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Do you panic when you receive a text message or call from a number you don’t recognize?
No more sending that awkward “sorry, who’s this” text or Googling the phone number – there are several ways to track down the caller.
TikToker Liz Perez recently posted a video explaining what to do when you get a call from an unknown number.
Here’s how it works: If you receive a text from an unknown number, mobile payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or PayPal can help you name that number.
All you have to do is copy the number and paste it into the payment app of your choice to reveal the name of the mysterious sender.
It doesn’t just happen. A caller who appears on your phone as ‘Unknown’ or ‘no caller ID’ has premeditatedly taken additional steps to hide his/her return phone number from you
TikToker Liz Perez recently posted a video explaining how to use payment apps to find out who is behind unknown numbers
However, this only works if you already have an account with one of those apps and the sender must also use their real name and number in the app.
Then there is the downside. What if you don’t want your name and phone number to be so easily available?
Make sure to disable your mobile payment app so it doesn’t share your name and phone number with other people. The steps vary per app. For example, in Venmo, open Settings, Friends and Social and turn off Phone Contacts.
However, there are also settings on iPhone and Android phones that can figure this out.
Here is DailyMail.com’s step-by-step guide to uncovering mystery callers.
Enabling this setting in payment apps like Venmo will automatically add contacts to your Venmo friends list
What about blocked numbers?
You may remember from your prank years: if you dial *67, your number will be hidden from anyone calling you. There are similar numbers you can call to respond to mysterious callers.
The first is *69, which is the number of the last person who called you. It even works for anonymous or hidden calls, so you can see the phone number and the exact time they called.
Once you have that number, you can block it on your phone so they can’t call you again.
In more dangerous circumstances, such as harassment, you can use a different number: *57.
It gives you the phone number and calling information that *69 also has, but it goes further than that by passing that information on to the police.
Your telephone service records a *57 call to make it easier for authorities to locate who is harassing you.
To get the most out of this, call the police immediately after a *57 call with a written log of the perpetrator’s calls so that the police can take action.
Your phone company may charge you extra for these calls, so it’s worth checking your plan to see if it supports the shortcuts.
‘I just want it to stop’
Silence unknown callers as a quick way to stop your phone from constantly ringing but potentially missing important calls, such as those from your doctor or your child’s teacher
If you have an iPhone, you can take a more extreme step and automatically block numbers that aren’t in your contact list using Silence Unknown Callers.
Calls from numbers not in your Contacts will still go to voicemail and appear in your recent calls list, but your phone will not ring. Follow these steps to enable it:
● Go to Settings and then to Phone.
● Scroll down to Silence unknown callers. Slide the switch to the right to enable the feature.
If you have a Samsung Galaxy:
● Open the Phone app and tap the More icon (three vertical dots) at the bottom of the screen.
● Tap Settings and then tap Call blocking.
● Turn on the Block anonymous calls switch.
Keep in mind that there are downsides to sending calls that aren’t in your contacts straight to voicemail. You will miss important phone calls, for example from your doctor or your child’s teacher.
Are you using another phone? Search your phone’s model name and “call blocking” for directions if you need them.
Use a (virtual) burner
Giving away your real number to everyone is always a mistake. Think of all the accounts your phone number is associated with. Scary things.
Google Voice gives you a toll-free phone number that you can use at your discretion for domestic and international calls, text messages, and voicemails. All you need is a Google account to get started.
Here are the steps to do this:
● Download the app for iOS or Android or go to voice.google.com/u/0/signup to obtain it for your computer.
● Then sign in to your Google account.
● Review the terms and proceed to the next step.
● Select a phone number from the list. You can search by city name or area code.
● Check the number and enter a phone number to associate with your Voice account.
● You will be given a six-digit code that you must enter for the next step.
Another option is to download a burner app. These give you a second phone number and use your internet data or WiFi to call and text.
Burner is one of the most popular apps of this kind. You can forward calls directly to your secondary number. The app comes with a seven-day free trial and subscriptions start at $4.99 per month for one line.
Hushed allows you to create numbers from all over the world, so you can go outside your area code or country if necessary.
A prepaid plan starts at $2.99 for seven days and comes with bundled minutes for local calls and texts. You can expand to unlimited calling and texting ($4.99 per month) and international service ($6.99 per month).
Sound like a tech pro, even if you’re not! Award-winning popular host Kim Komando is your secret weapon.
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