FREE ONLINE FILTERS TO USE ON LOCATING
MISSING PERSONS BY COMPUTERS
By Ralph Thomas
Before you send money down a modem line, it's wise to checkout the input information
you are using to obtain information. We used to pay for these searches, now
they are free on the net. Here are four searches you can use that cost you
nothing as filters for input information before you send money down a modem
line for online searching.
SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBER VALIDATION DATABASE
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Task_Force/
Will tell you if an SSN number is valid or has ever been issued. This site is the
home page of John Baily who is the section chief over at the investigator's
section on Compuserve at the Time Warner Crime Forum. (The go code is TWCRIME)
If you are using a SSN number as search input, this is a very good place to
make sure that the number you have is a valid number to start with.
DEATH CLAIMS: (By
SSN number or name)
http://www.infobases.com/ssdi/query01.htm.
Will tell you if the person you are looking for has died (if it's in the
database).
If you are using an SSN number as search input, this search will tell you if
the SSN number you are using has been retired (the person who belongs to it has
died). This search is not completely fullproof but it's comperhensive. The information
comes from Social Security Adminstration Death Claims Files.
NATIONAL ADDRESS
SERVER
http://www.cedar.buffalo.edu/adserv.html
United States Post Office Database that actually corrects addresses and gives
you zip plus 4. Great search to use before you run credit bureau headers.
This USPS database actually corrects addresses you obtain BEFORE you use
that information as search criteria.
SWITCHBOARD
http://www.switchboard.com
Free surname searches, address, and telephone number criss-cross lookups.
Contains both residential and business databases.
A good place to verify addresses before you use that address as search
input.
These four databases which are free will help you cut your cost of online
searching by verifying the validity of input information BEFORE you send money
down a modem line on paid searches. If you want more of this kind of stuff, we
suggest the following manuals:
THE ONLINE EXPERT
The Online expert covers other techniques you can use as filters before you
send money down a modem line.
FREE SEARCHES ON THE INTERNET
Lists and reviews hundreds of free searchable databases and other sites of
interest to the professional private investigator on the internet.
Return To NAIS Newsletter Menu