| Many times as a private investigator you'll receive | | | | Id. All these things can be recovered by a |
| a desperate phone call from a worried parent | | | | forensic examination but not unless the devices |
| begging for help in finding a runaway. The novice | | | | are secured. If you use them or tamper with |
| PI might refer the parent to local police and call it | | | | them in any way you'll be overwriting evidence. |
| a day. They know that databases are useless in | | | | 4. Locate secret emails, blogs, Myspace and |
| finding a runaway since they are likely under 18 | | | | personal ads. |
| and have no reported credit history reported to | | | | All of the above information will be a wealth of |
| credit headers. | | | | solid leads for you to follow up with. Interview |
| Although it's unlikely you'll find a runaway using | | | | their friends and the friends of friends. Locate |
| standard locating or skip tracing techniques it is | | | | emails and trace the emails to see where they |
| possible to use old fashioned investigation | | | | are being read. Usually in the first weeks a teen |
| methods and state of the art forensic technology | | | | that has run away they will stay with friends. |
| to find runaways. But you'll need to think outside | | | | Contact the people on their Myspace list to see |
| the box. | | | | what they know. Contact the people on their |
| In the rest of this article we will attempt to | | | | personal ads to see if they know anything. |
| provide a game plane for finding runaways. | | | | Kids that run away will have little to no resources |
| 1.Make a police report. Be sure to advise the | | | | so they will rely on their parents. They will use the |
| parents to make a police report and establish a | | | | family cell phone and email accounts. This activity |
| rapport with the detectives assigned to the case. | | | | can be traced by a private investigator that has |
| These detectives are overworked and you need | | | | experience in this area. If they leave behind a |
| to make a persona; impression on them. | | | | laptop or cell phone these devices can be |
| 2. Make a detailed list of all the child's friends. | | | | examined forensically to uncover deleted emails |
| Especially boyfriends and girlfriends. You'll need | | | | and text messages, pics and address book |
| names , addresses, pictures, names of their | | | | entries. |
| parents and their friends too. | | | | If you are going to take on a case that involves |
| 3. Secure the child's computer, cell phone, | | | | finding a runaway you should be experienced in |
| blackberry etc. These devices will have evidence | | | | digital forensics, online investigations and email |
| like detailed emails, text messages pics and caller | | | | tracing. |