Despite having more ways to communicate than ever, nothing causes more anxiety than an old fashioned phone call, especially when it’s from someone you don’t know. If you receive a call from an unfamiliar number, you might hesitate to answer. What if you’ve recently received a call that had no visible phone number?
If you’ve received a call that said “Unknown Caller” or “No Caller ID,” you might wonder what that indicates and what the difference between these two are. You might also be wondering if your privacy has been compromised. In this guide, we’ll help you understand these concepts.
Calls From and Unknown Number
Getting a call from a number you don’t recognize is not necessarily cause for alarm. If you have your number on, say, a business card or resume, a friend could have shared it with another acquaintance who wants to reach out.
You can simply wait for them to leave a voicemail to confirm their identity and then call them back. Not everyone leaves a voicemail, though. To avoid missing out on a career opportunity or a connection with a friend, you do have another option. You can search the number with a phone number search tool to see who it’s registered to.
Unknown Caller vs No Caller ID
Sometimes a call will come through with no phone number associated with it. In that case, you can’t search for who registered the number. While “unknown caller” and “no caller ID” may sound very similar, they can actually indicate different things.
Unknown Caller
When a call comes through and your call screen states, “unknown caller,” the number was not verified by your phone service provider. This can have several causes. First, it can simply be a glitch or network error. If the call is coming from an international number, it can also cause the ID to say “unknown caller.” In some cases, it can also indicate that the caller is hiding their number, but that’s not the only reason why “unknown caller” might come up on your call screen.
No Caller ID
While there are some innocent reasons why a call may come from an “unknown caller,” if your screen says “no caller ID,” you should be more cautious. This caller ID, or lack thereof, indicates that the caller has intentionally masked their phone number. This may be for privacy reasons, but companies, such as telemarketing firms, may do this to prevent you from dodging their calls. It could also be an ex-partner or former acquaintance trying to get you to pick up their call.
If you ignore a call from a “no caller ID” number, you may still receive a voicemail. If you’re curious or their voicemail indicates the call is important, you may still be able to call them back even though the number is unknown. There are a few techniques available you can try.
Protecting Yourself From Phone Scams
Unfortunately, scams are becoming more and more common. Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics, making it hard to keep up and know how to keep yourself safe. If you receive a call from a number you don’t know or a number that is blocked in some way, it’s best to use caution. You don’t have to answer every call you receive, after all.
Answering calls, even if you immediately hang up, confirms that your number is active and can increase the number of spam calls you get. If you aren’t expecting a call and the number isn’t available, it’s probably best to wait for a voicemail to confirm the caller’s identity.
Remember that any company you have an account with shouldn’t ask for you to confirm your information to them. Never give out your account numbers, social security number, or any other personally identifying information to unknown callers.
Don’t Fear the Unknown
While strange phone calls can cause some anxiety, you don’t have to stress too much. When your call screen says “unknown caller” it may be because of a network error, or it could be an international call. In some cases, the number could be intentionally blocked, but “no caller ID” almost guarantees a number was blocked on purpose. In either case, you may prefer to wait and see if they leave a voicemail confirming who’s calling. That way, you can protect yourself and your family from telemarketers and malicious phone scams.
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