Google has quickly become one of the most prolific tools on Earth. They provide many of the communications tools people around the world rely on to stay informed, send information, and keep in touch with loved ones and acquaintances.
One of the most important services Google provides is Google Voice. It allows people across the globe to use phone services over the internet. Anyone can receive a Voice number that they can use to make calls anywhere there is a connection to the internet.
However, the widespread availability and ease of access mean that there is the potential to receive calls from numbers that you don’t want to interact with. The good news is that it’s often possible to find out who is calling you by looking up their information using a simple background service.
The Need to Know Who’s Calling
There are a few reasons why you may want to know who’s on the other end of a Google Voice call.
Avoid Spam
No one likes having their time wasted by scammers or people trying to sell you things you didn’t ask for or need. Fortunately, most scam rings are very poorly put together, and even the most basic information gathered about their dealings will produce many red flags, letting you know to avoid taking the call.
Confirm Identities
There are many cases where you want to be sure someone is who they say they are. Whether you are vetting a potential business associate or seeing if that surprise relative truly is a long-lost cousin, simply looking up their information and verifying their name can give you peace of mind.
Follow-Up With an Important Contact
Sometimes you may receive a call from someone and want to reach out to them through a different channel. If a family uses a shared number or a business uses multiple lines and extensions, blindly calling and hoping for the right person can be a chore.
By looking up the email or other contact information for the specific person you are trying to reach, you can avoid getting stuck in communication limbo.
Beware of Crossing Boundaries
Looking up information in order to contact a potential friend, associate, or family member can be a great way to build a network. Using the information to harass people or otherwise maliciously share their data is a great way to end up in serious trouble.
It’s important not to overstep the boundaries. Stalking, contacting people against their will, or using the information you obtained in a way that violates the FCRA is not only unethical, but it’s also often illegal. The basic rule of thumb is that if it would make you uncomfortable, don’t do it to someone else.
The Information-Finding Process
There are two main parts to finding out a person’s identity from their Google Voice number. The first is to use the Google Voice service to find the associated email account. The second is to use an information lookup service to find other contact information and identities.
Find the Associated Email Address
It is often not possible to find emails associated with Google Voice accounts directly. In fact, it’s Google’s policy not to list users publically. However, many people have their Google account linked to their number, which can make it easy to find their email.
A Google search of the Voice Number or the use of an online service to perform the search can yield that information. Both free and paid tools are available online that can give you the email address of the account linked to any number.
Do a Search Using the Email
Once you know the email address, you can use an email lookup service to find out who owns the account. They offer an easy-to-use email lookup tool that can link you with social media information. That makes it easy to verify identities and find further contact information.
Email lookups can also produce other highly valuable information beyond the sender’s identity. You may be able to find red flags concerning the person and be able to rethink your desire to contact them.
Knowledge Is Security
We all want to know who’s trying to contact us and avoid potential communication pitfalls. The widespread availability and ease of use that Google Voice provides can make it hard to confirm the identity of people calling you. Fortunately, using some simple online tools, there are ways you can find an email associated with Google Voice, then you can know for sure that the person contacting you is someone you want to contact you.
Every day, the clock resets, and time passes by. Days, weeks, months, and years accommodate many changes in our society and the digital world. For instance, the internet in 2002 was way too different compared to what it is now in 2022.