OSINT Investigation Tools

Find tools for researching court records, companies, photographs, identities and locations. Read the short description, open a resource and expand “How to use it” when you need a first step.

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Court and Government Records

CourtListener

Search court opinions, dockets and available filings.

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How to use it

Search a party name or case number. Confirm the court and date, and distinguish allegations from findings.

GovInfo

Search official US government publications and records.

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How to use it

Search a phrase or browse a collection. Save the publication title, date and permanent record link.

Judyrecords

Search an independent index of court case records.

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How to use it

Search an exact name, then verify the court, case number and original docket. Coverage varies.

PACER Monitor

Find and monitor federal court docket information.

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How to use it

Search a party or case number. Check access requirements and verify the latest docket entry.

More resources in this category (4)

RECAP Archive

Find tools and access to federal filings collected from PACER.

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How to use it

Follow the RECAP Archive link and search the case. Not every docket document has been added to the archive.

State Court Records

Find state court record portals through a court directory.

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How to use it

Choose the state and relevant court. Use that court’s portal to search the case or party.

Palm Beach Public Records

Find public records request information for Palm Beach’s State Attorney.

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How to use it

Read the office’s request instructions. Describe the record, date range and case number where known.

OpenPayrolls

Search public employee salary records by person, employer or title.

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How to use it

Enter a name and employer. Confirm the year and agency before identifying a person or comparing pay.

Companies, Money and Connections

OpenCorporates

Find company registry information across jurisdictions.

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How to use it

Search a legal name and jurisdiction. Verify the company number and original registry source.

SEC EDGAR

Find corporate filings submitted to the US securities regulator.

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How to use it

Search a company or filing phrase, then narrow the dates. Many private companies have no SEC filings.

FollowTheMoney

Research campaign finance and political contribution records.

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How to use it

Search a donor, recipient or jurisdiction. Check the election cycle and original reporting source.

LittleSis

Explore documented relationships among influential people and organizations.

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How to use it

Search a person or organization. Follow the citations attached to a relationship before relying on it.

More resources in this category (3)

OpenSanctions

Search sanctions, watchlist and politically exposed person datasets.

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How to use it

Search a name and check identifiers and source lists. A name match or political exposure is not proof of misconduct.

OCCRP Aleph

Search investigative datasets and explore people, companies and records.

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How to use it

Review accessible collections, search an entity and follow the underlying source document.

ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database

Explore people and entities appearing in published offshore datasets.

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How to use it

Search an exact name and inspect the jurisdiction and source dataset. Inclusion does not by itself establish illegality.

Images and Video

EpsteinWiki Reverse Image Search

Look for image matches within the Epstein Data research tool.

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How to use it

Use the image search interface and inspect returned matches. Confirm the source file and context.

BinnShot

Browse Jason Binn’s social and event photo galleries.

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How to use it

Choose a gallery and inspect captions, dates and credits. A shared photograph does not establish misconduct.

Exif Tools

Inspect metadata in images, documents and other files.

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How to use it

Use a copy of the original file and inspect the metadata fields. Metadata may be missing or altered.

Forensically

Inspect image details with digital photo forensic tools.

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How to use it

Open an image and use a specific inspection tool. Artifacts alone do not prove manipulation.

More resources in this category (5)

FotoForensics

An image analysis resource linked in the existing directory.

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How to use it

Read the service’s help and privacy information before submitting an image. Interpret analysis results cautiously.

Getty Images

Find editorial photographs with captions, dates and credits.

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How to use it

Search a person and event. Verify captions and check licensing before republishing.

Google Lens

Look for visually similar images and related web results.

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How to use it

Use a public image or crop. Compare candidate matches and follow their original pages.

InVID

Find video verification resources and project tools.

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How to use it

Review Tools and Services and the current usage instructions. Check frames and source context before drawing conclusions.

TinEye

Find indexed copies and variants of an image.

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How to use it

Search using an image or image URL. Compare matching pages and capture dates; no match does not prove authenticity.

Archives and Evidence Preservation

Archive.today

Find or create saved snapshots of webpages.

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How to use it

Enter a public page URL and inspect the capture. Save both the original URL and snapshot date.

Ghostarchive

Find archived web content and supported media captures.

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How to use it

Search the source URL or review available capture options. Check that the relevant content was preserved.

Perma.cc

Create durable references to webpages for citation.

