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Investigation workflow

OSINT Investigation Workflow: From One Identifier to a Case File

A repeatable OSINT workflow: pick a seed identifier, pivot across Discord, Roblox, FiveM, stealer and breach data, verify the leads, and export a case file.

OSINT workflowOSINT investigation stepsOSINT tutorialOsintX Investigations

Lena Hoffmann · OSINT Research Lead

Reviewed by Jonas Keller · Example personas, AI-generated photos

Nov 3, 20266 min read

From one identifier to an exportable case file.

A good investigation is a loop: start from one identifier, find what it links to, check each link, and write down what you can prove. This workflow keeps that loop short.

1. Pick a seed identifier

Start with the most stable identifier you have. A Discord snowflake never changes, while a username can. Email addresses and Steam hex IDs are also stable.

2. Pivot in a fixed order

  • Discord ID to Roblox discord-id mode, for the username and user ID
  • Discord ID to FiveM discord: prefix, for servers and player names
  • Any email found to breach search, for source names and leak dates
  • Email, username or Discord ID to stealer search, for live captures and log_id

Each step returns new identifiers. Add them to a list, and run each new one through the modules you have not tried yet.

TypeLoginPasswordURL
emailanalyst@example.com••••••••login.example.com
userplayer_2849••••••discord.com
emailbilling@corp.io••••••••••paypal.com
A stealer row as it appears in the results. Passwords are masked.

3. Verify every lead

  • Check that two independent sources agree before you link two accounts
  • Note the leak date: an old breach row may describe a stale account
  • Treat face and location matches as candidates and confirm them on a map or profile

Record as you go

Pin each hit to a case in Investigations while you work. An export built afterwards loses the order in which you found things.

4. Export and summarize

Export the case as JSON, then run AI Analyzer to get a short summary of identifiers, risks and suggested next pivots. Review the summary against the raw export before you share it.

Common mistakes

  • Linking two accounts only because they share a common username
  • Trusting one old breach row without a second source
  • Skipping notes and trying to remember the path later
  • Searching more identifiers than the case needs

Stay within the law

Only investigate targets you are authorized to look into, and follow the rules of your jurisdiction and employer. Do not paste live credentials into external chat tools.