Advantages and Disadvantages of Reverse Phone Lookup

It would be understandably difficult to perform a reverse phone lookup for an unlisted phone number.

After all, how on earth do you go about looking for a phone number that is off the records? While this would have been impossible a few years ago, the internet has changed all that and has made the seemingly impossible; possible.

Why have an unlisted phone number?

Several people prefer to have unlisted phone numbers primarily to thwart unwanted calls. It could be a celebrity who's fed up of receiving endless phone calls throughout the day from admiring fans. It could be a professional who prefers not to be disturbed by people seeking free advice or it could be just about anyone who does not like their privacy invaded by pranksters or constant calls from telemarketers.

Unlisted phone numbers do just that; they allow you to protect your privacy and the privacy of your family.

Why try to perform a reverse phone lookup for an unlisted number?

For one thing, if you have with you a land line phone number, it is almost impossible to ascertain at first glance whether or not the phone number is unlisted. You can only presume that the number is probably unlisted if you have not managed to trace the number despite conducting an exhaustive search using the various free search tools available.

If the person has an unlisted number it is obvious that he would prefer not be traced. The million-dollar question then is, "Should you go all out and perform a reverse phone lookup for an unlisted number"

Wouldn't that be tantamount to invasion of privacy?

Under normal circumstances, yes it would. However there are times when you absolutely have to know who the person behind that particular phone number is.

After all, do you have that unlisted number in your hand and it is staring you in the face. How did you get that phone number?

Do you see the number all too often on your spouse's outgoing or incoming phone records? Have you been receiving constant threatening or scandalous phone calls from that particular phone number? Or do you perhaps want to conduct a background check on a couple of prospective employees?

Does the number belong to a long-forgotten friend who you've lost touched with over the years and wish to re-establish contact? All of these situations may cause you to initiate a reverse phone lookup for an unlisted number, privacy issues notwithstanding.

When doing a reverse phone lookup, the best place to start your search is by using one of the major search engines on the internet. Just enter the phone number instead of the search term and within seconds all web pages that contain that number will show up on the results. Along with the number you will also get details on the person's name, address, profession and several other details. Using several different search engines including Google, MSN or Yahoo! will increase your chances of finding out who the owner of the phone number is.

Other good resources for performing reverse phone lookups for unlisted numbers are number search directories such as Whitepages, Switchboard or Superpages.

If you still have not found what you are looking for, you should conduct an address to phone number search utilizing one of the reverse directories available on the internet. These reverse directories are often used by several governmental agencies as well as well as the police to help them trace a person or an address based on just a phone number.

Some of these reverse directories are free but there are others that require that you first register and pay a small fee to use their facilities. You could try the free sites first and if your searches do not bear any fruit, you should consider paying the small fee for which you will get unlimited access to a huge data base of unlisted phone numbers. Along with the name and address of the owner of the unlisted phone number, you will also get access to other information relating to that particular person including their criminal records.

Most sites that offer reverse phone lookup for unlisted numbers offer a money back policy or what is commonly called a "No Hit, No Fees" policy. This policy guarantees a refund of your money if you do not succeed in finding the information you are looking for.

It is always a good idea to confirm with the site about their refund policy before you register. Fees differ from one site to the next and could range from about $20 to $100.