| Why should you read this article? | | | | school with location. For example: "El Molino High |
| You want to find someone who does not want to | | | | School Santa Rosa California". Many secondary |
| be found. | | | | schools now have their own websites. If you find his |
| Introduction: | | | | school site, look under the "alumni" tab and perform a |
| Finding a person using an online database can be very | | | | search by full name and graduation year. Many high |
| tricky and frustrating, especially if that person is | | | | school and classmate sites will list the person's email |
| internet savvy and does not want to be discovered. | | | | address, along with other identifying information. |
| This article offers strategies for finding that hard to | | | | Still nothing? Try their place of employment. Do you |
| find person via their email address and social media | | | | know where they work? Or at least the type of |
| websites. Did you know that almost 95% of people | | | | industry the person would most likely be working in? |
| who use the internet have at least one email | | | | If the individual you are looking for works for any |
| address? Do you also realize how popular social media | | | | large organization, it will be easier for you to find |
| has become? Let's start digging! | | | | them. For example, if you are looking for Bill Smith, |
| Strategies for finding an email address or social media | | | | and you are positive he still works for Sams Auto |
| profile: | | | | Parts, Inc(but you have no idea where), the email |
| Let's take email first. You should start with gmail and | | | | name(the part to the left of the "@" symbol) will be |
| yahoo. These are two of the most popular free | | | | any one of these combinations: BSmith, BillSmith, |
| windows email clients. Probably 80% of the people | | | | WilliamSmith, WSmith, Bill.Smith or William.Smith. In this |
| you will try to find online have gmail or yahoo email | | | | example, we are assuming that the domain name for |
| addresses. | | | | Sam's Auto Parts, Inc is "SamsAutoParts" and that it |
| You should know that many people use free email | | | | has a ".com" after the last letter or "s" in this case. |
| addresses as "throwaways". In other words, they will | | | | Most large companies will not allow their employees |
| use this email address for a specific purpose and then | | | | to use anything but their first and last names along |
| simply abandon it. There are hundreds of free email | | | | with the corporate email domain name. Take |
| clients. It is very easy to set up a free web email | | | | advantage of this if you know(or think you know) |
| service. Don't be surprised to find that one individual | | | | where the person works. |
| has fifty or more email addresses. So which is the | | | | So maybe he doesn't work for a large organization? |
| most current one? Unfortunately, you will have to | | | | Maybe he gets paid cash under the table? Now what |
| check them all. But once you know these techniques, | | | | do you do? |
| checking each email address will be quick and easy. | | | | Still can't find him? |
| You should also be aware that even the free email | | | | Then you need to stop and do some thinking. Does |
| clients have spam/junk filters in place. Usually, the | | | | the person have a very common name? Like James |
| email address owner can set up trash screens. On | | | | Smith or Mary Jones? If so, then read my blog on |
| some clients, the user can ask that everything from | | | | finding people by name(see "Finding People Online By |
| a certain domain or a certain person be sent | | | | Name" link below) before you proceed any further. |
| immediately to the junk folder without seeing it. Junk | | | | Again, be aware that an internet savvy person who |
| folders can be set up so that any email sent there | | | | does not wish to be uncovered may have hundreds |
| can be immediately deleted. So if someone thinks | | | | of email addresses and many old web sites. You |
| you may be looking for him, he can simply screen | | | | might discover outdated and even inaccurate |
| you out. Not all is lost...let's look at some other ways | | | | information. Don't get discouraged, keep digging. You |
| to dig him out. | | | | need to be able to tell yourself that you've left no |
| Do you know if this person has a web page of any | | | | stone unturned. |
| kind? Does he sell anything online as an affiliate? | | | | How badly do you need to find this person? If you |
| Maybe he sells his own products or services? Just | | | | have spent a lot of time going through these email |
| type in his full name in any search engine to see if | | | | discovery strategies, then you must have a very |
| you can find his web page. If he has one, he will | | | | good reason. Perhaps one of these four? |
