San Diego, CA, April 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Long before the modern era brought forth the digital world, there were printed phone directories. These databases helped police, private detectives, and others identify a person behind an anonymous phone call.
Now that these printed phone books are no longer, individuals turn to digital resources to locate someone tied to a certain phone number.
The purpose of this article is to provide insight into a reverse phone lookup search and detail the top six sites that offer this service.
How Reverse Phone Lookup Sites Were Evaluated:
- User feedback - In-depth discussion with regular customers of reverse phone lookup services to gain information about the best options and what they offer.
- Independent research - Geek411 set out to learn how each website works through a site comparison. Details included points like value, accuracy, and privacy.
The Best Reverse Phone Lookup Sites
1. Instant Checkmate - Largest reverse phone lookup directory
This company is known for its all-inclusive public records checks. It allows the client to do background checks, reverse phone lookups, and other searches to get the data they need.
There is no need to worry about having one’s identity revealed by performing a lookup. Instant Checkmate prides itself on the confidentiality and privacy it offers. Users can take advantage of Instant Checkmate’s unlimited search offer for a reasonable monthly fee. Information is delivered nearly instantly upon searching.
Data includes the email address, name, address, and location of the caller.
2. Intelius - Best for address lookup details
Since 2003, this company has been a leader in reverse phone lookup services. Once the customer enters the phone number into the search box, the company returns the name, address, history, and even the phone type, when available.
Along with this service, the company offers other searches for an extra fee. These include a background check, reverse address lookup, people search, and even public records, to name a few.
3. Truthfinder - Find Additional Information
Once you know someone’s name with a phone lookup site putting them into truthfinder is a good way to uncover even more details about them. They have a large database connecting names with social media accounts, criminal record checks, and other details about people. Users can search anonymously, and the company takes privacy concerns quite seriously.
The one drawback is that Truthfinder will charge a fee to those who use its reverse phone lookup service if those clients want to view the complete data. This is no different than many of their competitors that offer reverse phone lookup services.
4. Zlookup - Simple free reverse phone lookup
Other than Google, Zlookup is one of the only companies offering completely free reverse phone lookup services. The inspiration behind Zlookup, according to owners, is that they wanted to stop phone harassment and enable individuals to identify who is calling them.
Using this service is easy. People simply input the phone number and press the number lookup button. The success rate is not spectacular, but some users have reported accurate data results.
5. No CallerName - Best subscription plans
When using this company search service, expect to pay a small fee to access the data they uncover. This includes name, address, phone carrier, and more.
No CallerName offers two search plans to make it convenient for clients to use their services. The basic option includes 50 credits for $24.95/month, and the 100-credit plan costs $44.95/month.
One search equals one credit, and it costs approximately 50 cents for a single number search. There is an option to buy credits in the amounts of two, five, 10, or 40 without signing up as a monthly member.
6. Spokeo - Cheapest single search option
Like some of its competitors, this company offers more than this single service. It does background checks and other checks to ensure their clients get all the pertinent data they need.
The free search option only provides basic information. To unlock in-depth findings (personal details, court records, family background, and sometimes photos), the user must sign up and pay the required fee.
There are individual searches available, and they cost 95 cents to unlock the data. To save money, the company offers a monthly plan for $19.95 per month or $14.95 if a user signs up for three months at once.
Why Do People Use Reverse Phone Lookup Services?
There are a variety of reasons why people look up phone numbers to see who called. A popular one is that individuals feel tormented by unknown callers who are harassing them. Once they get the name, address, and other details of the person’s identity, the receiver can file a police complaint or take other steps to stop the bullying.
Another reason could be jealousy or suspicion within a romantic relationship. A person could be checking a list of calls made or received by their partner. When they see a lot of anonymous phone calls, they can use these services to find out what is going on in their partner’s private life.
Lastly, individuals may want to avoid bill collectors or other parties to whom they owe money. A reverse phone lookup service will tell them if it is safe to answer the phone or return the call.
How Does a Reverse Phone Lookup Work?
There are two parts to the reverse phone lookup process. The first step is what information someone receives and also understanding where this data comes from originally.
It is possible to receive a lot of data using a reverse phone lookup service, depending on the service provider one uses and how much they pay. Details could include an area code’s city and state, the person’s name or company, the type of phone used to make the call, and more.
The phone type determines where the service company gets the information. This includes landlines, VOIPs (telephones that use internet services to complete a call), and cell phones. Landlines and cell phones are easily traceable. For the latter, service companies buy the data in bulk, so it is available for users.
VOIPs can be trickier to maneuver, though, and don’t always offer accurate results.
Can Someone Actually Lookup a Cell Phone Number?
Yes and no. It depends on several factors, including how long a person has owned their phone number. Research shows that between 60 and 80 percent of cell phone numbers searched by reverse phone lookup services were accurate.
For pre-paid phones, the accuracy plummets sharply as people use these phones anonymously the majority of the time.
What if a Number Cannot Be Found Online?
Getting repeated calls from an unknown number is annoying, to say the least. Not knowing who is calling is the biggest part of the problem. It could be anyone, and that fact motivates many people to do reverse phone lookup checks.
If there is a continuing problem, a person can contact their local police station and file a complaint. Or they can call a lawyer and get legal advice on what to do next. If there are other reasons people need to know the data about an unknown number, they can hire a private investigator, but this is an expensive option.
Privacy Concerns
There are two main issues when it comes to reverse phone lookup services.
The first issue is for those who are not comfortable with their identity being unmasked. These individuals can contact service providers and request that the company masks their phone number. This is not always possible, but some do take this route.
On the flip side, when one’s safety is in question, they need to make sure that the provider they are using can guarantee their anonymity. Most of the service companies above take privacy concerns seriously, but a user should always double check if they are worried about their welfare or that of their family and friends.
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