How to Tell if a Number Is Fake – 4 Telltale Signs

Knowing if a number calling or texting you is legitimate is a must. Verifying the phone numbers you’re about to communicate ensures personal safety and helps avoid fraud. Luckily, there are numerous ways to tell if a number is fake.

In this article, we’ll review signs you can look for to detect fake phone numbers and provide ways to identify invalid numbers. Read to the end to learn how to tell if a number is fake.

What Is a Fake Number?

Before we cover how to tell if a number is fake, let’s clear up that there could be multiple interpretations of a fake phone number. It can be a phone number that’s out of use, incorrect, with missing details, or randomly generated. Regardless of your definition of a fake number, we’ll help you discover the legitimacy of phone numbers.

5 Signs a Phone Number Is Fake

Below are five signs that a phone number is fake. You’ll be able to quickly tell if a number is fake by looking for these signs in the phone numbers reaching out to you.

1) Check the Format

A quick way to tell if a number is fake is by looking at the format. US phone numbers consist of 10 digits, with the first three digits indicating the area code and the remaining being the local phone number. An example phone number is (123)-456-7890.

If the phone number you suspect to be fake doesn’t follow this format, it is undoubtedly a fake number. However, the above only applies to US phone numbers. Depending on the country, the formatting could be entirely different.

For example, phone numbers in Mexico have a two or three-digit area code followed by a seven or eight-digit local phone number. Keep the country differences in mind when checking the format of a phone number to tell if it is fake.

2) Google the Number

Although it may not work with all phone numbers, searching the number on Google or other search engines can yield results. If the number is listed on the web, you will find pages in the search results, indicating that it is in use.

However, note that the chances of finding if the number is fake this way are higher with phone numbers that belong to a company. This is because companies are far more likely to share their phone numbers online than individuals.

3) Call or Text the Number

One more way to tell if a phone number is fake or not in use is by calling or texting the number directly. This is also a quick way to know if a phone number is randomly generated.

If someone picks up the phone, it surely is in use. Therefore, it isn’t a fake number. However, you won’t know who the number belongs to unless you ask them directly. Considering that most people are reluctant to disclose their personal information to random callers, they may simply hang up.

Nonetheless, there are better ways to learn who owns a phone number than simply calling and asking about their identity.

4) Perform a Reverse Phone Lookup

Performing a reverse phone lookup is one of the best ways to tell if a number is fake. You will not only discover if a phone number is in use but also locate the owner’s identity. It can be useful when you need to verify someone’s phone number besides authenticating its validity.

There are numerous reverse phone number lookup tools; this one is our favorite, as their search tool is amongst the strongest and fastest, and it also provides public information about the owner of a phone number, such as criminal records, sex offender registry status, and address details.

Discovering if a Number is Fake

We’ve gone over multiple ways to tell if a number is fake. While some signs are obvious, such as incorrect formatting, others involve actions like calling the number.

When checking if a number is fake, always inspect the format first. It will enable you to know whether a number is fake without taking any further action. If the number appears valid, utilize the other methods we’ve mentioned, such as using UnMask.com or calling the number, to discover if it is fake.