Looking for reverse phone lookup directories can become confusing. You may start out with a simple Google search, hoping it will quickly pop up and you'll have the information you require with minimal effort. Yet what actually comes up is a series of paid directories which vary from less than a buck for one number search to over fifteen dollars for a long term subscription.
Changing your search to include free reverse phone lookup delivers even more pay directories advertising claims to be free. They may allow you to type in the number for free and deliver very nominal information such as the city or state, but if you want to see the useful details such as a name or address you will then be prompted to pay.
Absolutely free reverse phone lookup does not exist. Providers of this data go to great measures and sometimes money to assemble information including unlisted home phone numbers, cellular numbers, and even address histories. They have no use for this information other than to make it available to consumers for a nominal charge.
whether you move forward from here depends on how badly you really desire to reveal the person behind that phone number. In the age of identity theft most people won't just pick the first site they find and reveal their private information. Finding the most reputable sites is just as important as when you buy tennis shoes or handbags over the internet.
Getting the information you desire isn't very hard, once you find a proven lookup directory.
There are many competitive websites all offering different prices and offering different combinations of information. When you simply need to know the name connected to a strange number calling your home or wish to determine exactly who your child is talking with at all hours of the night, you probably don't have the desire to compare different websites.
The quickest solution may be to go with a name that many of us have grown up with and access the web-based version of the white pages. There is a sense of security with a common popular name that has been around for years. You can look up a phone number and get very basic information here for free, including whether the number is a cell phone or home line and a map pinpointing the general location of a home or business. You won't receive much more than that, especially if you are looking up a cell phone or a landline that is unlisted.
Be careful at this point because there are links on these pages that will deliver additional information, like registered names and specific addresses, for a fee. These links lead to other sites, so you no longer necessarily have the security of the white pages website so you should check the security of these databases just as you would with any other. Yellow pages itself is not going to deliver much information besides a general location; you will need to search elsewhere for anything else, especially if you want to research a cell phone or unlisted number.
The most effective way to access reverse phone lookup websites for basic needs is to find a trustworthy service with a reasonable one time charge accepted with a secure payment system. If you just want a one time number search then it is usually not worth the fee to commit to a long term directory. Locate one that offers a one time lookup for a small charge, usually just a dollar or two.
Forking over a large fee for small amounts of information or being asked to pay by delivering personal information by email or other non-secure methods are obvious signs of a scam.