Post by HOPE on May 14, 2005 8:12:32 GMT -5
Note: Due to privacy laws, some of these steps can only be taken by law enforcement.
Telephone Log- Keep a notebook to write down all the calls you make and all the calls you receive, noting the time and the date. During a time of stress, you may forget the agencies, departments, and other individuals you may want to contact.
Media- Television, radio, newspaper, and magazine coverage of your case may help generate leads in your loved one’s disappearance. Contact local and national media with your story. Make sure you have a recent photo and a complete description of the missing person. Have duplicate copies of the photo printed to be given out to various media. Save the image on a disk for use in emailing the photo to various outlets. Keep the original photo. Give out the telephone number of the assigned law enforcement agency and the number where your family spokesperson can be reached.
Private Investigators- If you are considering hiring a private investigator to help in your search you may want to check with your attorney for a referral. If additional assistance is needed, you may wish to check with an organization such as the National Association of Legal Investigators, www.nalionline.org or by phone at 800-266-6254.
If a license is required in your state, make sure the agency you contact has one. Contact the Better Business Bureau of Consumer Protection Office to make sure the company is reputable and to find out if complaints have been made against them. Ask for references and check them out.
If you choose to hire an Investigator, consider notifying all those working on the case, such as the police and the District Attorney. Search activities should be coordinated to the fullest extent possible to avoid costly and time consuming duplicating of services. It is a good idea to have your lawyer review any contract with the Investigator before you sign it or pay any money.
Employer- Ask the missing person’s employer if and where paychecks and health benefits are being forwarded.
Rental Cars- Sometimes the missing person will rent a vehicle to leave the area. Check with the area rental agencies to see if a vehicle has been rented in the missing adult’s name and if so, where and when it was returned.
Salvation Army- Contact your local office for details on their procedures regarding registering a missing person. Provide a photo of the missing adult to other prominent social service agencies in your area. Make sure to include local shelters and soup kitchens in your agency list.
Hospitals – Contact the hospitals in your area and explain that you have a missing relative. Provide the hospital with as much information about your relative including a description and any medical problems that may have caused them to seek medical attention.
Banks- Check with the missing person’s bank to find out if an account has been closed or if funds have been transferred to another bank. If a checking account is open ask if any checks have been used since the person left the area. Banks will cooperate if the account is a joint account and may be willing to assist even if the account belonged only to the missing person. If the bank is unable to cooperate, law enforcement may be able to obtain the information.
Credit Cards- If the person has credit cards, contact the credit card companies and ask for duplicate copies of all charges and receipts for your records. Pay special attention to gasoline charges. Again, if the company is unable to cooperate, law enforcement may be able to obtain the information.
Social Security- Social Security will forward a personal letter to the missing person at the last place they worked where FICE deductions were taken from their paycheck. Write a letter to the person you are seeking and enclose it in an unsealed envelope. Place their name and social security number on the outside of the envelope. Write a note to Social Security requesting that they please forward it to the person and then mail to the following address: Social Security Administration, Office of Central Records Operations, Metro Tower, 300 North Green Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
College Records- If the person attended college and would need transcripts to apply for employment or higher education, contact the college and find out if they will release where transcripts were mailed.
Professional License- If the person practices a profession or a trade that requires a state license, contact the state licensing board where you think the person may be. You may also want to contact professional associations (bar and medical) if membership is needed to practice in the state.
DMV- Ask your state’s DMV office to check on recent car registrations, title transfers, new licenses, and license renewals for the missing person’s address. In the case of a new car registration, it may be possible to find out the name of the car dealership that sold the car, which may lead to additional information. Some states may notify individuals when inquiries are made about them. Ask your state DMV if a notification policy is in effect.
Most states, with the exception of California, will send a printout of a person’s driving information. Send the full name and date of birth for the missing person. Request the DMV send you a printout of every person with that name and birth date, who have renewed or received a driver’s license. Each state’s DMV is located in the state capitol. There most likely will be a charge for this information.
Traveler’s Checks- Talk to Traveler’s Check companies to determine if checks have been purchased by the missing person.
Medical Records- Contact Doctors, Dentists, and Hospitals that provided health care to your loved one. Ask if they have received any requests to transfer records to another doctor or hospital in a new location. If the person was on prescription medications, check with pharmacies with a similar request.
Loans- If the person has any outstanding loans, contact the lender (bank, finance company, car dealership) and inquire if payments are being made. If so, ask the lender to save the envelopes in which payments are made so the postmark may be checked.
Auto and other Insurance- Make contact with the auto insurance company that insures the missing person. Ask if they have heard from the individual with either a change of address or a request to transfer insurance to a new vehicle.
Database Searches- Depending on the focus of the search it may be helpful to check telephone books and Internet telephone listings for new information. Run the missing person’s name through various search engines on the Internet to see if there is any new information.
United States Postal Service- Follow your local post office procedures for discovering a person’s forwarding address. If the post office has not been notified of a change of address, ask if a hold has been placed on the mail. If so, try to find out who is authorized to receive the mail.
Union Records- Depending on the person’s occupation, the missing person’s union records may provide contact information for the individual.
Clubs and Organizations- Contact any clubs or organizations to which the person belonged to find out if a change of address form has been submitted.
