Skiptracing is the process of locating a person's whereabouts for any number of purposes.

This includes but is not limited to: debt collections, bail bond enforcement (bounty hunting), witness location, questioning, or almost any facet of an investigation that entails making difficult contact with a subject.

Controversy is sometimes raised in connection with the industry, due to persons selling pirated information under false pretenses. Such persons are not recognized by the professional community, they are ostracized and often hunted by legitimate companies in an effort to protect the industry's reputation.

Most often recognized outside of the industry by phone calls placed to individuals that fit the profile of a person being searched for (e.g. same first inital and last name, address or city and state)