What is Skip Tracing?
Skip tracing is the investigative process of locating a person's whereabouts. The term originates from the phrase "to skip town," referring to someone who leaves their current residence, often leaving behind unpaid debts or legal obligations. The person conducting the search is known as a "skip tracer."
In Australia, skip tracing is heavily utilised by:
- Debt Collection Agencies: To locate debtors who have moved without providing a forwarding address.
- Law Firms: To find witnesses, defendants, or beneficiaries of estates who need to be served with legal documents.
- Private Investigators: To locate missing persons or individuals involved in factual investigations.
- Lost Funds Professionals: To find the rightful owners of unclaimed money held by government registers.
Is Skip Tracing Legal in Australia?
Yes, skip tracing is entirely legal in Australia, provided it is conducted within the boundaries of the law. Unlike some jurisdictions overseas, Australian skip tracers do not have unrestricted access to private databases (such as tax records or police databases). They must rely on legally accessible data and open-source intelligence (OSINT).
Licensing Note: While "skip tracing" itself is not a separately licensed activity, if you are skip tracing as part of a debt collection or private investigation business, you must hold the relevant licences for those activities in your state.
The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
The most critical piece of legislation for skip tracers is the Privacy Act. It dictates how personal information can be collected, used, and disclosed. Key principles include:
- Lawful Collection: Information must be collected by lawful and fair means. You cannot use deception, hacking, or unauthorised access to obtain data.
- Use and Disclosure: Personal information should generally only be used for the primary purpose for which it was collected (e.g., locating a debtor to recover a specific debt).
- Data Security: Skip tracers must take reasonable steps to protect the personal information they hold from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access.
How Skip Tracing Works: The Methodology
Modern skip tracing is a blend of data analysis, OSINT, and sometimes traditional field work. The process typically follows these steps:
1. Information Gathering & Verification
The skip tracer starts with the information provided by the client (name, last known address, date of birth, phone numbers, email addresses). The first step is to verify this data to ensure they are tracking the correct individual.
2. Database Searching
Professional skip tracers use specialised databases that aggregate public and commercially available records. Platforms like TracerDesk provide access to comprehensive datasets, including:
- Electoral Roll data (where legally accessible)
- Property ownership records
- Business and directorship records (ASIC)
- Court judgments and bankruptcy registers
- Telecommunications directories
3. Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
If database searches are inconclusive, skip tracers turn to OSINT. This involves scouring the internet for digital footprints. Social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) are invaluable for identifying current locations, employment, and associates. Advanced OSINT techniques can uncover hidden profiles, historical website data, and metadata from images.
4. Network Analysis
Often, the subject cannot be found directly. In these cases, skip tracers map out the subject's network-family members, friends, business partners, or former colleagues. By locating and contacting these associates (known as "third-party contacts"), the skip tracer may obtain the subject's current whereabouts. This must be done carefully to avoid breaching privacy or harassment laws.
Essential Tools for Skip Tracers
To be effective, skip tracers need access to reliable data and analytical tools. The industry standard in Australia is TracerDesk, which offers:
- MainSearch: A powerful database covering Australia and New Zealand.
- TraceLink: A relationship graphing tool that visualises connections between people based on shared identifiers (like addresses or phone numbers).
- SocialScan: Tools to identify social media profiles linked to email addresses or phone numbers.
Training and Professional Development
Skip tracing is a skill that requires continuous learning, especially as privacy laws evolve and digital platforms change their security settings. The OSCI (Open Source Collection & Intelligence) course, provided by ThinkEdu, is highly recommended for anyone entering the industry. It covers modern tradecraft, legal compliance, and advanced search methodologies.