A reverse phone number search or phone number lookup involves searching and identifying the subscriber registered to a phone number in New York. The most common reason to conduct a phone number search is to discover details about the person using a particular phone number, most often on suspicion of fraud or other illicit activities. You can also lookup an unknown phone number or a spam call in order to discover the identity of a strange caller.
What are New York Phone Numbers?
Data from the US Broadband Association reveals that as of 2020, 65% of US households use wireless phone service only. In contrast, 8% use landlines only, and 26% of households use a combination of both landline and wireless phones.
A larger percentage of New Yorkers use and own mobile phones or smartphones. These days, landline phones are more commonly used by businesses than home users. In fact, just a little above 5% of New Yorkers still own and use landlines exclusively, and most of them are elderly homeowners.
The 2019 report from the National Health Interview Survey (on household wireless substitution) shows that 38.8% of adult New Yorkers use wireless phone services only, while 6.0% use landlines only. The report also shows that only 2.9% of New Yorkers under 18 still use landlines. These figures clearly indicate that wireless phone usage (cell phones, smartphones, etc.) has taken center stage in the state.
Four major telecommunication companies serve New York State. These are AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile. Each of them provides 100% network coverage across the 47.126 square miles of New York, except Verizon Wireless which has 93.44% coverage.
Aside from wireless phone carriers, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers have also gained prominence among New Yorkers. Since 2009, VoIP subscriptions have experienced a yearly increase of 14%, and by 2017, total subscriptions had reached 1 billion.
The advantages of VoIP services, such as cost-effectiveness, convenience, and improved efficiency, are responsible for the tremendous increase in the number of users.
Can I Search a Phone Number and Find Out Who It Is?
Absolutely! You can use reverse phone lookup services to identify owners of unknown numbers. This is possible because carriers require subscribers to submit their bio-data information when registering new numbers. Information provided includes subscribers’ names and contact addresses. These details are stored in carrier databases accessible by phone lookup services. They are public records and, therefore, accessible to anyone interested in identifying callers using those numbers.
However, it is becoming more difficult to answer the question "who is this number registered to" because phone scammers have now perfected the ability to spoof their phone numbers and have them appear as familiar numbers at the receivers’ end.
What are Phone Lookup Services?
Phone lookup services are online tools for discovering subscribers registered to unknown numbers. The rapid growth in mobile phone usage has led to sharp increases in incidences of fraud and scams. Phone lookup services help phone users identify and evade scammers reaching them by phone.
Today, reverse phone search makes it possible to confirm if a phone number has been flagged as suspicious, confirmed as a scammer’s number, or has a history of voice phishing or spam calls. Adding your phone number to the national or state Do Not Call Registry is another way to curb spam calls and robocalls.
Even then, scammers are finding new ways to get around phone security features by masking their phone numbers. A list of scams common in New York includes credit card details scams, social security number scams, debt collector scams, IRS scams, loan scams, fake charities, free trial offer scams, warrant scams, medical scams, emergency scams, insurance scams, lottery scams, tech support scams among others.
To avoid these scams, it is necessary to know how scammers use fake phone numbers, prefix codes, VoIP, area codes, and subscriber’s information to run their cons. Knowing scammers’ tricks and tactics will help phone users recognize and avoid them.
What Information Can You Get from a New York Phone Number Lookup Search?
With phone lookup services, one can identify an unknown caller by name. Besides the full name of the individual registered to an unknown number, it is also possible to obtain the following details about the caller:
- Address, including city and state of residence
- Age
- Gender
Some reverse phone lookup services, especially the paid ones, can also pull up publicly available records of the individuals searched. Most also allow users to conduct reverse phone number search by name and address.
In the New York criminal justice system and especially with regard to New York inmate searches, phone number searches are crucial. Corrections facilities utilize phone number databases to help reconnect inmates with their families or legal representatives. It's also common for authorities to monitor inmate communications to ensure no illicit activities are being coordinated from inside prison walls. Post-release, phone numbers become vital communication tools for parole officers, ensuring former inmates are following parole conditions and aiding in their reintegration into society.
What is a VoIP Number?
A VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is a virtual phone number that is assigned to an individual, not a phone line, for making calls over the internet. VoIP requires an internet connection for calls and can be used on cell phones, smartphones, landline phones, tablets, computers, and other voice/internet-enabled communication devices.
VoIP numbers are markedly different from regular phone numbers in various ways. First, area codes are not needed to make calls with a VoIP number since the service does not require location data to connect users. By using the internet, local, national, and international calls are all the same with VoIP. Furthermore, unlike landline numbers that can only be used on a single device at a time, a single VoIP number can be used across multiple devices.
All the unique features of VoIP, including its affordability, convenience, and flexibility, also make it appealing to scammers. For example, because VoIP numbers are assigned to single individuals and not phone lines, there's no traditional location data to locate callers. Even tracing callers using their IP addresses is not an infallible method of tracing scammers calling with VoIP numbers. Therefore, scammers from anywhere in the world can obtain New York numbers and make their VoIP calls appear local. A VoIP Fraud Analysis report carried out in 2015 showed that frauds perpetrated via VoIP numbers cost consumers over $46 billion dollars worldwide.
Therefore, phone users must be more vigilant when receiving calls, especially from unidentified or suspicious numbers. They can follow the steps provided by the Federal Trade Commission for blocking unwanted calls.
What is a New York Phone Number Area Code?
In the US, area codes are controlled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They are designed to identify geographic regions such as counties, cities, and different parts of the states. Area codes are assigned to each state by The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) under the administration of the FCC. Each state has the jurisdiction to make decisions concerning area codes within its boundaries.
In New York, it is the duty of the public service commission to notify the public of new area codes. The New York Public Service Commission provides the Map of New York Area Codes.
Knowing New York area codes and the regions assigned to them can help you tell local calls from out-of-state and international ones. Learning these codes can also help you know where calls originate and know when an unknown caller is lying about their location. This can help you discover a scammer calling with a spoofed number or impersonating someone else.
What is a New York Phone Number Prefix Code?
A prefix code is the set of three digits that occurs in a phone number after the area code. Its primary function is to further narrow down the location of the phone number to a specific locale such as a municipality, town, or city. It succeeds the area code, which serves as an identifier for a region in the state.
Consider the telephone number (234) 276-6574. The area code is 234, and the prefix code is 276. The final four digits represent the line number unique to the subscriber owning the number.
Is There a Way to Lookup a Phone Number for Free in New York?
To lookup a phone number for free in New York, inquirers may use third-party aggregate sites, free reverse lookup tools or social media sites. Other sources of information include public records maintained by the state, county or city governments as well as white pages directories. The accuracy of each resource may vary, and it is important to take all necessary steps to ensure the information provided is reliable before using it for any legal purpose.
Reverse lookup tools are available online, and they offer a quick way to obtain information associated with a particular phone number. However, the scope of these services may be limited, depending on the source used. Additionally, they may require payment for detailed results or access to premium features.
Public records maintained by state and local governments provide another way to search for phone numbers in New York. Many of these records are maintained in digitized form and are accessible via public databases. These databases can include information such as criminal histories, property records, voter registration data and more.
Finally, white pages directories can provide basic information such as name, address and phone number associated with a particular individual or business.
Is Reverse Phone Lookup Legal in New York?
Yes. While New York does not have specific legislation governing phone lookup service providers, reverse phone searches are legal in the United States. Identifying an unknown caller using reverse phone number search does not constitute an invasion of their privacy. This is because the details returned by lookup searches are public records that are available to anyone. Reverse phone lookup services only make these pieces of information easier to access.
