This year has been like no other. It’s made many people rethink their priorities and consider what’s really important.
During lockdown, you might have missed the people that you used to see weekly. You may have gone months without a hug from a parent, or a playdate with your niece of nephew.
Lockdown might also have made you think about people you haven’t seen in years. Now, as Christmas draws near, you could be wondering about reconnecting with long-lost friends or family.
Ways to search for long-lost loved ones
If the festive season has you thinking about people that you’ve sadly lost contact with, now is the time to start searching for a way to reconnect.
There are lots of ways to find a long-lost loved one. Many of these options don’t cost money at all, so you could get started without any assistance and might find some information today:
Social media
If you’re trying to reconnect with someone that you haven’t seen in years, first look to social networks. Use Facebook or Twitter to search for a name and see if that person shows up.
With Facebook, you can add the last known location after a person’s name. This can help to bring the most likely results to the top.
News articles
If you haven’t spoken to someone in a long time, you might not know what their life has been like. There’s a chance they’re an authoritative voice in an important industry, or that they’ve raised a lot of money for charity. Run a Google search for their name, to see if anything shows up. If they’ve been the subject of any kind of news story, it’s likely to be published online. A simple quote, attributed to them, could help you rediscover an old friend.
If you can find a news report, you might learn more about the person you’re looking for and what their life is like today. Perhaps you’ll discover where they now live, where they work or how they like to spend their time.
Old contacts
Once you’ve searched online, you might need to step away from the computer. If a basic search hasn’t helped, it could be time to take further action. Think about what this person was like when you last had contact. Were they studying? Where did they work at the time? Who else did they spend time with?
You might remember the name of another old friend, or someone that they used to work with. Instead of trying to connect with your lost loved one directly, you may need to seek out someone else that might still be in touch with them.
Past employment
It’s unlikely that someone’s employer will be able to give you any details about them, but their business website might have employee profiles. If you’re really stuck, you might even want to call a business that you know they worked at. Ask for them by name and you might get put through if they’re still with the same company. Otherwise, you might at least be told that they no longer work there.
Places they spent time
If you know the town or city they lived in, and places they liked to spend their time, you might be able to find a lost friend by talking to other local residents. Speak to old neighbours and see if they have information about where your friend moved to, or check at a pub that they used to frequent and see if they ever still visit.
Asking around can be the best way to get pieces of new information. These might not lead you straight to a long-lost friend, but could help you in your search.
Go viral
If you’re really struggling to find someone that you knew, and don’t mind them knowing that you’re searching, you might get results by returning to Facebook and writing a public post about them. Explain that you’re searching for someone you knew and would like to reconnect with them. If you’ve got one, add a photograph. Then, ask your friends to share the post.
Many people are happy to share a public post if they’re asked to help it go further. It’s said that there are only six degrees of separation, at most, between any two people. The more your post is shared, the more likely it is to be seen by the person that you’re looking for. Of course, the problem with this is that you won’t know if they’ve seen it but decided not to contact you.
Getting professional help
Whilst there are lots of ways to search for someone without professional help, if your past attempts aren’t getting results then you might need some extra assistance.
Private investigators use extensive experience to get the results that you’re looking for. They can trace a missing person by accessing even the most well-hidden information, as well as using techniques like surveillance and making local enquiries.
Some people call on private investigators when they’ve exhausted other options. Others go straight to an investigator, because they know they’ll get the best results. You could spend hours, days or weeks contacting friends and relatives, or you could give this task straight to someone that knows exactly what to say.
If you’re seeking help from a professional, provide as many details as possible. Anything you can remember will improve your chance of a successful search and great results. A good investigator will be discreet and carry out your search confidentially, informing you of any leads or evidence that they discover.
2020 hasn’t been an easy or predictable year. If you’ve spent time thinking about old contacts, you’re not alone. Wouldn’t it be great to end the year on a high, by getting in touch with a lost loved one?
If you need a private investigator’s help, call EJM Investigations. You can contact our investigators on 01772 334 700. We’re based in Preston, but can help find lost loved ones wherever they’re living and working.