What’s A Fake Phone Number?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A fake phone number can be either of the two definitions below;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- A number that connects to someone<\/a> you didn’t expect to pick up once you call them<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A number that isn’t going through, meaning it doesn’t exist. This is the most commonscenario of fake phone numbers
With that in mind, let’s see how you can tell if a phone number<\/a> is fake<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nHow To Tell If A Phone Number Is Fake<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nTelling if a phone number<\/a> is fake is crucial, especially for businesses. It can indicate the health of the database you’ve gathered, guiding you on future marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for individuals, you’ll get to tell the kind of people you’re dealing with and if they’re trustworthy. When you get a missed call from a new number, you’ll probably jump to your instinct of calling the number to validate its authenticity, but that doesn’t get you the name of the person behind the call. Neither does it validate if it’s a fake or real number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your next option might be to Google the number, but will this satisfy your curiosity about knowing whether the number is real or fake? I don’t think so. Besides, google isn’t designed for these kinds of searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, your best bet for telling a fake number lies with the methods we’ll discuss below. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to know the name of the person behind those pesky calls you’ve been getting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. CNAM vs. Caller ID<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
CNAM stands for Caller ID Name. It’s easily confused with Caller ID, but there’s a significant difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caller ID is a common feature in all phones, showing the number calling you. So, you can’t rely on it to tell a fake number. This name stuck out of the convenience of people using it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To tell a fake number, you should know the name and number of the person calling you; this is what Caller ID Name (CNAM) does best. However, this method of caller identification varies across all service providers. It’s reliant on the receiving carrier’s ability to go through a CNAM database and display the name registered to the calling number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use a phone validator if your service provider cannot look up the phone number<\/a> on a CNAM database.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Using phone validators<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Phone validators help you do what they mean\u2014 to validate a phone number<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They make this a possibility by combing through public and proprietary databases. This is by using effective Open Source Intelligent<\/a> (OSINT) gathering tools to get data cross-referenced with the number you’re searching for. Examples of these tools include;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Google<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Maltego<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Email Hippo <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
However, as much as it’s effective, you should avoid using free phone validators. Some purchase information from other platforms, resulting in a biased, outdated database, making your search ineffective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Otherwise, phone validators with charges will only cost you some cents, and their effectiveness is unmatched. This result from having an updated database with every search you make. In the long run, they’ll free up your time and expenses by reducing your call time and cost as a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beauty of using phone validators is that you can search your contact list in bulk. This is by uploading an excel file, .txt file, or .csv onto the platform and waiting for the results once you click the search button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a paid phone validator, you might get access to additional information, which includes;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Location, time zone, map, and area code info<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Phone type- can be a landline, VoIP, or cell phone<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
3. Use <\/strong>Social Catfish<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Search engines that use OSINT tools to find information, such as Social Catfish<\/a>, are your best bet for finding out if a number is fake. Social Catfish will search for the number in online<\/a> databases and provide more details about the number. Some of the information you’ll get include;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Name of owner<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Address<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Email Address<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Links to their socials<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- A number that isn’t going through, meaning it doesn’t exist. This is the most commonscenario of fake phone numbers