A “skip” is someone who has skipped out on a debt or obligation.

Tracking down that person is what we call “skip tracing”.

Many times your skip will be taking some pretty basic steps to avoid being found. However, sometimes he or she will be taking extraordinary steps to stay off the radar.

So what’s the weakest link in your skips armor?

Often times it’s family.

Now, some families have a long history of dodging obligations and everyone is cautious and suspicious. But even then, someone will drop their guard and that’s your opportunity.

But, most of the time, family will naively give you the information you need if you ask in the right way or have the right pretext.

Also you can use this information combined with surveillance to nail your skip!

So, how do you find members of your skip’s family?

You may look at “address history” and find relatives that have shared the same addresses. You may find family on various court paperwork. But a very common and fruitful place to find a pretty good list of family members is in an obituary. This will include even distant and “nicer” relatives who may know something helpful to you but who are oblivious to the fact that your skip is trying to hide!

How can you keep your family from giving out your personal information? Try these two things…

First, teach them to say, “Can I take a message for you?” This is great because it is polite and reasonable, so it allows your family to be “helpful” to the caller, but still protect your privacy.

Second, role-play with your family. Ask them, “What will you say when ‘the bank’ calls trying to get in touch with me because of a ‘potentially fraudulent’ transaction on my debit card?”

Play out the same scenario with a variety of common pretext calls (ie. The High School Reunion Committee or an “old friend”.)

Let me know if you have any questions. I’m glad to help out in any way I can.