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    CakeLady's Avatar
    CakeLady Posts: 52, Reputation: 6
    Junior Member
     
    #1

    May 8, 2007, 11:04 AM
    How to trace a private number call?
    Does anyone know if there's a device or whatever that can be placed on a telephone line that will "unblock" a PRIVATE CALLER id on the caller id?

    I've been getting phone calls where they sit and listen and say nothing. I have a feeling I know who it is, but I have no proof. My home phone is used to take orders for my cake business, and sometimes I will get orders from numbers that show up as PRIVATE, but then they give me their number anyway later.

    I don't want to change my number--there are too many business cards out there with it on there.

    I'd pay good money for a "spy device" or whatever, though.:cool:

    -m-
    Rockabilly1955mama's Avatar
    Rockabilly1955mama Posts: 662, Reputation: 85
    Senior Member
     
    #2

    May 8, 2007, 11:06 AM
    I've tried myself, honey. But I got no where. I just hate thoes quiet creepy phone calls. I've had to change my number numerious times. I really don't think there is any type of device that can trace thoes calls... well that I know of anyway.

    :D
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
    Expert
     
    #3

    May 8, 2007, 12:29 PM
    Sorry but no, you can report the call to the police and the phone company, they can trace it though their records, but there is nothing available. Some companies allow you to block all calls from any call that does not allow a caller ID
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
    Computer Expert and Renaissance Man
     
    #4

    May 8, 2007, 12:44 PM
    In my opinion the privacy advocates have hamstrung the value of CallerID. But, as Chuck pointed out you have the option of blocking all calls that block their number.
    falafelfro's Avatar
    falafelfro Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #5

    Nov 13, 2007, 06:22 PM
    RLookup (Reverse Phone Lookup) is your best bet to trace the owner and address of any phone when all you have is a number. However, If the number is blocked entirely, there isn't much you can do.
    Ino2233's Avatar
    Ino2233 Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #6

    Nov 24, 2007, 10:03 PM
    Hey CakeLady,
    I know how you feel. Instead of someone calling me someone keeps on texting me and I try to tell them to stop, but it didn't work so sadly:( I had to cancel texting!:mad: So unfair!:mad: Well, bye and thanks for listening.

    Sincerely,
    CakeLady's Avatar
    CakeLady Posts: 52, Reputation: 6
    Junior Member
     
    #7

    Feb 1, 2009, 09:37 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by Ino2233 View Post
    Hey CakeLady,
    I know how you feel. Instead of someone calling me someone keeps on texting me and I try to tell them to stop, but it didn't work so sadly:( I had to cancel texting!:mad: So unfair!:mad: Well, bye and thanks for listening.

    Sincerly,
    Hey Ino,

    Any time you want to have someone stop texting you---simply reply to the text with the word "STOP". Any commercial texter will automatically stop texting you after that.

    If it's a private person however that is doing the texting---they could continue after that, which is a form of harassment. Not sure how to stop a private person from doing it, but---good luck.:)

    Cake Lady
    Stratmando's Avatar
    Stratmando Posts: 11,188, Reputation: 508
    Uber Member
     
    #8

    Feb 2, 2009, 05:49 AM

    If you have someone you suspect, next time they call, call their number, you may hear their phone ring, or they may switch to answer the other call. Or theirs may ring busy during the times of the silent calls.
    Do you have home and cell phone?
    Colin Pye's Avatar
    Colin Pye Posts: 13, Reputation: 0
    New Member
     
    #9

    Feb 2, 2009, 08:06 PM
    What to do with "silent" phone calls.
    The Bad News

    Unfortunately, when you get "blocked" calls, the information isn't sent from the phone company to your caller id box or phone, just a message saying that the number has been blocked. Because it wasn't sent in the first place, there's no way to program a device to show you what it is.

    The Good News

    Quite often, those silent callers are tele-marketers. The machines they use to call people dial dozens of numbers at a time, and when they get a live caller, they connect it to a person, who tries to sell you carpet cleaning, change your long distance provider, or give you an excellent rate on a new pre-approved credit card.

    Some times, though, they get too many live people, so their system keeps hunting for an available operator, leaving you with nobody to talk to. That's likely what you are getting. Short of blocking unknown callers, if your phone service allows for that, I'm afraid I don't know of an easy way to stop it.

    That said, there is a service, commonly called "Call Trace", which most phone providers give you, that doesn't give you the number, but instead records it, where it can be retrieved by law enforcement agencies. If you are getting a lot of these, you can enter the code to "trap" the call, then follow up with law enforcement or the phone company to put a stop to it. The phone company may charge you for each call, so you should check with them about it first.

    For more information, check out Stopping Harassing Phone Calls, they have a lot of U.S. and California-specific information there.

    Final thoughts

    You could try "Call Return", (often *69) to call the person back, and see if they are having trouble with the phone on their end. Some cell phones will auto-dial a number if you hold down a single digit for long enough. Someone you know might have your number stored in you cell phone, and it's calling you when they sit down on their phone, without them even knowing about it! I've also got silent calls from friends who need a new handset cord, or when their phone has fallen off the desk one time too many. Usually it doesn't happen very often, especially once they figure out the person on the other end can't hear them.
    CakeLady's Avatar
    CakeLady Posts: 52, Reputation: 6
    Junior Member
     
    #10

    Feb 2, 2009, 08:37 PM
    Wow, it's been a while since asking this question, and the subject is *still* alive. That just goes to show people have this problem on an on-going basis.

    I would love to be the guy who invents the thing to go around the call-blocking stuff... he will make a go-zillion!:D

    --Cake Lady
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
    Computer Expert and Renaissance Man
     
    #11

    Feb 3, 2009, 07:51 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by CakeLady View Post
    Wow, it's been a while since asking this question, and the subject is *still* alive. That just goes to show people have this problem on an on-going basis.

    I would love to be the guy who invents the thing to go around the call-blocking stuff...he will make a go-zillion!:D

    --Cake Lady
    Actually, it will never happen. When Caller ID first came out, privacy advocates hamstrung it by allowing people to block their numbers. So, even if someone was able to develop a way around the blocks, it would be as illegal as copying a copy proteced DVD.

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