We've all gotten the phone call from the unknown number that we missed (or didn't answer), and that didn't leave a message. You don't want to call them back unless you know who it is. That's when knowing how to trace an unknown phone number comes in handy. Using a variety of online services, you can usually find your mystery caller quickly and efficiently (and sometimes for free).

Looking Up Unknown Phone Numbers

While it might seem like a useless gesture, Googling an unknown phone number can result in a surprisingly swift solution to your dilemma. Quite a few charities, telemarketers, job boards and hiring agencies, as well as other organizations well-known for calling and not leaving messages, are openly listed online under their phone number. Be sure to try all notations of that number's format if you are unsuccessful at first. For example, if 555-555-5555 doesn't work, try (555) 555-5555, or 5555555555. If you've tried all the notations of the number in the Google search engine and nothing comes up, you might be dealing with an unlisted or personal number. In this case, you can either enlist the help of your mystery-caller's local phone book or use a number-tracking service like PhoneNumber.com. Free reverse phone look-ups will give you the name and address for land lines, but cell phone look-ups require a fee. Every phone book that is printed is also in online format these days, making it a simple matter to search any area code you like for listed numbers. Googling the area code will give you the city and state. If the phone book or free reverse look-up cannot give you more information, a number-tracking service might be required. For a small fee, you can purchase all legally obtainable information about the number's owner, including their name and address. The professional tracking services offer a free number look-up that will tell you if your phantom number is a cell phone or land line, and where the call came from (city and state). If these clues aren't enough for you to decipher who it might be who called, then you can purchase the full report from the service and find out.

More Information:

PhoneNumber.com

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