Ever got a call from an unknown number and all you could hear was noise or some random person blabbing? Or perhaps they offered you some unexpected gifts and said you won a lottery? Such calls are usually considered scam calls. Unfortunately, you can’t prevent them since you don’t know who the number belongs to. So, what are your choices?
This article will simplify all you need to know in order to unmask the unidentified caller.
Global Facts:
- In 2019, about 40% of the entire calls in the USA were scams.
- The number of individuals who felt like a victim of a phone call scam in 2020 was 260% more than the previous year.
- According to Haya in 2021, about 1 billion nuisance calls (e.g. silent calls, spam, or scams) were made to persons in the United Kingdom
- Almost 45,000,000 occupants in the UK were targeted by scam texts or phone calls during the summer, according to BBC.
- Americans mislaid nearly $19.7 billion from phone call scams in 2020 — more than two times the amount lost in 2019.
- 1 out of 3 Americans reports having ever fallen victim to cell phone scams.
- Brazil primes the world in spam callers per individual. In 2020, Brazilian occupants received almost 50 spam calls per person, in a month.
Evidently, call pranks, scams, and bullying has only picked pace over the years, despite the measures taken by the relevant authorities. While some callers’ numbers display on your screen, others have a way of even concealing it.
What Methods Do Callers Use to Hide Their Phone Number?
First and foremost, how do these folks conceal their phone numbers when they contact you?
Because of the No Caller ID function, anyone may conceal their phone number. When you dial such calls, you will be recognized as an unknown caller. It only takes a number of digits to get started.
Dial *67 before the phone number you want to call. Your caller ID will be immediately blocked as a result of this action.
The No Caller ID option is typically used to avoid monitoring. However, some people abuse it for harassment and other illicit purposes. That is why you must know how to unmask the caller’s phone number.
How to recognize the Unknown Caller
Discovering who the unknown caller is allows you to ban them and stop receiving their annoying calls. First, look the number up on PhoneHistory to find out who it belongs to.
Let’s have a look at the many approaches you might use to do this.
Contact Your Telephone Company
Because phone companies retain records of your prior calls, they frequently provide an Anonymous Caller ID service to their clients.
So, how exactly does this work?
This tool automatically verifies the validity of every phone call you receive.
Assume you get a ring from an unidentified or restricted number when this service is running. The caller must unmask their phone number in order to proceed. Call your phone carrier and inform them that you are receiving unsolicited calls from an unknown number, and then ask for this service.
Unfortunately, not all telecommunication businesses provide this service; nevertheless, the only way to be certain is to contact your provider and inquire about Anonymous Caller ID. If your service provider enables the functionality, the operator will request the date and time of when you answered these calls. They may also need to know your name and address.
TrapCall
TrapCall is known to be the most dependable service for unmasking and blocking unknown numbers.
Users of the TrapCall app get the following:
- Any phone number may be unmasked.
- With No Caller ID enabled, you may hide a caller’s name, address, and photo.
- Place these phone numbers in a blocklist so when they ring you back, they hear a message saying the number has been disengaged or is no longer in service.
- Use spam call blocking software.
- Make use of incoming call recording.
Truecaller
Truecaller is similar to TrapCall, except it is an unpaid software that you can download and install on your Android or iPhone smartphone. Truecaller works by routing calls via the app and then showing the caller’s phone number as each call comes in.
Nuwber
In case the number is not hidden and you see it, use Nuwber. Simply, visit Nuwber and enter the number that has been harassing you for a while in the search bar. Once you hit enter, you’ll be able to retrieve information about that person. The results may include the owner’s full name, address, social media accounts, and a lot more. After you extract the information, report the person to the relevant authorities. If it’s someone you know – you can confront them with some evidence.
BeenVerified
BeenVerified is another reputable phone lookup service that may help you figure out who is behind those unknown phone calls. It scans billions of data points to assist you in determining the identity of the caller. You may be able to obtain important information such as the caller’s name, age, email address, location, and social media accounts, among other things.
Sign up for BeenVerified and follow the steps below to find out who is contacting you.
- Navigate to the BeenVerified webpage and click on the Reverse Phone Lookup feature.
- Enter the number, then hit “SEARCH”.
- BeenVerified will search the database for information about the caller and return it to you.
Blocking Unknown Calls
Fortunately, cell phone industrialists have made it effortless to block any unknown numbers.
For iPhone:
1. Visit “Settings.”
2. Scroll and click on “Phone.”
3. Turn “Silence Unknown Callers” off
For Android:
1. Expand the “Dialer” on your smartphone.
2. On the right side of the application, touch on the vertical 3 dots menu.
3. Click on “Settings.”
4. Click “Block Numbers.”
5. Turn “Block Unknown Callers” on.
Are unknown calls always dangerous?
While the majority of phone calls you receive are harmless and serve no purpose other than to annoy you, you should, nevertheless, be cautious of any unfamiliar calls. Sometimes, the call may be a signal that someone is stalking you. If the caller behaves weirdly and seems to have a lot of information about you, it’s a red sign.
Conclusion
Prank and fraudulent phone calls have increasingly become common over the years. Scammers can use automated spam calling tools to target a large number of individuals in a short period of time. They utilize Voice-over-IP (VoIP) to impersonate different phone numbers, so even if you block them, you may continue to get spam calls. We’ve listed all the possible things you could do to avoid such scenarios, just follow the tips and tricks mentioned above.