subject: number-lookup-reverse-an-easy-guide [print this page] Reverse Phone Lookup Online An Easy Guide - There could be any number of reasons why you want to find the name and address of the owner of a phone number. This could be some number you found in your drawer but do not remember who gave it to you. This could be the number you found in your spouse's mobile phone address book. Or it could be someone who annoys you with prank calls.
The first thing you should know is that it is most definitely possible to reverse lookup a phone number. Now for some bad news: reverse phone lookup is easy only if the number in question is landline. If the number you want to reverse lookup is indeed landline, than you will be able to find it in publicly available online phone books. On the other hand, finding the owner of a cell phone number is not so easy. Because of privacy ssues, there are no public databases, which contain cell phone numbers.
Think about it: what if those annoying telemarketers were able to find out your cell phone number and call you all day long trying to sell their useless junk? This wouldn't make you happy, would it? This is exactly the reason why cell phone numbers are private and are not included into any public databases.
However, it is possible to reverse lookup a cell phone number. Even though there are no public databases of such numbers, these numbers are contained in the private databases of mobile phone companies. Indeed, the mobile phone company that you use knows your name and address, because you specified this information when you signed the contract!
It turns out that there are companies, which purchase access to such databases from various phone companies, and aggregate the records into a single database containing information about almost all phone numbers in the USA. For privacy reasons, they do not provide anonymous access to this database. A nominal fee is usually required as well. By making you provide your payment details, they ensure that you do not use reverse phone lookup results for illegal purposes (stalking, for example).
