We have all been in that scenario: we’re sitting around, doing our thing when the phone suddenly calls. Our first thought is that a family member, a romantic partner or a friend in calling us but when we pick up the phone, we see an unfamiliar number.

While many people have the urge to find out who is calling them, in most cases, it is best not to answer mystery phone calls. If the same number keeps calling you, you should find out who it is behind the digits and make sure you are not in danger of getting scammed.

Why Should You Check Who is Calling You?

While the internet is now the most popular means of committing fraud, phone scams are not far behind. Every year, Americans lose millions of dollars to phone scammers who gather personal information, like account numbers and social security numbers and use them to commit identity theft and to steal people’s money.

People also call up to harass individuals, which is why it is important to know who is calling you and block certain phone numbers if necessary. To do so, you need to first find out who is calling you, and this is how to do it:

Download a Caller ID App

To find out who is calling you, you need to download a caller ID app, like Truecaller, that reveals who is behind mystery phone numbers. These types of apps provide the name of the people/companies who are calling as soon as they do. Caller ID apps also provide important information about phone numbers, like whether they are spam numbers, so you can block unwanted callers and prevent them from calling you. If you want to stop spam calls immediately, then you may consider getting help from a professional who handles lawsuits for consumers who have received unwanted calls from debt collectors, banks, and other companies on their cell phones.

The basic version of caller ID apps is free, and the advanced versions cost a few dollars a month. With caller ID apps, you will be able to see who is calling you on your phone’s screen and either report or block certain numbers that are possibly fraudulent.

Use Google

Google, as always, has the answers to everything, including information about phone numbers. So, you can go to Google if you are getting calls from unfamiliar phone numbers. If a company is calling you, you will receive information about it, like addresses, additional phone numbers, etc. If a person is calling you, you will get reports about the phone number, but there is one problem with this type of search; Google provides thousands if not hundreds of results on every search, so you need a more precise phone number search engine.

Use a Reverse Phone Number Search Directory

To get more accurate results about phone numbers that are calling you, you should try reverse phone number search sites, like GoLookUp. These types of sites gather information from official public records, so you will get accurate results about whoever is calling you. Whenever you enter a phone number into this online directory, you will receive a complete report about the person/company who is calling you. Inside the report you will find out the following:

• Name of caller
• Additional phone number
• Caller’s address
• Phone service provider
• Criminal records

With the help of a reverse phone number search, you will be able to block scammers and find out exactly who is calling you from mystery phone numbers.

Getting surprise phone calls was fun in the past, but times have certainly changed; nowadays, mystery phone numbers could belong to scammers who are trying to get your personal information or get their hands in your accounts. So, it is up to you to play detective and find out who is calling you by using one of the methods mentioned here.