Customization

Before executing, check for user customizations at: ~/.claude/skills/CORE/USER/SKILLCUSTOMIZATIONS/PrivateInvestigator/

If this directory exists, load and apply any PREFERENCES.md, configurations, or resources found there. These override default behavior. If the directory does not exist, proceed with skill defaults.

PrivateInvestigator - Ethical People Finding

Core Principle

PUBLIC DATA ONLY - No hacking, pretexting, or authentication bypass. All techniques are legal and ethical.

Voice Notification

When executing a workflow, do BOTH:

1. Send voice notification:

   curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8888/notify \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"message": "Running the WORKFLOWNAME workflow from the PrivateInvestigator skill"}' \
     > /dev/null 2>&1 &
   

2. Output text notification:

   Running the **WorkflowName** workflow from the **PrivateInvestigator** skill...
   

Full documentation: ~/.claude/skills/CORE/SkillNotifications.md

Workflow Routing

When executing a workflow, output this notification:

Running the **WorkflowName** workflow from the **PrivateInvestigator** skill...

When to Activate

Direct People-Finding

• "find [person]", "locate [person]", "search for [person]"
• "reconnect with [person]", "looking for lost contact"
• "find an old friend", "locate a former coworker"

Reverse Lookup

• "reverse phone lookup", "who owns this email"
• "reverse image search", "find person by username"

Investigation

• "background check" (public data only)
• "what can you find about [person]"
• "research [person]"

Available Workflows

Trigger	Workflow	Action
"find person", "locate"	FindPerson.md	Full investigation using parallel research agents
"social media search"	SocialMediaSearch.md	Cross-platform social media investigation
"public records"	PublicRecordsSearch.md	Government and official records search
"reverse lookup"	ReverseLookup.md	Phone, email, image, username searches
"verify identity"	VerifyIdentity.md	Confirm correct person match

Research Strategy

MANDATORY: Extensive Parallel Research

Every investigation uses 15 parallel research agents (5 types × 3 each):

Agent Types:

1. ClaudeResearcher (3 agents) - People search aggregators, professional records, location intelligence, comprehensive identity, public records, education/alumni
2. GeminiResearcher (3 agents) - Alternative identities, multi-perspective synthesis, historical context
3. GrokResearcher (3 agents) - Social media deep search, contrarian analysis, real-time intelligence
4. CodexResearcher (3 agents) - Username enumeration, Google dorking, technical profiles

Each agent executes 3 sub-searches = 45 parallel search threads per investigation

Launch Pattern: All 15 agents launch in a SINGLE message with multiple Task tool calls.

Core Capabilities

1. People Search Aggregators

Service	Type	Best For
TruePeopleSearch	Free	Best free option, fresh data
FastPeopleSearch	Free	Basic lookups, no signup
Spokeo	Freemium	Social media aggregation (120+ networks)
BeenVerified	Paid	Comprehensive background data

2. Social Media Investigation

• Facebook: Google x-ray searches, mutual friends, groups
• LinkedIn: Boolean search, alumni networks
• Instagram/Twitter/TikTok: Username patterns, cross-platform correlation

3. Public Records

• Voter Registration: Most states publicly available
• Property Records: County assessor/recorder sites
• Court Records: PACER (federal), state court portals, CourtListener
• Business Filings: Secretary of State websites
• Professional Licenses: State licensing boards

4. Reverse Lookup

• Phone: CallerID, NumLookup, carrier lookup
• Email: Epieos, Holehe, Hunter.io
• Image: PimEyes, TinEye, Google/Yandex Images
• Username: Sherlock, WhatsMyName, Namechk

5. Google Dorking

site:linkedin.com "John Smith" "Software Engineer"
site:facebook.com "lives in" "Austin" "marketing"
filetype:pdf resume "Jane Doe" "San Francisco"

Investigation Methodology

Information Hierarchy

Tier 1: Foundation Data

• Full name (and variations/maiden names)
• Approximate age or date of birth
• Last known location
• Context (school, workplace, relationship)

Tier 2: Primary Research

• People search aggregators
• Social media presence scan
• Google dorking

Tier 3: Deep Investigation

• Public records searches
• Reverse lookups on discovered info
• Cross-platform correlation
• Associate/family network mapping

Tier 4: Verification

• Multi-source confirmation
• Timeline consistency check
• Photo verification
• Confidence scoring

Confidence Scoring

Level	Criteria	Action
HIGH	3+ unique identifiers match across independent sources	Safe to contact
MEDIUM	2 identifiers match, timeline consistent	Verify before contact
LOW	Single source or name-only match	Needs more investigation
POSSIBLE	Partial match, requires verification	Do not act without more data

Dealing with Common Names

1. Add Specificity - Include location, age, employer, school
2. Cross-Reference - Match DOB + address patterns across sources
3. Family Connections - Verify through known relatives
4. Timeline Analysis - Does the life history make sense?
5. Multiple Identifiers - Require 3+ matching data points

Legal & Ethical Boundaries

GREEN ZONE (Allowed)

✅ Search public records (property, court, voter, business) ✅ Access publicly posted social media content ✅ Use people search aggregator sites ✅ Perform reverse lookups on public data ✅ Google dorking with public search operators

RED ZONE (Never Cross)

❌ Access data behind login walls without authorization ❌ Bypass authentication or security measures ❌ Use pretexting or impersonation ❌ Access private databases (credit, financial, medical) ❌ Stalk, harass, or intimidate subjects ❌ Access PI-only databases without license

When to STOP

• If the purpose shifts to harassment or stalking
• If the subject has clearly opted out of contact
• If investigation requires illegal methods
• If you suspect the requestor has malicious intent

Examples

Example 1: Finding an Old College Friend

User: "Help me find my college roommate from 2005, John Smith from Austin"
→ Routes to FindPerson.md
→ Launches 15 parallel research agents
→ Cross-references people search + LinkedIn alumni + property records
→ Verifies identity through timeline analysis
→ Reports findings with HIGH confidence

Example 2: Reverse Phone Lookup

User: "Who called from 512-555-1234?"
→ Routes to ReverseLookup.md
→ Runs phone through CallerID, NumLookup
→ Cross-references with people search aggregators
→ Reports owner name, location, carrier

Example 3: Social Media Investigation

User: "Find Jane Doe's social media, she's a marketing professional in Denver"
→ Routes to SocialMediaSearch.md
→ LinkedIn Boolean search + Google x-ray
→ Username enumeration if handle discovered
→ Reports all accounts with MEDIUM/HIGH confidence

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Related Documentation:

• Complete workflow details in Workflows/ directory
• Integration with Research skill for parallel agent orchestration