Search for any phone number and you'll find dozens of sites offering to tell you who called. Some are useful. Some are thin pages stuffed with adverts. And some charge you for information they don't actually have. Here's how to tell the difference.
What a good lookup should tell you
- The type of line. Mobile, landline, freephone, 03, business rate or premium rate. This alone tells you a lot about who's likely calling and what it costs to call back.
- The area, for landlines. 01 and 02 numbers belong to a place, and a good site will tell you which.
- The cost of calling back. Especially important for 084, 087, 09 and 070 numbers.
- Reports from real people. What others said after getting a call from the number is often the most useful part.
- Where the data comes from. Number types and ranges should come from Ofcom's numbering data, which is public.
Signs of a trustworthy site
- It's honest about limits. It explains that caller ID can be faked and that a number's network or owner can change.
- It moderates reports. Personal details, abuse and obviously false claims are removed.
- It's free to search. You shouldn't need an account or payment to see basic information.
- It has clear contact and privacy pages. You can find out who runs it and how to ask for a correction.
Warning signs
- "Pay to reveal the owner's name and address." There's no complete public register of UK mobile numbers. Paid "reports" often contain nothing you couldn't find free, or guesses dressed up as facts.
- Every number looks dangerous. Pages that label every number as a scam to scare you into clicking aren't helping.
- Endless redirects and pop-ups. If you can't find the actual information under the adverts, move on.
- Asking for your own phone number or email to "send the results". There's no reason a lookup needs your details.
Why no site can always name the caller
In the UK, mobile numbers aren't listed in a public directory, and landline owners can choose to be ex-directory. Data protection law also limits what can be published about private individuals. A responsible lookup site will tell you what the number is and what others experienced, but won't pretend to know who owns a private number.
How Who Called Me Check works
We match every number against the Ofcom UK numbering plan for its type, area, range holder and call cost, and show ratings and reports left by people who were called. It's free, there's no sign-up, and we don't publish personal names or addresses. When we don't know something, we say so.
Not sure about a call you had?
Look the number up to see what kind of line it is, where it's from and what other people said about it.