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How Do You Tell If a Phone Number Is Fake?

Have doubts whether a person you have received a phone number from is not a scammer? Verify phone numbers before committing to personal relationships or financial deals using these tips from X-Ray Contact. After reading this article, you will be able to tell whether a phone number is fake, distinguish a burner account, and single out a catfisher with HUMINT skills. 

Can Phone Numbers Be Fake?

Yes, for sure, often people use a disposable phone to conceal their identity. Some common ways this type of deceit happens are: 

  1. Virtual Numbers. These are real phone numbers but are often temporary and can be generated by services like Google Voice. That’s how a person can call you without revealing their genuine phone number. 
  2. Prepaid SIM Cards. Some people use prepaid SIM cards that don’t require much personal information for registration. Hence, it is easy to dispose of these cards after using them to contact a victim.
  3. Voice Over Internet Protocol. Such services provide numbers that aren’t tied to physical SIM cards and can be used anywhere as long as there’s an Internet connection.
  4. Spoofing. This tactic is used when a person or service disguises their phone number to appear as someone else’s. For example, scammers often utilize spoofing to make their phone look familiar or local to the unsuspecting victim.

Can You Tell If Someone Is Using a Fake Phone Number?

fake phone number example
An example of a fake phone number

There can be superficial signs of how to see if a number is fake before using additional tools and services. Pay attention to these details:

  • If a number shows up as “unknown” or “private,” it’s often a sign it is spoofed or masked. It’s one of the major signs how to know if a phone number is fake. 
  • If the number has an area code that doesn’t match the location the person claims to be from or has an unusual country code, it could be a red flag.
  • If someone changes their phone often it can be a bad sign. Always clarify the reason why the person changes their phone to stay safe. 
  • If the person has just started using the number and doesn’t have a consistent history of contacting you through it, there’s a high chance it is a burner phone. 
  • If the person has consistent problems using their phone number for two-factor authentication, it is likely a fake.

How to Check If a Number Is Real or Fake?

Don’t want to guess whether the person is lying about their phone number and need to get definite proof? Here are a few options you can pursue to reveal whether a phone number is real or not:

How to Know If a Phone Number Is Fake With a Contact List?

This method doesn’t require any external tools, only your in-built phone Contact List. Go to the Contact List Settings and look for these signs of a scam: 

  • In case the number is already in your Contact List and saved under different names, this could be a sign that it’s been spoofed or used multiple times by different people.
  • Review previous conversations with the contact. If the person previously contacted you with a different number and switched abruptly, it could be a disposable number.
  • If someone is using a fake phone, they may avoid answering or block incoming calls. Try to call up a suspicious phone number to see what happens.

How to See If a Number Is Fake With X-Ray Contact?

Use data aggregator instruments like X-Ray Contact for fake phone numbers lookup with ease. The instrument gathers info from 33+ providers on users around the world. Follow this step by step algorithm to tell whether a phone is genuine: 

  1. Go to the main page and click on the “Platform” tab in the website header. 
  2. Select “Phone” to investigate via this search channel. 
  3. Paste or type in the number you want to check. Wait until the system compares it to others in order to find a match.
  4. If the tool is able to produce a report with a detailed Search Profile about the person including email, socials, real name, etc., good chance the number is real. However, if the history is clear and we are not able to find any digital footprint related to the phone number, there is a high chance it’s fake.
fake phone lookup
Phone Search report
Start searching

How to Tell If a Number Is Fake With Search Engines?

Another approach how can you tell if someone is using fake phone numbers is to use the full capacity of the search engine searches. Here are some things to take into account:

  • Type in the phone code in quotation marks in the search bar. That’s how you can force the search engine to look for the exact match.
  • Check the results and draw conclusions. If the number is associated with businesses, services, or individual profiles, it is likely to be real. However, if it appears in scam reports or complaint websites, the phone number is fake.
  • Fake or spoofed numbers sometimes follow patterns, such as repeating the same digit a few times. For example, the phone code “127-127-1277” is likely to be fake. Look up similar numbers with search engines to see whether someone has reported them as scammers before.

How Do You Check If a Number Is a Real Number? Use Phone Validator

Finally, if all casual methods have failed, clear your doubts with a phone validator service. These companies can clarify what carrier is associated with a number. Some websites that can help you how to tell if a number is fake are PhoneValidator.com or FreeCarrierLookup.com. On the validator tool’s website or app, enter the phone you want to check with the country code. If no carrier is found, it might be a sign that the number is not in use. Also, pay attention to the line type of code to reveal whether it’s real. 

FAQ

Still have doubts about how do you check if a number is a real number? Check out this section with your most poignant questions, addressed. 

How Can I Verify a Phone Number Offline?

You can contact your telecom service provider to ask about the status of a phone number. In return, they can provide details on whether the number is active, the type of number, and which carrier it belongs to.

How Do You Prove a Number Is Real?

The simplest way to prove a number is real is to call it. If the call goes through, the number is active and functioning. Check if the phone is registered on messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram. Many apps will show whether the phone number is linked to an active account.

What Are the Hurdles of Fake Number Lookup?

A lot of things can go awry when you attempt to look up how can phone numbers be faked. You can fail to trace a fake number due to spoofing, privacy laws, hardship to verify phone numbers that are international, and more other challenges.

Conclusion

Now, you are able to answer a question of how you prove a number is real and list sure signs the number is fake. Our tip: when doing such an investigation, use a burner phone yourself to avoid your phone number being traced down as well.

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