Next time you get a particularly annoying crank cell phone call, say, "Thank you for calling! Give me your address and I'll be right over!" Don't be surprised if that information is not forthcoming, but many times this will deter the caller from pressing 'redial' after you hang up.
That comment itself used to be a bluff, but now, thanks to recent advances on the Internet, you can actually track cell phone numbers and even get a map with directions to the heckler's residence if you like! (Do us all a favor, though, and turn the information over to authorities rather than confronting the caller in person.)
Many of us still rely on caller ID systems, but they are becoming less effective all the time because miscreants are constantly trying to figure out new ways to circumvent them. If you want to take a pro-active stance regarding your right to be left alone, there are services available on the Internet that will allow you to carry the fight to the enemy without putting yourself at risk. Using the reverse look-up process on the web allows anyone to access billions of records that can track cell phone numbers, traditional land lines and even unlisted numbers in minutes.
The technology needed to track cell numbers isn't cheap to acquire, and websites that offer it are naturally in business to make a profit. Just the same, a good tracking website will check to make sure it can access a phone number before charging a nominal fee to issue a full report on the number and its owner. This is a cutting edge service whose concept was inspired by a genuine, modern day need, and requires access to information that most of us just don't have.
Callers with malicious intent have learned that the privacy features necessary to make cell phones viable also make them a convenient tool for harassing innocent people. For reasons of principle if no other, it's time to strike a balance that favors the good guys for a change. If you have a persistent nuisance caller, then using an online look-up service to track cell numbers is an appropriate means of self defense.
