It's normal to want to know who called from a particular number. If the number is a land line, it's much easier to trace the call using a reverse number lookup from the telephone company for free. However, if the number is a cell phone, it is more challenging because cell phone numbers are not routinely listed in any directory. Consequently, the options for finding out who owns a cell phone include using a reverse number lookup service, or searching the Internet and social networking sites. Be aware that many reverse cell number lookup services charge a nominal fee.
Instructions
1. Search through personal telephone books and records to see if the person calling from the cell phone is an acquaintance. Most electronic telephone books will allow searching by number, so there's no need to search manually. If this method yields no results, move to the next step.
2. Type the number into a preferred search engine with quotation marks around it ("555-555-5555"), and perform a search. The number might come up on a basic Internet search. Try a second search engine if no results come up on the first one. If you get no results on the second search engine, either continue trying other search engines (see Resources), or move to the next step. The rationale here is to exhaust all free methods before using a paid service to locate the owner of the cell phone.
3. Search for the phone number within one of the top 10 social networking sites (see Resources). Most popular social network will allow users to search for other users by identifying information. In particular, Facebook allows users to enter their phone number. There's a chance that searching a social network will yield results about the identity of the person calling from the cell phone. Try a few different sites before moving to the next step.
4. Locate a reverse cell phone number lookup service (see Resources). Expect to pay $1.50 or more for a one-time lookup fee. Typically the service will allow the user to query the number before making the payment. Simply follow the on-screen prompts to complete the purchase and find the identity of the caller.
Tags: cell phone, number lookup, next step, phone number, search engine, will allow