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The magazine of professional investigators

Private Investigation Database Resources

01 Sep 2008
L. Scott Harrell
37
databases, skip tracing

Updated 9/8/2011

Private Investigator Records Search and Databse SourcesThe on-line database has been a terrific boon for the investigations field. It’s information we can instantly access on the Internet—not as a substitute for an investigation, of course—but a great way to jump start your search.

Instead of steering you towards any specific service provider, I’ll describe a few types of reports available from most information brokers and demonstrate how they an invaluable sources for information for investigations.

The major players in the investigative database & information broker world, still catering to private investigators and independent skip tracers, include (in no particular order) IRB Search, Accurint, Merlin Information, Tracers Info, TLO, IQ Data, MasterFiles, PublicData and several others.

Most database & information brokers provide some version of a credit header, aggregated civil and criminal records (which should never be relied upon for conducting a background investigation), motor vehicle registration and driver’s license information, property records, telephone information, and other information regarding corporations, professional licensing U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Aviation Administration registration. This information is sourced from proprietary data-sets, GLBA restricted information and publicly available databases.

Lately, the privacy watchdogs have certainly taken a huge bite out of the information brokers and database providers. Many of the best sources have long since stopped providing the best information or have truncated Social Security numbers (most often omitting the last four numbers). Some have stopped servicing private investigators and other independent service providers, such as bail agents and independent debt collectors, altogether.

In my opinion, most of these providers would appear to be roughly the same because they have the same offerings and, ultimately, are obtaining the bulk of their data from the same sources. However, they are certainly not all equal and price-per-search is not a good indicator of the quality of the information you will receive! There are a couple of standouts, and the real difference between them all is their user interface, unique sourcing of information, pricing, batch update schedules and how well they have cross-referenced all of the records they serve to the end-user.

Batch updates refer to how often they are obtaining new information updates from their sources—they buy these records in batches. The best database providers are updating their information on shorter cycles—maybe every few weeks for credit header information and every few days for telephone information rather than maintaining older, stale data sets. Typically speaking, the older the data, the less expensive the service is going to cost.

Each information broker is certainly different in their ability to take the data they have available and their ability to present that information in a way that makes sense to the end user. Some are really good and some are really bad. Some providers have done a great job at relating, or cross-referencing, the data so that the sum of the data is greater than its individual parts. For instance, well-sourced data will uncover relationships between people, which can be extremely important to the skip tracer when the subject of the investigation seems to have fallen off of the planet.

The next best option is to locate people who know the subject in an effort to develop leads.

By recognizing many database providers have strong and weak points, I have learned to pick and choose among several specialists rather than “one size fits all” providers. In general, for missing person investigations there are three types of information you will need to find a reliable source for:

  • Credit Headers and Consumer Credit Reports
  • Real-time and Historical Telephone Information
  • Motor Vehicle Registration and Licensing Information

 

If you’d like to learn more about the service providers private investigators use, send Stephanie Mitchell an email (stephanie@storyboardemp.com) and she will discuss the ins and outs of each service.

We’d certainly love to hear your opinion of the various providers as well!

Recent Comments

About the Author
L. Scott Harrell is the managing principal of CompassPoint Investigations, a thriving private investigation agency based in Pensacola, Florida, as well as the digital marketing and competitive intelligence consultancy, Broadside Incorporated.
37 Comments
  1. Olga December 2, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    Whould you,please,recommend the best skip trace programm for process server?

  2. Olga December 2, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    Whould you,please,recommend the best skip trace programm for process server?

  3. Scott Harrell December 5, 2008 at 8:59 am

    My database of choice, without hesitation, is IRBsearch. http://irbsearch.com

    Scott Harrell
    CompassPoint Investigations

  4. Scott Harrell December 5, 2008 at 8:59 am

    My database of choice, without hesitation, is IRBsearch. http://irbsearch.com

    Scott Harrell
    CompassPoint Investigations

  5. Jonna Irwin January 18, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    Mr. Harrell,

    First of all may I give you kudos for sharing some of your trade secrets with us all. I am just getting started in this fascinating field and I am hungry for knowledge of the best databases for locating missing persons. I have used LocatePlus and Choicepoint with some results, but some how they just leave me hungry for more information. Can you please share some of your favorite Data Resources and which you prefer for references such as:

    Credit Headers and Consumer Credit Reports
    Real-time and Historical Telephone Information
    Motor Vehicle Registration and Licensing Information

    Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Regards,
    Jonna Irwin
    The Agency
    Arlington, Texas 76010

  6. Jonna Irwin January 18, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    Mr. Harrell,

    First of all may I give you kudos for sharing some of your trade secrets with us all. I am just getting started in this fascinating field and I am hungry for knowledge of the best databases for locating missing persons. I have used LocatePlus and Choicepoint with some results, but some how they just leave me hungry for more information. Can you please share some of your favorite Data Resources and which you prefer for references such as:

    Credit Headers and Consumer Credit Reports
    Real-time and Historical Telephone Information
    Motor Vehicle Registration and Licensing Information

    Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Regards,
    Jonna Irwin
    The Agency
    Arlington, Texas 76010

  7. ralph February 5, 2009 at 9:22 am

    Any idea if data brokers domiciled in Europe or Asia have better info on our citizens than what is allowed domesticly?

  8. ralph February 5, 2009 at 9:22 am

    Any idea if data brokers domiciled in Europe or Asia have better info on our citizens than what is allowed domesticly?

