What Is Skip Tracing In Debt Collection? Answered

What Is Skip Tracing In Debt Collection? Answered

by Neeraj Gupta — 7 months ago in Finance 4 min. read
1618

Skip tracing is a term used in financial sectors and growing businesses which reflect somewhat related to investigation in disguise.

Having said that, skip tracing is a process of gathering information and finding a debtor who has relocated or faded to fulfill his/her responsibilities.

Approaching skip tracing in business ultimately costs a substantial portion of the amount you’re owed.

Continue reading this page to learn about skip tracing in brief.

Also read: Top 10 IT Skills in Demand for 2021

What Is Skip Tracing?

A process carried by a person who wants to investigate lost debtors who unpleasantly avoid legal responsibilities.

These responsibilities can be multiple from timely payment, deliver accessories, and answer damage.

When a debtor fails against debt payment and not answering calls or reply messages, the collector has rights to approach skip tracing.

A skip tracer is a qualified person and has an array of experience in skip tracing activities, primitively tracking and locating fugitives.

However, skip tracing approach systematic working which we learn later in this blog.

How Does Skip Tracing Work?

First thing first is that skip tracing may be similar to investigation or spy work, but it doesn’t end with an arrest.

The objective of skip tracing is to find the individual who has relocated because to skirt certain responsibilities, starting from gathering information and contacting known associates to verification and reporting.

Gathering Information: The process starts by gathering as much information as possible about the person they’re trying to locate. This includes an individual’s name, phone numbers, social media profiles, etc.

Contacting Known Associates: In most cases, contacting or conversation with neighbors, friends, or families gives immense clues about the person who is being hunted.

Verification and Confirmation: Once the skip tracer believes they’ve located the individual, they verify the information to ensure its accuracy.

Reporting: At last, the skip tracer documents their findings and prepares a report for their client.

Also read: What Is Walmart Call Out Number? How To Calling Out At Walmart?

Who Uses Skip Tracing Tactics?

In simple manner, skip tracing can be used by professionals whose ultimate goal is to find the individual or group of individuals who skirt legal responsibilities such as paying debts.

Here are some examples of who might use skip tracing tactics:

Debt Collection Agencies

Debt collection agencies use skip tracing to locate individuals who owe money and have moved in shadow, without providing a rightful address.

Personal Investigators

Also called private investigators may use skip tracing techniques to locate missing persons, witnesses, or individuals involved in legal cases in order to keep the matter confidential.

Law Enforcement Agencies

Legal bodies professionals also take advantage of skip tracing methods to locate suspects, fugitives, or individuals with outstanding warrants.

Bounty Hunters

Bounty hunters, also known as bail enforcement agents, use skip tracing techniques to locate individuals who have skipped bail or failed to appear in court.

Financial Institutions

Banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions are also the vigilant users of skip tracing to locate individuals who have moved without updating their contact information, particularly in cases of delinquent accounts or fraud investigations.

!

How Do You Know If Skip Tracing Is Necessary?

There is one major instance when you think of implying skip tracing when a client who owes you money goes incommunicado.

You would think of hiring skip tracing professionals who can find them quickly.

However, there are many constraints when you feel like taking advantage of experienced skip tracing professionals is helpful, is when –

  • Person needs to be served legal documents.
  • Individual has moved without providing a forwarding address.
  • Individuals are not responding to phone calls and emails.
  • Background checks are required for employment screening.

Tips To Run A Successful Skip Tracing Process

A foolproof planning and data collection is required to run a successful skip tracing campaign.

You can follow mentioned tips to help you run a successful skip tracing process:

1. Gather Comprehensive Information

Start by collecting as much information as possible about the individual you’re trying to locate. Explore previous documents if they are provided, go onto social accounts for more information, or could ask friends and family for valuable information.

2. Use Multiple Data Sources

Take advantage of data sources and skip tracing tools to gather information about the individual. It may consist public records databases, social media platforms, professional networking sites, utility bills, credit reports, and more.

3. Verify and Cross-Check Information

Now verify those collected data for accuracy and so get confident for further process. Look for inconsistencies or discrepancies that may indicate outdated or incorrect data.

4. Employ Social Engineering Techniques

This would be game changing here because you are involved in gathering information indirectly from sources such as customer service representatives, landlords, employers, or other third parties who may have interacted with the individual.

5. Stay Persistent and Flexible

Be sure about your findings and accuracy. Stay persistent to facts and flexible in your approach. Be prepared to adapt your tactics as new information becomes available or as circumstances change.

Key Takeaway

By following these tips and methods, individuals can increase the probability of running a successful skip tracing process.

Also, the above tip can be executed by beginners or those who can’t afford to skip tracing professionals.

However, the best advice is to hire skip tracing experts for specialized results.

Also read: 30+ Loan Apps Like MoneyLion and Dave: Boost Your Financial Emergency (Best Apps Like Dave 🔥 )

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you hire a skip tracer for debt collection?

Since debt collection agencies specialize in contacting debtors, it is a good approach to quickly resolve the situation.

Can skip tracer experts secure overdue payments?

It's hard to say because their work mainly involved finding and reporting skirt individuals. They scout information piece by piece and try to identify the location or bring back to the source.

Is skip tracing legal?

Skip tracing itself is a legal process, but it must be conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including those related to privacy and data protection.

How long does skip tracing take?

The time it takes to complete a skip tracing process can vary depending on various factors. Generally, it takes months to resolve the situation. Some cases may be resolved relatively quickly, while others may take more time and effort.

Neeraj Gupta

Neeraj is a Content Strategist at The Next Tech. He writes to help social professionals learn and be aware of the latest in the social sphere. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology and is currently helping his brother in the family business. When he is not working, he’s travelling and exploring new cult.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Copyright © 2018 – The Next Tech. All Rights Reserved.