reverse phone number lookups

Reverse telephone directories have been around for quite a long time. In the old days they were more commonly known as greypages or criss cross directories. For years these directories have been used by law enforcement agencies, or other emergency response personnel to figure out the source or location of person in need.

Reverse directories are different than other directories of numbers like phone books, in the sense that they contain listed, unlisted and often times cell numbers as well. These directories or services have been made public, and many reside right here on the very internet that you use daily.

With a reverse lookup directory you can do a search for a landline or cell number and retrieve valuable information that is attached to the number. Often times this includes a name, address, location, carrier or service provider, and more.

With landlines phone companies are basically interconnected, and a land line number is assigned regionally. So in other words, though there may be different phone companies, they all are creating a giant public database or phone book. This also explains how telemarketers are able to track down numbers and annoy us with their pesky calls.

Cell phone numbers are different however, as cell phone companies kind of call their own shots, and have more leave way over what numbers they can assign. This information is private and is only known to you, the owner of the cell number, and the provider that you are with. This is why there isn't a giant "cell phone book" available, and thank God.

Reverse lookup directories gather information regarding land line numbers, cell numbers, and unlisted numbers to build a more complete data base. Since privacy is of the utmost importance, reverse directories must gather information from public sources, but even using this method most directories are able to build a pretty complete data base.

As a side note, if you find your number listed in a reverse lookup directory, you always have the option to Opt out of that directory to keep your own number safe.

If the smiling thumb to your left isn't distracting, then one thing's for sure - pranksters, telemarketers, and people who keep calling back because they won't accept that you are not Fred so and so, are.

But on a more serious note, here are a few ways that people use reverse lookups every day.

Creepy Prank Calls
Yes, we've all dealt with them, and some of us more so than others. Reverse lookups come in handy when you need to put a face (or a name rather) to the owner of the number who is harassing you.

Long Lost Friends
It sounds ridiculous, but sometimes an old acquaintance will try to make contact, and for some reason or another they don't leave a voice mail (perhaps because they aren't even sure that its you that they are reaching). If you are armed with the number then you can use it to find them - you never know who it could be.

A Cheating Spouse
Yes, this does happen, and reverse lookups have been used for this very situation. It isn't uncommon for someone to do a reverse phone search to see if their other half is cheating on them.

Incorrect Phone Bills
You may get billed for a number that you never even dialed, and you didn't even know it. If you see a strange looking number on your phone bill and you have the power of a reverse phone number lookup, you can check it out for yourself, and maybe save yourself some cash.

A Surprise Visit
If you have the number of a relative or a good friend who recently moved away, and you want to surprise them by popping in for a quick chat, you wouldn't want to call them up and say "hey, how do I get to your place? I want to surprise you by stopping in!". Instead, you can take the number and get an address, and directions.

A Strange Number
This is probably the most useful. Sometimes it isn't uncommon for someone to write down a number in a hurry and stick it in a drawer somewhere. Only problem is, they forget to label it. Who is it? you can find out with a reverse lookup.

Its Illegal For Me To Reverse Search A Number
This is wrong. There are no laws that say that you cannot do a reverse lookup on a number. If you are worried about privacy for your own number, go to a directory and Opt out. There are however unethical and illegal ways to use a number. These unethical methods are usually listed for all to see in a reverse directory's FAQ.

A Free Reverse Directory Works Just As Well
Again, this is plain wrong. So many people are trying to save a few bucks, but its really pointless. There really is no such thing as a free reverse lookup, and if you come across one of these services that claims free phone number searches, be cautious. They are usually a scam, or don't offer any results what so ever. With a cheap paid service you can get all the details you need.

Reverse Directories Are Controlled By Scammers
Not true. The free ones probably are, but the paid ones are a service and it does not benefit either you or them to rip you off in any way. I will say that there is no doubt in my mind that some services are better than others.

Someone Will Know When I Am Searching Their Number
False. No one is notified, at least when using the real deal.

Reverse Lookups Are Expensive
Nope. On average you're looking at $15 for a one time search, or about a $40 one time fee to do an unlimited number of searches for a year. Considering that 40 bucks is not that much more than fifteen, I would definitely go with the unlimited searches option.

When You Do A Reverse Phone Trace The Local Police Are Alerted
This one's my favorite! Some people actually believe this, but it is just like the other ones - not true. Don't you think the police have better things to do anyways?

A lot of people would like to do a reverse lookup on a phone number for free in order to find that caller unknown, but aren't exactly sure how to get started. Here is how to go about doing this.

Go to your Google search box and enter the number that you would like to lookup into the search field. Its important to note that you'll need to enter it like this 555 555 5555. Now do a search for this number.

If there are no results or too many results, do a full search for the number again, only this time using (parenthesis). If the results are the same as last time (too many or not enough), do a search of the number using "quotations" for an exact match.

If you find the number that you are looking for you can use google maps to get an exact location. If by this point you can't find an exact match, there are two reasons why.

1. the number is unlisted.
2. the number is a cell phone number (most likely).

Using a search engine like google to do a reverse lookup is not very effective. This is because any number that you are likely to find will be a busy number, or a publicly listed land line number, and chances are the person harassing you is neither of these.

Using a professional reverse lookup like Phone Number Scan will deliver far better results.

This is a big question on a lot of people's minds. I would say the answer is yes they do work. The truth is that there will always be a slight chance that your searches are fruitless, but most of the time a professional reverse lookup service can deliver results.

The great thing about a reverse phone number lookup that's on the up-and-up, is that if you choose to do the $15 one time search, and find yourself ending up with no results - they will refund your $15.

Still yet, as I have mentioned before - I find it far more economical in the long run ro go with the year long package of unlimited searches. This will increase your odds of finding the person you are looking for, and will no doubt come in handy on down the road.

Reverse Phone Detective is another lookup that has some great features.

If you've made the decision to purchase the use of one of these services, you might as well be a smart consumer. The tough thing for most people is that the majority of these major reverse lookup directories are pretty much neck and neck with each other.

When they are this close in quality and features, its pretty tough to decide. One thing's for sure, there are some key things that you must look for in a reverse directory service, because some of these guys are not exactly wearing halos.

1. Refund Policy - make sure that if you do a one time search, you can get your money back if your results are unsatisfactory.

2. Opt out option - this is the ability to de-list your number and details and actually "opt out" of the reverse directory.

3. Detailed information - go ahead and compare and decide who will give you the most amount of info for your buck.

4. Customer support - this seems stupid, but a reverse directory with good customer support is a must. You see, before you jump the gun on getting that refund, customer support might actually be able to help you track do who you're looking for. If you get a service that has outstanding customer support, they will take you and your search seriously and try to help you get results.

So I thought I would tell you which reverse lookup I like the best. Reverse Mobile is easily my top pick, based on some careful comparisons. I've found that customer support, the easiness of the service, the quality and effectiveness, and the price were just killer.

Read the full review of Reverse Mobile.