Chapter

6

Professional PI Databases

In This Chapter

The single major aspect of investigative work that separates the true professional from the amateur is the professional’s access to proprietary databases. These databases aren’t generally open to the public. If you’re serious about a career in the private investigative field, you need to get up to speed on the kinds of information you can access through proprietary databases and how to go about doing so efficiently.

Professional PIs subscribe to a variety of data brokers, also known as information brokers. These individuals or companies have access to specialized sources of information or use advanced techniques to gather information and then resell that information to PIs. Each data broker has strengths and weaknesses. In this chapter, I examine several of the more popular providers that serve the professional private investigative industry.

Getting the 411 Quickly and Efficiently

An attorney client called me as I was writing this chapter. A female friend who was trying to get a divorce had spent all her money on one attorney who’d skipped town. My client/attorney wanted a favor. Before she sent divorce papers to be served on this woman’s soon-to-be ex-husband, whose last known address was in Upland, California, she wanted to make sure that the address her client had was still accurate. Could I do her a favor? Pro Bono?

DEFINITION

I had his name, date of birth, Social Security number, and last known address. How hard could this be? The name she’d given me wasn’t very common. Let’s call the soon-to-be ex David Morph. I went to my favorite telephone database, www.masterfiles.com, and searched for his name in Upland. No David Morph listed.

I used the telephone database again and did a reverse search. I searched the address I’d been given to see if any telephones were listed at that address. The address was a large apartment complex, and there was one listing for a Jack Morph, but not a David. The telephone companies in their directory listing don’t give apartment numbers, so I wasn’t sure whether this was the right phone number.

Not including my time, so far I’d spent maybe 40¢ on this search. My client/attorney had referred some pretty large cases to me in the past and was a continuing source of referrals. Still, because I wasn’t getting paid for this locate, I didn’t want to be out of pocket a lot of money.

My next step was to run a Social Security trace, which is the process of using a Social Security number to gather other information about the individual. The search normally returns residence addresses connected to your subject. I went to one of my favorite PI databases, IRBsearch (www.irbsearch.com), and plugged in the subject’s Social Security number. In 30 seconds, and for the cost of $1, I verified the current address for the subject: the same address my client had given.

The nice thing about these databases is that often you get a date that the information was reported, so you have a pretty good idea of how current the information is. In this case, the address had been reported to the database the preceding month. But because the phone number was in a different first name, I wasn’t 100 percent certain that this was the primary residence of my subject. It could have been his father’s or some other relative’s, and he was just using it as a mailing address.

I needed to call and be sure that this was a good address, enabling my client to have him served. I made the call and asked for David. He answered and confirmed this was his residence. I did not use a pretext because they’d been separated for two years and by 3,000 miles; I figured this guy would probably be just as happy to get the divorce over with as would his wife. I told him outright why I was calling. He seemed fine with that and indicated we could serve him at that address.

My total cost for the locate was $1.40, for 30 minutes of my time. The key to efficient locates is using the professional databases and fee-based telephone look-up sites I tell you all about in this chapter.

THE SCOOP

Treat these databases as tools. Just as there are different types of hammers for different jobs, there are different databases you want to use, depending on the job requirements. You wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to put up a tack; you’d lose all your profit repairing the hole in the drywall. Likewise, if you use your most expensive data provider for a $25 case, you won’t last a year in this business.

Knowing What’s in the Data Mix

Although many databases buy their information from the same sources, some are stronger in some areas of data than others. In addition to credit bureau data, here’s what else might go into this stew:

• Magazine subscription lists, with addresses and names

• Telephone directory information

• Postal change of addresses

• Licensed drivers

• Book club lists

• Registered vehicles

• Boats and trailers

• Cell phone users

• Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) listings

• Corporate officers and registered agents

• Internet search engine results

• Pizza delivery names, addresses, and phone numbers

• Public postings of liens and judgments

• Public notices of bankruptcy and foreclosure

• Names that appear in newspapers and magazines

• Public professional licenses

• Traffic accidents

• Criminal charges

• Social media pages

• Email addresses associated with the name

When you combine all the preceding information—and there’s more I’m sure I’ve omitted—with a good algorithm and a fast computer server, it’s amazing how much information these agencies can correlate and report on one individual.

