Skip Tracing

Skip Tracing is the process of locating a person’s whereabouts whose contact information is not immediately known or may have recently changed.

Skip tracing is done by collecting debtor information and then analyzing and verifying the information to help properly process a client recovery matter. Sometimes a debtor’s location is hidden by the sheer amount of information, disinformation or changes in employment or by a debtor who has moved without leaving a forwarding address. Occasionally, data gathered is used to identify third parties that might be able to assist in the process.

Skip tracing reports can include phone number databases, credit reports, job application information, criminal background checks, utility bills, Social Security information, disability, and public tax information. WWR supplements skip tracing efforts with the services of industry leading consumer and commercial information providers, including but not limited to American Info Services, Acollaid, Insight, Interactive Data, TransUnion, Lexis Nexis and TALX.

Weltman, Weinberg and Reis Co., LPA (WWR) adheres to all regulatory guidelines, including The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and The Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB Act). The FDCPA, 15 U.S.C.A. § 1692 et seq. requires that debt collectors treat debtors fairly and prohibits certain methods of debt collection. The Act addresses the issue of proper and appropriate debt collection practices and techniques. The FDCPA and its regulation of collection practices does not erase any legitimate consumer debt that is owed. This Act provides guidance for the debt collector and protection for the consumer as they engage in the collection process to achieve an effective resolution for all parties involved.

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act provides protections and disclosure requirements for use of certain consumer information by financial institutions. The GLB Act applies to all nonpublic personal information about individuals who obtain financial products or services for personal, family or household purposes. It does not apply to information about businesses or individual consumers who obtain financial products or services for business, commercial or agricultural purposes. In general, the debts that are covered by the Act are consumer debts incurred as a result of transactions for personal, family and/or household purposes. For example, money owed for the purchase of an automobile, buying a home, medical care expenses, credit card charge accounts, and student loans for education. Examples of debts that are not covered include taxes, fines, alimony and tort claims. These debts are not a result of “a transaction for personal, family or household use.” Congress did not intend for the FDCPA to apply to the collection of business debts. The FDCPA is a strict liability statute and is considered a consumer protection act.

WWR Skip Tracing Approach

WWR has developed in-house skip-tracing tools backed by dedicated skip trace teams trained to use multiple resources to effectively locate assets, information and debtors. The tools consist of a multi-layered electronic skip trace cascade, which utilizes several vendors providing updated information on each skip account as it is identified. All accounts requiring new addresses or phone numbers are placed into a daily batch file and submitted to the vendors on the cascade. Updated information is returned and placed into the Artiva system each evening and presented for attempts the next day. When these efforts have been exhausted, qualifying accounts are presented to the Skiptrace Team for manual work. This group consists of supervisors, clerical support and skip tracers who have experience in both collection and skip tracing on consumer collections. Files can qualify for skip tracing at any time during the collection and legal collection process. The collection unit will receive the accounts back once new data has been obtained.

When a debtor is located or contacted, the skip-tracer verifies all necessary information including name, current address and telephone numbers, and if applicable, obtains employer’s name, address and telephone numbers. Once verified, a demand for balance in full or best possible arrangement following the guidelines established by the client is made. The file is then referred to a section of the collectors handling “working files.” All laws, including the Privacy Act, FDCPA and individual state laws, are followed in accordance with guidelines established in the training manual during the entire skip-trace process. Our skip trace teams utilize a number of tools including many online computer services and resources. These tools are used for a variety of research, including property searches, directory assistance, national change of address (NCOA), motor vehicle bureaus, deceased databases, credit bureaus and numerous Internet websites.

For more information on skip tracing, visit Consumer Collections