How to Find a Missing Person Without a Social Security Number

Searching for your best friend from high school may not be as hard as it sounds.

Over time, we all lose touch with people who were once important to us. Technology makes it easier than ever for people to reconnect with loved ones from the past, whether it's a cousin you haven't seen since you were a kid or your best friend from grade school.

Instructions

1. 

   A search engine is usually the best place to start.

   Search the name of the person you're looking for on search engines such as Google. If the person that you're looking for has a common name, you may want to search it in quotes, along with the last known city of residence. For example, if you're looking for Jane Smith and she last lived in Columbus, Ohio, you'd want to enter " "Jane Smith" + "Columbus, Ohio" " into the search engine.

2. 

   The local phone book may have a listing.

   Look through phone books from the area that you believe the person you're looking for may be in. Remember to check for alternate names in addition to their name. For example, Jane Smith may be listed in the phone book as J Smith. If the area's phone book doesn't help, try searching phone books of surrounding towns and cities as well.

3. 

   Place an ad in the classified. Your friend or someone she knows may see it.

   Place an ad in the paper of any towns you believe the person you're searching for may live in. Be sure to include a few details. If Jane was your roommate at summer camp, simply post an ad saying "Looking for Jane Smith that went to camp with me." Add the year that you went to camp and your first name, but don't be too detailed, since everybody can read the ad. The popular classifieds website Craigslist also has a missed connections section, so you could also try posting in the forum for the nearest town to where your search is.

4. Sign up for networking sites. Facebook is a great one to start out at, and it's free. Several other sites are dedicated solely to searching for classmates, such as the Classmates website, though most of these types of sites require a monthly subscription fee. Additionally, check your high school's website. They sometimes have free alumni databases.

5. 

   A private investigator may be able to search more deeply.

   Hire a private investigator to search for you. Private investigators can be pricey, so use this as a last resort. However, if you're really desperate to find your missing person and are unable to locate her on your own, a P.I. will have access to resources that you don't and may have better luck.

References

• Your Family: Tips For Finding Missing People

Resources

• Classmates.com
• Facebook
• Craigslist