Can a Burner Number Be Traced, and What Is It?

At some point, we all seek privacy and anonymity. While the desire for privacy can have good intentions – like tracking your child’s activities – there are times when malicious people use it for harassment. You may get unwanted calls from suspicious individuals with odd claims or requirements. When the call ends, you can’t reach them again because they’re “gone with the wind”, and you’ll never hear from them again. It’s high time we answered the question: what’s a burner phone? 

Statista reports that an average US citizen gets 28 calls from unknown numbers monthly. According to TrueCaller, about 68.4 million adults in the USA have become victims of phone scams, which resulted in a $39.5 billion loss. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that phone frauds have led to significant losses, with the highest reported per-person loss being $1,4B. Sounds scary, but just think – this could happen to you or someone you love and care about. Well, what’s a burner phone? Can a burner number be traced, and how? That’s exactly what we’re diving into in this review.

What’s a Burner Phone Number?

Well, what’s a burner phone, and are burner numbers traceable? A burner phone is an inexpensive mobile phone designed for temporary, sometimes anonymous use, after which it may be discarded. While some people may use burner phone numbers to protect their primary phone numbers from spam, scams, or unwanted communication, there are cases when people buy burner phone numbers for malicious purposes, such as criminal conspiracies, fraud, scamming, or harassment. 

Can you track a burner phone? As a rule, people buy burner phone numbers with cash to avoid paper trials, so right after the purchase, their SIM card number is complex to trace back as it is not tied to a credit card or any other personal data. Nevertheless, there are ways to expose these burner phone numbers. Which ones? You’ll know in a moment. 

How to Tell If a Number Is a Burner Phone?

So, how do you quickly define what’s a burner phone? If you get frequent calls from suspicious cell phone numbers that cannot be called back, these are likely burner numbers. Calls from scammers and malicious individuals are annoying and stressful. And you may be interested in knowing: Can a burner number be traced? While tracking a burner phone is difficult, you can check whether the number belongs to a burner phone. 

What are the methods you can use to get clues? How to trace a burner phone number?

1. Call them back: Burner numbers cannot be called back. As a rule, there are no responses, or the responses seem automated.
2. Check social media platforms: Verify the validity of the numbers using different social media platforms and IM apps. Burner cell phone numbers often need associated accounts on any online communication platform.
3. Poor-quality connection: When you get a call from a burner cell phone number, the call often has poor quality, delays, or distortion. 
4. Verify the area code: Many burner apps allow users to choose any area code, regardless of location. A red flag may be a mismatch between the area code and the expected region.
5. Odd area codes: It is one of the easiest ways how to trace a burner phone number. While an unusual area code doesn’t guarantee a number is a burner, it can be a clue. It might raise questions if the area code doesn’t match the location the person claims to be from or frequently operates in. However, remember that the person could have obtained the number while traveling or living temporarily in that area.

When Do People Use Burner Numbers?

There are many reasons people may decide to use burner numbers. These include, but are not limited to:

1. Anonymous communication: As a rule, people keep the same cell phone number for an extended period. What does it mean? That a person uses the same cell phone number to link it to many social media accounts, apps, websites, etc. Having a burner phone number allows users to link to non-essential services. 
2. Privacy: When people chat with someone using dating apps, online sites, forums, etc., and do not want to reveal their real contact info, they use burner phone numbers. This is helpful if the person on the other side is suspicious, as they won’t be able to call you back. 
3. Avoiding spam and unwanted calls: Users utilize a burner SIM instead of their main number, so if scammers target them, they can easily discard it.
4. Traveling: When visiting another country, using burner phone numbers is useful to avoid roaming charges or keep the primary number safe.
5. Security cases: Some people (e.g., police officers) frequently use burner numbers to communicate when they need to remain untraceable, such as during undercover operations or when contacting suspects in sensitive cases (e.g., a murderer or kidnapper).

How Can You Track a Burner Number?

Are burner numbers traceable? Is it a one-way ticket, meaning you won’t be able to reconnect with the person if they call from a burner number? Imagine the case: you get calls from different numbers but recognize the same voice when communicating with that person. Stress, anxiety, and worry take over because you don’t know who’s behind the calls. Don’t worry, though – there are still ways to uncover the identity behind a burner number. Well, how can a burner number be traced? 

Leverage Third-Party Applications

Do you want to track the location of a burner number? Use GEOfinder. It is a great web-based tool that can easily detect the accurate and real-time location of any cell phone number on a map, regardless of cell phone carrier, network, phone model, or OS they use. 

Just imagine this scenario: you receive a call from an unknown number but can’t reach them when you try to call back. In such cases, GEOfinder allows you to pinpoint the caller’s precise location, even if their phone number does not correspond to your region.

With this GPS location tracker by phone number, you will easily detect the following data:

• The target’s phone location by IP or WiFi network.
• Cell phone carriers they use.
• Their exact location, even if a VPN service is enabled on their device. 

How can you track a burner phone number location with GEOfinder?

1. Enter the cell phone number of the person whose geolocation data you want to obtain.
2. Attach an image or a URL to the message. 
3. Send the SMS to the person. 
4. Once they click the link in the text message, their location data will be shared with you. 
5. The best part? They won’t know that by clicking the link, they are agreeing to share their position. 

Remember that although the tool allows unlimited geolocation requests, you can only send one request every 5 minutes. This safeguard prevents system overload and ensures fair usage for all users.

Utilize Online Tracking Tools

Well, how can you track a burner phone with online tools? Whitepages is the most known free online tool for identifying unknown callers, finding addresses, or conducting background checks. Suppose you enter a burner cell phone number into the “Reverse Phone” search field. In that case, Whitepages will attempt to provide details such as the phone’s carrier, location, and possibly the person associated with the number. However, this information may be limited to burner numbers.

The tool can also provide additional information, but you must pay to access this extended data. The info includes:

• Criminal records;
• Financial information; 
• Employment history.

As Whitepages, tools like TrueCaller and Spokeo offer access to millions of public records. These tools allow you to find details such as the target’s name, surname, and phone carrier.

Contact the Internet Service Provider (ISP)

If you can’t trace a fake phone number on your own, legal help is your best option. Contact a lawyer and share any details you’ve found about the number. The lawyer can work with the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or Virtual Number Operators (VNOs) to request a report with the account information tied to the number. However, remember that the process may take time and requires court approval to access private records.

Conclusion

What’s a burner phone? It is a temporary, often anonymous phone number used to protect privacy or avoid detection. So, can a burner number be traced? Yes, but it depends on what information you’re looking for. 

While the methods discussed here can each uncover some details, we highly recommend GEOfinder. This tool is effective and completely anonymous, but it also allows you to pinpoint critical information, such as the caller’s location, without raising suspicion. Whether dealing with prank calls, potential threats, or simply curiosity about an unknown number, third-party services are a reliable solution. 

Tracing a burner number is possible but requires patience and the right approach. Utilizing the techniques and tools highlighted in this guide allows you to take control of the situation and uncover the information you need.