Free Online People Search
From LoveToKnow Online
Free online people searches let you find old friends and connect with long-lost family members, or even just help you find the cute girl's phone number you lost.
Free Online People Search Sites
- AnyWho, powered by AT&T, offers searches for people and businesses, a reverse look-up, a toll-free number directory and links to international counterparts.
- WhitePages.com allows you to perform a free online people search with as little as a last name. They also offer business and reverse address searches.
- Switchboard offers similar people and business search options along with maps and directions.
- NetTrace.com.au provides a directory of people search sites with an international focus, from the Belgian White Pages to the Australian CrimeNet.
Finding People Through Other Sites
You can always use a search engine to search for the person's name. Unfortunately, unless someone has a particularly distinctive name or his own website, searching for him will bring up a lot of useless information like the kid in Idaho with the same name who won his school track meet. Even if you find the person's name listed on a website, you may not learn enough to actually contact him.
Reunion sites like Reunion.com and Classmates.com are a good place to start your search for old school friends. It's typically free to browse the listing on these sites, but you'll need to pay for a membership to actually contact people and read detailed profiles. You'll have to decide if the additional features are worth spending money on, or if you'd rather continue your search for free. These sites can be a good source for finding out the married names of women you knew in high school or college.
Almost any other site requiring membership is a potential searching ground. MySpace allows you to search for users by name and school. If you use an instant messaging program like AIM or ICQ, you can search for other users by name within the program. Of course, you'll only be able to find people who sign up under their real names and declare their age, location or former school, and some people prefer to remain anonymous online.
Online People Search Tips
- Vary your search terms. Try searching for just the last name and first initial. Make sure you're also using potential variations of the first name, so if you're looking for a Robert, also search for Bob, Rob, Bobby and Robby.
- Make sure you're spelling the name correctly. If you don't remember, try searching for the first few letters to start your search.
- Try different free online people search sites. Keep your options open, and be on the lookout for new possibilities. If one directory doesn't find anything, maybe another will.
- Be persistent. If you don't find someone now, wait a few months and try again to see if new information has surfaced.
- Know your odds. If you're searching for "Brad Smith" or "Mary Jones," you're going to have a smaller chance of success than someone searching for a more unique name. Some people are very private, have unlisted phone numbers and refuse to post their real names anywhere online. If you're searching for someone who fits this profile, your search is also going to be much more difficult.
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This page has been accessed 1,119 times. This page was last modified 20:47, 26 August 2007.
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