Reverse Phone Number Lookup
An unknown phone number shows up on your cell phone or caller ID and you wonder whose call you've missed. Luckily, there are several tools available to assist your search:
- AT&T's Reverse Lookup on AnyWho provides directory information from Intelius, Inc. Enter the 10-digit phone number (including area code) into the search box. Cell phone and unlisted numbers are not included.
- Another option is to check ReferenceUSA*. This subscription database product is accessible in any of the Library branches or from home with a valid Library card number. Select U.S. Standard White Pages from the home screen and then choose Advanced Search. Check the box next to Phone in the left hand toolbar, enter the 10-digit telephone number in the search box provided, and select View Results. As with the search in the Intelius database, this search does not include cell phone or unlisted telephone numbers.
- If you don't have any luck with the first two options, you are likely dealing with either a cell phone or unlisted telephone number. There are websites that claim to be "cell number directories," but these are misleading. According to the Federal Communications Commission, cell phone numbers are to remain private for the foreseeable future.
- Sometimes you simply can't find a name to go with a phone number. This is always the case if the number is a cell phone number or if it is unlisted. However, when all else fails it's still possible to find where the phone number came from by using an area code directory, like the one available through ReferenceUSA*. Select U.S. Standard White Pages from the home screen and then choose Advanced Search. Check the box next to Area Code in the left hand toolbar, enter the 3-digit area code in the search box provided, then select View Results. By tracing the area code and the first three digits of the telephone number, these types of directories can tell you where the phone number originated and if it is a cell phone number.
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