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How to use it

Review account and access requirements, create a capture and check it before citing the preserved link.

Wayback Machine

Explore earlier archived versions of webpages.

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How to use it

Enter the original URL, choose a capture date and save the archived link. Embedded content may be missing.

People, Usernames and Domains

That’s Them

Look for public identity and contact information as research leads.

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How to use it

Search a name with a location and compare identifiers. Confirm identity using independent records and protect private information.

TruePeopleSearch

Look for public people search leads.

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How to use it

Search a name and location. Treat results as leads and verify identity before connecting them to a record.

WhatsMyName

Look for accounts using a particular username across services.

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How to use it

Enter a public username and inspect candidate accounts. A shared username does not establish common ownership.

WHOIS

Look up domain registration and related domain information.

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How to use it

Enter a domain name and read available registration details. Privacy services can obscure the actual registrant.

More resources in this category (1)

Have I Been Pwned

Check whether your email appears in known breach datasets.

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How to use it

Check your own address or one you are authorized to assess. A breach entry does not establish who used an account.

Maps, Aircraft and Ships

ADS B Exchange

Explore aircraft positions from tracking data.

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How to use it

Start with a verified aircraft registration. Check time and coverage; tracking data does not identify passengers.

FlightAware

Research aircraft and flight tracking information.

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How to use it

Search a flight number or registration. Review historical access limits and do not assume coverage of old Epstein flights.

OpenStreetMap

Research geographic context around places and addresses.

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How to use it

Search a location and inspect surrounding features. Map data cannot establish a visit or a past event.

MarineTraffic

Explore vessel tracking and maritime information.

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How to use it

Search a verified vessel name or identifier. Check timestamp and coverage; a position does not identify passengers.

More resources in this category (1)

GeoHack

Open map services for a geographic coordinate.

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How to use it

Begin with verified coordinates and choose a map service. Compare imagery dates and location labels.

Research and Reference

Authoritarian Stack

Open the directory’s Authoritarian Stack reference resource.

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How to use it

Review the current project scope and source notes. Follow original sources before using a connection or claim.

Bellingcat

Learn open source investigation methods through guides and reporting.

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How to use it

Choose a guide relevant to your task. Apply its verification steps and retain your source records.

BASE Services

Read the service information for the Bielefeld Academic Search Engine.

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How to use it

Review the available services and follow the appropriate search or API documentation. This link is a service page.

CIA World Factbook Archive

Consult archived country reference material.

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How to use it

Choose a country and edition. Check the publication year before using historical information.

More resources in this category (8)

Data and Society Library

Find research on technology, data and their social effects.

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How to use it

Search a topic and read the full publication. Record author, date and methodology.

Distributed Denial of Secrets

Find descriptions and access information for published datasets.

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How to use it

Read the dataset’s provenance and scope. Verify individual documents and protect sensitive personal information.

Epstein Forums

Find community discussion and investigative leads.

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How to use it

Search an existing topic and follow supporting documents. A forum claim is not a verified finding.

JEEScholar

Find academic papers and books identified within released Epstein records.

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How to use it

Search a title, author or field and inspect its provenance. A paper’s presence does not establish collaboration with its author.

FactCheck.org

Read fact checks and the supporting sources they cite.

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How to use it

Search the claim or topic, then compare the cited source with the statement being checked.

Investigation Checklist Generator

Open a tool for planning an OSINT research checklist.

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How to use it

Describe the research task and review the resulting checklist. Adapt it to your sources and document your work.

MuckRock

Research public records requests and request related reporting.

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How to use it

Search existing requests by agency or topic. Review records already released before preparing a new request.

RefSeek

Search reference and academic web resources.

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How to use it

Search a specific topic or phrase. Evaluate each result’s author, date and original sources.

Directories and Tool Hubs

GitHub OSINT Directory

Browse repositories tagged for open source intelligence research.

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How to use it

Choose a project and read its README, license and maintenance history before using it.

OSINT Framework

Browse a categorized directory of investigative resources.

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How to use it

Choose your research topic and follow a tool link. Check that the destination still serves the stated purpose.

OSINT Radar

Explore another directory of OSINT tools and resources.

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How to use it

Choose a task or category and inspect the tool’s current documentation before using it.

Resistance Directory

Find civic, research and accountability resources.

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How to use it

Browse the relevant category and read the linked resource’s description and current access requirements.