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Reverse phone lookup services provide a way to discover data related to a phone number, such as the name and address of the holder. These services can be beneficial for recognizing unknown numbers, studying telemarketing calls, and other tasks. With the abundance of choices available, deciding which suits your requirements can be tough. This blog post will analyze the best reverse phone lookup services based on their relevance, ease of use, and cost. Regardless of whether you’re searching for a simple, single-time look-up or a more comprehensive plan, we’ve got you taken care of.
Phone number lookup sites are more essential now than ever before. With millions of scam and robocalls going out, it makes sense why customers would want to be able to run a reverse phone lookup on those numbers.
Why use a reverse phone lookup?
A reverse phone lookup can help you find out who is calling and which numbers are worth blocking.
The world is full of scammers looking to take advantage of vulnerable people, so arming yourself with the knowledge of who is calling and what they are calling for can provide you with a powerful tool to keep you and your family safe.
But how do you know which is the best reverse phone lookup site? While there are plenty of phone number lookup sites that can provide you with quick, accurate information, there are a number of less reputable companies.
These reverse phone number lookup services are looking to make a quick dollar by providing easy-to-find information and may even sell customer data.
This is why we have taken the time to look at the various reverse phone lookup sites out there ourselves. We’ve uncovered 3 websites that we feel provide the best reverse phone lookup services out there today.
Overall Best Reverse Phone Lookup: Intelius
About Intelius
With access to billion records and over two decades of experience, Intelius is one of the best reverse phone lookup services on the market today.
Using their patented and unique “Intelius Connection,” Intelius can provide customers with everything from names and aliases to arrest records and social media platforms with a simple reverse phone lookup search.
You might think that having this many sources to search would make Intelius one of the slower companies, but in reality, Intelius is able to search billions of records quickly, providing you reports on your reverse phone lookup searches exceptionally fast.
This is largely because this reverse phone lookup site uses a powerful algorithm that has been expertly designed to find information as quickly as possible while cross-referencing multiple data sources to find the most relevant information.
Intelius also provides a very user-friendly experience. It is a reverse phone lookup service that is not only quick and detailed but simple to use as well.
Simply click “Phone” and you will be able to access a number of records with the unidentified phone number you are working with. Intelius is also proudly accredited by the Better Business Bureau, so it’s considered one of the more trusted phone number lookup sites.
Intelius’ reverse phone number lookup does more than just tell you who the phone number belongs to.
Intelius is quick, simple and trustworthy, providing everyone a customer could possibly need from a reverse phone lookup service.
Pros
- BBB accreditation
- 5-day free trial
- Pulls from multiple sources
- Fast algorithm
Cons
- No free reverse phone lookup service
Specs
- Subscription plans: 3
- Services available: People search, reverse phone lookup, reverse address lookup, background check, public records search
- Number of reports: Unlimited searches
Runner up: Truthfinder
About Truthfinder
With an increasing number of phone scams and robocalls, it makes sense that people don’t want to pick up the phone for numbers they don’t recognize.
However, this can be a problem if a long-lost relative or a friend who has changed their number is trying to reach you.
Truthfinder is the one of the best reverse phone lookup sites for customers who are looking to keep themselves safe from phone numbers from less than reputable sources while also making sure they aren’t losing contact with people important to them.
Truthfinder is not only an incredibly detailed reverse phone lookup service, but it also provides a wide range of information for customers.
With just a phone number you can discover not only who is calling but what social media platforms they are connected to. You can also discover any criminal and traffic record information that is available to the public.
Truthfinder is even designed to search the dark web so you can see if a phone number or email has been breached and is being used by scammers on the deep web.
While Truthfinder can provide you with one of the best reverse phone lookup services, it also provides users with a number of tools to check the backgrounds of any email, phone call, or person you meet.
Simply provide what information you have and let Truthfinder check public databases all over the internet. Since Truthfinder is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), you know that you are working with a trusted, reliable reverse phone lookup service.
