Looking For a Person's Cell Phone Number?

Looking for a person's cell phone number -- it's likely happened to everyone at some point, the phone rings and you don't recognize the number. Maybe the call came just once or maybe it pops up every day, but who is it?

Before, the only options were to either call back or ask around to see if anyone recognized the number. The online yellow pages can help sometimes, but if the caller is unlisted, that route quickly meets a dead end.

That's where cell phone directories come in. With a quick search a database, you can find out whether that call is coming from a long lost friend, a pesky prank caller or telemarketer.

The cell phone database is a favorite among investigators who said it is simply the easiest tool and also boasts the greatest results.

"I am on the board of our state wide Private Investigator Associate. I have recommended these to all our investigators," said Gary Beltan, of Montpelier, Vt.

Even police officers said they have to give a lot of credit to the system.

"I am a retired polce officer, and let me tell you, this kind of information used to be only be available to law enforcement," said Thomas Scalia, of Lafayette, La.

And it's not just a matter of prank callers and telemarketers. The cell phone directory can also provide a detailed list of information ranging from a person's birthday to any possible criminal activates or bad finances.

"This is truly revolutionary that people can check criminal records online," said Scalia.

The cell phone directory can quickly show you whether or not the contractor fixing your windows has ever been involved with fraudulent services, whether the person who wants to buy your car has ever been arrested for drunken driving or whether your new babysitter has ever been caught using drugs.