Skiptracing is the process of locating a person's whereabouts. Skip tracing tactics may be employed by a skip tracer, contact tracer (in a public health context), debt collector, process server, bail bondsman or bail agency enforcer (bounty hunter), repossession agent, bail enforcement agent, private investigator, lawyer, police detective, journalist, stalker or by any person attempting to locate a subject whose contact information is not immediately known. Similar techniques have also been used by investigators to locate witnesses in criminal trials. Terminology Other terms include to skip trace, or debtor and fugitive recovery. A skip tracer is someone who performs this task, which may be the person's primary occupation. The term "skip" (as a noun) refers to the person being searched for, and is derived from the idiomatic expression "to skip town", meaning to depart (perhaps in a rush or perhaps hoping to elude creditors or law enforcement). As such, the skip tracers need to track down ("trace") the "skip" to their new location. The term "skip" is "attested by mid-14c. as "to run, go, rush, flee," also "to make off, hasten away." Methods Skip tracing is performed in stages. The first step is gather the basic information about the subject, such as first, middle, and last name, variants (e.g. Robert may go by "Rob"), aliases, and nicknames. The subject's date of birth, last known physical addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers are also important. The subject's social media pages may yield clues about their whereabouts. The skip tracer also gathers historical information such as the names of schools they attended, as this can generate leads about friends who might know their whereabouts. As well, skip tracers gather information about the subject's friends, family and business associates. Then the skip tracer will start collecting as much information as possible about the subject using Internet searches, databases, public records, and their network of contacts. Often, the job becomes more than research since one must often employ methods of social engineering, which involves calling or visiting former neighbors, or other known contacts to ask about the subject, sometimes under false or misleading pretenses. Records or Information that "skiptracers" use may include phone number databases, credit reports (including information provided on a loan application, credit card application, and in other debt collector databases), job application information, criminal background checks, utility bills (electricity, gas, water, sewage, phone, internet, and cable), social security, disability, and public