Introduction
Annually, an increase is seen in the number of people who are scammed through telephone calls from unknown callers. It was reported that the number of Americans that were scammed through spam calls increased from 59.4 million in 2021 to 68.4 million in 2022. This already high number is projected to continue increasing.
The first rule for protecting yourself from the danger of a scam call is to identify every caller. An unknown caller often wants you to divulge confidential information or try to threaten you and make you give details that can lead to large financial or asset loss.
This is why you need a reliable reverse phone lookup site to check the details of every unknown phone number. The reverse lookup sites provide comprehensive information about every caller including full government name, previous and current address, social media accounts, and family members.
This post provides more information about what you need to know when using reverse phone lookup sites.
Are Reverse Phone Lookup Sites Legit?
Due to how sophisticated and comprehensive the reports of reverse lookup sites are, it is common for people to doubt if it is legit. Well, the good news is that most reverse lookup websites are legit, and you can rest assured that you are not breaking the rules by using them.
These websites operate on the basis of the Public Records Act in the United States. The Public Records Act allows you to gain needed information for public records whenever you demand for it. For instance, you can get information about phone numbers from government agencies by manually going to the agency and submitting an application, although this can take weeks.
Reverse phone lookup sites simply allow you to gain access to this information in a timely and more convenient fashion. Most of these sites get their information by combing through large federal, state, local, and other available databases. They have an edge due to the speed of their algorithm-based search and it is often more desirable than going to government agencies yourself.
Although, in some situations, there might be a temporary or permanent blockage on accessing public records if such a record is sealed by a court of law or deemed insensitive or harmful to the public. Also, some service providers allow you to remove your details from the public space.
Are Reverse Phone Lookup Sites Better Than Google Search?
Google search can also carry out reverse phone lookup by simply entering the number into the search box just like every other search item. However, this is so limiting because Google is not specialized in carrying out reverse phone lookup and the results are not totally reliable.
On the contrary, reverse phone lookup sites are specifically made for looking up contact details and are therefore more reliable than using Google search for reverse lookup services. Also, the reverse phone lookup sites have access to larger databases that are linked to government records which means you can pull out more accurate results in a short time.
Although, some of the free reverse lookup sites also provide limiting results and require you to subscribe or pay a fee to gain access to a full and comprehensive report of your search. A fully paid reverse lookup site is way better and more sophisticated than using Google search. The paid subscription gives you more information and the accuracy of this information also increases.
Despite the difference between a paid service and a free reverse lookup site, it is often always recommended to use a reverse lookup site rather than Google search in getting reliable information about an unknown number.
Do You Give Your Own Data to Reverse Phone Lookup Sites?
This is one of the tricky parts of using a reverse phone lookup site is the concern over the confidentiality of personal data. This is because most sites require you to enter your personal details before you can carry out a reverse number lookup. These details often include name, phone number, email address and for a paid subscription, a credit card.
It is enough to worry about if your data is safe and not shared publicly. First, most of these sites just like any other site collect details about their users to understand their user’s preferences and how to market their products better. The rule about sharing data is unique to the data privacy policy of the organization and the law of the region. To be on the safe side, you should read the privacy policy of the site before signing up and entering your details.
In addition to protecting your private information from reverse lookup sites, there are websites that allow you to carry out an anonymous lookup without entering your personal details. This way you can be sure you are not giving out more information about yourself than you need to and also protect your confidentiality.
What Sources Do Reverse Phone Lookup Sites Use to Identify Callers?
Reverse phone lookup sites are always extensive in their search for caller databases which makes them a reliable platform to carry out a number lookup. The reach of each lookup site is different and more sophisticated than the other. One of the selling points of lookup sites is the richness of their lookup database.
The common sources of most reverse lookup sites include:
- Federal, state, and local government database
- Criminal records
- Arrest records
- White and yellow pages
- Phone directories
- Census records
- Search engine indexes
- Social media databases
These common sources provide much-needed information about most individuals. Although, there are lookup sites that go the extra mile in getting reports for their users. These websites go to the extent of scouring the dark web safely to provide needed information about phone numbers.
Also, some websites have proprietary software that runs on high-end algorithms that helps them extract more information when compared with their counterparts. An indicator of a good lookup website is one that constantly updates its database and gets rid of obsolete data and includes new ones periodically.
Conclusion
It has been established that reverse lookup websites are helpful in trying to get information about unknown numbers. They also provide some form of security to prevent you from falling victim to spam callers. However, despite the goodness of these sites, there is also concern that you could be giving out your confidential information.
Although most reverse lookup sites are legit and reliable in providing accurate information about unknown phone numbers, there is still a need to be cautious about giving out details about yourself than is required.
An effective step of prevention is by searching the website anonymously or by reading the privacy policy of the website and understanding what happens with your data.
