Easton Secure Solutions

When Someone Disappears Owing You Money: How a PI Can Help Track Them Down

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Jul 21, 2025By Easton Secure Solutions

Few things are more frustrating than being owed money by someone who suddenly goes off the grid. Whether it's a former friend, ex-tenant, client, or business partner, people sometimes vanish just to avoid paying what they owe. If you’ve tried everything—calls, emails, letters, even court—with no response, you’re not alone.

This is a common situation, and it’s exactly where a licensed private investigator comes in.

At Easton Secure Solutions LLC, we specialize in legally locating individuals who have disappeared to avoid responsibility. We serve clients throughout Long Island and New York City, working discreetly to help you reconnect the dots, confirm identity, and legally uncover current contact information—so you can move forward with recovering what’s owed to you.

Here’s how the process works.

 
Why People Disappear When They Owe Money


Before diving into the investigation, it helps to understand the motivation. People who owe money might:

  • Move out of state without updating addresses
  • Change phone numbers or use burner lines
  • Work off the books to avoid wage garnishment
  • Use aliases or middle names to mask public records
  • Deactivate social media to limit visibility

These tactics are often used in:

  • Personal loan disputes
  • Small business deals gone bad
  • Broken lease or unpaid rent cases
  • Divorce or separation financial issues
  • Fraud or theft-related restitution claims

Even with a court judgment, you can't collect if you can’t find the person. And unfortunately, most online search tools are outdated, incomplete, or filled with errors.

That’s where a private investigator becomes your best asset.

 
What a PI Can Legally Do to Find Someone


At Easton Secure Solutions LLC, we use a combination of skip tracing, OSINT (Open Source Intelligence), and verified public records to locate people who have vanished. All of this is done legally, ethically, and discreetly.

Here’s what that looks like in action:

1. Cross-Referencing Known Information
We start with what you provide:

  • Full name (or alias)
  • Last known address or phone
  • Social media profiles or emails
  • Photos, usernames, vehicle details, employer info

We then dig into:

  • Address history databases
  • Phone number registries
  • Change-of-address filings
  • Email and social account cross-matching
  • Online footprint and possible new locations


2. OSINT (Open Source Intelligence)
Using advanced digital tools, we look at:

  • Social media content (even deleted accounts or usernames)
  • Forum and post history
  • Public mentions in court or business records
  • Online sales platforms (OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, eBay)
  • App data trails (when available)


3. Real-World Investigation
If needed, we take it further:

  • Local canvassing
  • Property and utility checks
  • Pretext inquiries (legally permitted methods)
  • Surveillance if appropriate and authorized


Real-World Case Example: A Vanishing Tenant in Nassau County


A landlord in Nassau County contacted us after a tenant moved out in the middle of the night owing $6,800 in rent. The landlord had:

  • No forwarding address
  • A disconnected phone number
  • A first name and partial license plate

We conducted a skip trace and determined the tenant had used a sister’s address in Queens for packages. Our OSINT search showed recent Venmo payments to a landscaping company in Suffolk County.

Surveillance confirmed the subject was working and living under a different name with his girlfriend’s family.

The landlord used the information to:

  • File a small claims case with updated court service info

     

    Can I Use the Information in Court?

Yes—when you work with a licensed PI like Easton Secure Solutions LLC, everything is done in accordance with New York law. We provide you with:

  • Verified address and identity data
  • Full report documenting our findings
  • Timestamps and sourcing for any digital evidence
  • Optional affidavit or declaration (if required for court)

This gives you what you need to:

  • Serve the person with legal papers
  • File a wage garnishment or lien
  • Prove contact in mediation or collections
     

    Is It Legal to Track Someone Who Owes You Money?

In short: yes, as long as it’s done legally. We don’t use illegal surveillance, hack accounts, or access protected financial data like credit headers or DMV files without permissible use.

Instead, we rely on:

  • Public and commercially available records
  • Online behavioral patterns
  • Databases licensed to private investigators

New York law allows you to locate someone for the purposes of serving court papers, reclaiming debts, or verifying identity—as long as you're not harassing, threatening, or impersonating them.

 
Why Not Just Use a Free People Search Website?


Free websites like Whitepages, BeenVerified, or TruePeopleSearch are often:

  • Outdated (showing old addresses)
  • Filled with duplicates or incorrect info
  • Lacking context (no verification)
  • Easily manipulated (people opt out or use alias info)

Our tools go much deeper. Plus, we verify everything before reporting it back to you.

When you need real, court-usable evidence, accuracy is everything.

 
What Does It Cost to Locate Someone Who Owes You?


Skip tracing services vary depending on complexity. At Easton Secure Solutions LLC, we offer:

  • Basic Locate (using name + one identifier): $199–$399
  • Enhanced Locate (if subject is evasive or using aliases): $499–$799
  • Surveillance add-ons or employment verification: Quoted per case

We’ll always give you a clear quote and never charge for services you don’t need.

 
What You’ll Receive
At the end of the investigation, you’ll get:

  • A written report
  • Likely current address, phone, and digital identifiers
  • Optional social media screenshots
  • Actionable next steps for debt recovery

We never recommend contacting the subject directly. Use the report through proper legal channels (small claims court, collections, mediation, or attorney).

 
Can You Still Help If I Only Have a First Name or Phone Number?


Yes, in many cases. We often begin with just:

  • A disconnected cell number
  • A partial email
  • A username or handle
  • A cash app transaction

If there’s any digital or real-world trail, we can often build a profile from very little.

 
Serving Long Island and NYC With Discreet Results
We help clients across:

  • Nassau County
  • Suffolk County
  • Brooklyn
  • Queens
  • Manhattan
  • The Bronx
  • Staten Island


Whether you're a private individual or a landlord, business owner, or freelancer, we treat every case with discretion, speed, and professionalism.

 
Let’s Help You Take the Next Step


If someone disappeared owing you money, you don’t have to wait and wonder. With professional investigation, you can:

 
At Easton Secure Solutions, we help you find the people who don’t want to be found—legally and discreetly.