Skip tracing involves diligent efforts to locate a borrower’s telephone number or address when such information is unknown. Skip-tracing techniques may include contacting an endorser to locate a borrower; a borrower to locate an endorser or co-maker; a relative, a reference, individuals or entities identified in a borrower’s loan file; using Directory Assistance or a comparable service; attempting to contact the person by calling the last-known telephone number; performing a Social Security number search via a credit report; reviewing city directories; processing information contained on the current credit report; checking with a state licensing agency, a trade association, or a motor vehicle bureau; using state tax and employment databases to track borrowers.
Here are some skip-tracing activities that financial-aid staff may wish to perform:
- Call all possible primary, alternate, reference and
place of employment telephone numbers for the borrower.
- Review loan application for possible addresses and
telephone numbers for the borrower and references.
- Use all available e-mail addresses in an effort to
make contact with the borrower.
- Send, “I have been trying to contact you” letters to
all possible addresses.
- Use the following Web sites as resources to locate borrowers:
For borrowers in the military try:
www.army.mil/soldiers/jan2004/pdfs/postinfo.pdf.