Public Records Searches

Most people are surprised at the amount of information on somebody can be easily dug up in public records in various government offices that are available to practially anybody off the street. Your local county courthouse where tax records are kept is a good example. The biggest challenge with any investigation is not having enough identifying information, usually having just a name, often without a full middle name. It really becomes hit or miss then. What you really need in an ideal situation is a social security number and date of birth. This goes doubly true for criminal or prison records. Getting ahold of social security numbers is not as easy as it used to be, due to greater concern about identity theft.

If somebody happens to be a property owner, they will have property tax records on them at the county courthouse where tax records are kept. These records are often kept on Microfiche rather than on paper. Younger people are usually more difficult to track down because few are homeowners and they tend to move more frequently and change their phone numbers.

Examples of public records:

• Police Records
• Credit
• Property tax records
• Other Court Records
• Education
• Employment
• US Bankruptcy Court

Checking past employment usually just takes a phone call to where somebody worked, but due to increased security concerns, employers aren't as willing to release detailed information about an ex-employee but they usually don't mind verifying employment dates and general work performance. You have to know the person ever worked there.

Neighbors love to gossip, so talking to your neighbors can gain you information you likely won't find anywhere else, although it's usually considered unreliable and usually requires a good pretext to obtain. It is usually worthwhile and doesn't cost you anything as it can offer other leads.

Personal references such as those usually requested on an employment application are usually not even worth checking. It goes without saying that not many if any will list references that have anything but good reports to offer. The actual personal references that a subject provides may offer you a more accurate picture of your subject than what they actually have to say. Do the references include professional people or "pillars of the community" etc., vs criminals, drug addicts, homeless people, etc..

With very few exceptions everybody has a paper trail. Some are easier to follow than others. Detective work can be hard work and can be very time consuming, which is why professionals charge so much, but Net Detective Online greatly simplifies this process, significantly reducing the number of hours you'd otherwise likely spend doing it on your own.
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