Searching for reverse phone lookup directories can get complicated. You may begin with a simple internet search, assuming it will automatically appear and you'll find the information you desire with minimal work. Yet what actually appears is a long list of paid directories which vary from under a dollar for one lookup to over fifteen dollars for a service subscription.
Changing your search to include free reverse phone lookup reveals even more pay sites advertising claims that they are completely free. They may allow you to enter the number for free and award you with very useless information such as the city or state, but in order to see the important information such as a name or address you will once again be requested to hand over a fee.
Absolutely free reverse phone lookup is not possible at this point. Providers of this data go to great measures and sometimes money to assemble information including unpublished landline numbers, cellular numbers, and even address histories. They have no use for this information other than to deliver it to consumers for a small fee.
Where you go from this point depends on how badly you really desire to find out the name behind that phone number. In the age of identity theft most people won't just pick the cheapest site and enter their personal information. Finding the most trustworthy sites is just as crucial as when you buy tennis shoes or purses through the web.
Finding the information you desire isn't very hard, once you access a legitimate lookup directory.
There are a growing number of competitive directories all offering different prices and offering different combinations of information. When you simply want to determine the person behind a unidentified 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 directories.
The most effective answer may be to go with a name that many people have grown up with and access the online version of the yellow pages. There is a sense of security when you use a well known household name that has been around for years. You can look up a phone number and get very basic information here free of charge, including whether the number is a cell phone or home line and a map pinpointing the general location if it is a home or business. You won't receive much more than that, especially if you are searching a cell phone or a home phone number that is unlisted.
Be aware at this point because there will be links from these pages that will deliver more detailed information, such as names and desired 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 legitimacy of these services just as with any other. White pages itself is not going to reveal much information beyond a general location; you will have to look elsewhere for anything else, especially if you need to research a cell phone or unlisted number.
The most effective way to locate reverse phone lookup directories for basic needs is to go to a trustworthy service with a reasonable one time charge accepted through a secure payment system. If you just want a one time number search then it is usually not worth the money to sign up for a long term directory. Look for one that provides a one time lookup for a low charge, usually just a buck or two.
Forking over a high fee for small amounts of information or being asked to pay by delivering personal information by email or other non-secure methods are flashing signs of a scam.