Reverse phone lookup is the process of searching a phone number to discover more details about the owner of the number. Using a reverse phone search to find information on the owner of any telephone number is possible because important data on the owner is collected and stored in the carrier’s database before it is assigned and activated. Such carrier databases are consulted when residents of New Hampshire carry out reverse phone searches to identify unknown callers.
What are New Hampshire Phone Numbers?
Telephone services have evolved significantly, especially over the last 20 years. Traditional landline telephones used to dominate, and only about 29.7% of American households exclusively rely on wireless telephone services. By the first half of 2018, a CDC report estimated that that figure was now 54.9%.
The decline in the use of traditional landlines is even more evident when subscribers’ ages are taken into consideration. The percentage of children (aged below 18) that reside in households with exclusive wireless telephone usage is as high as 64.9%. However, a state-by-state breakdown shows a lower figure for New Hampshire. The CDC report established that in New Hampshire, 43.5% of adults (aged 18 and above) live in wireless-only households. In comparison, the national percentage of adults living in households with exclusive use of wireless phones is 55.2%.
The rapid adoption of the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is another reason for the decline of traditional landlines. VoIP uses the internet as a means of connection and works on any voice-capable internet-enabled device, including computers, dedicated VoIP phones, smartphones, and traditional landlines equipped with special adapters. Recent estimates suggest VoIP has surpassed landlines in terms of active users.
The four major carriers operate in New Hampshire. Currently, only about 84% of the state is covered by cellular networks. AT&T is the operator with the widest coverage in New Hampshire, with a presence in all the 243 zip codes in the state. Verizon and T-Mobile come second and third, respectively, while Sprint comes fourth in coverage.
Can I Search a Phone Number and Find Out Who it Is?
Finding out who owns a phone number by running a search on the number is possible. The process is called reverse phone search. Phone lookup is possible because carriers collect identifying information about subscribers when assigning new numbers. Details collected include name, gender, and contact address.
Reverse phone lookup services may also pull subscribers’ publicly available records and social media accounts from other sources. These details can help you answer the “who called me?” when dealing with an unknown number/caller.
What are Phone Lookup Services?
Phone lookup services are those websites and apps that can help you know who a particular phone number is registered to. As spam calls and phone scams become more common, the Caller ID feature provided by carriers and phone manufacturers becomes very important in helping subscribers know which calls to pick up or avoid.
Caller ID makes filtering unwanted calls possible. However, phone scammers have found ways to defeat this feature. The names displayed by Caller IDs can be changed to mislead New Hampshire residents into talking with scammers while under the impression that they are talking to their neighbors or reputable organizations. Reverse phone lookup services can help identify such scam callers better than Caller ID.
What Information Can You Get from a New Hampshire Phone Number Lookup Search?
New Hampshire residents submitting phone numbers from strange callers to phone number lookup search engines can expect to find the following details about identified individuals:
- Full names
- Addresses
- Genders
- Ages
These are usually taken from subscriber information submitted to phone carriers when registering new numbers. Note that information provided by free reverse phone lookup search services may no longer be accurate as people change their names, addresses, and genders. For more relevant and up-to-date details about unknown callers, try using a paid phone number lookup service.
Paid lookup services can search a wider range of records in the public domain to find the information needed to identify unknown callers. For example, they can check public social media posts to find photos as well as current names and addresses of the subjects of searches. They can also access records maintained by public agencies in New Hampshire.
The results delivered by paid reverse phone lookup services are useful for determining whether an unknown caller is a scammer or not. You can use these additional details to investigate and report phone scammers and stalkers. Paid searches can also be used to learn more about legitimate and illegitimate organizations such as charities, businesses, and lottery operators. Using these searches, you can find scam-related reports about such organizations and then decide whether their offers and solicitations are genuine or fraudulent.
What is a VoIP Number?
VoIP numbers are assigned to subscribers of VoIP services. VoIP calls are made using the internet to connect phone calls instead of wires and towers associated with traditional landlines and wireless phones.
