Reverse Lookups - Ways to Find the Information You Need
The first time your phone rings from a number you don't recognize, it's not a big deal. But what if someone at that number calls back again, and again? There may be no one on the other end and no name on caller ID. If it's once, an unknown caller is nothing but a minor annoyance. Sometimes it's more than once, and that can indicate a problem.
You could simply dial *69 to call back the last number which called, but that doesn't give you any information about the caller. So how do you find out who is calling? A growing number of phone numbers aren't land lines, so a quick phonebook search may not give you any results. When the information isn't available anywhere else, try a professional reverse phone number search.
Times When You Need a Name
From a crumpled napkin with a scrawled name to the contact number from an IM profile, frequently one has a phone number without any other identifying information, even basic things like someone's full name or home city. A reverse directory is a special search which looks for a number and returns the name and address associated with it.
The most common reasons for reverse directory searches are trying to associate a name with a number you don't know, perhaps because you've received repeated calls from an unidentified caller or because unrecognized phone numbers are showing up on a phone bill. You may need to track down an address when all you have is a cell or unlisted number. Doing a quick reverse phone check is even a good way to verify someone's identity, whether it's a contractor, new employee, or a person one swapped numbers with after a casual chat.
A reverse directory takes the telephone number you enter and returns a full name and address. That basic information is enough to get started on additional background research if you need it.
The Difference Between the White Pages and Professional Reverse Phone Searches There are informal ways to perform a reverse number search; many libraries have printed reverse directories and many online sites provide whitepage searches. Both online and print resources for reverse lookups, however, have a mixed record of success. A wide array of numbers simply isn't available in standard telephone directories, yet all reverse lookup directories (both online and print) depend on published yellowpage and whitepage directories as their basis for data.
By depending on yellow and white page directories, reverse lookup references can get out of date easily, possibly by months or even years. Limiting the reverse phone directory to published landline phone numbers excludes many other types of telephone numbers:
• Cell phones
• Voice over IP and cable phones
• Central switchboards
• Toll-free numbers
• Unlisted landline telephone numbers
Professional reverse phone searches use databases compiled from many outside sources - public and private databases, utility records, and many others - to track down any kind of telephone number, even VoIP numbers and cell phones. These data sources are also updated much more frequently (every couple of months) compared to standard telephone directories (annually).
About the Search Company
A professional reverse phone search offers a true service, so make sure that the search site is reputable and effective. A good search company offers:
• Frequent database updates
• Good information base, with a variety of public and private sources
• Search guarantee so if the number cannot be traced, there is no charge
• Customer support and expert searchers to run additional searches against more obscure areas to find the number if your initial search is empty
• Sample reports to show what kind of information you'll receive
Why Information Matters
With ten digits, you can get a full name and address. A name is the most basic information you can have. Whether it's that grease-stained napkin, a smudged business card, or an unknown number scrolling repeatedly in your caller ID, there are times when you need to fit a name to that number and you can't trace it through regular directories. A professional reverse directory search gives you access to a host of numbers - cell phones, businesses, unlisted landlines - that can't be found anywhere else, so you can get that basic information: a name and an address.
You could simply dial *69 to call back the last number which called, but that doesn't give you any information about the caller. So how do you find out who is calling? A growing number of phone numbers aren't land lines, so a quick phonebook search may not give you any results. When the information isn't available anywhere else, try a professional reverse phone number search.
Times When You Need a Name
From a crumpled napkin with a scrawled name to the contact number from an IM profile, frequently one has a phone number without any other identifying information, even basic things like someone's full name or home city. A reverse directory is a special search which looks for a number and returns the name and address associated with it.
The most common reasons for reverse directory searches are trying to associate a name with a number you don't know, perhaps because you've received repeated calls from an unidentified caller or because unrecognized phone numbers are showing up on a phone bill. You may need to track down an address when all you have is a cell or unlisted number. Doing a quick reverse phone check is even a good way to verify someone's identity, whether it's a contractor, new employee, or a person one swapped numbers with after a casual chat.
A reverse directory takes the telephone number you enter and returns a full name and address. That basic information is enough to get started on additional background research if you need it.
The Difference Between the White Pages and Professional Reverse Phone Searches There are informal ways to perform a reverse number search; many libraries have printed reverse directories and many online sites provide whitepage searches. Both online and print resources for reverse lookups, however, have a mixed record of success. A wide array of numbers simply isn't available in standard telephone directories, yet all reverse lookup directories (both online and print) depend on published yellowpage and whitepage directories as their basis for data.
By depending on yellow and white page directories, reverse lookup references can get out of date easily, possibly by months or even years. Limiting the reverse phone directory to published landline phone numbers excludes many other types of telephone numbers:
• Cell phones
• Voice over IP and cable phones
• Central switchboards
• Toll-free numbers
• Unlisted landline telephone numbers
Professional reverse phone searches use databases compiled from many outside sources - public and private databases, utility records, and many others - to track down any kind of telephone number, even VoIP numbers and cell phones. These data sources are also updated much more frequently (every couple of months) compared to standard telephone directories (annually).
About the Search Company
A professional reverse phone search offers a true service, so make sure that the search site is reputable and effective. A good search company offers:
• Frequent database updates
• Good information base, with a variety of public and private sources
• Search guarantee so if the number cannot be traced, there is no charge
• Customer support and expert searchers to run additional searches against more obscure areas to find the number if your initial search is empty
• Sample reports to show what kind of information you'll receive
Why Information Matters
With ten digits, you can get a full name and address. A name is the most basic information you can have. Whether it's that grease-stained napkin, a smudged business card, or an unknown number scrolling repeatedly in your caller ID, there are times when you need to fit a name to that number and you can't trace it through regular directories. A professional reverse directory search gives you access to a host of numbers - cell phones, businesses, unlisted landlines - that can't be found anywhere else, so you can get that basic information: a name and an address.
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