Phone number

[Gevs1966]

Is there any way of finding out who a certain phone number belongs to?

A friend of mine is getting horrible calls and texts and she doesn't really know what to do. She has been to the police and they have been less than helpful. If we call the number back then there is no answer. Barring the number is obviously an option but we really want to find out who it is as it is likely someone she knows.

Anyone got any ideas?

[Loosehead]

Are you calling back using another number? The person doing this will know by the number who is calling if not and then ignore it. Try using another phone.

[kick3m0n]

I'd change my phone number and initially only give out the new number to those I know I can trus, telling them not ot pass ti on to anyone.  If the calls stop, the nasty caller has not got the new number, so perhaps she could then give her number out to others slowly, over time and wait to see if nasty calls re start.  Not ideal solution I know, but there's little else you can do if you really want to find out who's calling - especially if it's from a mobile, to a mobile.  I'd also be tempted to ask everyone I know if they recognise the nasty callers number.  You don't even need to tell folk what it's about, just ask if the number rings any bells (sorry!) with anyone.  Hope you get to the bottom of this for your friends sake.  I'd imagine this is pretty distressing, especially as she's suspects she knows the creep. 

[Gevs1966]

Tried it from lots of different phones, called it witholding our numbers also, it just goes to their voicemail.

[Gevs1966]

We've asked everyone we know to see if they know who's number it is and everyone has started ringing it so hopefully they will get bored and annoyed with all the calls and leave her alone without all the hassle of changing her number etc.

[artee]

In my country Gevs1966 it is an offence to use the phone in an abusive manner.   It is the telephone company's job to identify the caller and take action, not the police. But this may not be the answer in your country.  (NZ is mine)

[jno]

should be the same in the UK - if you've got a BT number, there's a page in the front of the phone book on what to do about malicious calls, I think (can't be certain as the last UK phone book I have is several years old). Other telecoms services probably provide something similar.

[Scarlett]

How about the old blowing the whistle down the phone when they ring? REALLY REALLY loudly. You should talk to your mobile phone provider too- as they will have dealt with this sort of thing before. they could bar that number, or they could find out more information about who the number belongs to.

You could also post the callers number on here and I will gladly phone up as PC Scarlett and tell them that their number will be barred from making and receiving all calls if the abusive calls and texts do not stop.

Your friend could also just never answer the phone when they ring (obviously) and could also take the voice mail system off her phone for a bit, so that no messages CAN be left. (She would have to answer the phone only to numbers she recognised.) You could also return any abusive texts to the sender with a "Number not found" message. This person will think you have changed your number, and hopefully give up.

[Scarlett]

Another thing, the first few digits will tell you what service provider they are with. For example, 07931 is T-Mobile. You could find out (by posting on here if necessary) and phone their service provider, with their number and report the abusive texts to Vodaphone or whoever it is. They will be able to contact the idiot making the calls, and take it from there.

[Scarlett]

ANOTHER thing you could do is just post the number on here, and let the AB users just do whatever comes to mind!!!! Just imagine, hundreds of calls back at that nasty person! Tee hee.

[Gevs1966]

All good ideas but she changed her number today so hopefully that will do the trick, just loads of hassle for her.

The person never answers their phone when we call it and it goes through to their voicemail but the name is blanked out. We can't leave any messages as the mailbox is full and we can tell that their service provider is 3 from the voicemail.

[milly143]

if you are with vodafone you have no hope of getting the number barred from calling the phone. I tried this with a nuisance caller and they basically told me where to go. absolute tosh!

[Carolina]

The problem with giving their number out over the internet is that they might retaliate and do the same.

[Scarlett]

I would still phone 3 and report the number. They should know that that person is abusing their service.

[fairy!]

I used to work at Vodafone & as far as I remember it's not actually possible to bar a certain number from calling you.  I would still report it to 3 though, so they know what that person is up to.

[twiglet4frog]

u should go through loads of websites and register for loads of rubbish that u can give a mobile number as part of your registering details, and give there number, with enough things signed up to they will receive so many junk txts it will annoy them

[spammylou]

yes I did that to someone twiglet4frog who had designs on my husband.  Once they get hold of your number then everyone else does.  Also I signed the number up for one of those dating things - you could get upto 40 texts a day! ha ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!11 (not the slightest bit vindictive)