Reverse phone search or phone number lookup is the process for obtaining information about the registered user of a telephone service number. Before any individual is granted a phone number, they are required to provide personal information details for verification and other statutory purposes. By performing a reverse phone search using a phone number, it is possible to identify who owns a phone number.
What are New Jersey Phone Numbers?
In the last 20 years, telephone services in the US have undergone large changes with users moving away from landline services and towards wireless services. Noticing this change, carriers redirected their resources from fixed line services to wireless, mobile, and internet-based telephony services. In 2018, a survey undertaken by the National Center of Health Statistics reported that households that relied only on landlines represented 3.2% of the total number of households in the State of New Jersey while wireless-only households made up 41.5%.
The major phone carriers with significant coverage in New Jersey are:
- AT&T- 99.9%
- T-Mobile- 98%
- Verizon- 97.5%
- Sprint- 96%
U.S. Cellular uses AT&T and Verizon infrastructures to provide services in New Jersey.
In addition to landlines and wireless services, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is also available as a means of making phone calls. Over the past few years, VoIP has shown tremendous growth and enjoys a high adoption nationwide. Between 2010 and 2018, VoIP numbers for both business and individual users rose from 34.2 million users to over 118 million users.
Can I Search a Phone Number and Find Out Who it Is?
The short answer is yes. When acquiring a phone number, subscribers are required to register personal details including names, addresses, and other contact information. These details can be obtained using reverse phone lookup services to conduct phone number searches.
Phone number lookups can be conducted by name or address and all the associated information will be available if the phone number search is successful. For calls received from suspicious phone numbers, lookup tools exist which can conduct phone number lookups free of charge or at a cost. However, it should be noted that some phone scammers can falsify the numbers appearing on their targets’ phone making it difficult to identify the callers.
What are Phone Lookup Services?
Phone lookup services are websites and apps that can be used for reverse phone searches to identify an unknown caller. The capacity to be able to identify the person on the other end of a call can be the key to avoiding unsolicited phone calls. Caller ID is a function that displays who a caller is, and knowing this can help with avoiding phone call scams.
That said, scammers have been able to find ways around this by tricking Caller ID into displaying false numbers. VoIP services allow scammers to disguise their numbers, so their targets’ phones display false numbers. Scammers are even able to route calls, so they appear to be coming from completely different locations than they actually are. Avoiding phone scams and robocalls becomes easier if you know what to look for and understand how scammers use these tools.
What Information Can You Get from a New Jersey Phone Number Lookup Search?
Most people using reverse phone lookup want to learn the names of the unknown callers trying to contact them. Besides full names, a New Jersey phone lookup search can turn up the following information about unknown callers:
- Address
- Gender
- Age
With these details, most users of phone lookup free services can determine whether they know the strange callers trying to contact them or not. However, these details are sometimes not enough. For more detailed results, consider signing up for a paid reverse phone lookup service. These can provide additional details and up-to-date information about the subjects of lookup searches.
Reverse phone lookup paid services charge fees to take closer looks at the individuals identified by first-pass searches. They can find the social media accounts of the subjects of these searches and glean additional information from their public posts. These include recent photos, marital statuses, addresses, and affiliations. Some paid phone number lookup services can also look through publicly available government records. These details are needed to determine whether an unknown caller is trustworthy or a phone scammer.
What is a VoIP Number?
A VoIP number is a virtual number allocated to a person rather than a phone line. A VoIP number enables the user to make and receive calls routed through the internet. A phone call is essentially the transfer of data across a medium. While traditional phone calls use copper wire and radio waves as transfer media, VoIP calls use the internet. With internet infrastructure already available in most places, VoIP calls can be routed at cheaper rates as there is little or no need to develop new infrastructure. VoIP also allows text messaging and video calling and a VoIP number can be used on multiple devices simultaneously. The convenience of VoIP calls makes them very appealing to phone scammers.
Unlike traditional phone services, VoIP does not have readily available location data. Therefore, it is harder for phone lookup to identify and locate VoIP callers. A scammer can make a call from anywhere in the world and the caller ID would display an American number. Also because VoIP numbers can be linked to several numbers and used simultaneously, standard tracking identifiers, such as IMEI, numbers are unreliable or unavailable. Overall, VoIP technologies have made it easier for scammers to successfully avoid detection.
Because of the relative ease involved in perpetrating VoIP phone scams, the FTC recommends caution when answering unexpected calls even from familiar numbers. A list of best practices for detecting scam calls is available on its website which can prove invaluable for avoiding VoIP phone scams.
What is a New Jersey Phone Number Area Code?
The area code system was introduced in 1947 by American Telephone &Telegraph (AT&T) and Bell System and called the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The main purpose was to simplify and facilitate direct dialing for long-distance calls while also providing telephone resources for an increasing population.
This area code system designates specific three-digit numeric codes to geographic regions to facilitate phone calls between different regions. Dialing a number with an area code ensures the phone call gets routed to the proper destination. Since the breakup of Bell System, the NANP has been supervised by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). An administrator is appointed periodically who is responsible for the administration of the numbering resources. Autonomy is granted to the local regulatory authorities to oversee a region’s numbering resources. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities manages and implements area codes for the State of New Jersey.
What is a New Jersey Phone Number Prefix Code?
Phone number prefix codes are the set of digits that come after area codes. Prefix codes provide more accurate locations of phone numbers such as towns or districts. For the telephone number (609) 989-2901, 609 represents the area code and 989 represents the prefix code. Where an international country code is used such as in: +1 (609) 989-2901, +1 is for the country code, 609 is for the area code, and 989 is for the prefix code.
Is There a Way to Lookup a Phone Number for Free in New Jersey?
In the state of New Jersey, checking the availability of a phone number is possible without having to pay for it. Interested persons can use free reverse lookup services to check if phone numbers are available or not. Inquirers may use a reverse lookup service by entering the phone number on the website, users will receive information about the owner of that particular number including an address and other details pertaining to that individual. With this tool, one can easily determine if a specific number is available and take appropriate action accordingly. It is worth noting that some services may require registration in order to access their database. In such cases, be sure to read through their terms and conditions before signing up for any service.
It is worth mentioning that there are two types of phone numbers in New Jersey - landline numbers and cell phone numbers. While landline numbers are more accessible, cell phone numbers are harder to find using a free reverse lookup service due to the private nature of such numbers. Nevertheless, it is still possible to get information on these types of numbers but one may need to purchase a premium service in order to access them.
Alternative to free reverse lookup services, users may also use public databases to find information on phone numbers in New Jersey. This is a free resource which contains basic contact information for people living in the state. Inquirers can search for a specific number and the website will provide details about the person associated with it.
Is Reverse Phone Lookup Legal in New Jersey?
Providers of reverse phone lookup searches can legally operate in New Jersey. Similarly, residents of the state can use these tools to identify strange callers with unknown numbers. New Jersey does not have specific laws discussing the legality of using and providing phone number lookup services. It also does not directly regulate the activities of reverse phone search providers. The state does expect those using and providing this tool to abide by the laws of the state. This means that they cannot use phone number lookup to defraud, stalk, harass, or harm anyone.
In addition, New Jersey requires reverse phone lookup service users and providers to abide by state and federal privacy laws. Only publicly available information can be served by reverse phone searches. Phone number lookup services find the details needed to identify unknown callers by accessing public databases such as the ones maintained by phone carriers and local, state, and federal government agencies.
