If you've been getting annoying (prank) calls from some number, then you'll want to find out the owner of that number. You might even want to find out their address so you can pay them a visit if they live close enough to you. And the good news is, this is actually pretty easy to do thanks to reverse phone lookup services.

In fact, all you need is the area code and the seven digit number of the caller, and you'll be able to find out a wealth of information about the owner.

How To Search For That Number...

Before anything else, you should try to search for the phone number in a free directory service. Just enter the number and area code and do a search. If the number is a land line (i.e. not a cell phone number) and it is published, then you'll get the name and address of the owner.

The reason you'll run into problems with free databases is because they only cover land lines. If the number you're looking up is a cell phone, they will not give you a result. This is because there is no central database of cell phone numbers, and making a database of them is a timely and costly procedure (therefore they need to be charged for).

The bottom line is that you'll only be able to lookup cell phone numbers in paid directories. Luckily, most of them are very affordable anyway, and good one's come with a 100% guarantee. The policy is usually if the database returns no results for the number you search for, then you get your money back.

How Premium Directories Work...

Good services will give you accurate, up-to-date information for millions of cell phone numbers. These databases are not cheap to update and maintain, but the prices are still very low. And once you pay the cost of admission, that gives you an unlimited number of searches, and you can do it confidentially from the comfort of your own home.

The most important thing is the guarantee. The last thing you want is to pay money and get the same results you would get in free directories. Plus, there are a number of junk services around, that don't have very large databases. That is why on my website, I provide reviews of the best and worst services around.