How to Find What a Private Number on Caller ID Is

1. Pick up the phone. You can usually call a private number back if you pick up the phone before anyone else calls you. Dial *69 on your phone's keypad. In most states, this number lets you call back a private number. Politely ask for the caller, and that person's reason for calling. (Please note that this method is best used when you have no reason to suspect it is a nuisance-caller. Many experts suggest this method can be counter-productive if you are receiving nuisance calls.)

2. Contact your phone company. Ask the representative if he or she can trace a private number. Depending on your phone company, you may have to pay a fee for this service. Your phone company may also ask if you want to sign up for anonymous call blocking or a 'privacy manager' feature. Anonymous call blocking directs all blocked numbers to your phone's answering machine. 'Privacy manager' features, on the other hand, will generally require the caller to enter a phone number before connecting to you. If you recognize the number, you can decide whether to accept the call or not.

3. Look at your phone's caller I.D. screen. If it shows a name but no number, you can search the person on a phone look-up website (see Resources). However, you may get many results, especially if the name is common.

4. Contact the police department if you receive threatening or harassing calls from a private number. They should be able to find out whom the caller is. First, you may have to fill out a police report including details such as the time and date of the calls, and what the caller said.