Reverse Directories: Searches by Address

Reverse Directories: Searches by Address

Some online telephone directories allow you to search using an address in order to find the name and telephone number associated with it. This kind of reverse directory is useful for identifying the people in a given house, or even all of the neighbors in a neighborhood. Some will even allow you to import those you find into Outlook (a contact management system), which is rather nice if you are just moving into a new neighborhood; imagine having the names and telephone numbers of all of your new neighbors automatically loaded to your computer before you've even moved in.

Some of the reverse directories allowing address searches include:

• Infobel
• Infospace
• WhitePages.com

There are also reverse address searches based on public records, rather than telephone directories. The initial search is often free for these, but the detail records are sold. An example of this is:

• Private Eye

Reverse Directories: Searches by Telephone Number

Reverse Directories: Searches by Telephone Number

Some online telephone directories allow you to use a telephone number to search for the owner's name and address. These are often referred to as reverse directories. These are particularly useful for investigating whose telephone number is appearing on a phone bill or in a cellphone call log. Some of the reverse directories allowing telephone number searches include:

• Addresses.com
• Anywho
• Infobel.com
• Infospace
• $$ Intelius (this includes cell phones, but it's not free)

Chapter 17: Telephone Directories

Online telephone directories are far more useful for locating people than print directories for several reasons:

• They are normally less limited by geography, sometimes even extending to multiple countries
• They can be updated more frequently
• In addition to being searchable by name, some are searchable by address and/or telephone number; this means you can find out who and who else lives at an address or uses a phone number
• Some are searchable by an address range, so you can obtain contact information for a whole neighborhood in order to find others who may have information about a person
• They can be merged with other databases to include unlisted numbers, email addresses, and so on
• Some are linked to mapping databases, allowing you to see a virtual map of exactly where a person lives (or even an actual aerial map of their home)

There are dozens of telephone directories available on the Internet. If you don't know where to start, there are even directories of telephone directories. These include:

• Infobel
• Numberway
• The Virtual Chase - White Page and Telephone Directories
• Yahoo! Phone Numbers and Addresses

Using these sites, you can locate telephone directories for countries around the world, as well as reverse directories, area code directories, and other specialty directories. These directories are extremely useful for locating individuals, especially those with less common names.

For information on reverse telephone directories, see:

Reverse Directories: Searches by Telephone Number

Reverse Directories: Searches by Address

Welcome to Naked in Cyberspace v3!

If you haven't already figured it out, Naked in Cyberspace is NOT a porn site (believe it or not). It is a continuation of the book "Naked in Cyberspace: How to Find Personal Information Online," by Carole A. Lane.

If you're interested in searching for personal information (locating someone, looking up your family tree, etc.), or if you're interested in finding out what others can learn about you online, you've come to the right place.

Are all of the sources free? Absolutely not. I like the free ones best, but the sad fact is that there are many companies that expect to make a few bucks after going through all of the trouble of compiling and putting your personal data online. They charge money because they can - personal information is incredibly useful for many valid purposes (real estate ownership, safeguarding us against our elected officials, screening prospective employees, and so on).

Don't hate the messenger. I'm only here to tell you where the information is and how it can be used. It's up to you to speak to the Federal Trade Commission or your elected officials if you want to change this.

If you ever have trouble navigating this blog, please use the Table of Contents or the Search this Blog device at the top of the Blogger screen.