Pros
- BBB accredited
- Matches phone numbers to known social media accounts
- Dark web searches
- Public records searches for liens and bankruptcies
Cons
- Only shows data available in the United States
Specs
- Subscription plans: 3
- Services available: People search, reverse phone lookup, reverse email lookup, reverse address lookup, background check, public records search, username lookup, dark web scan
- Number of reports: Unlimited searches
#3. Spokeo: Search by Phone, Email, Address, or Name
Spokeo made it onto our list for the best reverse phone lookup services for several reasons, including its highly responsive customer service and implementation of customer feedback. Spokeo even offers a free reverse phone lookup that includes a more detailed background and phone report for purchase.
After entering a phone number or email address into the search bar, a Spokeo reverse search report will offer several reporting details based on its extensive public records database, including:
- name
- location history
- potential family or connections
- email addresses
- photos
- social media accounts
- court records
- work history
Spokeo offers some free reverse phone lookup results, with the option to buy a full report after confirming the correct phone or address search results. Users can purchase single reports or sign up for either a one-month or three-month continuous renewing membership. Spokeo also offers a seven-day free trial.
Users can take advantage of Spokeo's satisfaction guarantee to speak with a representative about the reverse lookup service options and make suggestions for improvements in reporting and search functions. See the pros and cons list below to get a snapshot of why Spokeo belongs on our top five best reverse phone lookup services.
Pros:
- Depth of information available from a large database of over 12 billion public records
- Area code and telemarketer telephone directory
- Up-to-date information with regular updates
Cons:
- Less-detailed reports than some other reverse phone lookup providers
- Fewer scans of public records
How We Picked The Best Reverse Phone Lookup Sites
When deciding what the best reverse phone lookup sites were on the market, we wanted to provide our readers with a range of options, as each company may provide a specific service that fits your needs differently.
So, while we cannot definitely say that one company is absolutely superior to the others, we were able to establish a methodology to decide which companies were worth your time.
These are the three criteria we used to help us establish which companies were worth considering:
Reviewed Reliable Media Sources
While we put a lot of work into our lists and have our own expertise, we wanted to make sure we weren’t praising a company that was otherwise receiving negative reviews.
We cross-referenced our results with our media peers to see if other reviewers had positive experiences with the companies we chose to feature.
Assessed Customer Reviews
We spent time on not only the companies’ websites but also on third-party customer review sites like Google or TrustPilot to see what real customers were saying.
We looked for commonalities amongst reviews to see what trends and patterns existed, making sure that a company was being praised or critiqued for legitimate reasons and not just fluke scenarios that were not repeated.
Extensively Researched Reverse Phone Lookup Sites
We spent a large amount of time on each website not just reviewing all the advertised benefits and information that the companies provided, but also using the services the companies provided.
We used our own phone numbers so that we could easily check the information of reports and only featured companies that fairly consistently provided us with the correct information.
What Do Reverse Phone Lookup Sites Reveal?
All information that a reverse phone lookup search will reveal is information that is available in public records.
Technically, this means that a client could seek out this information on their own without the need for a reverse phone lookup service, but this can take a long time for the average person to access, especially if they do not have a lot of specific information.
Commonly, a reverse phone lookup search will provide:
- First and last name of the person connected to the phone number
- Past owners of the phone number
- Publically known addresses and locations of the owner
- Cell phone carrier if the call comes from a cell phone number
- Employment history
- Criminal and traffic records
- Associated social media platforms
- Connected email addresses
- Other connected phone numbers
- Possible associates and relatives
- Public financial information (like bankruptcy reports and liens)
- Birth and death certificates
- Marital status
Some companies even go as far as to search emails and phone numbers on the dark/deep web to see if a person’s number or email has been breached.
Benefits of Reverse Phone Lookup Sites
There are a number of reasons why someone would use a reverse phone lookup service. Most people commonly use these services to uncover whether a phone number calling them is a scam caller or a call center.
Considering that the FTC has received over 18 million reports of scammers and robocalls, it makes sense that people need to know who is calling them now more than ever.
Not answering a call from a number you don’t recognize may be keeping you from receiving services or keeping in touch with important associates in your life, hindering business opportunities, keeping you from getting in touch with medical professionals, or just losing people in your life that are important.
