How to Locate a Phone User
Whether you want to figure out who is calling from an unknown number, keep track of your friends, or know where your child is going, locating a phone user can be very helpful. You can use GPS technology to determine the real-time location of a phone user, as long as you have his or her consent. If you do not, you can still often determine the user and location of a phone number by using tools available on the Internet or through the phone company.
Instructions
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Purchase and install GPS software on the phone you want to be able to locate. Verizon, Sprint, and independent websites offer this type of software, which allows you to track the phone in real time. You must have the permission of the phone's owner to do this.
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Download a mobile-tracking application, such as Google Latitude, Loopt and Where. Set your privacy settings so that your friends can see your location. Have your friends do the same. Search for their phone numbers on the application to see their location.
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Type the phone number into your preferred search engine. Numbers may appear with location information on social media websites. Of course, you can always acquire a general location by searching for the location of the area code.
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Search for the number in a reverse phone-number lookup directory. You can find both free and fee-based directories online. These websites are best for looking up landline users, but some directories exist for cell-phone users, as well. Free sites are not always reliable, but be wary of paying for this service, because many fee-based sites are still ineffective, or even scams. Moreover, these sites cannot tell you the real-time location of a phone user due to privacy laws; they can tell you only where the phone was issued.
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Dial *57 if you receive a call and cannot see the number. This code activates Call Trace, which tells the phone company to record the phone number for you. They do not give you the number, but after you sign an authorization form, the number will be turned over to law enforcement officers for further investigation. You must pay a fee to begin this service, and some companies require a monthly fee or a fee for each time you use the service.
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Dial *69 to call back any landline number after receiving an unknown call. You must pay an initial startup fee and a monthly fee. In some states, Call Return may not tell you the number for the phone line, and it will work only in your local service area. However, if the Call Return works, it will allow you to track the phone number by speaking directly to the caller.
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References
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