Scammer phone number lookup. How to check if a phone number is a scam (2024)

Receiving calls from unknown numbers is a common annoyance these days. While some may be telemarketers, others are scammers trying to steal your personal information and money or gain control of your devices through deceptive tactics.

Did you know?

  • On average, a person gets around 7 spam calls per month.
  • Americans receive a staggering 2.2 billion unwanted calls every month.
  • Over the last year, Americans wasted an estimated 219 million hours (9.1 million days or 301,000 months) answering spam calls.

Source: truecaller.com

Are reverse phone number lookup services of any good against scammers?

One way to check if a number is potentially a scam is to use a reverse phone number lookup service. These websites and apps allow you to enter a number and see public information associated with it, such as the registered name, location, and carrier. While some services are free, others may require a paid subscription for more detailed reports.

Alternatively, you can search the number on Google, forums, or websites like Reddit to see if others have flagged it as a suspected spam or scam number.

However, it's important to note that scammers often use technology to make their numbers appear as if they're calling from local area codes or legitimate organizations. Reverse lookup tools may not be able to identify these spoofed or unlisted numbers.

How to tell a scammer is calling you

Watch out for these red flags when you receive a call:

Before Answering:

  • International area code that looks local
  • Number doesn't match the caller ID name (e.g., says a big company but has a local number)
  • Claims to be from a government agency like the IRS or FBI (they won't call you out of the blue)
  • Caller ID shows "Scam Likely" or "Spam Risk" (your carrier has flagged it as potential spam)

After Answering:

  • The caller claims to be from a government agency, but the caller ID shows something different.
  • They say there's an issue with your computer and ask you to download software or give them access.

Related: How To Spot and Avoid Tech Support Scams

  • They want you to "verify" personal information like your Social Security Number, PINs, passwords, and bank account numbers.

What to do if you accidentally answer a scammer

If you accidentally answer a spam call, you don't need to panic. In most cases, simply answering a spam number won't put you at risk.

What you are sharing with them may or not put you at risk. The more personal data a scammer obtains, the higher your risk of identity fraud, theft, or having new credit lines opened illegally in your name.

Here are some things to consider:

1. Never give out personal or financial information to callers you can't trust. Hang up if you suspect a scam.

2. Verify their identity before providing any information. Ask for their name and extension, hang up, and call the company/agency back using their official number.

3. Silence unknown callers on your smartphone so they go straight to voicemail (check your settings for this option).

4. Use your carrier's spam blocker app to identify known scam numbers.

5. Don't call back one-ring calls—they're a common scam tactic to get you to call them.

6. Don’t give them device access or agree to anything with unsolicited callers.

Want to uncover online scammers instantly? Use Scamio, our unbeatable AI-powered tool for uncovering scams. Scamio is free and available on any device or operating system via your web browser, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Provide a description of the scam, upload an image if necessary, and send a link or text. Scamio will analyze the information and tell you whether it's a scam.

FAQ

What are "Scam Likely" calls?

Answer: "Scam Likely" is a label that may show up on your caller ID when receiving an incoming call. This indicates that your mobile carrier has identified the number as likely being used by scammers or spammers based on their database of known spam sources.

When an incoming call matches criteria associated with fraudulent activity, it will trigger the "Scam Likely" warning on the caller ID display. Calls marked "Scam Likely" should be answered with extreme caution if at all.

How can I block spam calls on my smartphone?

Answer: Most smartphones have settings to silence or block calls from unknown numbers.

On iPhones, go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.

On Android, it's Settings > Phone > Block Numbers. This will send any unlisted callers straight to voicemail.

Additionally, check if your mobile carrier offers a spam blocker app that can identify and block known scam numbers from ringing your phone.

I gave a scammer some of my personal data, such as my Social Security number or credit card details. What should I expect, and what should I do?

Answer: If you provided sensitive personal or financial information to someone who turned out to be a scammer, you need to act quickly to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud.

Here are some steps to take:

1) Change any compromised login credentials like usernames, passwords, and PINs immediately across all your accounts.

2) Contact your bank and major credit card companies to inform them your information was exposed. They can flag your accounts for additional monitoring and potentially issue new cards.

3) Place a fraud alert on your credit reports with the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). This warns creditors to take extra verification steps before opening new accounts in your name.

4) Monitor your financial statements and credit reports very closely for any suspicious unauthorized activity and report it immediately. Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection can help you, find out how, here.

Scammer phone number lookup. How to check if a phone number is a scam (2024)

FAQs

Scammer phone number lookup. How to check if a phone number is a scam? ›

One way to check if a number is potentially a scam is to use a reverse phone number lookup service. These websites and apps allow you to enter a number and see public information associated with it, such as the registered name, location, and carrier.

