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Reverse phone lookups are used when you have a phone number but don’t have a name to go with the phone number. It can be disconcerting when someone calls and you have no idea who it might be. This is especially true when there are repeated phone calls and it shows the same phone number is calling.
Often, the unidentified numbers are connected with something you don’t want to get involved in like sales calls or donation solicitations. Telemarketers use software that accesses phones using traditional land lines and cell phones. They can be particularly annoying too when they call over and over again which frequently happens.
The reverse phone lookup lets you use the phone number captured on your phone to identify the caller. You can access any of a number of websites that let you enter a phone number and then request a search for a name. Once you have the name, you can then decide your next step. For example, you could add the number to the National Do Not Call List. You could also call the person, charity or business connected with the phone number and request to be put on their internal do not call list.
Still called landlines despite using digital technology, traditional phones are often used as home phones. The landline numbers are listed by name and are considered to be public records. You can go on any of the phone company websites and enter a phone number in a search box and find a name.
Cell phones are a bit different. They are not considered to be public records. Unlike the landline phones, people pay for the minutes used and publishing the phone numbers could cost consumers hundreds of dollars answering unwanted calls. That is why there is a fee to do a reverse phone lookup using cell phone numbers.
You can get plenty of information about a person or organization using reverse phone lookups. A telemarketer, for example, could do a search using a phone number and get a name, address, names of household members and much more.
Unfortunately this also makes it easy for scammers to make fraudulent phone calls. The con artist can call and pretend to be a bank employee, insurance sales person or anyone else that might have a reason to request personal information. They have your name and address and sound legitimate. That is why you should never give personal information over the phone unless you are absolutely sure of who you are talking to.
Consumers can also use the reverse phone lookup to verify that someone they want to do business with is legitimate. For example, you want to buy a product from a telemarketer but want to verify they are who they say they are before making a purchase. This can help you avoid being scammed.
If you get a phone call and want to identify the caller, you can call the number yourself. But if you do so, be sure to use a phone other than your personal phone so you don’t disclose your phone number or your identity.
There are many reverse phone lookup services available today that can give you information on both landline and cell phone numbers. Just do a Google or Yahoo search and you will find plenty of options.
