Like caller ID and the star 69 service, reverse phone number lookups have gained popularity as a means of obtaining name or address information from the phone or cell number you have. You may have gotten your caller ID number or seen it on your spouse’s or child’s cell phone, for whatever reason, now you can find the information you need over the Internet. Unfortunately, even though cell numbers are increasingly becoming the primary phone number for many people, they are not publicly listed, therefore often not listed in reverse phone directories.

The good news is that there is a solution. It’s actually very simple, with the number you have, you can find the information you need in a matter of hours. Here’s how to search for cell phone numbers and unlisted phone numbers on the World Wide Web.

First of all, you need to find a reputable reverse phone lookup website. You can do this by doing a search with your favorite search engine. Check their rates, guarantees and delivery times. Some sites may claim to provide free services, but this is most likely a scam. Chances are, you’ll either pay for guaranteed results from a number owner, or join a service where you get unlimited searches for a monthly or yearly membership fee. Prices are usually around $15 per search or $39.95 for an annual membership, depending on which option you choose.

After choosing a site and your preferred search method, you’ll need to provide the cell phone numbers or unlisted phone numbers you have and want to perform a reverse lookup, then pay for their services. And that is. All you need to do is wait for the results. This is usually emailed to you or you can fax it to you, depending on your preference.

If these types of sites don’t work for you, another option is to contact a local or national private investigation service. This will cost you more, but should be able to guarantee you results in a fairly short turnaround time. A private investigation service will typically charge around $80 for a guaranteed hit on an unregistered or cell number. This can really give you peace of mind if you need to know who is calling you for security reasons.