can i use a persons social security number to find them if they are wanted?

[georgeg1990]

a friend and I co signed for a guy we thought was our friend to get out of jail. now he is not answering our phone calls and missed court. if we don't find him within a month we are responsible for the five thousand dollars. can I or the police or the bondsman use his ssn# number to find out if he is working and if so where? or are any of us able to call his cell phone provider to find out the location of the cell towers his phone is getting signal from? is there any way besides having to hire a bounty hunter? at least one of his charges is a felony

 

[anearthw]

I assume (1990) that you are a fairly young person who is about to learn a very expensive lesson. Cell phone companies will argue with police about displaying cell phone GPS coordinates for at-risk missing persons, so no, they are not going to track your friend for you. There are (pay) companies that claim they can do the SSN trick for you, don't know if it's legit. If he's going to skip court on a felony, what makes you think he will come with you when you find him?

 

[Proserpina]

a friend and I co signed for a guy we thought was our friend to get out of jail. now he is not answering our phone calls and missed court. if we don't find him within a month we are responsible for the five thousand dollars. can I or the police or the bondsman use his ssn# number to find out if he is working and if so where? or are any of us able to call his cell phone provider to find out the location of the cell towers his phone is getting signal from? is there any way besides having to hire a bounty hunter? at least one of his charges is a felony

Honestly? Nope. The police don't care, the bondsman knows he'll get paid (by you) and the court will simply look blankly at you.

Unfortunately that's the risk you take.

 

[TheGeekess]

Please keep all your questions in one thread.
https://forum.freeadvice.com/other-crimes-federal-state-4/can-i-use-wanted-persons-ssn-find-their-location-603515.html

ETA:

US Law ONLY. What is the name of your state?

 

[CdwJava]

a friend and I co signed for a guy we thought was our friend to get out of jail. now he is not answering our phone calls and missed court. if we don't find him within a month we are responsible for the five thousand dollars.

What state are you in?

If you posted your money with a bondsman, HE is out the money posted on the bond. You might be out collateral, but he has to pay the bond off so HE has an incentive to look for the guy because he's likely out even more than you.

But, rules vary by state hence the reason we ask you to indicate your state when you post here.

can I or the police or the bondsman use his ssn# number to find out if he is working and if so where?

Unless he is a seriously wanted or violent fugitive, the police are not likely to jump through the hoops required to check with SSA.

Besides, if he just took off, what are the odds he has gained LEGITIMATE employment already?

or are any of us able to call his cell phone provider to find out the location of the cell towers his phone is getting signal from?

If the provider is willing, sure. I doubt it, though.

The police might be able to get this done, but, again, unless he is a serious or violent felon, they are not likely to go through the effort.

My rule of thumb is never to secure a bond for anyone.

 

[sandyclaus]

Not to state the obvious here, but...

If your "friend" has jumped bail and fled from prosecution (which is what I think when you say they've disappeared and never showed up in court), then there's already a warrant out for their arrest and their bail has been revoked. You can bet that the police are already going to be looking for him (how actively will depend on what the charge was), as will the bail bondsman who is out the money they paid for bail. They have their own interests for finding the guy, so you're probably not going to get a lot of assistance from them in locating him. The bail bondsman will turn him in for the bounty, and the police will just take him into custody. Neither one of those actions will do anything to get you any money.

As has been pointed out, you sound like you're young and naive, and in need of a life lesson. Lesson #1 is to know the people you lend money to, because if they don't turn out to be as trustworthy as they make themselves out to be, then YOU are the one who ends up on the hook for the loss. Unless you have money to burn and don't really care about ever being paid back, you just don't go there. That ESPECIALLY rings true with friends who engage in criminal activity and ask you to bail them out.

As for getting paid back - if your friend had the resources to reimburse you for the bail, do you really think they would have needed you to co-sign for the bond? Now that they've skipped bail, you can pretty much kiss that money goodbye.

 

[davew128]

Not to state the obvious here, but...

If your "friend" has jumped bail and fled from prosecution (which is what I think when you say they've disappeared and never showed up in court), then there's already a warrant out for their arrest and their bail has been revoked. You can bet that the police are already going to be looking for him (how actively will depend on what the charge was), as will the bail bondsman who is out the money they paid for bail. They have their own interests for finding the guy, so you're probably not going to get a lot of assistance from them in locating him. The bail bondsman will turn him in for the bounty, and the police will just take him into custody. Neither one of those actions will do anything to get you any money.

As has been pointed out, you sound like you're young and naive, and in need of a life lesson. Lesson #1 is to know the people you lend money to, because if they don't turn out to be as trustworthy as they make themselves out to be, then YOU are the one who ends up on the hook for the loss. Unless you have money to burn and don't really care about ever being paid back, you just don't go there. That ESPECIALLY rings true with friends who engage in criminal activity and ask you to bail them out.

As for getting paid back - if your friend had the resources to reimburse you for the bail, do you really think they would have needed you to co-sign for the bond? Now that they've skipped bail, you can pretty much kiss that money goodbye.

Just to add my own life experience on the matter. Someone close to me was arrested on a felony (making terroristic threats) last spring. She pleaded and begged me to do anything it took to bail her out. The bondsman fee was $5k (some offered $4k with a discount) and she promised she would make the payments if I would bring the bag of stored cash she had in her closet (it was legitimate) and make the rest of the downpayment.

In a moment of unprecedented wisdom, I said absolutely not since:
1) She's mentally ill and hasn't worked in 5 years and has no income
2) I can't afford to make a down payment like that (or the subsequent payments based on #1 above)
3) After speaking with the arresting officer I was fairly convinced the DA's office wasn't going to file the case anyway (and they did not)
4) I think making her cool her heals in a secure environment where she could be more forcibly sent to psychiatric care (see the charge and #1 above)

Well 3 out of 4 was pretty good.

 

[CdwJava]

Not to state the obvious here, but...

If your "friend" has jumped bail and fled from prosecution (which is what I think when you say they've disappeared and never showed up in court), then there's already a warrant out for their arrest and their bail has been revoked.

This is why the state is important. Not every state immediately requires the payment of bond or forfeiture of collateral immediately. In fact, I'd be surprised if ANY state had such an immediate forfeiture of the money. In CA the guarantor would not be out their collateral in a month, but I have known some bondsmen to LIE to the guarantors in an attempt to get THEM to light a fire under the absconder to come back.

If he is found, and the requisite time has not yet passed so that the money and collateral are all forfeit, the OP can save himself the loss if the absconder is located and turned in by the bondsman, the police, or whoever.

 

[TigerD]

Adding my twin Lincolns:

can i use a persons social security number to find them if they are wanted?

No. If you are asking that question, you do not have the skills to actually find them.

DC