Many family and friends can lose touch, especially in situations of divorce, death, adoption or just moving out of the area. With advances in the Internet, locating a missing family member has become easier. There are so many resources and databases that you can search, some being free and others that can become costly.
Step 1
Start by using a major search engine like Google or MSN. Enter your family member’s name in quotes, along with any other useful information that may help you find him. An example would be location, if you know where he is. You can try searching with and without the extra information. This can be extremely useful if your family member has a unique name. Another option would be the online white pages.
Step 2
Search social networking sites for the family member. MySpace and Facebook are two popular social networking websites. The sites will let you search for your family member with other options, including location, high school and employer. If you find him, you will most likely have to register with the site, which should be free. You can also search for other family members who may have contact with the relative you are searching for.
Step 3
Contact any family member who works on the family tree and genealogy. She may follow the family enough that she knows where the family member is. You could also join a site yourself and do some research. There are resources online that help you with the research.
Step 4
Check the Social Security Death Index if you fear the family member may be deceased. You need the person’s name and Social Security Number. You can also search through obituaries by the person’s name or location.
Step 5
Try various people-finding websites. You can try free or paid searches. Again, the more information you have on the relative, the easier it will make the search process. If all of these methods fail, you can opt to hire a private investigator.
Things You'll Need
- Search engine
- White pages
- MySpace
- Family
- Social Security Death Index
- Private investigator