The computer doesn’t always get it right, especially with common names, but just think about this. Take your last known addresses. They’re in the computer data mix somewhere. Throw in the time frame when you were there as reported by your credit-card company, and then ask the computer who else shared that address with you during that time frame. That’s how these databases generate reports that show relatives and roommates, by comparing addresses with time. Then expand that exponentially to show current addresses on those relatives and former roommates, and pretty quickly the PI can find your mother or brother or former roommate, to perhaps get a lead on your whereabouts.

Researching the Big Three: The Credit Bureaus

A lot of information that goes into private databases is derived in some way from credit bureau files. These are the three main credit bureaus:

TransUnion (www.transunion.com)

Equifax (www.equifax.com)

Experian (www.experian.com)

Credit bureau files contain information about payments on credit accounts, in addition to a lot of other useful data. Negative information stays in a credit file for 7 years, with the exception of bankruptcy, which remains in a credit file for 10 years after the discharge date.

LEGAL TRAP

Credit bureaus provide a variety of reports, which they tailor to the needs of their customers. A credit report run for pre-employment purposes usually doesn’t include the individual’s credit score because the prospective employer isn’t issuing credit. The credit score is a key piece of information included on credit reports for home financing or car purchasing.

A resourceful private investigator will have developed credit bureau sources and be able to pull credit reports for permissible purposes. Permissible purpose refers to 1 of 11 (depending on how you count) legal purposes for pulling a credit report, as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act last updated by Congress in 2010. You can download a copy of the act at www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf.

Although some private investigative companies offer the types of services deemed permissible under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, most private investigators don’t provide those services and don’t have access to credit bureau reports.

When to Look

When might an investigator get a request for or need a credit check? I regularly get requests from ladies who are dating men in a relationship that’s turning serious. Is this a permissible purpose? Well, yes and no. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs access to credit information. You can read the act at www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/031224fcra.pdf.

LEGAL TRAP

Basically, two reasons might qualify, although I doubt you’ll find universal agreement in the credit or PI industries:

(E) Intends to use the information, as a potential investor or servicer, or current insurer, in connection with a valuation of, or an assessment of the credit or prepayment risks associated with, an existing credit obligation

(F) Otherwise has a legitimate business need for the information

Is marriage not a legitimate business need? Certainly, it’s governed by civil laws and involves financial transactions between the two parties. Still, I doubt that you’ll want to ask your fiancé for a release to pull his credit report. If that’s the case, what can you do?

What You Might Find in the Credit Report

Other than the credit score, most credit reports include the following information:

• Information for each creditor, including account number, date the account was opened, high credit limit, remaining balances, past-due amounts, payment history, and current monthly balances

• The subject’s current address and previous addresses

• The name and date of birth associated with the SSN queried

• A profile summary of subtotals of all accounts, broken down by installment accounts, revolving, real estate, and other

• Any negative public records in the credit bureau’s file, such as judgments, tax liens, and bankruptcies

DEFINITION

Okay, now that you know what the credit report is, how can you, as a PI, use it? You can use it in asset searches for the purpose of collection of judgments. But keep in mind that although the credit report shows who your subject owes money to, it doesn’t show any of his assets, like bank accounts or real property. So how does that help you find his assets?

I thought you might ask that question. If your client has a judgment, there was or is a court case. You then get your client’s attorney to subpoena the records of your subject’s creditors. Be sure to include in the subpoena the application for credit that your subject completed.

Generally, when people apply for credit, they make themselves look as solvent as possible, so they list their bank accounts, their equity in real property, and other assets they hold. Bingo! As soon as you get that information, you’ve got the location of your subject’s bank account; your client’s attorney can then arrange to garnish those accounts, as well as place liens on property and even have the sheriff seize vehicles and boats.

When subpoenaing bank loan records, in addition to requesting the application, don’t forget to ask for copies of checks and bank transfer records (both transfers in and transfers out), as well as copies of all deposits. Wire transfers and cancelled checks can tell you a lot about a person’s finances, as well as facts about his life, like personal travel and payment for a girlfriend’s rent, which may be germane to your family law case.

HIDDEN HINT

Credit Headers

Even though the credit bureaus won’t sell their data directly to private investigators, they are in business to sell data, and they do possess data that isn’t governed by the FCRA because it isn’t directly related to people’s credit. This information is called credit header information, and because credit bureaus are in business to make a buck, they sell this information to data suppliers—who, in turn, sell it to private investigators.

Credit header information includes these details:

• Name and previous names, or “also known as” (a.k.a.)

