Are Australian Phone Directories Any Good for Tracing Missing Persons
The short answer to the question must be ‘perhaps’, because of many variables involved. That said, any private eye worth their salt will reach for a telephone directory at the beginning of a missing persons case, and QLD Covert Investigations is no exception. In this short news brief, we highlight the most important of these variables. If you find your loved one in the phone book yourself, we will be as happy as if you approached us for help.
Criteria to Consider
The Age of the Person Sought
People only appear in Australian phone directories if they have an account with the service provider, and there is normally an age restriction on applying. Teenagers and young adults prefer mobile and there is no open listing of those numbers. Before you reach for the phone book consider whether they are likely to have a fixed line in the first place.
How Long They Are Missing
If your loved one has been gone for a while – several years for instance – then the answer is more complicated. They might have opened a telephone account and be listed in one of the better-known Australian phone directories. However, it is an open question whether they will be using an assumed or genuine identity - or perhaps have a partner fronting for them.
Their Longer Term Intention
Strangely enough, many missing people have a subconscious desire to be found, as if this would be a reaffirmation of their intrinsic value. These missing persons sometimes leave a trail so obvious that it is just a matter of Googling them. Others conceal their tracks so effectively that we may never find them.
Alternative Information Sources
Australian telephone directories are less effective for finding missing persons than they may have been in times gone by. Fixed landlines are slipping from popularity because they literally tie us to a wall. The social media are the 21st Century way to stay in touch. At Qld Covert Investigations, we regularly track down people who have vanished by searching for them there.
The Value a Private Investigator May Add
It is one thing to discover how to contact your family member, friend or lover. However, re-establishing contact can be very different, because the wrong move can drive them further away. A professional private detective with more than ten years’ experience such as we have, can make a valuable contribution towards effecting reconciliation, which is the goal.
How to Contact Us
When we say we never sleep we mean it. One of us is always in the control centre catching up on paperwork. This means that you can call us on 1300 553 788 at any time of day or night, or email us from our website. That said, we do recommend Australians search for their missing persons in Australian phone directories first, because they could be lucky. You will never know until you try.
