Previously we discussed ways a person can elude and evade a tracer and what the tracer must do to counteract those efforts. In this issue we will go deeper into the fascinating mind of a “runner.”
One of the basic instincts of man is social acceptance. This acceptance is marked by the need to stay in touch with family and friends. In the tracing industry we note a peculiar behavior referred to as womb syndrome: the need for one to maintain contact with their mother. We spend nine months with our mothers before we ever see our fathers. If you watch sporting events where the camera pans to the players you will see someone saying “Hi Mom!” You hardly ever see “Hi Dad!” Ever wonder why? It is that need stay in touch with our mother. Professional tracers recognize this syndrome and use it to their benefit. If a mother ever tells you she does not know how to contact her child, chances are, she is not being truthful.
People can be the tracer’s greatest asset as they are, without a doubt, the skip’s greatest security risk. Many times the person you are tracking, even though they know the risk involved, will have a need to contact someone. It could be to check on a family member’s welfare, to ask for financial assistance, to stay abreast of legal or financial affairs, the need to communicate with a close friend, or speak to their mother. The professional tracer understands separating oneself from family and friends can be a very traumatic experience and sooner or later there will be a contact attempt made.
So the question becomes, “What does a professional tracer do to utilize this need to contact syndrome?” Once again we must look into the runner’s mind to understand the tactics they use to conceal their whereabouts.
The mail drop is one of the most used tricks of a runner. The subject rents a mail box at a location such as Mail Boxes Etc. then advises the person who manages the shop that they are going to be out of town for a while and pays him/her to forward their mail to another address. This creates the illusion that the skip is in a particular location when in fact he/she is elsewhere. The astute tracer can usually spot this ploy when the word “suite” is part of the address and thereby is not mislead.
Many times the subject will utilize a post office box as a mail drop and the tracer must obtain the physical address of the runner from the US Postal Service. Postal regulations state a person serving process papers may obtain the physical address of the box holder and provide a form for submission to obtain that information.
Another service many runners utilize to stay in touch with relatives and friends is known as a re-mailing service. This is a company or person that receives the runner’s mail then re-mails it from their location, usually a long distance from the runner’s true location.
Mail drops and re-mailing services are but two ways a runner will attempt to elude and divert tracers away from their actual location. The professional tracer must always be aware and watchful for these ploys.
In today’s world of cyberspace there are numerous ways the runner can stay in contact with their friends and relatives. The tracer should be aware of these techniques as well. Many people on the run will set up a free electronic mail address from services like Gmail or Hotmail thus enabling them to send and receive messages from any computer, smart phone, or iPad with Internet access. When asked to provide personal information to set these accounts up the runner simply lies.
Last but not least is the traditional method of communication: the telephone. The current method of deception used today is the purchase of prepaid phone cards used in burner phones. This prepaid phone card allows the runner to have a phone and number without applying for credit thus preventing a trail to follow. The phone trail was once one of the tracer’s greatest tools but with today’s advanced technology it has all changed.
We have delved into the runner’s mind once again to seek out their methods of concealment so that we might develop counter measures to thwart their efforts and successfully locate the runner. In the next issue we will again go deeper into the runner’s psyche to discover more ways they attempt to elude and how we can counteract. Until then, good luck and good hunting.
Ron Brown is a member of the National Association of Fraud Investigators and the author of “MANHUNT: The Book.” Contact him at