How to Search for Missing Relatives
If you're trying to find a missing member of your family, you may wish to search on your own or hire a professional private detective. Obviously, if the family member is young or if you suspect foul play, contact the police. If this is not the case, there are steps you can take on your own to track your relative down before seeking professional help.
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Instructions
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Check to be sure the family member is really missing. Ask around your family, particularly more obscure relatives such as distant cousins whom you seldom see. This may seem like a long shot, but it can pay dividends.
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Assemble your information on the missing person: full name, age, physical description, occupation and social security number. Make sure you have used the correct spellings and that you have all the information that would be helpful in a search. Doing this can also remind you of some clue to the whereabouts (perhaps an old friend or job) that you may have forgotten.
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Go online and put the person's name into a search engine. Search in voting records, marriage and birth announcements, newspaper reports, phone records and genealogy websites. Enter the name into a social media website such as Facebook. Intelius.com is an online service that charges a small fee to search for a person's name.
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Send a sealed envelope to the relative's last-known address with your own address in the upper left corner. On the back write: "Do not forward - address correction required." This will provide you with a forwarding address, if one exists.
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Contact the local department of motor vehicles, county recorder and county assessor. If the missing person owned a car or property you may be able to find out information. A small fee may be charged for some of these services.
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If all else fails, check with a professional investigator. Ask for recommendations or look one up in a business directory or online. Pick one with the proper qualifications and experience. Private detectives can be expensive, so be prepared to pay for their time and expenses.
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Tips & Warnings
Try searching websites on subjects in which the missing person has an interest.
Be careful when hiring an investigator. Make sure he will do the job properly and not just take your money.
References
- Photo Credit Old couple image by cegli from Fotolia.com
