For many of us, text messages are how we quickly communicate with anyone without pressure. But what happens when you receive a text from an unknown number, especially one asking deep throbbing questions, or trying to create some sort of urgency? You might ask – who texted me from this phone number? It’s important to always know who’s on the other side of that call before responding. Fortunately, there are several text message location trackers to try.
Why You Might Receive Texts from Unknown Numbers?
Your friends and family members can send texts from unknown numbers. However, there are other reasons this can happen. For instance, businesses may send promotional messages or offers. Organizations might use unknown numbers to send surveys and polls via SMS. Your bank, service providers and other institutions may also send alerts or notifications through SMS. However, you must be careful. The problem with receiving such is when malicious actors send unsolicited messages to trick you into sharing some personal information or downloading harmful software. Usually, these harmful instances lead to:
- Malware infection: clicking on links in spam texts can lead to installing harmful software on your smartphone
- Financial loss: scammers use social engineering tactics to get you to transfer money to them or reveal your banking information
- Phishing scams: these texts might lure you to unveil your sensitive login credentials.
- More spam: Once they confirm your number works, they might circulate it to other cybercriminals which means more attempts.
- Identity theft: scammers might get your personal information and use it for nefarious activities.
5 Methods to Find Out Who’s Texting You
Obtaining the identity of who texted you isn’t often a straightforward process. Let’s talk about the tools that can help provide valuable insights into their identity.
Use a Reverse Phone Number Lookup Tool
One of the best ways to find out who was texting you is using MLocator’s reverse lookup service. This fantastic website allows you to analyze any phone number to uncover any records associated with it across the internet.
With MLocator, you’ll find the full name and identity of the person behind that text message. It can also find the vital carrier when you want to decide which carriers or network providers are more associated with scams and telemarketing schemes. MLocaor also helps you uncover other important details such as their email address, physical address and more.
Use an SMS Tracker App
Another great tool for keeping track of unknown texts is the WebWatcher’s SMS tracker app. This tool does not directly track unknown callers and texters. But it alerts you on any SMS or calls received to your kid’s smartphone in real time. You only have to install the app on their phone and then monitor using your secure online account to protect them from malicious agents.
Check Social Media and Messaging Apps
You can also try asking mutual friends or your followers if they can help confirm who the number belongs to. If the text was from a malicious agent, there’s a good chance they are also targeting other people you know. If you don’t want to ask them directly, you can also try searching for the phone number on these social media platforms. On some occasions, it’s possible other people have shared that number publicly and complained about it.
Search on Google
You can also search for the phone number on Google. This especially works if you’ve received a call from someone claiming to be affiliated with a business. You can confirm if they are who they say they are. Searching on Google also allows you to find forums, web pages and blog articles that might contain information about such suspicious individuals.
Contact Your Mobile Carrier
You can call or email your carrier’s support network to report a suspicious text and ask for assistance. It’s a fantastic option especially when you seem to share the same carrier with that number or you’ve received a suspicious promotional text claiming to come from your network provider. When contacting your carrier, provide information such as the sender’s phone number and the content of the message. No matter what you do, avoid clicking on the link or attachment in the message.
4 Methods to Find Out the Location of Unknown Texts
Sometimes finding the identity of who’s behind the text message isn’t enough. You may also consider confirming their location to correctly investigate the issue. Let’s talk about the numerous tools and hacks to determine their location.
Use a Phone Number Tracker
One of the best tools for finding their location is a phone number tracker. Plus, you should seize the advantage of MLocator’s phone number location tracking to help pinpoint their location. All you need to do is input the phone number of the unknown texts on the MLocator website. It will find their precise geographical coordinates, helping you narrow down where they are in real-time.
Use a Text Message Location Tracker
It’s also possible to send a text message back to that person that once they click on will share their location with you. CalTopo is a great example of such a text message location tracker. It’s a mapping tool. However, it demands that you have a team subscription with the people you want to track. Once you initiate a Text message using the CalTopo app or from its website, and they click on the link within that message you’ll see their location.
Check Area Codes and Prefixes
Depending on your location, some phone numbers can provide hints about the owner’s general region. This often happens in countries where landlines or phone numbers have area codes (first three digits of the phone number) and prefixes (the next three digits after the area code) are specific to certain regions. For example, the 212 area code, and the prefix 555 indicates a specific neighborhood or borough in New York City.
Use VoIP Lookup Tools
VoIP tools are often used by telemarketers to place calls that aren’t easily traceable. However, you can try tracing them using tools like Spokeo, BeenVerified or Intelius. These tools may provide associated locations with that phone number, thereby helping you confirm the identity of who’s behind that text.
Additional Tips on Dealing with Unknown Text Messages
Beyond the tools we’ve discussed for finding more about the phone numbers behind unknown text messages, you may worry about how to make the best of the situation. Here are more insights on the steps to take after you’ve received an unknown text message.
- Search on forums: People often discuss suspicious phone numbers and share their experiences online. Consider searching for that phone number on websites like Reddit or other specialized forums.
- Social media groups: Look for groups related to phone scams, online security or fraud prevention on social networks like Facebook. There’s a good chance members have shared their experiences in the past. The information about unknown numbers may help.
- Avoid responding or clicking on links: The most vital rule is to avoid clicking on any links or responding to the message.
- Report the message: Consider reporting the message to the relevant authorities. It may help your wireless provider block similar messages in future.
- Block unknown communications: Your smartphone may have native configurations that allow you to block any incoming calls or texts from unknown phone numbers.
FAQ
How do you find out who’s texting you through TextNow?
What if you ask the question “Who texted me from this phone number” because you received a call from a TextNow number? You can track that Textnow phone number using reverse phone number lookup tools like MLocator and Truecaller. Other avenues include doing a Google scan and searching on forums and social media networks.
Can anonymous texts be traced?
Anonymous texts from traditional phone numbers can be traced using reverse phone lookup tools. However, Apps like Burner, Hushed and TextNow add a layer of complexity. However, reverse phone lookup tools might still help. Other ways to search include scanning the phone number on social media or forums.
How to find a fake SMS sender?
There’s no foolproof way to find the person who sent a fake SMS. But you can try by either contacting your network service provider/mobile carrier, using a reverse phone lookup like MLocator, or asking about the phone number on social media.
Can you get an IP address from a text message?
Generally, you may not access entire information about the IP address from a text message. Regardless, you can try using IP lookup tools to see if you can uncover any information that can help you pinpoint the identity of who texted you.
Wrap Up
So, if you worry about “who texted me from this phone number”, you don’t have to. Simply try the numerous techniques, and lookup tools we’ve shared in this article to enjoy valuable insights into the identity and location of the sender. Always remember that receiving texts from unknown numbers may be common. But while some of these texts are legitimate, a good number can be malicious. This is why you need to always protect yourself by being aware of the methods to identify and locate the identity and source of those texts.
