Being able to find out if a number is a VOIP number, and do a VOIP lookup is super useful, these days.
VOIP numbers are incredibly common. Making calls over the internet is easy. And, since internet connections have become so ubiquitous, calling with a VOIP number uses the existing infrastructure. No additional steps needed.
Not only that, but VOIP numbers are often used by scammers and spammers because they’re easy to spoof.
Easy spoofing means doing a free VOIP lookup on your own can be challenging, if not impossible.
But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find out who a VOIP number belongs to. It just takes a little effort and some useful tools.
Here’s what you need to know to check the phone number owner of a VOIP number.
Can You Trace a VOIP Number?
It’s impossible to be sure who a VOIP number belongs to using just caller ID.
VOIP numbers have two identifiers: caller ID and the CNAM. Caller ID is the number you see on your phone when a call comes in. Here’s the problem: the caller ID is very easy to fake. And, most malicious calls come from numbers with a fake caller ID.
However, it’s difficult to fake the CNAM. And the call recipient usually only sees the caller ID. So, many spoofers don’t even bother with trying to alter the CNAM.
There are databases of CNAM registries. And, these databases can be queried for information. But, accessing them takes effort and tech savvy.
VOIP Lookup: How to Find Out Who Owns a VOIP Number
There are a few ways to get CNAM and carrier information for a VOIP number. We’ll start with the easiest method.
Do a Reverse Phone Lookup
Reverse phone lookup tools are not always free. But, a reverse phone lookup tool is hands down the easiest and fastest way to find a phone number’s owner if it’s a VOIP number.
All you have to do is pop the number into the search box, and the reverse phone lookup tool will do the rest. You’ll get a name and address most of the time.
If you want to know if the number is a VOIP number, you can do a search to identify the phone number type before you do a reverse phone lookup. But, this step isn’t an absolute necessity, because the reverse phone lookup works on any type of phone number.
Using a reverse phone lookup tool usually costs less than a dollar per search. It’s the best option if you have a few phone numbers to reverse.
However, businesses and anyone with a huge list of phone numbers to check should use a batch append service. A batch append gets the same information as a reverse phone lookup, but you can lookup phone numbers in bulk. So, this method is much more efficient for businesses.
If you’re dead set on getting a VOIP lookup for free, there are a few things you can do.
CNAM Lookup Through Your VOIP Provider
This method only works if you have your own VOIP number. Most VOIP providers won’t do a CNAM lookup if you don’t have an account with them.
Also, it can be tricky for them to find the phone number’s owner with just the caller ID, since the caller ID can be easily spoofed. So, if possible, you should give your provider the IP address or CNAM for the number you want to trace.
If you suspect that the caller ID has been faked, you can use a CNAM lookup tool to get the CNAM data for a phone number. Or, you can do your own CNAM query, if you have a bit of coding skill.
However you get it, this information makes it easier for your provider to find out who owns the phone number. One last thing: your provider may require justification for doing a trace. So, you may only be able to use this method if you’ve received scam calls from the number you’re tracing.
Set Up a Softphone to Display CNAM and IP Address
If you use a phone app for making and receiving VOIP calls, you can install a packet analyzer to collect data about incoming calls. Enable the SIP filter on the packet analyzer. Then, you can see the IP address and CNAM information in the “FROM” field of the initiation packet.
The only trouble with this method is that it’s basically just advanced caller ID. You must set it up before you receive a call from a number you want to trace. So, it’s not useful for numbers that you’ve got scrawled on a piece of paper on your desk. You’ll need to use a reverse phone lookup or do a trace through a VOIP provider for those numbers.
If you’re using a standard phone, you can still use a packet analyzer. You just have to use the packet analyzer on your local router or ITSP server. But, this can be tricky because you may not have access to the router or server.
IP Address Lookup
If you get the IP address for a VOIP number, you can use that to find out who owns the phone number using an IP address lookup. An IP address lookup doesn’t give you as much information as a reverse phone lookup.
However, it will tell you where the IP address is located, the internet service provider, and the domain name. With some detective work, you can use that information to find out who owns the VOIP phone number.
This is a lot of work, though. This method is best used as a last resort.
Still Need to Verify a Phone Number?
If you’ve tried doing a VOIP lookup on your own, and found little success, it’s time to turn things over to a professional.
Just type the number into the Searchbug reverse phone lookup tool or upload a whole list with our batch append service. It’s the fastest, easiest way to find out who owns a VOIP number.
