If you have a Google account (you probably do) and an existing telephone number, either mobile or landline, you’re a potential customer for the search giant’s Google Voice service. You can set it up in next to no time with just a few clicks or taps, pick a “virtual” phone number to complement your existing one, and promptly enjoy unlimited calling and texting across the country.
That freedom is wonderful for the user, but it’s a bit of a challenge when you need to find out who’s calling you. There is no Google Voice number lookup from Google itself, and – unlike conventional phones – no direct method for third parties to use. Spokeo, of course, can help you work around those limitations.
Uses for Google Voice
Google Voice is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service: it bypasses the conventional telephone network and sends your calls across the internet instead of in the form of data. There are a number of really good reasons for using VoIP, aside from doing an end run around the phone system’s fee structure (and any other usage limits on your phone plan). If you live in an area with poor cellular coverage but decent internet, you can also get better call quality.
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Google Voice is also a boon for freelancers and early-stage entrepreneurs. You can choose a Google Voice phone number from anywhere in the US, so if you work from Minnesota but have lots of customers in New Orleans – for example – you can have a number that appears local to the Big Easy. You might use a specific Google Voice number for each enterprise if you have more than one, or even give out a separate number for the use of each major client.
Readers of this privacy-conscious blog will quickly spot another important use-case for Google Voice: you can use a virtual number from Google Voice for any public-facing purpose, from posting an ad on Craigslist (some scammers haunt the site specifically to harvest phone numbers) to recovering a lost pet, to dealing with a contractor you’re not confident about.
Can I Do a Google Voice Number Lookup?
Unfortunately, not everyone uses the Google Voice service for the right reasons. For example, scammers and spammers can use it to “spoof” a local call and increase the odds you’ll pick it up. Romance scammers or catfishers can give you a Google Voice number where you can reach them without giving away their true identity. On a more prosaic (but hazardous) note, stalkers or abusers can use Google Voice numbers to work around your attempts at blocking them.
The obvious answer to this problem is to head for Spokeo and use reverse phone number lookup to find out who’s behind the phone number you see. Unfortunately, Google numbers work differently from conventional phone numbers. With a landline or mobile phone, the number is tied directly to a specific name (and an address, in the case of a landline). Google Voice numbers are tied to your data-rich Google account, so – as a glaring privacy issue – Google doesn’t make that information public.
So is it a waste of time to do a Google Voice Number Lookup? Not at all, though the information you get back will be somewhat different from the results you’d get with a standard phone number.
What Spokeo Can Tell You About a Google Voice Number
The information you get from searching a Google Voice number will vary depending on how that number has been used. If the owner of the number has used it in a public-facing way, on social media, selling platforms, or other venues, then there’s a chance a Spokeo search can make a connection from those public sources. This can lead you back to a name, social media or dating site “handles” or usernames, and potentially even an email or physical address.
In “mystery call” scenarios, that kind of result will usually be enough to tell you whether it’s a call you want to return (or answer in the future). If the number belongs to someone you’re already interacting with, a name and location that aren’t the same ones this person claimed would constitute a pretty significant red flag.
Not every number will yield such relative depth of information, of course, but its absence can also be telling. If your caller claims to be reaching out from a given company, but your Spokeo search doesn’t validate that, that might be an indication you’re dealing with a scammer. Spokeo’s new Phone Reputation Score can also help: even if it hasn’t yet triggered a “high risk” rating, a spike in searches for (or complaints about) a number can give you a reason to doubt its validity.
Trust, but Verify
Checking the phone number of anybody you’re interacting with doesn’t make you paranoid. Paranoia is, by definition, irrational. The unfortunate truth is that plenty of people out there want to scam or mislead you. They’re very much in the minority, but they exist and being taken in – even once – can cost you, emotionally or financially.
Taking a few minutes to verify the legitimacy of a phone number or the claimed identity of a person you’re interacting with is simple common sense. Most of us live a big part of our lives online, where we can’t rely on visual cues like body language or avoidance of eye contact to warn us of deception. Tools like Spokeo’s can help make up for that deficiency. It’s okay to trust people online, but it’s safer when you’ve checked them out first.
Sources
- Google Voice: Home
- Google Voice Help: Set Up Google Voice
- Business Insider: A Guide to VoIP, the Technology that Lets You Make Voice Calls Over the Internet
- Merriam-Webster: Paranoia