  9. james audette February 10, 2009 at 6:38 pm

    i am a novice just starting my own buisness.i use locateplus but do not seem
    to get the info i really need.any sight can suggest would be a great help.

    Thankyou

    James Audette

  10. james audette February 10, 2009 at 6:38 pm

    i am a novice just starting my own buisness.i use locateplus but do not seem
    to get the info i really need.any sight can suggest would be a great help.

    Thankyou

    James Audette

  11. Robert Robinson March 7, 2009 at 10:43 am

    I’m somewhat new to this process of picking out the best or appropriate investigative database. I am in need of your help, I am checking out one company. Merlin, good but a little costly. I trying to get the best bang for the buck.

    1)Credit Headers and Consumer Credit Reports
    2)Real-time and Historical Telephone Information
    3)Motor Vehicle Registration and Licensing Information

    Thanks!
    Rob

  12. Robert Robinson March 7, 2009 at 10:43 am

    I’m somewhat new to this process of picking out the best or appropriate investigative database. I am in need of your help, I am checking out one company. Merlin, good but a little costly. I trying to get the best bang for the buck.

    1)Credit Headers and Consumer Credit Reports
    2)Real-time and Historical Telephone Information
    3)Motor Vehicle Registration and Licensing Information

    Thanks!
    Rob

  13. Dawn Aberkalns March 20, 2009 at 9:51 am

    I would like to know your opinion on what database gives you the most resources. Thanks for sharing as well as your time.

  14. Dawn Aberkalns March 20, 2009 at 9:51 am

    I would like to know your opinion on what database gives you the most resources. Thanks for sharing as well as your time.

  15. philip March 31, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    Nothing beats good hard leg-work. Relying on third party database is always a last resort for me, if I even need it at all!

  16. philip March 31, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    Nothing beats good hard leg-work. Relying on third party database is always a last resort for me, if I even need it at all!

  17. Sherry Hermann May 6, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    At this time I use several databases, as there are good aspects of some I don’t get with others. It does give me pause, however, when I see Choicepoint (now Lexis Nexis) and Accurint (Lexis Nexis) not give the investigator the time of day. As our firm is the outsource for a major insurance company’s SIU, it is frustrating. Also, if we want to bid for government contract backgrounds, it leaves us out the loop. Do you have any tips for these databases? Also, just curious on which ones you pick and for what reason.

  18. Sherry Hermann May 6, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    At this time I use several databases, as there are good aspects of some I don’t get with others. It does give me pause, however, when I see Choicepoint (now Lexis Nexis) and Accurint (Lexis Nexis) not give the investigator the time of day. As our firm is the outsource for a major insurance company’s SIU, it is frustrating. Also, if we want to bid for government contract backgrounds, it leaves us out the loop. Do you have any tips for these databases? Also, just curious on which ones you pick and for what reason.

  19. steve bojekian June 23, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    Great article, I would love to see the answers to those email questions, I use LocatePlus, IRB, Echase and Rapid Court as well as Paser and other gov services and I don’t feel comfortable with any one of them on their own. SB

  20. steve bojekian June 23, 2009 at 1:19 pm

    Great article, I would love to see the answers to those email questions, I use LocatePlus, IRB, Echase and Rapid Court as well as Paser and other gov services and I don’t feel comfortable with any one of them on their own. SB

  21. DOUG June 25, 2009 at 5:11 pm

    I HAVE A REPO COMPANY AND I HAVE BEEN USEING MERLIN TO TRY TO SKIP TRACE BUT THE INFO IS NOT CORRECT.CAN YOU TELL ME SOMETHING THAT WILL BE ACURATE WITH SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS,TAG NUMBERS VIN NUMBERS,ADDRESSES AND PHONE SEARCHES

  22. DOUG June 25, 2009 at 5:11 pm

    I HAVE A REPO COMPANY AND I HAVE BEEN USEING MERLIN TO TRY TO SKIP TRACE BUT THE INFO IS NOT CORRECT.CAN YOU TELL ME SOMETHING THAT WILL BE ACURATE WITH SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS,TAG NUMBERS VIN NUMBERS,ADDRESSES AND PHONE SEARCHES

  23. JL & Associates, Ltd June 30, 2009 at 8:18 am

    We access most databases seperately. For example: DMV’s, Credit Searches, Criminal State records and Etc. We find that not anyone data searches give us all the info we are searching for. Only LE has databases that have it all.

  24. JL & Associates, Ltd June 30, 2009 at 8:18 am

    We access most databases seperately. For example: DMV’s, Credit Searches, Criminal State records and Etc. We find that not anyone data searches give us all the info we are searching for. Only LE has databases that have it all.

  25. Gus August 31, 2009 at 6:23 pm

    Hi I am the owner of a private investigative firm and do some fugitive recovery in the U.S. but maily in Mexico. For my business in the US could you please recommend service providers you use regularly and why?

  26. Gus August 31, 2009 at 6:23 pm

    Hi I am the owner of a private investigative firm and do some fugitive recovery in the U.S. but maily in Mexico. For my business in the US could you please recommend service providers you use regularly and why?

  27. Ana Lanuza August 18, 2011 at 9:09 am

    Hi Scott:
    Which service do you recommend for Credit Headers and Consumer Credit Reports?
    Thanks,
    Ana

  28. Ana Lanuza August 18, 2011 at 9:09 am

    Hi Scott:
    Which service do you recommend for Credit Headers and Consumer Credit Reports?
    Thanks,
    Ana

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  37. Stephen September 13, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    Can you let us know which database gives more resources. I would like to know your opinion on what database gives you the most resources.

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