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:
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 &
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 x 3 each):
Agent Types:
ClaudeResearcher (3 agents) - People search aggregators, professional records, location intelligence, comprehensive identity, public records, education/alumni GeminiResearcher (3 agents) - Alternative identities, multi-perspective synthesis, historical context GrokResearcher (3 agents) - Social media deep search, contrarian analysis, real-time intelligence 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 Add Specificity - Include location, age, employer, school Cross-Reference - Match DOB + address patterns across sources Family Connections - Verify through known relatives Timeline Analysis - Does the life history make sense? 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
Related Documentation:
Complete workflow details in Workflows/ directory Integration with Research skill for parallel agent orchestration