|
Cell Phone Number Lookups >> Phone Number Privacy
Can Your Phone Number Be Found Online? YES
You’ve taken the trouble to register with the national Do Not Call registry, pay a premium for an unlisted telephone number and are careful not to give out your number to just anyone – but somehow telemarketers and scammers still seem to get call you. Even though you’ve taken steps to ensure your phone number privacy, they’re still calling you. How are they getting your number?
Most people would be surprised to know just how easy it is to find a telephone number for another person online. The internet and fast database search programs have made it very easy for people to find your telephone number with a simple online search. How is it possible for your telephone number to be available online? Where do internet telephone directories get the phone numbers that are returned when you search for someone’s contact information?
Telephone Directories
The bulk of listings that can be found through online phone listings sites are those that are publicly available through regular telephone directories. Nearly all free reverse phone lookup services are run through public telephone directories. That’s why they generally carry a disclaimer that cell phone numbers, unlisted telephone numbers and VOIP numbers are not available through their listings. Most free telephone number lookup services also use information and databases provided by the various telephone companies that handle land line telephone number assignments.
Public Records
Premium telephone lookup services, including those that offer reverse telephone number lookups and cell phone numbers in their databases go beyond the standard telephone directories to find and compile their listings. A search for a telephone number through these directories might include a thorough search of public records archives.
These records are publicly available to most people, though few have the resources to do an exhaustive search of all available records. Online firms that provide the tools to do this type of record search often pay a premium to access or obtain these records, and pass their costs on to customers.
Purchased Listing Databases
In addition to these free resources that are used to compile comprehensive databases of telephone listings, many companies pay to acquire the personal contact details of various membership and professional groups. If you belong to a professional organization, chances are that your name and contact information could be sold to advertising and marketing companies or a directory listing site.
If you’re uncertain whether or not your contact information may be made available to others through some professional database or through a web site where you signed up for membership, read through the site’s Privacy Notifications carefully. If the privacy policy contains language like “we will occasionally make our database available to…” then your information may be sold to others for their own uses. Be aware that the policy should also give you the option of opting out – refusing your permission for the web site or organization to share your personal information with anyone else.
Social Networking Sites
In many cases, your telephone number may be available to anyone online because you posted it on a social networking or business networking site. Networking sites have grown in popularity over the past several years until some of them are among the most popular internet destinations worldwide. Personal networking sites like Myspace and Facebook allow users the option of listing their telephone and other contact numbers if they wish. If you list your telephone number with a social networking site, it may be available to others. In most cases, you can opt to make your profile “unsearchable”, which means that a search from Google or another search engine will not be able to read your information, but it may still be available to those searching through the site.
Business networking sites like LinkedIn or those devoted to specific industries are a similar source of information for telephone numbers, and can be used by a reverse phone lookup service to scrape personal information.
Your Resume
If you’ve ever entered your personal contact details into an online resume for a job search, they may be available through a telephone lookup service.
If phone number privacy is important to you, then you should be aware of the privacy policies of any web site where you enter personal details, including your bank and financial institution, any stores or online merchants where you do business and any social networking or job search sites. If there are no assurances that your personal details will never be shared without your express permission, then opt out of membership or use of the online services.
Cell Phone Lookup | Free Reverse Cell Lookups | Cell Phone Numbers | Phone Trace | Cell Phone Directory | Sitemap
|