Magazine Subscription- If the person has a magazine subscription, contact the magazine to find out if a change of address form has been submitted.
www.jwf.org
Telephone Log- Keep a notebook to write down all the calls you make and all the calls you receive, noting the time and the date. During a time of stress, you may forget the agencies, departments, and other individuals you may want to contact.
Media- Television, radio, newspaper, and magazine coverage of your case may help generate leads in your loved one’s disappearance. Contact local and national media with your story. Make sure you have a recent photo and a complete description of the missing person. Have duplicate copies of the photo printed to be given out to various media. Save the image on a disk for use in emailing the photo to various outlets. Keep the original photo. Give out the telephone number of the assigned law enforcement agency and the number where your family spokesperson can be reached.
Private Investigators- If you are considering hiring a private investigator to help in your search you may want to check with your attorney for a referral. If additional assistance is needed, you may wish to check with an organization such as the National Association of Legal Investigators, www.nalionline.org or by phone at 800-266-6254.
If a license is required in your state, make sure the agency you contact has one. Contact the Better Business Bureau of Consumer Protection Office to make sure the company is reputable and to find out if complaints have been made against them. Ask for references and check them out.
If you choose to hire an Investigator, consider notifying all those working on the case, such as the police and the District Attorney. Search activities should be coordinated to the fullest extent possible to avoid costly and time consuming duplicating of services. It is a good idea to have your lawyer review any contract with the Investigator before you sign it or pay any money.
Employer- Ask the missing person’s employer if and where paychecks and health benefits are being forwarded.
Rental Cars- Sometimes the missing person will rent a vehicle to leave the area. Check with the area rental agencies to see if a vehicle has been rented in the missing adult’s name and if so, where and when it was returned.
Salvation Army- Contact your local office for details on their procedures regarding registering a missing person. Provide a photo of the missing adult to other prominent social service agencies in your area. Make sure to include local shelters and soup kitchens in your agency list.
Hospitals – Contact the hospitals in your area and explain that you have a missing relative. Provide the hospital with as much information about your relative including a description and any medical problems that may have caused them to seek medical attention.
Banks- Check with the missing person’s bank to find out if an account has been closed or if funds have been transferred to another bank. If a checking account is open ask if any checks have been used since the person left the area. Banks will cooperate if the account is a joint account and may be willing to assist even if the account belonged only to the missing person. If the bank is unable to cooperate, law enforcement may be able to obtain the information.
Credit Cards- If the person has credit cards, contact the credit card companies and ask for duplicate copies of all charges and receipts for your records. Pay special attention to gasoline charges. Again, if the company is unable to cooperate, law enforcement may be able to obtain the information.
Social Security- Social Security will forward a personal letter to the missing person at the last place they worked where FICE deductions were taken from their paycheck. Write a letter to the person you are seeking and enclose it in an unsealed envelope. Place their name and social security number on the outside of the envelope. Write a note to Social Security requesting that they please forward it to the person and then mail to the following address: Social Security Administration, Office of Central Records Operations, Metro Tower, 300 North Green Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
College Records- If the person attended college and would need transcripts to apply for employment or higher education, contact the college and find out if they will release where transcripts were mailed.
Professional License- If the person practices a profession or a trade that requires a state license, contact the state licensing board where you think the person may be. You may also want to contact professional associations (bar and medical) if membership is needed to practice in the state.
DMV- Ask your state’s DMV office to check on recent car registrations, title transfers, new licenses, and license renewals for the missing person’s address. In the case of a new car registration, it may be possible to find out the name of the car dealership that sold the car, which may lead to additional information. Some states may notify individuals when inquiries are made about them. Ask your state DMV if a notification policy is in effect.
Most states, with the exception of California, will send a printout of a person’s driving information. Send the full name and date of birth for the missing person. Request the DMV send you a printout of every person with that name and birth date, who have renewed or received a driver’s license. Each state’s DMV is located in the state capitol. There most likely will be a charge for this information.
Traveler’s Checks- Talk to Traveler’s Check companies to determine if checks have been purchased by the missing person.
Medical Records- Contact Doctors, Dentists, and Hospitals that provided health care to your loved one. Ask if they have received any requests to transfer records to another doctor or hospital in a new location. If the person was on prescription medications, check with pharmacies with a similar request.
Loans- If the person has any outstanding loans, contact the lender (bank, finance company, car dealership) and inquire if payments are being made. If so, ask the lender to save the envelopes in which payments are made so the postmark may be checked.
Auto and other Insurance- Make contact with the auto insurance company that insures the missing person. Ask if they have heard from the individual with either a change of address or a request to transfer insurance to a new vehicle.
Database Searches- Depending on the focus of the search it may be helpful to check telephone books and Internet telephone listings for new information. Run the missing person’s name through various search engines on the Internet to see if there is any new information.
United States Postal Service- Follow your local post office procedures for discovering a person’s forwarding address. If the post office has not been notified of a change of address, ask if a hold has been placed on the mail. If so, try to find out who is authorized to receive the mail.
Union Records- Depending on the person’s occupation, the missing person’s union records may provide contact information for the individual.
Clubs and Organizations- Contact any clubs or organizations to which the person belonged to find out if a change of address form has been submitted.
Magazine Subscription- If the person has a magazine subscription, contact the magazine to find out if a change of address form has been submitted.
www.jwf.org