Why is searching only for the suspect's name unreliable?¶

Mobile data often represents identity through a number, username, service ID, contact label or no readable name at all.

Names are variable and contextual¶

Nicknames, spelling, transliteration, former names, businesses and deliberately disguised labels can hide a relationship; a common name creates irrelevant hits. A displayed contact name may be chosen by the device owner, imported or synchronised and does not verify who controls the linked identifier.

Search an evidence-based identity set¶

Use sourced telephone, email, handle, account, address, business and distinctive reference values, then add identifiers revealed by the report. Review artefact role and duplicates rather than counting strings. A negative name search should state the variants and available data tested, not become “no contact”.