If you’ve lost contact with a family member that you used to spend a lot of time with, you’ll be happy to know big data platforms can provide access to the information you need to find them. Today, these websites can help locate someone quickly and easily. You just enter their name to access the details, from their phone number to their email address.
Before discussing the details, let’s have a look at all the ways you can find a seemingly lost relative.
Court Records
A background check site will retrieve all publicly available information, including court records. These data aggregators get the same result as checking the local court’s site yourself, but much more quickly. If your relative didn’t live in the area, you’d need to check the court in the jurisdiction where they last lived.
The website of the Department of Motor Vehicles has a tool that can help. It searches court records in the state where they live or last lived.
You’ll see a list of people with their names after you enter them. Click on the names to get more information.
Genealogy Services
Genealogy services are another type of resource you can use. While it takes more patience and time, it might get results when you can’t access enough information to find someone online.
You use the service to make your way from one family member to the next. Eventually, you might find additional information about your long-lost relative, such as contact information, and get in touch with them again.
Trade Organizations
You might have an idea of what their last job was or know what they do for a living. You can narrow your search down to a city by looking through relevant trade organization databases. You might even learn their current place of employment.
Looking for a Missing Person
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NAMUS) is a service funded by the government which lets civilians and law enforcement add cases on missing persons. You can sign up and add your relative to the platform if you believe them to be missing. You’ll have to upload photos of them as well.
DNA Kits
DNA kits are getting more and more popular, with multiple options to choose from. You can take a DNA test with one company or more than one. The system will generate a report once you’ve taken the test and received your results, and you might find details about your family member in the report! If not, you can contact other relatives and try to get to the person you’re looking for through them.
DNA databases shouldn’t be overlooked as a source of helpful information. They can hold a lot of it, and that data can be used to make new connections and locate your relative.
Use Lesser-known Search Engines
Google isn’t yielding anything? Smaller search engines like Bing and Yahoo could prove more helpful, believe it or not. They will provide more targeted results precisely because they’re smaller. Search for your long-lost relative not only by name but also by last known location, approximate date of birth, last job, or anything else you know.
Social Networks
Social networks are one last source of potentially valuable data. When you’re looking for someone, they can be particularly helpful. You can check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even Pinterest for additional info. Your relative might have created a new profile on one or more of them. If you find it, it’ll be easy to reconnect. If not, you might find mutual acquaintances who can give you more information about them.
Final Thoughts
This article shared a few ways to use the internet to find a long-lost relative. You can now get started with your search. With some research and the right strategy, you might locate them sooner than you think. Good luck, and don’t give up; there are setbacks to reckon with.
