Have you ever received a call from a phone number with the area code 855 and thought, like some in discussion forums, “How do I figure out who this is calling me?”1
Being free and easily accessible, an 855 number is popular among businesses and organizations as a way for customers to contact them. However, this same convenience also makes them an attractive target for scammers and telemarketers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.
While it’s not possible to discern a legit or suspicious 855 number with the naked eye, it IS possible to search for who owns the phone number. In this article, we’ll show you three ways to search who calls from an area code 855 number and where they may live. Read on…
Table of contents
- 1. Perform a Google search on that 855 number
- 2. Conduct a reverse phone number lookup with Intelius
- 3. Search 55+ social networks with BeenVerified
- What to do if it’s a scam call
Before diving into the details of searching 855 numbers, it helps to understand what exactly a toll-free number is. Many online community members have asked on various forums: What does a toll-free number mean2?
A toll-free number, also known as a Freephone number, is a telephone number that can be called at no cost to the person making the call. The owner of the toll-free number pays the cost instead.
Toll-free numbers always begin with one of the following three-digit codes:
- 800
- 833
- 844
- 855
- 866
- 877
- 888
- 822 (Reserved for future use)
The 855 code used in this article is one of the most common toll-free area codes.
Businesses and organizations often utilize toll-free numbers as an easy way for customers to contact them free of charge. The toll-free number routes calls to the business’s regular landline or mobile number.
Compared to standard landline or mobile numbers, toll-free numbers are more memorable, provide broader accessibility, and give a company an appearance of credibility and presence.
However, the same qualities also make toll-free numbers attractive to scammers and spammers. That is why it’s useful to be able to look up the owner of an unknown 855 number to verify its legitimacy.
The methods provided in this article may be able to help you uncover who is behind that mysterious 855 call and gain peace of mind about whether or not to answer.
1. Perform a Google search on that 855 number
Google should be your go-to whenever you look for free ways to track down an 855 area code number. A Google number search is as easy as typing the number into its search bar.
However, to refine your search results and ensure you get accurate information, here are 3 tips to keep in mind:
- Use quotation marks around the phone number: This helps filter out irrelevant search results and ensures that Google® searches for the exact sequence of digits.
- If you suspect the legitimacy of the number’s source, try adding keywords such as “scam” or “telemarketer” to your search to see if the number has been reported by others.
- Use the “site:” operator to narrow your search results to a specific website or domain. For example, if you wonder if someone has a similar experience of dealing with the 855 number, you can type “site:reddit.com” followed by the phone number to search for that number only within the Reddit website.
Using these techniques, you may uncover useful information about the 855 number, as one member did when posting in an online community about receiving a suspicious text from an unknown 855 number3. The user asked if others had similar experiences, which can provide clues about whether an 855 number may be used for spam or scams.
Have you successfully located the owner of the mysterious 855 number? If yes, then congrats! Depending on the exposure of the phone number, however, you may run into complete opposites for your Google search: bare or too overwhelming to sort through. In either of these cases, move on to the following method to uncover the identity of the caller.
2. Conduct a reverse phone number lookup with Intelius
Another method to find out who calls from an 855 area code number is Intelius. Intelius is a popular reverse phone number lookup service. With access to millions of public record resources, it gives you the power to discover who may own a phone number and other available information. This may include the owner’s basic information (or business’ legitimacy), location history, social media profiles, and more.
Here is how to do it:
- To search for a phone number, go to Intelius Reverse Phone Number Lookup.
- Enter the area code 855 and the 7 digits, then click SEARCH.
- Sit tight as Intelius taps into its data sources. Once it identifies a match, it will gather the associated records into a detailed report. Purchase a paid membership plan that best fits your needs to review the report.
The above image is from a sample Intelius report. Actual Intelius reports may contain more or less information.
3. Search 55+ social networks with BeenVerified
Reverse phone lookup tools vary in their data sources and databases. If Intelius didn’t give you results, perhaps you could try BeenVerified.
BeenVerified is another reputable portal for reverse phone lookups. It gathers its data from a wide range of sources, making it a popular destination for quick & accurate reports.
Here is how to uncover an 855 phone number with BeenVerified:
Step 1: Go to BeenVerified Phone Lookup.
Step 2: Type the phone number into the box and click SEARCH.
Step 3: Wait for BeenVerified to search the databases.Once ready, you will receive an in-depth report, giving you the information linked with the number.
What to do if it’s a scam call
So you looked up that sketchy 855 number and it seems like it could be a scam. Bummer. We’ve all been there – the constant robocalls, the pre-recorded messages claiming there’s a problem with your social security number, the pushy telemarketers who won’t take no for an answer. It’s frustrating, but there are some smart ways to handle them4.
First things first, don’t engage with any questionable 855 numbers that call. Save yourself the stress and send them to voicemail. They often spoof and recycle numbers, so answering just leads to more calls.
Next, report the number to the FTC’s complaint system and other consumer protection agencies so the calls can be tracked and analyzed. The more reports, the stronger the case to stop illegal robocalls.
You should also give a heads-up about the number on neighborhood forums and social media to help friends avoid the hassle. Signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry can’t hurt to reduce legal solicitation calls.
Consider using call-blocking services too – apps like RoboKiller can preemptively block known scammers.
Of course, always use caution if unknown callers ask for personal information. Verify before sharing anything sensitive.
- Hild, L. [Lindsay Hild]. (2023, June 1)I keep receiving phone calls from a phone number stating they cannot let me in my account however I am not trying to access it, is there a way to figure who is doing this[Online forum post]. Microsoft.
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/i-keep-receiving-phone-calls-from-a-phone-number/eff3e49d-1625-4935-ae6a-f8b2370c5304 ↩︎ - Cell phones and smart phones[timlee]. (2012, October 29)What does toll free phone number mean? (iPhone, ATT, cell phone)[Online forum post]. CityData.
https://www.city-data.com/forum/cell-phones-smartphones/1720825-what-does-toll-free-phone-number.html ↩︎ - r/whatsapp [ForWhomTheBell_Tolls]. (2022, February 06)Has anyone else experienced this? (Long time no see)[Online forum post]. Reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsapp/comments/slopbg/has_anyone_else_experienced_this_long_time_no_see/ ↩︎ - r/Scams [Analbeadpullstart69]. (2023, November 11)How do I stop these scam calls. I get close to 50 a day[Online forum post]. Reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/comments/17s8799/how_do_i_stop_these_scam_calls_i_get_close_to_50/ ↩︎
Credit: Image by Vinzent Weinbeer from Pixabay
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