Figuring out the contact information of someone you need to reach out to can seem confusing at first, especially if you only have a name or a former address to start with. However, there are plenty of free and easy ways to find contact info when you need to connect with someone or reach out to a long-lost friend.
Our article gives you insight into the best ways to find contact info and additional tips on protecting your own data when you are searching online for someone’s contact information.
Why Would You Need to Look up Contact Information?
Sometimes, you lose contact with a friend, or you are having trouble contacting a work acquaintance or college roommate. Looking up contact information is essential in these cases. It’s most helpful to look up contact information when you have limited details about a person, such as their name and the location where they may live.
Looking up contact information can give you the person’s important details such as their phone number, social media profile, or email that you can use to reacquaint yourself with someone.
Just make sure when finding someone’s contact information that you contact them respectfully, and do not use someone’s contact information to harass them.
The Best Types of Contact Info to Find
When it comes to contact information, there is a plethora of options out there. Depending on how you want to contact someone, you may need to find their email, phone number, or social media profiles.
The best types of contact information you can find are reliable methods of communication, like a valid phone number or an email address that you know belongs to that person. You have the best chances of reaching out to a person and getting a response with this type of information.
Contact information that is less likely to return a result are old addresses that a person may not live at anymore, alternate phone numbers that a person may not use, or inactive social media handles. You may also want to avoid contacting someone using their work email exclusively, as many work emails will automatically block senders who are not within the company’s system.
How to Find Contact Info
The following methods are some of the easiest ways to find contact info. These methods are mostly free, and all you will need are some basics about the person you are looking for and some time to sit down and complete your research.
Social Media Websites
Social media websites are one of the best ways to find out where a person is living now, who their friends and family are, and their contact details.
With most social media websites, you can also contact a person directly by messaging them using the website’s built-in messenger service. Just keep in mind that some people may have their profiles set to private and may not see your message without first being connected with you on the website.
Some people also may not have social media profiles, which means you will need to use a different method to find their contact info.
People Lookup Tools
A person lookup tool uses a person’s name and finds any connected information. For example, if you have an old friend and you know their name and previous location, you can input it into the tool and run a search.
Any connected phone numbers, emails, or addresses may appear, and you can use this contact info to reconnect with the person you are searching for.
Phone Number Lookup Tools
Phone lookup tools are tools that use a person’s phone number and location to give you more details about that person.
You can use a phone lookup tool when you have someone’s phone number, but you are curious about finding their address or email information. Simply input the person’s details into the tool and run the search to find any associated contact information.
Online Directories
While large in-print phonebooks may be more or less a thing of the past, online directories can take their place and may offer you insight into someone’s contact information.
You can run an internet search for a local online directory or a national one, or you can use an online directory for a specific thing, like certain churches or businesses. Simply type the name of the person or their associated business into the directory and look through the results to find what you need to know.
Family and Friends
Mutual family and friends are often an easy way to find someone’s contact information, as your family and friends may be keeping records of phone numbers, addresses, or emails.
Ask around your family members or social circle to see if anyone has the contact information you are looking for. You should only use this method if you don’t mind the knowledge that you have been asking about a person reaching them before you decide to contact them.
Employer and Company Websites
While you should generally refrain from contacting someone’s employer or reaching out to them at the workplace, an employer or company website may give you information. From the company website, you may be able to find someone’s full name and location.
You can use this information in one of our other methods to find appropriate contact info, such as their personal phone number, social media profile, or email address.
Internet Searches
Internet searches can be lengthy and take a lot of patience as you sift through non-relevant results, but they can be helpful if all other methods have failed to turn up the contact information you need.
By using an internet search browser like Google, you can type in a person’s name, location, or school details – basically, anything you remember about them to help you narrow your search. Then, review the results. With this method, you may be able to find the person’s employer or social media profiles, and then you can keep searching to find their contact info.
Is It Legal to Research Someone’s Contact Information?
It is legal to research someone’s contact information, as long as you are not using the information you learned to harass someone or commit illegal behaviors. For most people, contact information is part of the public record and easily available online.
Of course, this only applies to things like social media profiles, phone numbers, and email addresses. Attempting to find personal information about someone such as their Social Security number or banking details under the ruse of ‘contacting someone’ can be considered illegal in some states. This may result in identity theft charges if you do uncover someone’s sensitive information.
Do I Need to Pay to Find Contact Info?
In general, you will not need to pay to find contact information. Websites and services that ask you to pay exorbitant fees or those that ask for a subscription in order to access information may be scams. It is important to evaluate all websites for legitimacy before paying money or inputting your personal details.
An important exception to this is in the case of government websites or certain background check services. You may need to pay minimal fees to access public records or other background report items.
Contact Information Scams to Look Out For
While the internet can be a great source of information when you are trying to find someone’s contact details, the truth is that there are plenty of scams out there waiting to prey on you. Keeping an eye out for scams and red flags when researching contact info can help you protect your own information.
Contact information scams to look out for include:
- Websites or services that offer personal details, including sensitive information, for a large price or on a subscription basis
- Websites or services that ask for your personal details, such as your banking information or your Social Security number, before you are able to search the website
- Websites or services that ask you to download items onto your computer in order for the search to work
- Anything that asks you for your Social Security number or other personal details
- Poorly designed websites, large prices for contact detail information, or urgent messages telling you to quickly sign up or purchase something
Finding All of the Contact Information You Need
Finding someone’s contact information may seem difficult at first, but there are fortunately plenty of places where you can look up someone’s details and figure out how to contact them. As long as you are doing this with the best intentions, you can easily and legally find someone’s details to learn what you need to reach out and contact someone.
