Skiptracing Tools and Technology
By Cris Ruiz, Collections Manager, County of Marin
Twenty five years ago, the number one source for locating debtors—the Internet—did not exist. Skiptracing has come a long way from thumbing through yellow pages and Polk directories to find debtors. What was once extremely time consuming is now only a click away.
So what is skiptracing? Skiptracing is the term used to describe the process of locating information on a debtor to collect on a debt. The term skiptracing comes from the words "skip" as used to describe someone who has skipped town or skipped out of an obligation and "trace" as used when one traces the clues that lead to locating the debtor.
In relation to skiptracing, a skiptracer is a person who conducts an investigation to locate information on a debtor for the purpose of collecting a debt. A good skiptracer is someone who assumes the role of an investigator, driven by the challenge of locating debtors, and who is persistent but not overly aggressive. Good skiptracers know what questions to ask that lead them to finding their debtor. The best approach is to be nonthreatening; people are more willing to give out information if they feel they can trust you.
Every bit of information given can be seen as a clue to locating the debtor. The most obvious clues are a debtor's name, date of birth, social security number and driver's license. Skiptracing searches can be challenging when there is limited information, such as a name and an old address. A debtor may not have a valid driver’s license or known social security number. When cases like these arise, the people who know the debtor personally are good sources of information.
When the skiptracing process is initiated on a debtor, it is important to review the information given to help locate the debtor. A social security number can provide a multitude of important pieces of information, through an Internet database such as Accurint, including an address, phone number and date of birth. The addresses from Accurint are not always current, but are often fairly recent.
There are many resources available to skiptrace. The most commonly used resources are:
Accurint
For a fee, the Accurint database contains a wealth of information for finding debtors. The primary uses of Accurint are to retrieve a name, address, phone number, and social security number. Depending on the state, some driver's license information may be available. Accurint can also provide asset information, such as property ownership. For more information, please contact at (866) 684-REVQ (7387).
California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
In addition to providing a California driver's license number, the DMV database provides a name, any known aliases, date of birth, and up to three recently known addresses.
Credit Bureaus
The top three credit bureaus are TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. For a transactional fee, all three credit bureaus provide header information, which includes a name, alias, date of birth, current address, up to two previous addresses, phone number, and employment information, if available.
TransUnion
TransUnion provides an Inquiry Analysis, which delivers consumer contact information from a recent inquiry. For example, if the debtor applies for a bank loan and the bank pulls a TransUnion credit report, the inquiry will be posted on the SSN report along with the consumer information used to a pull a credit report. Typically, Inquiry Analysis delivers a current address and phone number.
Internal County Database
This is a great source of information and is free of charge. Most internal criminal justice systems will maintain names, dates of birth, aliases, addresses, and phone numbers.
Google is the most widely used search engine for information on the Internet. Google can be helpful in finding information on an individual debtor or business. The URL for Google is www.google.com.
Internet Yellow Pages
Same as the printed version simply transferred to the Internet. There are several internet yellow pages including www.yellowpages.com.
When skiptracing, always be conscious of time used and money spent. Remember that time is money and it may not be worth it to spend 20 minutes of labor and $5 in skiptracing services for a bill totaling $30.
Always remember to verify the information found through a skiptracing search. When in question, use two sources to verify information especially when the information is a social security number. Skiptracing is a valuable part of the collection process and the resources provided are only a fraction of the tools available to locate debtors. Always keep yourself informed of new skiptracing tools and resources—your success will depend on how well you use the resources available.
For more information please contact at (866) 684-REVQ (7387).