How to Find the Owner of a VoIP Number?

VoIP calls are incredibly common these days, they’re super convenient and have made business communication easier and faster.

This ease of access allows malicious spammers to abuse the service ’cause VoIP numbers are easy to spoof and that’s why VoIP number lookup archives and techniques are becoming more common.

Can You Trace a VoIP Number?

The generic answer to this is that ultimately, every call is traceable, whether you’re dealing with analog voice or VoIP transmissions, but all VoIP types are not created equal.

Fixed and Non-Fixed VoIP numbers are the two types and fixed numbers are easier to trace, especially with VoIP number lookup apps, because they require a physical address to be assigned to the number.

This doesn’t mean that non-fixed numbers are impossible to trace, it just makes them harder because there’s no address requirement, and spammers spoof numbers a lot with them.

Find out Who Owns a VoIP Number in Steps

VoIP number lookup directories are a common way to do this but other techniques exist too, and here are four ways you can find the owner of a VoIP number:

Step 1: Doing a Reverse VoIP Number Lookup

This is usually the easiest and fastest way to get the owner of a VoIP number, it’s just like doing a Google reverse image search.

You input the number into a VoIP number lookup application and it reveals the name and address details of the owner instantly.

There are many applications online that help you with this, some are completely free while others charge a fee for premium add-ons.

Some of the add-ons include the ability to spot a number that’s likely been spoofed so you know the revealed details could be of no use and a batch search feature that helps if you’ve received a lot of spam calls and want to do a bulk search.

Feel free to look at the resources on VoIP-info if you’re searching for a comprehensive guide on choosing the right app or tools for your VoIP needs.

Step 2: Approach the VoIP Service Provider

VoIP service providers issue the numbers to their clients and have personal details registered with them.

If you’re registered to a VoIP provider, they can help you trace suspicious calls, just make sure you have the caller ID and time of the specific call when you reach out to them.

They’d probably ask for some evidence of abuse before releasing caller details. Most companies will still do a basic VoIP number lookup, before moving on to more sophisticated techniques.

Tracing will be easier to do with fixed VoIP numbers and if the service confirms that you have legitimate concerns, they could also help you block the number.

It’s impossible to do this with a non-fixed VoIP ’cause sensitive caller details won’t be stored online because of the nature of these numbers.

Step 3: Use a CNAM Lookup Tool

There are generally two techniques for getting the owner of a VoIP number, using a reverse VoIP number lookup service and the CNAM lookup method.

The caller ID can easily be forged but this isn’t the case with the CNAM, so it’s the reliable reverse lookup option.

You’d need a VoIP number to ask for a CNAM lookup because no VoIP service would be eager to do one for you if you’re not registered.

You can do a CNAM query on your own but it’s not as easy as doing a VoIP number lookup, some coding and other technical skills are required, that’s why you’d need your VoIP service to help you with a CNAM lookup.

Step 4: Set up a Packet Analyzer

If you have a VoIP app on your phone, installing a packet analyzer can help you store data about the calls you receive.

The only thing you’d need to do is to enable the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) filter on your packet analyzer app, and you get the IP address and CNAM in the “from” field on the invite packet.

The only challenge with this technique is that you’d need to have the SIP filter enabled before the call comes in, so this is perfect for spam or threat calls that come at a specific time.

Can VoIP Texts Be Traced?

VoIP texts, just like calls can be traced, it’s even easier if you’re using an SIP protocol that allows you to filter and see the actual body of text.

The other techniques for tracing calls in this post also apply to texts, especially approaching your VoIP provider if you’re receiving threatening messages.

Is VoIP Secure?

VoIP services have developed year on year. It is true to say that when it was first launched, VoIP could be deemed as in-secure. However with the advancement of knowledge and technologies, VoIP traffic can be encrypted using ‘Secure SIP’ which protects SIP messages by sending them over a TLS (Transport Layer Security) channel by means of a certificate. Secure RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) provides encryption, message authentication, integrity and attack protection to the RTP data stream.

In short, it’s as secure as you make it.

Final Words

VoIP number lookup methods exist. If the number is owned by a legitimate business, tracing is usually easy, but if you suspect it’s a spam call, this post has a few techniques that can help you with confirming it’s from a malicious source.

Feel free to look at the resources on VoIP-info.org if you’re searching for a comprehensive guide on choosing VoIP Phones.