Who Called Me From This Phone? How To Find Out Who Called You | Burner

Who Called Me From This Phone? How To Find Out Who Called You

Written By:
Burner Team
Reviewed By:
Joshua Sosin

In today's digital age, with over 15 billion cell phones around the world, it's not uncommon to find yourself questioning, "Who called me from this unknown phone number?" After all, with such a staggering number of mobile devices in circulation, mistaken dials and misentered contacts are bound to happen.

However, not all incoming calls from unknown numbers are innocent mistakes or prank calls. A growing percentage of these calls are spam, with telemarketers and scammers aiming to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. If you've noticed an increase in unknown callers reaching your cell phone number, it might be time to delve into the mystery.

A spam-blocking mobile app like Burner can be an effective frontline defense, as it filters and blocks calls from unknown numbers. But for persistent spam calls, a more investigative approach may be required. Read below to learn why you might get so many calls from unknown numbers — and how to find out who those numbers belong to.

Why Random Numbers Might Be Calling You

The truth is that many calls from unknown numbers aren't simple mix-ups. With an estimated 50.3 billion spam calls made in 2022, an alarming 30% increase from previous years, it's clear that this issue isn't disappearing anytime soon.

What’s particularly concerning about these robocalls is that authorities are well aware of the issue but are limited in their means of restricting them. The introduction of the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act in late 2019 aimed to mitigate the ever-growing menace of spammers.

These calls aren't just a nuisance, though. In the past year alone, Americans have lost an estimated $30 billion to phone scams. Scammers, typically using algorithms to find ideal targets, dispatch automated bots to dial millions of numbers randomly. Answering such a call triggers the scam attempt, often culminating in requests for your financial information.

It’s worth mentioning that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a popular pretense used by scammers. Even if you're savvy enough to hang up as fast as possible after answering a COVID-related scam call, answering the call at all signals to these scammers that your number is active, which boosts the likelihood of getting called back.

How To Identify an Unknown Caller: A Few Options

To stay safe from these scams and protect your personal information, Sosin notes that you should always assume that calls coming from an unknown number are scams.

That being said, if you are curious as to who is on the other end of the line and calling you, there are quite a few options for finding out.

Google It

Naturally, if you're pondering, "Who called me from this specific phone number?" your first instinct may likely be to "Google it." Truth be told, a web-based lookup tool is an excellent starting point.

Google can provide a wealth of information about a caller at the touch of a button. Simply input the troublesome telephone number into the search bar, and Google's algorithm will do the rest. What sets Google apart from other search tools is its scope. Its crawlers index billions of web pages, which include sites dedicated to tracking and listing reported scam numbers. This means there's a good chance that the mysterious number plaguing your mobile phone could show up in the search results.

Bear in mind that the information Google reveals may be limited or fragmented, which brings us to the next step in your investigation.

Use a Reverse Phone Number Lookup Service

Although a Google search is an excellent starting point, it isn't primarily designed for conducting a detailed phone number search. To delve deeper and unearth more precise information, consider using a free reverse phone lookup service. These tools, specifically designed to provide information linked to a phone number, can reveal the caller's identity, including their full name, address, and relevant background information.

Phone number search services like the ones listed below make it their mission to scan billions of public records and data points to deliver accurate information about the number in question:

These can be invaluable resources for conducting a more in-depth phone number search, providing a comprehensive background check that leaves no stone unturned.

When using a reverse phone lookup site, all you need is the ten-digit telephone number. The service's algorithm then dives into an extensive database of public records, phone books, court records, and other online directories to retrieve a detailed report. While this search might take a bit longer than a simple search engine query, the wealth of information it can potentially uncover is unparalleled.

Track Down the Spoof Caller

Interestingly, reverse phone lookup services can also help identify spoofed phone calls — yet another unsavory tactic employed by scammers. In this scenario, the Caller ID displays a different number than the actual source, often resulting in minimal information linked to the displayed number.

If your search returns sparse information, chances are you've encountered a spoofed call. While some reverse phone lookup services provide free searches with limited results, for more thorough exploration, a subscription might be necessary — which means it might be time to break out your credit card.

Rest assured, despite the in-depth nature of these searches, they remain completely legal, relying only on public databases and public record searches (like criminal records and employment history). They offer a more detailed and targeted approach to identifying unwanted calls, helping you secure your phone lines from hackers, scammers, and pranksters.

Dial *67 After Receiving a Call

In our current digital age, almost every up-to-date phone, whether it's a mobile phone or a landline, is equipped with a Caller ID feature. It provides an instant peek into the identity of the caller, displaying their phone number as soon as the call comes through. However, crafty scammers or private callers have figured out how to mask their numbers, resulting in your Caller ID showing the call as unknown, blocked, or private.

Don't fret: There's a way around this. If you're keen to uncover the identity of the unknown caller, the Last Call Return code "*69" might just be the tool you need. This handy phone feature works by retrieving the most recent caller’s number. Note that it only works for the last call you received and must be employed within 30 minutes of receiving that call.

Check Your Voicemail

Regardless of whether your Caller ID displays a number, it's often safer to let the call go to voicemail if you don't recognize the number. After all, why risk engaging with an unknown caller when you can safely discern their intentions through their message?

Verify the Call With a Trusted Number

Sometimes, an unknown number might leave a voicemail that sounds like it comes from a legitimate place. If someone calls you claiming to be your bank, doctor’s office, insurance company, or anything else you are a part of, you can always confirm that the call is real by looking up the company’s main number and dialing.

For example, if an unknown call leaves a voicemail claiming to be from your bank, look up the actual number of the bank you use and call that number to confirm the original call was legitimate.

Check the Area Code

Another strategy to use when trying to get to the bottom of the “Who called me from this phone number?” mystery is to look at the area code. The area code of a phone number refers to the first three digits. It identifies where the phone that’s calling you was purchased. And for businesses, it will tell you the city that phone is calling from.

Why Is It Important To Know Who Is Calling You?

It can be easy to ignore unknown calls and delete them from your phone without investigating any further into the caller’s name. Ignoring calls is certainly a strategy you can use to discourage scammers, as they’re less likely to call back if your number hasn’t been confirmed to be in service. But while it requires a bit more work, it really can be helpful to figure out who called.

Confirm Spam Calls and Protect Yourself From Future Scams

Looking up unknown calls and confirming that they’re scams allows you to take proper action rather than simply ignoring them and hoping for the best.

What Can Hackers Do With Your Phone Number?

Unfortunately, something as small as a phone number is enough to give hackers what they need to dig deeper into your life and discover more information. This is again why it’s extra important to ignore all unknown numbers that are labeled as “Scam Likely” and confirm by figuring out who called you.

Identify Stalkers

Contact and call blocking is great for when someone is constantly sending you unwanted texts or calling too frequently, but unfortunately it does not eliminate your number from their phone.

How Can a Second Phone Number Help?

Your phone number is often needed to sign up for online accounts, make online purchases, and more. The more you have to give your phone number out, the greater number of places it appears online, and the better the chances are that your number will fall into the wrong hands.

The Takeaway

Frequently receiving calls from unknown or random phone numbers is one of the annoying downsides of owning a smartphone. In general, avoid answering these calls, as they are usually spam.