by James
Gabbard
Every month, there are 67 million
online searches for lost family members. From FBI estimates, 2,300
people are reported missing every day. It's as simple as family being
split up and losing contact from moving that can separate a loved
one.
“My brother can't hear or talk, he is
turning 30 years old on October 29 of this year, and I really need to
see him. It's been about two years since I've heard from him, I
wonder every day if he is doing well,” writes Marlene Moran on a
post on Answers.com. Moran is looking for her brother Doug.
Nikki posts on Yahoo, asking for advice
on how to find her sister she knows nothing about. She pleads for
someone to help her, being that she's only 14 and her mother won't
tell her anything.
John made a Facebook page to look for
his mother and brother. He lost contact with them in Sri Lanka, and
has since been unable find them. He continuously posts their names
and date of birth, hoping someone will find them.
“I just want my daddy, is that too
much to ask?” posts nikki080610 on 43Things.com. She's been looking
for her father since her parents split up before her birth.
“Wherever you are now dad, I wish you
were here. It's the 16th year I celebrated Father's Day
without you here. I love you.” posts user Chen Cruz, also looking
for her father since birth.
Many of these people have to take the
same tactics of background checks and online forums in order to find
someone. They hire private investigators, which charge based on how
much information is already obtained. With just a first name,
birthday and a picture- the range of services go from $100-1500 just
to find someone.
“I can't help you with a first name,”
said one agency.
The founders of Video Suspects have a
solution for these people. They have plans to launch a website, in
which users can post images and
videos with the information they have for missing people,
crime suspects, and more and offer cash rewards for other users to
find them.
“Most people have pictures that can
be 20, 30, and 40 and even 50 years old and still be identifiable by
them,” Founder Ed Burns said.
Video Suspects hasn't fully launched
yet, searching for investors to get involved before launching their
marketing campaign and full website's functions
and tools. The founders say they want people to get closure on
the answer of why they weren't in a loved one's life, as millions
want to know why. Burns is one of those people, who had in the past
searched for his father.
“Why? Why wasn't I included his life?
And always the question 'why?'” Burns said. “People always want
to be the fly on the wall to understand why.”
Video Suspects also hopes to help
police and businesses stop shoplifting, a $14.5 billion loss each
year for America. The corporation is currently looking to find an
equity investor to work with their current skilled team of over 50
years experience, before launching the site nationally. Plans are to
launch the site in 90 days after funding.
Once launched the site will be easier
and more affordable to use than current methods or platforms. Users
pay a monthly fee to post the information they have, while other
users can join for free to report and identify people. For each
person successfully found, a cash reward will be offered.
According to Burns, Video Suspects can
assist law enforcement by
centralizing data and having more than just one person looking for
someone. The use of reward incentives will also help draw millions of
people more than online forums.
The new company is currently planning
to stay in the beta stages until it has found equity investors to
fully launch, but users can still sign up during the beta period.
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