If you haven’t tried an at-home DNA kit, there’s a high probability that you know someone who has. People’s reasons for trying out these kits vary, but one of the most talked about results of these tests is finding relatives you didn’t know you had. For some people, this is an interesting added value to finding out what regions around the world your ancestors are from, but some people explore these kits for the sole purpose of finding family members. Whether they are adopted, have lost touch with parts of their family, or are looking to uncover a specific family member, these kits can offer answers in the form of DNA matches. And using kits that use autosomal DNA testing and a large, international database gives you your best chance of finding a match. But what can you do once you have this match, or a match that’s close to the person you’re looking for?
Once you’ve been notified that you have a match, you can only contact this person through the DNA test website. If you don’t get a response, either the person doesn’t check their messages, or they are reluctant to communicate at this time. Even if you do get a hold of them, they may only be a close relative of the person you’re actually looking for, and your match might not know how to reach that person either. That’s where a private investigator comes in.
Private investigators are skilled at tracking people down, with or without a DNA test. However, having those test results in their arsenal gives your investigator even more of a chance of locating the person. Your PI will thoroughly investigate your other DNA matches, chasing down every piece of information about your subject that they can. The investigator will then pair that information with professional surveillance, access to databases and other records, and state-of-the-art technology to build a profile of your subject and track down their whereabouts. With their professional training and investigative experience, your PI is your best chance to run down leads and successfully solve your case. Your investigator may uncover other family members in the process, and bring you even closer to your family history.
There are some people who don’t want to be found, and they take extra precautions to stay hidden. In these instances, you would not be able to find this person on your own, and hiring a private investigator absolutely gives you the best possible chance of solving your case. Once your subject is found, you have the power to do with those results what you’d like. You may choose to attempt to reach out, or you may be satisfied just to know who the person is. Either way, you will feel empowered to make the best possible decision for yourself.