In my latest novel, I’ve taken on the persona of a criminal, and a fairly nasty one at that. In this article you will discover how criminals hunt for you online.
Reepaman, the new book I’m writing is written in the first person, and so ‘I’ am getting up to some really quite ugly things.
What is fascinating though is that I’ve approached my imaginary crimes in as professional way as I can, using all the tools at my disposal. For those that know what I do in real life, that won’t surprise you.
My protagonist has just had to research their intended victim, but I won’t say what for, as that would give away the plot of my next book!
However, what I will say, is that my protagonist is skilled in the use of cyber tools and AI.
He has come up with a ‘hunt plan’.
I was busy writing my story, building my plot and pace, when I suddenly realised, that all the things I was doing in fiction, could just as easily be done to me in real life.
So, I started to research myself and my jaw dropped. I consider myself to reasonable at this stuff, and fairly careful about my private life online. Oh how I was wrong.
I choose to actively share this, and you can use it to decide how well you are doing in this space too.
🕵️♂️ Hunt Plan: Researching A Victim as Though I Was A Criminal.
Start with Full Name + Basic Info
- Google “Victim Full Name” + “City” OR “Workplace” to narrow results.
- Quickly check Google Images — see if a photo matches.
- Use a reverse image search tool like TinEye to see how many different social media accounts use the same image.
- Pull up the top Facebook/LinkedIn/Instagram/X/Snap hits.
Identify All Known Social Media Accounts
- Open tabs for Meta Facebook Instagram LinkedIn X etc.
- Cross-reference: Same profile picture? Same username used across platforms? (E.g., @SarahD83 on Instagram and TikTok ) Check the profile on fitness apps like Strava and look for common routes and routines.
- Note any discrepancies — if the victim has an old maiden name, nickname, or alternate spelling.
Check Facebook or other sites in depth
- Friends list (if public) — family, significant others, employers, hobbies.
- Photos — look for frequent locations (bars, gyms, restaurants).
- Posts and tags — what events they go to, who tags them where.
- Check-ins — huge giveaway for routines (e.g., “At Joe’s Coffee every Tuesday”).
Deep Dive on Instagram
- Look at: Story highlights (“#Paris 2025” = upcoming trip!) Photos for geotags or visible clues (house number, street signs). Comments from friends (nicknames, emotional ties).
LinkedIn = Professional Background
- Workplace
- Current city
- Skills and certifications (Consider – “Oh, they are a CPA. Busy season will make them busy, they won’t be on holiday then.”)
- Company websites often list emails, schedules, and bios too.
Public Record Search
- Property records (ownership, addresses, valuations — often freely available through county websites).
- Public company records for directorships come with addresses. Use #GoogleMaps or #Streetview to look at the property.
- Court records (lawsuits, divorces, arrests).
- Marriage licenses, birth certificates, business licenses (if applicable).
- Voter registration databases (available in some jurisdictions).
- Check a free or paid people search sites like Spokeo, Whitepages PeopleFinder BeenVerified.com TruthFinder for: Home address Previous addresses Age and family members
- Bonus: Zillow or Rightmove the address to view their home’s value, photos, and even floorplans sometimes.
Search for Breached Info
- Run their email (from LinkedIn/Facebook) through #HaveIBeenPwned
- Find leaked passwords or accounts.
- Check if they reused credentials (common for careless people).
Forums and Comments
- Search “Victim’s Username” site:reddit.com or “Victim’s Username” site:quora.com.
- Look for posts about: Problems (“Feeling unsafe lately…” / “My ex won’t leave me alone…”) Interests (“Anyone else obsessed with running marathons?”)
Calendar Planning from Patterns
- If they regularly check into yoga at 6 PM on Thursdays, that’s valuable.
- If they celebrate birthdays or anniversaries, mark those dates.
How Criminals Hunt For You Online. – Extras
- Search for their Amazon Wish List using “Victim’s Email Address” site:amazon.com.
- Search Venmo or Cashapp Point feeds (if public).
- Reverse image search their photos using Googles Google Lens — see if they’re using dating profiles or secondary accounts under a different name.
I hope you find this useful. Do please share this newsletter, if you think your network needs to see this too. – But I suggest you don’t share what you found out about yourself!
And finally, If this kind of note was useful for you, do subscribe and like if you haven’t already and look out for #Reepaman. www.reepaman.com It will be released next year.
Disclaimer:This article is intended for informational purposes only. The author does not endorse or condone any unlawful, unethical, or harmful use of the content herein. Any actions taken based on this material are the sole responsibility of the reader. Use responsibly.
Rob uses AI to conduct research and to sometimes create relevant images to accompany his articles. The text is always all his. His AI tool of choice is ChatGPT #ChatGPT