When your phone rings, what\u2019s your initial response: to answer it or to check first and see who\u2019s calling? For many of us \u2014 probably most of us \u2014 it\u2019s the latter. Between the overwhelming number of scam and spam calls that happen each year, and the (relatively smaller) number of specific people or companies we don\u2019t want to talk to, it\u2019s become a reflexive habit to check the incoming number before answering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, that raises the question of what to do when you receive a private call. Your display may say \u201cblocked\u201d or \u201cunknown\u201d rather than \u201cprivate number,\u201d but the point is the same: You don\u2019t know who\u2019s on the other end of the line or what they want. Should you take that call? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you make a phone call, your phone identifies itself to the network carrying the call. By default, the caller ID system displays that identifying information \u2014 your number and sometimes your name \u2014 to the person receiving the call. On the whole it\u2019s a good system, and convenient for the person on the receiving end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That being said, for privacy reasons you sometimes might not want your number displayed. It\u2019s easy to do that on a per-call basis by pressing *67 (on a landline) or #67 (on a cell phone). Most phone carriers can block caller ID<\/a> for you, either through their customer service department or through their app on your phone. On your phone itself, iOS and Android both offer settings to block your number<\/a> from caller ID. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you receive a call that displays as \u201cPrivate number,\u201d \u201cPrivate call,\u201d \u201cUnknown number\u201d or some variation on that wording, it means that your caller has chosen to remain anonymous. Some do so for perfectly legitimate reasons, but others do not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A private call can be perfectly innocuous. Your caller might simply be privacy-conscious. Sometimes your caller\u2019s phone carrier might experience a network issue that temporarily disrupts caller ID, or it could be a brand new line: Newly issued numbers can take a little while to show up in the databases phone carriers use for caller ID purposes. Similarly, if your caller has recently changed phone providers, caller ID may not identify them (and yes, this happens with businesses too<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes the call is from a legitimate source, but one that you\u2019d rather avoid: the pushy salesman you\u2019re deliberately dodging, perhaps, or the account manager about that car loan you\u2019re struggling to pay (caller ID is a real issue when you\u2019re in the collections business). Other times, the call may be from less-legitimate sources including scammers and spammers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Recent \u201crobocall\u201d legislation<\/a> has tightened the rules around caller ID and several kinds of automated or scam calling, which is why you\u2019ve probably noticed new caller ID messages<\/a> such as \u201cFraud\u201d or \u201cPotential scam.\u201d Those are helpful when they show up, but often you\u2019ll still simply see \u201cPrivate call\u201d or \u201cUnknown number.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n So what happens if you answer a private call? Sometimes, nothing: It\u2019s just someone you actually know who has chosen to have their number blocked. It might be a legitimate or even important call. That being said, there are some less-innocuous outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One is that you find yourself talking to someone you wanted to avoid, perhaps an ex or a stalker. A second possibility is that you\u2019ll be hounded by bill collectors or find yourself fielding promotional calls. Avoiding calls from scammers and fraud artists is also urgent: You can\u2019t fall for a scam you don\u2019t hear; and some robocalls do nothing more than establish that your number is active and will be answered. Once they know that, your number goes on a list of \u201clive ones\u201d that they and other criminals can use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those are the risks you\u2019ll need to balance. On one hand you might miss a call that\u2019s important, but on the other hand you\u2019re potentially exposing yourself to exploitation if you do<\/em> answer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people have a hard and fast rule of never<\/em> answering an unknown call, whether it\u2019s from a blocked number or one they just don\u2019t recognize. In one well-reported case from the fall of 2021, a hiker lost on a Colorado mountain ignored calls from the search and rescue team<\/a> because he didn\u2019t know the number. That\u2019s an extreme example, but it illustrates an important point: This isn\u2019t an all-or-nothing scenario. You have options beyond answer\/don\u2019t answer: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some providers will tell you the number of your last call \u2014 which you can write down and search on Spokeo<\/a> if you don\u2019t recognize it \u2014 and then give you the option of calling back. Other carriers simply return the last call, so it\u2019s important to know how your own provider handles that option before<\/em> you use it (and to block your own number before calling back). <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re getting harassed by phone, many carriers offer a call tracing service using this code. Follow the voice prompts to initiate a trace and wait to see if your carrier can identify the caller. There\u2019s often a fee for this service and it\u2019s not available from all carriers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many apps you can install on your phone that unmask blocked calls and let you view the caller\u2019s identity. Often they\u2019re the same apps used to identify and block \u201crobocalls,\u201d<\/a> so they provide a lot of value for (usually) very little money. Again, once you have a name and number, you can search them on Spokeo to find out exactly who\u2019s calling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on your carrier, your monthly statement may include a call log showing incoming and outgoing calls. The log sometimes unmasks blocked numbers, so make a note of the date and time of your \u201cmystery calls\u201d and check them against your log. This isn\u2019t a quick solution, but it\u2019s low-cost and requires minimal effort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, the decision whether to ever answer a private call is a personal one. If you\u2019re a privacy purist or an introvert, or if you\u2019re experiencing some debt issues, you might well decide that ignoring those calls is your best option. On the other hand, if your personality skews more to \u201clet the chips fall where they may,\u201d you might answer them more often than not. You can always hang up or block the troublesome repeat callers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For most of us, taking the middle road \u2014 unmasking the caller after the fact, and then deciding whether to return the call \u2014 may be the most appealing option. It requires a little extra effort on your part, but it means you won\u2019t miss legitimate calls and won\u2019t have to deal with scammers and spammers or anyone you\u2019d simply rather avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The options and the tools are there. It\u2019s up to you whether you choose to utilize them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When your phone rings, what\u2019s your initial response: to answer it or to check first and see who\u2019s calling? For many of us \u2014 probably most of us \u2014 it\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":26580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[612],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Private Calls Can Mean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Should I Answer a Private Call? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You Have Options With Private Calls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Use #69 (or *69 on a landline) To Return the Mystery Call<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use #57 (or *57 on a Landline) To Trace the Call <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use an App To Unmask Private Calls <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Check the Call Logs on Your Statement <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fielding a Private Call<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
References:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n