Phone scams are an ever-present reality for many people these days. Most people get many phone calls a day that are scams or other kinds of intrusive efforts to gain access to personal information. CNBC highlighted a study that showed that 1 in every 3 Americans had fallen prey to a phone scam.
So how do you spare yourself from falling victim to one of these scams? There are some excellent ways to identify the scam before it can hook you. You will want to use these tips for reverse phone number lookup to make sure that you can identify scammer's phone numbers and be a few steps ahead of their game!
How to Find a Suspicious Phone Number?
1. Use a Reverse Phone Check Website
How to Find a Suspicious Phone Number?
1. Use a Reverse Phone Check Website- Intelius - Best Phone Lookup for Comprehensive Reports
- Instant Checkmate - Best Phone Lookup for Ease of Use
- TruthFinder - Best Phone Lookup for Budget-Friendly Pricing
- CocoFinder - Best Phone Lookup for Comprehensive Background Checks
That being said, these sites offer something that no other option has — access to public records. Many of these websites can provide you with extensive reports to help you find the name and address of a mystery caller.
Here's a shortlist of some of the best reverse phone number lookup sites out there:
Intelius - Best Phone Lookup for Comprehensive Reports
Intelius: Intelius is another solid option if you're in need of a reliable phone lookup service. You can enter phone numbers directly into the site to see if there is any data connected to the number. You can use this information to find out if the phone number belongs to a real person or a scammer.
Instant Checkmate - Best Phone Lookup for Ease of Use
TruthFinder - Best Phone Lookup for Budget-Friendly Pricing
TruthFinder stands out as one of the leading background check services today, thanks to its budget-friendly pricing and extensive range of information sources. If you require a simple verification of someone's identity, their free search options can provide basic details like name, age, current and previous cities of residence, and possible relatives, which can still be valuable in detecting falsehoods.
Read full Truthfinder review
CocoFinder - Best Phone Lookup for Comprehensive Background Checks
CocoFinder - Best Phone Lookup for Comprehensive Background Checks
CocoFinder: CocoFinder is a comprehensive background check company that can provide you with information about a mystery caller. Aside from the reverse phone number lookup, you can also search according to name and address to find out more information.
Visit CocoFinder2. Search on Social Media
If you're trying to perform a scammer phone number lookup, the easiest place to start is Google. Google is the go-to for just about any query you may have, including mystery phone numbers. This option is totally free, so it's a great place to begin.
So, how can you get started with this scammer search method? Luckily, it's pretty simple. First, you’ll want to locate the phone number in question. Head to the recent call section on your phone. From there, you're going to want to enter that number directly into the Google search box.
If your search results come up flat, try putting quotation marks around the number to make sure the search only reveals that number. Google is a great tool, but it doesn't always provide what you're looking for. If you find that Google doesn't work for you, it's time to move onto the next step.
3. Search on Social Media
Certain social media platforms have the potential to provide details on unknown phone numbers. The best platforms for this purpose are Facebook or LinkedIn. Like Google, these platforms are free to use.
Now, this search method probably won't give you any details on scams, but if you're getting mystery calls from a personal number, this option will help you out. In other words, searching on a phone number on a social media site will help you find out if it belongs to an actual person or a bot.
Just like Google, you can enter the phone number right into the search box on the website. If the number matches a user on the site, you'll be given an account to check out.
4. Use an App
If searching on Google or Facebook doesn't work for you, it's time to step your game up. There are few apps out there that can help you on your mission. One of the better-known apps used for reverse phone lookup is TrapCall. TrapCall is super convenient because it's available for both iPhones and Androids.
TrapCall - Best App for Scammer Phone Number Lookup
With this handy little tool, you can unmask mystery callers to help bust scammers. Here's how it works. Once you've downloaded the app to your mobile device, all you need to do is wait for the mystery number to call you. Once you see the mystery person calling you, decline the number so that it can be unmasked through the app.
The app will then send you any information connected to the number including a name and address. If the number calls back, you'll now know exactly who it is. Now, this option isn’t totally free— you'll have to sign up for a paid membership. That said, it can be a helpful tool for identifying mystery calls.
Phone Number Lookup Can be a Powerful Tool
Whether it be on your cell phone or a landline, phone call scams are on the rise. If you've recently received a phone call from a mysterious phone number, you might be wondering how you can identify the caller.
If you've tried to call back to no avail, don't fret. There are plenty of effective tools out there to help you gain information on an unknown caller.
In this article, I will go over the basics of conducting a number search using a search engine, social media, or a reverse phone lookup service. These tools work to track down cell phone numbers and landline numbers and can provide a surprising amount of details about the caller.
If you're worried about a particular phone scam, we'll go over some of the most prevalent phone scams out there, and how you can detect them. Let's get started.
How to Spot a Phone Scam
If you're reading this article, it's safe to say you might be struggling with a phone scam. These days, it's not at all uncommon for a scammer to call an unsuspecting stranger for dubious reasons.If you're asking why there are so many phone scams out there, the answer is simple: money. The people behind these scams are usually looking for a way to get cash or credit card details from the people they call.
For that reason, it's extremely important to have an idea of what a scammer might say. Here is a list of some of the most common phone scams out there and how you can avoid them.
