How to Trace Prepaid Calling Cards

You need the help of the phone company to trace a prepaid calling card.

Calling cards can offer anonymity that makes their calls difficult to trace. The outdial number of the calling card company will be displayed on the caller ID instead of number of the phone that made the call. This renders redial functions useless. If you need to find the source of harassing phone calls or mysterious messages, you'll need the phone company to help you do some detective work, and even then the answers don't come easy.

Things You'll Need

• Number of Phone Service Provider
• Legal Services

Instructions

1. Contact your phone service provider. Most likely, they cannot determine which phone the call was made from, but they can find which calling card company directed the call. You may have to explain the reason you require the information.

2. Describe your situation to the highest authority you can reach in the calling card company and ask them for the records that indicate which number called your phone. They will have data concerning all calls routed through their systems. Generally, however, they will not give up this information without being legally obligated.

3. Seek legal help. You will probably require the services of a lawyer in order to gain access to the records of the calling card company. An attorney may also be beneficial in preventing more irksome calls from the same source.

Tips & Warnings

• Allow calls from unknown or private numbers to go to voicemail.

• Take consideration where you give your number out.

References

• Evocallus: Phone Card Tracing
• Consumer Action: Protect Your Phone Records
• USA Today: Caller ID Spoofing Becomes All Too Easy

Resources

• The Art of Hacking: Beating Caller ID