Find a surname with only a phone number?

[Brain]

I need to find the surname and address for a landline phone number. I know the guys first name, telephone number and the town but thats all.

Now with the BT directory etc you can find all the info you want if you have a surname and location, however I cannot find a way to do the opposite. Is one generally aloud to do what Im wanting to do - would that be breach of data protection to offer such a service? I dont see how in this case since one is already able to find out a phone number for any name/address.

 

[me227]

A look up from a telephone number to find an address is called a reverse look up and it's illegal.

 

[Fakel1ty]

i hate to ask, but why?

also, he may be ex-directory

 

[Pudney]

Why don't you phone him and ask him?

 

[zain]

lol yeah pretend to be a bank or something

 

[Fonzie]

I could find out................... but then I work for BT

 

[Stefn]

A look up from a telephone number to find an address is called a reverse look up and it's illegal.

It's not necessarily illegal. That depends on what the data is to be used for.

 

[TriedandTested]

I could find out................... but then I work for BT

Lucky you!

 

[Heliospherez]

"In the United Kingdom, Ireland and many other countries it is illegal to perform a reverse lookup from a phone number, although some companies have attempted to sell reverse directories. CD-ROM telephone directories supplied by telephone operators are now sold in an encrypted format that only allows lookups from a name and address."

As quoted by someone in the know (Top dog at BT) - as it is against the law (specified in the data protection legislation - unless you specify that you want your address to be made available if someone asks and produces your phone number) - The BT enquiries site gives more details.

 

[R0B75]

I could find out................... but then I work for BT

As could I, if I wanted to risk being imprisoned.

 

[LeperousDust]

Someone on here should phone up for you and pretend to be the bank/water board/electric company etc...

But bagsie not me...

 

[Hades]

I was involved in a minor car incident a while back (the other guys fault!). He refused to give me his name but he had already given me his mobile number. When I called it I found he'd recorded a greeting on there with his name.

Made me laugh, what a muppet

 

[Stefn]

"In the United Kingdom, Ireland and many other countries it is illegal to perform a reverse lookup from a phone number, although some companies have attempted to sell reverse directories. CD-ROM telephone directories supplied by telephone operators are now sold in an encrypted format that only allows lookups from a name and address."

As quoted by someone in the know (Top dog at BT) - as it is against the law (specified in the data protection legislation - unless you specify that you want your address to be made available if someone asks and produces your phone number) - The BT enquiries site gives more details.

I don't disagree with this. However if it is entirely true, then it is also illegal for someone who requres the information for the purposes of crime prevention, or following up a crime, to do a reverse search.

 

[Sic]

erm, am i missing something? why is calling him not an option. if you've got his phone number and first name, you must at least be acquanited. if you dont, then i'm thinking you shouldnt have his address anyway.

 

[Borris]

...

I would be interested to see the specific legislation that covers that.

What might be more accurate is that the DPA prevents such information from being handed out without due cause and / or authorisation.

For example, were Fonzie to find out the number and pass on the info, that would most probably be in breach of the DPA.