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Example Investigations

10 Potential uses for OSINT in Investigations

1. Locating Missing Persons

Use OSINT to trace individuals who have gone missing—whether voluntarily or involuntarily—by examining online footprints, public records, and leaked information.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, 192.com, genealogy forums, Pastebin leaks.

2. Online Brand Protection

Identify counterfeit products, unauthorised sellers, or trademark misuse across online marketplaces and social media platforms.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, Instagram Shops, and WHOIS domain lookups.

3. Employment Background Checks

Verify an individual’s education, past employment, media exposure, or reputation risks during hiring or due diligence.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: LinkedIn, Companies House (UK), news articles, court records.

4. Fraud and Financial Investigations

Investigate scams, fake investment schemes, identity theft, or financial misconduct using open data and breach information.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Court listings, FCA warnings (UK), scam alert sites, breached credential databases.

5. Organised Crime & Network Mapping

Map out connections between people, groups, or entities; track assets or shared locations linked to suspected organised crime.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Social media networks, vehicle/real estate data (jurisdiction permitting), leaked datasets.

6. Threat Intelligence & Cybercrime

Detect digital threats such as hacking collectives, ransomware campaigns, phishing domains, or hostile actors on open or hidden networks.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Open forums, Ahmia (a dark web search engine), Telegram groups, and data breach alerts.

7. Protest & Extremist Group Monitoring

Monitor activist movements or extremist networks for situational awareness or security intelligence purposes.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Twitter hashtags, protest livestreams, activist blogs, niche forums.

8. Asset Tracing (Individual or Corporate)

Track ownership of assets such as vehicles, property, boats, and offshore companies.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Land Registry, Companies House, yacht registries, and high-value auction records.

9. Litigation Support

Uncover historical content, statements, or deleted materials that may be admissible or valuable in legal disputes.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Wayback Machine, Google Cache, public web archives, news databases.

10. Online Reputation & Risk Monitoring

Track brand mentions, executive sentiment, or public perception using web monitoring tools and social feedback platforms.

  • Useful OSINT Sources: Google Alerts, Trustpilot, Glassdoor, and social media monitoring tools.