the basic search, and will usually return social network profiles and any mentions in local press. Search by email. Searching by the person's email address may return results from sites that contains their email address but not their name. You may not find much with this search, but it may help fill in the cracks. Username search. Try searching for the person's email address without the domain. For example, if the person's email is [email protected], you would just search for "coolcat74". Oftentimes people will register for forums and websites just using their standard username. This can help you track down forum posts and give you some insight into what that person thinks.

Cross-reference your result. You are likely to get a wide range of search results from your various inquiries. Remember, it is always best to assume that the information you find is false or incomplete. Compare your results against each other and see what sort of patterns and consistencies emerge. This can help make sure that what you're finding is at least somewhat accurate.

Going the Extra Mile

Create a fake Facebook profile. This method is pretty dirty, but you may be able to create a fake profile (ideally with an attractive photo) and request to be that person's friend. It will help to have some mutual friends first. Becoming friends will typically give you access to all of their private information that they only allow friends to see. Many people would consider this to be a massive invasion of privacy, so only do this if you feel you absolutely have to. Be prepared to face serious consequences and be labeled a creep and stalker if you get caught.

Talk to the person. The only way you'll be able to truly verify any information is to talk to the person directly. If you're performing a job interview, you should be able to address any issue you have without raising eyebrows. If you're investigating someone on a personal level, you may have to be a little more tactful about how you bring things up.