Can you tell if someone is using a fake phone number? ›

The obvious sign of a fake number is when the area code does not match the person's location or the one that begins with a prefix like 555. Phone number is short or long: Real phone numbers usually have a fixed number of digits, and you don't see too many fluctuations.

How to check a telephone number? ›

An online reverse phone lookup tool is a quick, easy, and legal way of doing it. With sites like Who Called Me? and Truecaller, you can just type in a phone number and you might get some details back about who owns it.

How does your phone know if a number is scam likely? ›

Each carrier has a different method for identifying scam calls, but most machine-learning algorithms detect suspicious phone numbers based on call frequency, duration, and origin.

How to check spam call? ›

How to identify spam calls on Android devices
  1. Open the dialer screen.
  2. Tap the three vertical dots on the top right corner.
  3. Go to settings and click on “Caller ID & spam” under Assistive.
  4. Turn on the “See caller and spam ID” and “filter spam calls” options.
  5. That's it. You have now both identified and filtered spam calls.
Jun 22, 2024

How to check if a phone number is real or fake? ›

One way to check if a number is potentially a scam is to use a reverse phone number lookup service. These websites and apps allow you to enter a number and see public information associated with it, such as the registered name, location, and carrier.

How to check a number online? ›

With Truecaller's reverse phone lookup tool, you can now simply type the caller's number in the search bar above and find out who called you within seconds! The best part? Truecaller also tells you if the caller is a spammer.

How can I check out a telephone number? ›

Websites such as Truecaller, Spokeo, and Intelius offer reverse phone lookup capabilities, allowing users to enter a phone number and discover the associated name and contact details. This can be particularly useful for identifying unknown numbers or verifying the legitimacy of a contact.

Is there a 100% free phone lookup? ›

NumLookup is the best reverse lookup service available for Cell Phones, VOIP & Landlines. It is 100% free. Discover why NumLookup is used by millions of Americans to find out who called them.

Does *67 still work? ›

Even with today's diverse range of communication devices, *67 still works on cell phones and landlines. No matter which device you use, whether an iPhone or Android, the code allows you to hide your phone numbers during calls. The process of using *67 is uniform across various devices.

How do you know if a scammer is using your phone number? ›

If your phone number has been spoofed, you'll likely get a lot of angry callback messages. Strangers often call back unknown numbers in order to stop the spam calls. While a helpful voicemail won't stop the calls, it can help to explain the situation to victims and reduce the chances that they'll keep calling you.

What are some scammer phone numbers? ›

In fact, the majority of phone and SMS scams in 2022 came from only 12 phone numbers:
  • (865) 630-4266: Scammers use this number to tell victims that their Wells Fargo accounts have been locked. ...
  • (469) 709-7630: This number is associated with a package delivery scam.

Is there a way to tell if a phone number is spoofed? ›

Unfamiliar number: If you recognize the caller ID display name but not the associated phone number, it may be a spoofed call. Pre-recorded messages: In some cases, caller ID spoofing may be used for robocalls. In these calls, you may be asked yes or no questions or to press a specific number for further instructions.

How do I check spam on this phone? ›

To access spam messages on an Android phone, you can follow these steps:Open the Messages app on your Android phone. Tap on the three-line hamburger menu in the top-left corner. Tap on "Spam & Blocked" from the menu options. You should now see a list of all the spam messages that have been filtered out by your phone.

Can you trace a spam number? ›

Dial *57 after a malicious call (Call Trace)

You can use the information from these services to report suspicious unknown callers to authorities. How to uncover the identity of a malicious or threatening caller: End the call. It's never good to keep talking to spammers, as you might expose sensitive information.

How to check an unknown number? ›

Dialing *69 is a simple way to find out an unknown caller's number for free from your iPhone, Android, or landline.

Can you tell if a phone number is spoofed? ›

Unfamiliar number: If you recognize the caller ID display name but not the associated phone number, it may be a spoofed call. Pre-recorded messages: In some cases, caller ID spoofing may be used for robocalls. In these calls, you may be asked yes or no questions or to press a specific number for further instructions.

Can you tell if someone else is using your phone number? ›

Signs that your phone number is being used by someone else include unusual activity on your phone bill, receiving unexpected calls or texts from people claiming you contacted them, unauthorized access to your online accounts, and a sudden increase in spam calls or texts.

Can you tell if a phone number is virtual? ›

The easiest way is to ensure that caller ID features are activated on your phone. Businesses will often show their business name instead of their phone number. If you receive a call and see a name like “Jones Plumbing Company” on caller ID, it's easy to understand where the call is coming from.

What happens if you call a fake number? ›

Your identity could be stolen

If you believe the ruse, you might accidentally share your Social Security number (SSN), credit card number, or Medicare number. For example, over 36 million Medicare robocalls were made to U.S. phone numbers in January 2023 [*].

References

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