"You're in trouble with the IRS"
This particular phone scam has been making the rounds in recent months, and it's admittedly, pretty intimidating. The scammer typically claims to be an IRS official trying to get into contact with you. The scammer might even hack the caller ID so that it says "IRS."
So, how can you tell if it's a scam? The IRS will never ask for a payment over the phone or threaten to have you immediately arrested for not paying taxes. And of course, the IRS would never ask for bank or credit card information over the phone.
"Your relative is in jail and needs bail money"
This phone scam became very popular in recent years. In most cases, the scammer will call an older adult and tell them their grandchild or someone related, is in jail and needs bail money.
The scammer usually pretends to be some sort of government official to seem more legitimate. In other cases, the con artist might even pretend to be the grandchild! You can tell right away that this is a scam if the person is pushing for an immediate, secretive money wire transfer or credit card details.
"You need to verify your bank account"
Well, this one should set off alarm bells right away. Asking for bank details over the phone, also known as phishing, is one of the oldest tricks in the book. That being said, scammers have gotten pretty creative with this one.
Look out for anyone asking for your credit card or bank account information directly over the phone. That includes people attempting to set up automatic withdrawals, claims of bank fraud, or clams of bank-related issues.
"You won the lottery!"
As far fetched as it is, scammers have actually gotten away with this one. Now, this scam might involve something other than the lottery. It could be a grand prize, sweepstakes, or contest from a "local business."
The bottom line is, if they're asking for personal information to claim the prize, it's a scam. Likewise, if the scam requires a fee to collect your prize, you can safely assume it's a fake prize, and the caller is up to no good.
"Would you like to donate to our charity?"
This scam usually occurs after a disaster or tragedy has struck. The scammer preys on people's generosity by asking for donations to help victims or survivors. Often, the scam will use a charity name that is nearly identical to an actual charity.
So, how can you protect yourself from this scam? Always look up the name of the charity that claims to be calling you. Pay very close attention to the spelling and wording of the name. If the caller is pressuring you to donate immediately, it may be a scam.
Who Might be Calling You From a Mysterious Phone Number?
This question is one of the reasons that it is worth doing a reverse phone lookup or another phone number check so that you can see whether the calls you are getting are from a scammer's phone number or from another source.
Robocalls
By far the most annoying of the spam calls that we all get these days, these are simple to identify with a scammer phone number lookup tool. You will find that these calls are always a recording that is usually garbled and hard to understand and sometimes they are even recorded in another language that you do not speak. Spam call lookup can help you to figure out which number this robo caller is bothering you from so that you can ignore or block all of the calls that this number generates to your phone.
An Ex
Sadly, almost everyone has an ex that should have been polite enough to get the hint. The reason that it matters that you use a scammer phone number lookup tool in this instance is that you need to be sure that your ex is not stalking you. This can be just the first step in a very dangerous pattern and you should take the time to use a spam caller lookup to be sure that you are aware that the mystery number calling you is related to someone who should definitely not be reaching out to you anymore. Keeping up to date information on the activities of someone who is not leaving you alone who you used to know can be important if you need to seek legal help or the support of the police.
Disguised Calls
Some of the more advanced scammers out there have the ability to call you and make it look like your friends or family are calling you. This can be very unfortunate if you accidentally grab the phone and give information to these criminals before you realize your mistake. This is at minimum a very invasive and annoying part of the phone scam reality these days but it can lead to really serious consequences, particularly if an older person is taken in by this kind of call and lets a criminal get access to their personal information. If you are sharing the use of a phone with anyone else in the family, make sure that you track down the scammer's phone number who was able to make it look like someone you trusted was calling you.
Criminals and Overseas Scammers
These are the most worrisome of the scammer events that you might experience and these pushy and frustrating callers can waste your time and they can also prey on people who are not aware of the phone scams that are related to these huge call centers that are just looking to get access to your personal information or your computer.
Make sure that you are always suspicious of even the most convincing calls to action from these numbers and that you resort to scammer phone number lookups tools to be sure that you are not going to talk to someone you should have hung up on right away. Even a free reverse phone lookup or free background check will tell you some information about these callers and you might be able to help report these phone numbers to have the authorities look into them. There are many people with a criminal history who engage in these kinds of scamming tactics and the fewer scammers who are able to reach out to innocent victims, the better.
Here's a shortlist of some of the best reverse phone number lookup sites out there:
- Intelius - Best Phone Lookup for Comprehensive Reports
- Instant Checkmate - Best Phone Lookup for Ease of Use
- TruthFinder - Best Phone Lookup for Budget-Friendly Pricing
- CocoFinder - Best Phone Lookup for Comprehensive Background Checks
Scammer Phone Number Lookup - Final Advice
Conducting a landline or cell phone number search can seem daunting. However, as you can see, there are plenty of simple ways to identify an unknown phone number. Take advantage of Google or Facebook to search for the unknown number. If that doesn't work, you might want to try an app like TrapCall, or a background check website.Remember, if an unknown cell phone number is pushing you for personal information or money on the phone, it's likely a scam. Even if you think it may be a legitimate call, it's always best to play it safe. When in doubt, hang up the phone and report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission. I hope this article was helpful, and good luck with your search.
