Trap lines are an extremely useful investigative tool in skip tracking and other investigations, such as the location of a current job site. When you need to find out where someone works… The idea behind using a trap line is that if you capture the phone number the person is dialing from, you have a fact that they were at this location at the time of the call. This could be their home address or, if they’re on the run, an emergency room or motel room.
If you set it up correctly and ask them to call at a certain time, they may be calling from their place of work. Of course, once you get the number they’re calling from, you need to convert the phone number you captured into an address.
A trap line will capture the incoming phone number even if it is not on the list or the caller ID information is blocked. One may wonder, how does a trap line get around the caller ID block? Actually, it is very easy and simple through user dialed toll free number. In fact, you could set one up yourself through a toll-free 800 number. The problem is that you have to wait for the bill to get the number you called from.
What a trap line does is provide ANI (Automatic Number Identification) in real time. That means you get instant information about the customer’s name and address. This information can be emailed directly to your laptop or blackberry so you can quickly get closer to the target, such as in the case of a bail default, fugitive or non-custodial kidnapping case.
Trap lines can be used in all jump tracking areas. Bail jumpers, runaway teens, parental kidnapping, and infidelity investigations. Trap lines have been used successfully in all of these areas of research. If you’re a researcher, you need to maintain some trap lines, but if you don’t have one, there are companies that rent trap lines and can have you up and running in minutes. Be sure to get your trap line from someone recognized as an expert in telephone investigations. Do a Google search on their name and company name to see if they are recognized as experts in the field of skip tracking and phone investigations before renting a trap line.