• Date of birth

• Social Security number

• Current and previous addresses

• Current and previous employers (sometimes)

• Telephone numbers

• Relatives

Credit header information is valuable for private investigators because the credit bureaus update it regularly. Current information helps PIs tremendously when searching for individuals. Every time you apply for new credit or call your credit-card company, mortgage company, or any other creditor, they verify your address and phone number. Your creditors report any changes, and even if there aren’t any changes, they report the date of last verification. So the information can be fairly current.

Logging On to Subscription Databases

Here is a list of databases that market to the PI industry. Many of these grant a PI firm a free trial period. If you’re a professional private investigator, I encourage you to try as many as possible before narrowing your subscription.

• Enformion (www.enformion.com)

• FMS Research (www.FindMySkip.com)

• IRBsearch (www.irbsearch.com)

• Locate Plus (www.locateplus.com)

• Merlin (www.merlindata.com)

• PallTech (www.pallorium.com)

• SkipMax (www.SkipMax.com)

• Skipsmasher (www.skipsmasher.com)

• TLO (www.TLO.com)

• Tracers Information Specialists (www.tracersinfo.com)

Many of these databases have what are called no hit, no fee searches. When you input the name, Social Security number, or other data, if the database can’t locate any records on your subject, it might not charge you. Then again, it might. Be sure to compare this feature when looking into which databases you want to subscribe to.

Another feature that bears examination is the monthly charge. Some databases have a minimum monthly charge. Some charge the minimum only if you use the database, and some charge it even if you don’t use the database during the month. Some databases don’t have a minimum charge, so give those a good look. And to complicate matters a bit, some give you an unlimited amount of basic searches (usually of older data) for a flat fee.

HIDDEN HINT

I usually find it beneficial to subscribe to at least two, and usually three, databases at any one time. Each has different strengths. Some truncate the Social Security numbers, and some don’t. You need to have at least one that doesn’t truncate because, let’s face it: most of the identifying data is more easily sorted by Social Security number than any other way. Just think how many Steven Browns there are in the country. Several may even have my same date of birth. But there’s only one Steven Brown with my Social Security number. Of the databases in the preceding list, the following don’t truncate the Social Security number: www.findmyskip.com, www.skipsmasher.com, www.tracersinfo.com, and www.TLO.com.

In the following sections, I describe some of the searches that these different databases make available to private investigators, collection agencies, and law enforcement. Generally, the database companies require you to show proof of investigative licensing. However, they do sell their product to non-PIs and other companies for collection purposes and human resources department needs.

Most of these pay databases offer similar menus. However, they each perform differently in different searches. Like the credit bureaus, they may have similar records, but they’re not all searching the same records. They offer searches such as the following.

Public Records

Subscription databases are a great way to access public information in a single place. But don’t use them as your only public record search. These databases don’t search every county in every state. Here are some of the types of information you can expect to find:

• Bankruptcies, judgments, and liens

• Drug Enforcement Administration registration

• Fictitious business names

• U.S. aircraft

• U.S. vessels

• U.S. air pilots

• Professional licenses

• Hunting and fishing licenses

• Concealed weapons permits

• Voter registration

• Federal firearms and explosives licenses

• Court records

• Traffic accidents

• Marriages and divorces

• Uniform Commercial Code searches

• Official records

• Social Security Death Master File

Proprietary Data

Proprietary data is any information that isn’t public; in other words, this information is owned by various businesses or individuals, who sell it or otherwise make it available to the subscription databases. Although by no means an exhaustive list, here’s an overview of the kinds of proprietary data held by subscription databases:

• People-locator searches

• National phone directory

• National property searches

• Phone directory—real time

• Cell phone subscriber information

• Social Security number verifier

• Employment searches

• Internet domains

• Dun & Bradstreet reports

• Delaware corporation search

• Motor vehicle tag registration information

• Driver’s licenses

• Patriot Act search

• Sexual offender search

LEGAL TRAP

The Least You Need to Know

• The credit bureaus don’t normally sell their data directly to private investigators or attorneys, but they do sell their credit header info to private database companies, who, in turn, sell it to PIs.

• The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs the release of credit information. Sometimes a PI needs a credit report that falls within the purview of the FCRA.

• Database information that includes credit header data usually has a date that the information was reported, and it often is fairly current.

• Private databases use algorithms to match addresses with people and dates. They can often report current addresses for relatives and previous roommates of your subjects.

• The data in the private databases includes credit header data, public record data, and other proprietary data.