Phone number lookup sites will help you figure out who the unknown phone number belongs to, so you can decide who is worth picking up for and who isn’t.
Some users have reported that they use reverse phone lookup searches as a form of unofficial background check for romantic partners.
Since we live in a digital age where dates are set up via dating social media platforms like Tinder, it makes sense that users would want to know who they are meeting up with before the date.
After all, you want to make sure the person is safe and that they are not being catfished, which studies have shown affects both men and women.
Many users also commonly utilize reverse phone lookup tools to find long-lost relatives or keep in touch with friends and associates who may have changed their phone numbers.
This comes back to the main point of a reverse phone lookup tool: you are actively seeking to uncover who is calling you and whether you should pick up for them or not.
Are Reverse Phone Lookup Sites Legal?
All the information provided by reverse phone lookup searches is public data, so it is perfectly legal for anyone to use these sites and uncover this information for personal use.
Again, all the information you will obtain from a reverse cell phone lookup is information that you could search yourself, though it will take you a much longer time and require a fair amount of work.
It should be noted that while looking up the information is legal, it’s important to pay attention to how the information is used.
Based on the Fair Credit Reporting Act, reverse phone lookup companies cannot be used to deny credit, employment, or housing to a person.
Therefore, while there are a number of reasons you would use a reverse cell phone lookup company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act prevents you from using them for employee or tenant background checks, nor can they be used for credit reporting.
DISCLAIMER: You may not use Intelius or the information it provides to make decisions about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. Intelius does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency. (These terms have special meanings under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq., (“FCRA”), which are incorporated herein by reference.)”
DISCLAIMER: You may not use TruthFinder or the information it provides to make decisions about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. TruthFinder does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency. (These terms have special meanings under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq., (“FCRA”), which are incorporated herein by reference.)”
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in quality reverse phone lookup sites?
The most important thing to consider is the accuracy of the information. If you are planning to use reverse phone lookups for multiple searches, it may help to use your own phone number to see if the information is up-to-date and accurate.
You also want to make sure that the information provided isn’t something that you could easily discover with a basic Google search.
An area code will provide you with the general location of a person, so you’ll want to make sure that the reverse phone number lookup sites are providing you with more specific information, like known addresses.
A company being accredited with the Better Business Bureau can be a sign that the company is reliable and trustworthy, but don’t just trust the grade that the BBB has given.
The BBB commonly assesses that the company is actually legitimate and isn’t a scam, but that doesn’t mean the services they offer are good.
The BBB will often have user reviews, but a Google search of a company’s reviews can be helpful as well.
A reputable phone number lookup site will also value your anonymity. If the company wants more information from you beyond your basic payment info, you should be suspicious of the company.
Make sure that they promise to not notify the number of your search and never provide your social security number.
Should I use a free reverse phone lookup site?
While using free reverse phone lookup services can be tempting, it isn’t generally recommended.
For starters, free reverse phone lookup services will often only provide you with very basic and general information that you could probably have looked up on your own.
Some free reverse phone lookup services may also be phishing scams that are just trying to get you to input your own information so that they can sell your data, causing you to receive more scam and robocalls.
The paid reverse phone services are generally more trustworthy and will provide you with more accurate, more specific information.
Can I keep my information from being on a reverse phone lookup site?
It is actually possible to remove your information from reverse phone lookup sites. There are specific services that can help you do this, but many phone lookup search companies have opt-out forms that you can fill out to keep information from coming up about yourself when someone searches your cell phone. Google even allows you to remove your personal information from its searches as well.
Reverse Phone Lookup Services
Reverse phone lookups provide customers with a wide array of information that can be used in multiple circumstances.
Whether you are verifying that the person you are going on a date with is who they say they are or whether you are just trying to decide what numbers to block and what numbers are important to you, phone lookup sites can provide users with the power to make sure the correct people are in their lives and the untrustworthy people are kept out.
Remember, reverse phone lookups that are reputable will only take your basic payment information and will guarantee that you are searching anonymously.
They should provide you with a wide range of specific information that you would not be able to easily look up yourself.