With the digitization of data, finding information has become increasingly faster and hassle-free. Today, a simple online search can help you learn a surprising amount of details relating to any individual within mere seconds.
The best part is, you don’t even need a name to search for people. Thanks to data indexing, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and other modern technology, you can carry out reverse lookups using various pieces of information—from emails and phone numbers to addresses and images.
In this article, we take a look at reverse phone number searches—more specifically, about what they can uncover for you and why they matter.
Reverse Phone Number Lookup: What Can It Help You Find?
Depending on the platform you use, a reverse phone search can unearth a variety of information relating to a contact number.
Here are the main data types:
Personal data
A reverse search service could find the first and last name, aliases, age, gender, and marital status of a number’s owner. Some platforms can also uncover social media profiles, blogs, websites, photos, relatives, and friends.
Contact information
You can find addresses related to a phone number together with emails and other associated contact numbers.
Professional details
Job titles, workplaces, industries, education, professional licenses, permits, trademarks, affiliations, and names of work colleagues can also be among the information you can learn.
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Financial data
This can cover properties, vehicles, mortgages, bankruptcies, liens, foreclosures, and evictions.
Criminal records and offenses
These can range from minor offenses, such as traffic violations, to warrants and sex offender details.
How is it possible to retrieve this amount of information? Various identifiers can interconnect an individual’s personal data. Name, phone number, social security number, tax ID, and account usernames can all serve as identifiers unique to a person.
These create a chain of information, which eventually accumulates into a massive digital data footprint. As a result, a single identifier, such as a phone number, can help retrieve the rest of the linked details.
And where does this data come from? It can be hosted in numerous digital resources—from public records, websites, blogs, and news articles to social media and online directories.
Why Reverse Search a Phone Number?
So, why would you want to reverse search someone’s phone number? The simple answer is to find more information about an individual, especially when you don’t have a complete name.
In business, this can be useful in different scenarios. Here are a few examples:
- Vetting suppliers to ensure their credibility and verify the details they have provided.
- Building contact lists by finding email addresses and other useful data of potential leads to customize communications.
- Updating and verifying customer information to ensure the accuracy of existing databases.
- Authenticating unknown callers for business security purposes.
- Finding an address to deliver a document when you only have the contact number of the relevant person.
Top Platforms for Reverse Phone Number Searches
There are many online tools you can use for a reverse number lookup. Listed below are our top six recommendations.
1. Google
Claiming 91.15% of the search market by volume, Google is a favorite for any type of reverse search. Its industry-leading indexing capabilities, superior algorithms, and super-fast search results place it ahead of other search engines.
Using Google, you can identify almost any web page containing details about a contact number as long as it is published, indexed, and freely accessible.
For best results, type in the number within open and closed quotation marks. Add any other related information you may have, such as a name or organization. You can also try a few different phone number formats, for example, with and without spaces and hyphens.
All these will help refine your search results further, allowing you to identify the most relevant resources.
2. Facebook
With the highest number of social media users among all networking platforms, Facebook is an ideal tool to reverse search contact numbers. The site’s search facility can list down user profiles, posts, and related text-based content that carry the phone number you want to find out more about.
All searches are free on this platform. However, you may need a Facebook account to view some of the results.
3. LinkedIn
If you want to learn about a business contact, LinkedIn is an excellent option. This is because many people list their contact numbers on this professional networking platform to discover work-related opportunities while keeping them private on Facebook and other social media sites.
4. Spokeo
This is a data aggregator specializing in reverse searches. What makes Spokeo stand out is its search reports that provide a concise snapshot of all the critical data related to a phone number. These reports can save you the time and hassle of sifting through countless web pages to identify relevant data.
However, keep in mind that this is a paid service.
Spokeo’s monthly membership costs $29.95. It also has a $0.95 special offer together with a 1-week membership trial.
5. PhoneHistory
Similar to Spokeo, PhoneHistory can provide filtered and organized data associated with a contact number. Its expertise lies in retrieving a number’s history with a year-by-year timeline of its current and previous owners and their personal information.
PhoneHistory is also free to use and can find data related to both personal and business numbers.
6. Truecaller
If you only want to know who is calling from an unfamiliar phone number, Truecaller is the perfect solution.
This is a mobile application designed to detect caller IDs as and when you receive phone calls, so you would not need to make an extra effort to identify unknown callers. The app also provides a search facility to determine who a number belongs to.
To Recap
Reverse phone number lookup can be useful in a variety of situations, both in business and personal life. Depending on the search platform you choose, a reverse search could uncover an impressive amount of information, including personal data, contact details, professional and financial information, and offenses and criminal records.
Of course, delving into this much data for no reason can be intrusive and disrespectful. So, assess the purpose and the specific details you require and select an appropriate reverse phone lookup platform for your needs.