Restricted Phone Calls: Everything You Need To Know
Billions of phone calls are made daily, and many of those calls are made by robocalls, spammers, or telemarketers. While caller ID makes it easy to see who's calling you, people have started to hide their caller ID. This can be done through number spoofing, apps, and even vertical service codes. Unfortunately, this can make it difficult to know who's calling you. Plus, people usually don't hide their phone numbers unless something suspicious is going on.
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While you may feel defenseless against calls with no caller ID, we’re here to help. This article takes you through what a restricted phone call is and how you should approach them. In fact, we even have methods to reveal the phone number. Read on to learn more.
What Is A Restricted Phone Call?
Restricted phone calls are phone calls that don't have caller ID per the request of the user. Individuals and businesses can mask their phone number and when their call reaches your device it will appear as something like no caller ID, private, unknown, or restricted. Unfortunately, you won't know who's on the other line until you unmask the caller or contact them.
Why People Or Businesses Use Restricted Phone Calls
People and businesses use restricted phone calls for many reasons. While it may feel like every restricted number is a robocaller or scammer, this isn't always the case. In fact, some companies will make these types of calls to improve their security and prevent people from calling them back.
We list some of the most common reasons for restricted phone calls below:
Companies focusing on privacy
Debt collection agencies trying to collect debt
Lawyers wanting to remain anonymous
Private investigators remaining anonymous
Scammers
People who spoof phone numbers
Robocallers
Due to the range of people who may call you with a restricted number, it's important to know who's calling.
How To Unmask Restricted Phone Calls
Unmasking restricted phone calls can be challenging if you don't know where to start. While you won't have any initial caller ID to work with, that doesn't mean you’re out of luck. We have a two-pronged method that will help you unmask most restricted phone numbers. This involves using a vertical service code and a reverse phone lookup tool.
Use a Vertical Service Code (VSC) to Identify the Restricted Phone Number
The best method to Unmask a restricted phone number is to use a vertical service code. In fact, it's likely that someone used one of these codes to hide their number. Therefore, why not use the same code to unmask the caller? The two codes you'll need for this to work include the 69 and 57 codes. Entering these codes after someone calls, you will call the caller back, which can reveal their number. If you’re not having luck with these codes, you can contact your phone provider for more information.
Use a Reverse Phone Lookup Tool to Identify the Owner of the Restricted Phone Call
Once you know who called you, it's important to learn more about the caller. You can do this with ease when you have the right tools, which is where UnMask’s reverse phone lookup tool comes into play. With a tool like this, you can enter the phone number of the caller into the tool and learn everything about them. Once you enter the phone number, UnMask compiles a full report of the information associated with that phone number. This includes the following information about a caller:
Name
Phone number or alternate phone numbers
Address and location of the caller
Email addresses
While you can find the phone number by speaking with someone or using a vertical service code, you'll have to use a reverse address lookup tool if you want to learn more about the identity of the caller.
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Stop Restricted Phone Calls Today
Whenever you receive a phone call, it is important to know who's on the other line. While most phone calls aren't malicious, people who hide their caller ID and appear as a restricted phone number can be dangerous to speak with. They may be after your credit card information or even your identity.
Thankfully, tools like UnMask and vertical service codes can help you stop restricted phone calls dead in their tracks. When used together, you can unmask any caller, discover other numbers they may use, and even block them.