One significant advantage of VoIP numbers is that they are not compelled to have the area codes of the states or regions whose subscribers are residents. VoIP users are free to pick area codes of their choosing. Businesses use this feature to pick VoIP numbers with area codes of their target markets, so they appear as local businesses. Having a local area code also adds no extra cost to users’ subscriptions. However, scammers now use this feature for nefarious benefits. They can choose VoIP numbers with the New Hampshire area code to trick residents into believing they are calling from within the state.
Another advantage of VoIP numbers is that a single VoIP number can be used by the subscriber on many devices simultaneously. One VoIP number can be used by a user on any internet- and voice-capable device anywhere in the world. This makes it challenging to get accurate results when running phone lookup searches on VoIP numbers.
A VoIP user can set up their devices to enable both caller ID Name (CNAM) and caller ID. When searching for the user by their phone number, a phone lookup service can then display the name submitted when registered with a VoIP service provider alongside the number on the caller ID.
Going through the service provider to run a search on a VoIP number is also possible, but it is only done in extreme circumstances such as crime prevention or to find a missing person. Some websites also offer reverse phone searches with CNAM databases, which should be included when performing phone lookups on VoIP numbers.
What is a New Hampshire Phone Number Area Code?
Area codes were developed by AT&T and Bell’s Laboratories and introduced in 1947. The expanding number of telephone subscribers necessitated the overhaul of the old dialing system that was in use. It was designed in a way that different states and regions have different area codes. A total of 86 area codes were put into service in 1947, with New Hampshire assigned one, the only area code it currently uses.
In the typical 10-digit American phone number, the area code is the first three digits. Area codes are assigned by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) appointed by the FCC. The company chosen as the administrator will work within FCC regulations to manage the numbering resources. The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission assigns and manages the single New Hampshire area code currently active.
What is a New Hampshire Phone Number Prefix Code?
Prefix codes are part of telephone numbers and come immediately after area codes. A prefix code is also a block of three digits in a 10-digit phone number. If we use (286) 555-3456 as an example:
- 286 in that phone number is the area code
- 555 represents the prefix code
- 3456 stands as the line number
When an individual is calling from outside the United States or Canada, the international dialing code, +1, is introduced which turns the number above to +1 (286) 555-3456:
- +1 is the international dialing code
- 286 is the area code
- 555 stands for the prefix code
- 3456 represents the line number
In assigning prefix codes, certain restrictions apply. For example, the prefix code 555 has been reserved for inquiries like directory assistance. It cannot be assigned to a residential or business subscriber. Prefix codes are also prohibited from ending in ‘11’ because those with those digits have also been reserved. A typical example is 911, which is used for emergency services.
Is There a Way to Lookup a Phone Number for Free in New Hampshire?
While the state of New Hampshire does not have a centralized repository of all phone numbers, there are many ways to lookup a phone number for free. These include online resources, public records databases and social media sites.
Third-party search engines inquirers enter an individual's name or business name and find their associated phone number in seconds. These websites also offer reverse-lookup features that allow you to input a phone number and find out who it belongs to. Public records databases are another valuable resource in this instance; they contain detailed information about individuals living or working in New Hampshire, including phone numbers.
Social media sites are also a great way to find a person's contact information if they have listed it on their profile page. Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn allow users to connect with others by entering a name or email address, making them ideal for finding someone's associated phone number. Finally, there are always the old-fashioned methods of tracking down someone's number; searching public records in person at local clerks' offices and libraries, or inquiring in the neighbourhood where the person of interest.
Is Reverse Phone Lookup Legal in New Hampshire?
Yes. New Hampshire residents can use reverse phone lookup to find more about unknown callers trying to call them. The state regards using this tool as legal when used for identifying strange callers even though it does not have specific laws ruling on its legality. New Hampshire requires residents to follow the law when using phone number lookup search. This means that it is illegal to use phone lookup for the purpose of scamming, harming, or harassing others.
Similarly, New Hampshire expects phone number lookup search providers to obey privacy laws when serving information to their users. They must not provide confidential information or allow residents to use their services to spy on others. To respect the privacy of the people identified using their services, legitimate reverse phone lookup providers only put information obtained from public records in their search results.
