Skip tracing in Vancouver can be more difficult than it appears when you are trying to find someone who has moved or left behind outdated information. People move, change phone numbers, change employment, remarry, use different names, or simply leave behind very little current information.
Whether you are trying to locate a former tenant, debtor, witness, family member, beneficiary, or another individual, online searches and social media may only get you so far.
When ordinary searches fail, a professional locate investigation may be the next step.
At Skip Trace Canada, we provide professional skip tracing and people-locating services in Vancouver, throughout British Columbia, and across Canada. Our investigators have more than 25 years of investigative experience and assist individuals, law firms, businesses, and other organizations with difficult locate assignments.
What Is Skip Tracing in Vancouver?
Skip tracing is the investigative process used to locate an individual whose current whereabouts are unknown.
The term is sometimes associated with locating debtors, but professional skip tracing can be used for many different purposes.
A locate investigation may involve finding:
- A debtor or former customer
- A witness
- A defendant or other party to a legal proceeding
- A former tenant
- An estranged family member
- A missing beneficiary or heir
- Someone who needs to be served with legal documents
- An individual whose contact information is no longer current
The objective is not simply to find a possible name or address online. A professional investigation attempts to identify and verify current information so the client has reliable information on which to act.
Why Can Finding Someone in Vancouver Be Difficult?
Vancouver is part of a large and highly mobile metropolitan area.
Someone who previously lived in Vancouver may now reside in Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Langley, or elsewhere in British Columbia. In other cases, the person may have moved to another province entirely.
This is one reason relying exclusively on a last-known Vancouver address can be ineffective.
Old addresses, disconnected telephone numbers and outdated online profiles can continue appearing in search results long after a person has moved.
A professional skip tracer looks beyond a single piece of information and attempts to connect multiple identifiers to establish that the correct person has been located.
What Information Helps Locate Someone?
The more accurate information available at the beginning of an investigation, the better.
Useful information can include:
- Full legal name
- Approximate age or date of birth
- Previous Vancouver or British Columbia addresses
- Previous telephone numbers
- Email addresses
- Employment or occupation information
- Names of known relatives or associates
- Previous businesses or companies
- Other identifying information connected to the individual
You do not necessarily need all of this information to begin a search.
In many cases, clients contact us because much of the information they have is already outdated. Part of the investigative process is determining which information remains useful and using it to develop current leads.
Can You Find Someone Yourself?
Sometimes.
If the individual maintains a public online presence, a basic internet search may reveal enough information to re-establish contact.
You can potentially check search engines, social media profiles, professional networking sites and other publicly available sources.
The difficulty begins when several people have the same name, information is outdated, or the person has little public online presence.
A possible address is also very different from a verified current address.
For legal proceedings, debt recovery, service of documents or other important matters, acting on incorrect information can waste considerable time and money.
That is where a professional locate investigation becomes valuable.
How Do Professional Investigators Find People?
There is rarely one database or search that provides every answer.
Professional skip tracing involves analyzing available information, identifying connections, comparing records and developing new leads from the information discovered during the investigation.
Depending on the circumstances and lawful purpose of the investigation, this may include examining publicly available information, historical addresses, telephone and contact information, corporate information, employment-related leads, online sources and specialized investigative resources.
Experienced investigators also know how to recognize inconsistencies.
For example, finding a person with the correct name in Vancouver does not necessarily mean you have located the right individual. Other identifiers may need to be compared before information can reasonably be attributed to the subject of the investigation.
Finding Someone Who Has Left Vancouver
A common mistake is assuming the search should remain within Vancouver because that is where the individual was last known to live.
People relocate frequently.
An investigation may begin with a Vancouver address but eventually establish that the individual has moved elsewhere in British Columbia or to another province.
This is particularly important when dealing with older information.
Skip Trace Canada conducts locate investigations across Canada, allowing an investigation that begins in Vancouver to continue when evidence indicates the subject has relocated elsewhere.
Locating Someone for a Legal Matter
Law firms and individuals involved in legal proceedings sometimes need to locate witnesses, defendants or other parties before a matter can proceed.
In these situations, accuracy can be particularly important.
Attempting service at several old addresses can increase costs and create unnecessary delays.
A professional locate investigation can help establish a more current location before additional resources are spent attempting to contact or serve the individual.
Finding a Debtor in Vancouver
Debtor locates are another common reason for conducting a skip trace.
A person may have moved from their previous residence, changed employment or stopped responding to correspondence.
The objective of a debtor locate is to develop current information that can assist the client in determining the appropriate next step.
The amount and quality of information available at the beginning of the investigation can have a significant impact on the search. Even apparently outdated information can sometimes provide useful connections when analyzed properly.
Privacy and Professional Skip Tracing
There are important privacy and legal considerations when locating people in Canada.
Professional investigators must work within applicable Canadian and provincial laws and should have a legitimate purpose for conducting an investigation.
Skip Trace Canada conducts locate investigations professionally and ethically. We do not provide information for unlawful purposes, harassment, stalking, intimidation, or other inappropriate uses.
Clients may be asked about the reason for the locate before an investigation is accepted.
How Long Does It Take to Find Someone?
There is no universal timeframe.
Some individuals can be located relatively quickly when strong identifying information is available. More difficult investigations can require additional research and verification.
Factors that can affect the investigation include:
- How common the person’s name is
- The age of the information provided
- Whether a date of birth is known
- How frequently the individual has moved
- Whether the person has moved outside British Columbia
- The amount of reliable identifying information available
- Whether conflicting information needs to be resolved
A difficult locate does not necessarily mean the person cannot be found. It may simply require a more comprehensive investigation.
Professional People-Locating Services in Vancouver
If you have exhausted the information available to you or need greater confidence that an address or location is current, hiring an experienced investigator may save considerable time.
Skip Trace Canada provides professional locate investigations for clients in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia, as well as nationwide investigations when a subject has moved elsewhere in Canada.
With more than 25 years of investigative experience, our team handles everything from straightforward address locates to more challenging skip-tracing assignments involving limited or outdated information.
If you need to find someone in Vancouver, contact Skip Trace Canada to discuss the circumstances of your search and determine whether a professional locate investigation can assist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a private investigator find someone in Vancouver?
In many circumstances, yes. Professional investigators can use lawful investigative resources and research techniques to locate individuals when ordinary searches have been unsuccessful. The information available and circumstances of each case will affect the investigation.
Can you find someone with only their name?
Potentially, but additional identifying information can significantly improve the search. A date of birth, previous address, telephone number, email address, employment information or known relative can help distinguish the correct person from others with the same name.
What if the person moved out of Vancouver?
The investigation does not necessarily stop at the Vancouver city limits. Skip Trace Canada conducts locate investigations throughout British Columbia and across Canada.
Can you locate someone for service of legal documents?
Locate investigations are frequently conducted to identify a current address for individuals involved in legal proceedings. Once the individual has been located, the information can assist with determining the appropriate next steps for service.
How do I start a Vancouver locate investigation?
Contact Skip Trace Canada and provide the information you currently have about the individual and the reason you need to locate them. We can review the circumstances and determine whether we can assist with the investigation.