Are you looking for a missing person? A person can be missing because of many reasons. The person probably has gone abroad without telling you, has gotten into an accident, passed away, and many other possible reasons. The situation of losing a person also varies. Someone may be missing for a long time and now you want to find the person or someone may be missing when you are with the person in a public place.
Well, if there is a missing person and you want to find the person, don’t be in a rush to post a paid advertisement. Relax and choose one or some methods below to find a missing person for free.
1. Search on Google
Not only finding answers to questions that come to your mind, Google can also be used to find a missing person. You are able to find someone on Google by entering the information that you have about the person, for example, his or her name. When you search someone on Google, you may be directed to websites such as MyLife.com or White Pages. Don’t forget to enter additional keywords to help the system to find it for you.
2. Search on Social Media
People in this era usually have social media accounts. You are able to search a missing person on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media. You can enter the person’s name and then find him or her from the results by seeing the photo. If you have become his or her friend on social media for a long time, you can check the last time he or she made a post. If you have sent a direct message (DM) to him or her on Instagram in the past, now you can open the DM to find out when the last time she or he was active on Instagram.
In addition to the two ways above that you can do on social media, you can also post the photos of the missing person on your social media accounts and announce that you are looking for him or her. You can include identifying marks, the last clothes worn by the person and some other information about the person and don’t forget to include your contact information so that other people will be able to inform you if they see the person. By posting a missing person on social media, it will spread quickly because people will share the information.
3. Reach Out Jails and Hospitals
Have you ever imagined that the missing person is in a hospital because of an accident or in jail because of dealing with a legal issue? So, there is nothing wrong with contacting local jails and hospitals. You are able to mention the person’s name to them and it is better if you give them descriptions about the person’s look.
4. Use Online Directories
Have you heard about online directories? You are able to find a missing person on online directories such as:
The information that you can get from online directories usually include first and last names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
5. Track the Location of the Person’s Phone
Another way to find a missing person is by tracking the location of the person’s phone. For iPhone users, they have a Family Sharing which is able to be accessed through iCloud. If the person that you are searching uses an iPhone and she or he has activated the Family Sharing, you can track him or her. Family Sharing is not the only app for tracking the location of a person’s phone. There are other apps for sharing location such as the Find My Friends app that can be downloaded on iOS or Android. In case the person has shared his or her location with you, then you can see where his or her phone is.
6. Report the Missing Person
If the person is missing because of danger, you are able to report it by calling 911. For example, you are playing with your child on a beach or in a playground and you probably leave the child for a while to go to the toilet and when you go back, you cannot find the child. You have looked for the child, but you are not able to find the child. You are able to report it to the local authority because the child may be kidnapped, got in an accident, drowning if you are in a beach, river or lake, or other possibilities. By reporting it, the authorities will search the person. After you report it, don’t forget to have the case number, the name of the officer and his or her contact so that it will be easy for you to contact him or her to get updates about the search.
7. Post the Photo of the Missing Person in Local Places
As explained earlier, you are able to post photos of the missing person on social media so that many people see it, share it and even if they find the person, they can inform you. Usually, sharing information on social media spreads quickly so that the chance to find the person may be bigger. However, you can also use a traditional way to find a missing person by posting the photo of the missing person in local places such as parks, hospitals, coffee shops, bus stations or any other places. However, before you post the photos, make sure that you do it in the right places and if necessary you can ask permission first.
8. Check a Missing Person Database
There is the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System or called NamUS where it is operated by the US Department of Justice. As explained on its website, NamUS is a national centralized repository and resource center for unidentified, missing, and unclaimed persons in the United States. Law enforcement officials use it throughout the country to help find missing people and identify the people who have been found. The database can be seen by anyone so that you can try to check the missing person there.
9. Use Free Advertisement
If you think that posting an advertisement is not free, you are wrong. It is because there are websites, such as Craigslist, that offer free advertisement. You are able to try to post an advertisement on this kind of site. You need to know where the advertisement is put so that when the person has been found, you can take down the ads.
10. Announce It on the Local News
In a news program, sometimes there is a space for people to find a missing person. If you know the news program that offers this service, then you can do it. You can bring the missing person’s photo and the information about him or her and if you are asked to tell about the person, do it. You probably need to describe the person’s name, physical characteristics, and how the person is missing. Then, the program will share the number that people can contact if they find the person.
11. Try to Check the Public and State Records
Have you lost someone for a long time? If so, you are able to try to find the person by checking the public and state records. But note that this method may not inform you about the exact location of the person, but it may inform you about the details about the person. Cited from The Law Dictionary, the records are kept for things such as marriage, crime, death, birth, and divorce.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
