Seeing old contacts from years past can be a great way to reconnect with people you’ve lost touch with over time. In this digital age, there are many different methods for tracking down old contacts and looking up their current contact information. Here are some quick answers to common questions about finding old contacts:
Checking Social Media
One of the easiest ways to find old contacts is by checking major social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. Most people have accounts on one or more of these sites, so you can search for specific names and see if your old contacts pop up. If you find their profiles, you may be able to view limited information or even send them a direct message if they accept messages from non-connections.
Facebook is likely the most popular platform for finding old contacts. Enter the person’s name in the Facebook search bar and their profile should appear if they have an account. You can send a friend request to reconnect. If their profile is private, you may need to send a message request instead.
Many professionals have LinkedIn accounts. Search for the person here, especially if they worked at the same company or industry as you. You can send them a connection request and message them after they accept.
Check Instagram next if the person had an account. Use the search feature to look them up by their name or handle. You can send a follow request and comment or DM them to get back in touch.
Finally, perform a Twitter search for their name or handle. Follow them and tweet them or send a DM if their messages are open to rekindle the relationship.
Searching Professional Networks
If the contact you are searching for worked in the same industry or company, explore professional networks related to those fields. You may be able to find their current job title and employer to reach out directly.
Company Directories
Check your company’s staff directory if you worked together in the past. They may still be employed there or you can get their last known contact info.
Industry Associations
Professional associations related to their job often list members publicly. You can browse member directories to potentially find your old contact.
Alumni Networks
If you went to school together, look for alumni networks and directories for those institutions. Many list alumni by graduation year and location.
Using People Search Engines
There are various specialized people search engines and online white pages directories you can utilize to find more obscure contact info for old friends and colleagues.
Yes, LinkedIn offers a people search feature to locate professionals outside your network. You can filter by location, company, school, and more.
Spokeo
Spokeo aggregates public records and social media profiles into detailed contact info. The basic search is free but more comprehensive reports require a subscription.
PeopleFinder
PeopleFinder gathers public records like phone numbers and addresses as well as social profiles. Searching by name and location narrows results.
WhitePages
WhitePages is one of the largest online phone and address directories out there. Search by name, city, or phone number to uncover contact info.
Pipl
Pipl cross-references database records, social networks, and more to find very thorough personal profiles, including email addresses, locations, and phone numbers.
Utilizing Public Records
Government records at the city, state, and federal levels can also assist in uncovering contact details for old connections.
Voter Registration
Voter registration lists often include names, addresses, birthdates and party affiliations. Search the voter registry based on where they last lived.
Property Records
Check property/tax assessment records for home ownership documents containing names, property values, and primary addresses.
Marriage & Divorce Records
Marriage and divorce filings have parties’ names and sometimes addresses. A married name may provide a paper trail to current info.
Criminal Records
Arrest and court records list offenders’ names, ages, residences, and dates of birth. Use caution searching these and respect privacy.
Using Phone Books and Directories
Phone books and 411 directories have name and address sections searchable by location. Consider an information broker if you need help tracking down obscure details.
Phone Books
Search print phone books from their last known location for common names and addresses. Libraries may have old collections.
411 Phone Directory
Call 411 and ask the operator to search by name and city to find an available phone number and verified address.
Information Brokers
Data brokers like Intelius integrate various sources to find in-depth background reports for a fee. Useful for hard-to-find contacts.
Consider Hiring a Private Investigator
If you still can’t make contact, hire a licensed PI to utilize their specialized investigative expertise and legal means to track the person down.
Search Skills and Resources
PIs have professional databases not available to the public and methods of obtaining records through legal channels.
Interview Skills
PIs are also highly skilled in interviewing associates and contacts to uncover leads and piece together information.
Analyst Skills
They comb through mountains of data, documents, and records to discern connections that aid their search.
Understand Limitations
Be aware they must operate within legal bounds. Ensure you have a legitimate reason for searching out the individual.
Using Social Media Tools
Specialized social media tools expand your search capabilities online to find contacts’ profiles across multiple networks.
Facebook Graph Search
Graph Search uses operators to filter Facebook beyond just name searches, like “friends of John Smith who live in Vancouver.”
Social Searcher
Social Searcher scans social networks, web pages, documents, etc. for names, addresses, usernames, and even facial recognition.
Social Mention
Social Mention aggregates user-generated content to search for names, keywords, hashtags, and more to uncover social media accounts.
Google Alerts
Google Alerts proactively monitor the web for specific names and notify you when mentioned in news, blogs, forums, or other sources.
Contacting Mutual Connections
Get in touch with mutual friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, etc. who may have updated contact info for your old connection.
Social Media Connections
Use Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social networks to message mutual friends from your past.
Professional Connections
Reach out to shared professional contacts like old colleagues, managers, clients, vendors, etc.
Personal Connections
Get in touch with common personal contacts like relatives, childhood friends, neighbors, etc.
Ask for Contact Info
Explain you wish to reconnect and ask if they can share updated contact information for the individual.
Using Email Lookup Tools
There are various online services that can provide email addresses associated with people’s names across different websites and platforms.
RocketReach
RocketReach has one of the largest databases of over 700 million email addresses searchable by name and company.
Email Hunter
Email Hunter collects email addresses that are publicly available online or accessible through legalmeans.
Voila Norbert
Voila Norbert is a popular free tool that looks up email addresses based on name and company information.
Anymail Finder
Anymail Finder searches across social media and other sources to find associated email addresses for names.
Email Checker Tools
Email checker tools like VerifyEmailId.com help validate the accuracy of found email addresses.
Using Background Check Services
Performing a formal background check report can uncover a wide range of information on old contacts such as criminal records, marriage/divorce filings, addresses, bankruptcies, assets, and more.
| Service | Data Sources |
|---|---|
| TruthFinder | Public records, social networks, dark web |
| Intelius | Public records, proprietary sources |
| BeenVerified | Public records, social media, contacts |
Criminal Records
Many services search criminal databases for felony and misdemeanor offenses, warrants, and more.
Court Records
Marriage, divorce, paternity, custody, bankruptcies, and judgements are discoverable in civil court records.
Contact Information
Up-to-date addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses are obtainable from multiple sources.
Death Records
Obituaries and death reports will uncover whether the person has passed away.
Conclusion
Searching for an old contact doesn’t have to be a cold case. With so many online data sources, search engines, social networks and tools available, tracking down someone’s current contact information is very feasible. Just be sure to use public information ethically. If you hit dead ends, experts like private investigators or background check services can assist. With persistence and creativity, chances are you can reconnect with long lost contacts and rekindle fading connections.