Reverse lookup numbers for security and convenience

by Anonymous
(United States)

Yes. I have used white pages and whowhere on the web to perform reverse lookups on numbers for security and convenience.

I never answer a number I don't know on my cell phone; wastes too many minutes. I don't bother with caller ID at home, either. I screen all calls with my answering machine. But I have friends who change cell phone numbers quite a bit, and they forget to tell me the new one before they call. I don't want to lose touch with them, so I save the received number and the next time I'm near a computer I look it up. Of course, cell phone numbers rarely come up! But at least I try.

I have used the star-69 feature on my landline phone when people have called and not left a message. Then I write the number down and check it out on the web. I've seen numbers from 500 miles away calling me, and I have no idea why because I am on the do-not-call list. Despite being on the list, I've had window and door installers calling me from other states, which doesn't make sense, but they do. It's frustrating.

It's nice to have those reverse lookup sites on the web, but honestly, once you get the info what are you going to do with it? I guess they answer our never-ending need to know. Whether it's useful or useless, most of us still want to know.