With time, people drift apart and lose touch, which is something we often come to regret. Thankfully, the Internet has made it very easy to rekindle an old friendship.
You might want to look for a connection or networking opportunity through someone you were close to, make new memories, or simply catch up.
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you find your old friend on the Internet.
Gather Information
Try to recall as much information about them as possible. At the very least, you need their full name, including their middle name(s).
A search for a common name is likely to lead to an overwhelming number of matches.
What’s more, they might have had a name change since you lost touch. It’s important to be equipped with the facts before you take your people search online.
Use a Background Check Service
Armed with this information, the next step is to run a background check. Background check companies look through public records and yield relevant personal details.
You might get their previous addresses, phone numbers, social media information, email, and more. Then, you can get in touch with your long-lost friend.
Basic search options include names and aliases, phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses.
You can perform a reverse email search and find their current contact information, even if they’re not using that email anymore.
If you have both an email and a phone number, you can contact them by email. This is because calling after so long might be awkward for both of you.
Moreover, you can do a search of their physical address, even if it’s not current. This way, you might get their current address.
Reverse Phone Lookup
You can also get your old friend’s email or social media through reverse phone lookup.
If you have an old phone number, a reverse lookup service will show if that number is still registered to them. While there’s no guarantee this will work, it’s worth trying.
Search Public Directories
It’s free to search public directories through resources such as BRBpub. You need to start with their last location and work to narrow down your search from there.
If you can link a job, a school they attended, a college they graduated from, or any organization they were members of or were associated with, you can find even more to go on.
Choosing the Right People Finder
It’s important to partner with a quality background check provider if you decide to go this route. In turn, the provider will generate a useful report with your old friend’s contact information.
Some people finders will give you all of this information for free. It will suffice for your lost friend to be found.
The More You Know, the Better
The more you can recall about them, the more successful you can expect your search to be.
If many years have passed since you last met them, this won’t be easy, so you can try to get this information another way if you’re struggling with fading memories.
For example, you can ask people who knew your old friend and with whom you’re still in touch for more information about them.
Your friend will be easy to find, as long as you use all of the tips in this article.