| often have a picture of himself along with other | | | | 1. Non-payment of child support and/or alimony |
| identifying information such as his email address. No | | | | 2. Person is a former business partner who |
| luck here? Let's keep going. | | | | absconded with business funds |
| How about blogs? Blogs started out as people who | | | | 3. Ex-spouse who may have cleaned out your joint |
| wanted to write about their interests and passions | | | | account and disappeared, leaving you with children to |
| and share them with others. Now, many use blogs as | | | | raise and no money. I've heard of both men and |
| landing pages for products they are selling. Most blogs | | | | women abandoning their family like this. |
| will show a picture of the blog writer along with other | | | | 4. A con artist that conned you out of a lot of |
| information such as their current email address. Go to | | | | money, online or offline. |
| any search engine and type in "free blog sites". You | | | | If you have gotten to this point and at least one of |
| will get back about a dozen or more blog sites. | | | | the four reasons above is true, then stop and read |
| Search through them all! Then look at the blogs that | | | | my "Running Your Own Criminal Background Check" |
| charge a fee, such as WordPress. Sift through all | | | | blog(see below link) before you do anything else. For |
| those too. Still nothing? Then grab your pick, you | | | | all you know, he may now have a criminal record and |
| may strike gold with this next one. | | | | or be incarcerated. In this case, you may have to hire |
| I'm sure you've heard the term "social networking". | | | | an attorney and/or an offline detective agency to |
| Do you know anything about Twitter, Facebook and | | | | get hold of any court/prison records. |
| MySpace? If not, you need to take a few days and | | | | Conclusions: |
| learn about these social sites. Social networking has | | | | Finding someone online who does not want to be |
| exploded in popularity in the last year or two. | | | | found is very tricky. Again, we are talking about an |
| Twitter, Facebook and MySpace are the biggest and | | | | internet savvy person who knows how to hide his |
| most popular so try these first. | | | | identity. |
| First, you need to become a member of each social | | | | But what if you know that this person is that rare |
| network. Don't worry, they're all free. Once you are | | | | bird who doesn't know email from a hole in the |
| accepted as a member, simply type the person's | | | | ground and wouldn't know the term "social media" if |
| name in the site's search box. You will usually find the | | | | it hit him in the face? Then you will have to rely on |
| search box in the top right hand corner of each page. | | | | an online search engine or even an offline detective |
| So if the person you are looking for is a member, | | | | agency. |
| you will find him. Most members put up a picture of | | | | But assuming the person you want to find is among |
| themselves and give other identifying information, so | | | | the 95% that use the internet, know that even a |
| look closely. You may get lucky. | | | | very slick operator makes dumb mistakes. Be |
| Once you've tried Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, | | | | prepared to spend a lot of time and some money |
| go to any search engine and put in "list social | | | | investigating all of the above strategies, especially the |
| networking sites" or "top 20 social networking sites". | | | | social networking sites. Even without a photograph, |
| You will find that there are about 25 or so large social | | | | the person might let slip some information that you |
| networking sites. Become a member of each and | | | | know to be true. Knowing the person's hobbies and |
| search for your guy. Seems like a lot of work, | | | | interests also helps. Say he is an avid golfer. Look on |
| doesn't it? You are spending a lot of time, but you | | | | golf blogs, golf forums, golf websites. You may find |
| haven't had to spend much money yet. So you've | | | | his most current email address at one of these |
| tried at least 20social network websites and you are | | | | places. |
| still coming up empty? | | | | Are you willing to dig and dig and dig until you find |
| The next thing you can do is a search for those | | | | the person? What is it worth to you? Can you afford |
| "classmate" databases. Just search using "classmates | | | | to spend some money? How much? Only you can |
| database" or "classmates site". Do you know the | | | | answer these questions. |
| name of the high school he went to and his | | | | Best of luck. |
| graduation year? If so, run a search for that high | | | | |