8 FREE OSINT Tools for Phone Number Investigation

These tools work globally, allowing you to investigate any international phone number.

Figure 1 shows how phone number OSINT can reveal digital footprints, including connected social media accounts and websites

Are you looking to uncover hidden digital trails linked to phone numbers while ensuring your own safety with proper operational security (OPSEC) practices? Let’s dive in

This article highlights eight free web-based tools and mobile apps used to investigate phone numbers for digital footprints and online associations.

You can check and uncover the following details against any phone number

Details of Facebook and Skype accounts
Connection to an Instagram account
Inclusion in the 2021 Facebook data breach
Association with a Website (Registrant Details)
Public Profile Picture
Owner’s name, address and email
Multiple linked names
Possible involvement in scam or fraud activities

First things first — OSINT and OPSEC

Operational security (OPSEC) refers to a set of strategies and practices aimed at protecting personal data and ensuring the safety of your activities during OSINT investigations.

The free OSINT tools for phone number investigation mentioned here often require an email address, phone number or social media account for signup, whether you are using a website or installing an app on your phone.

Safety Tip: Avoid using your personal email, social media accounts or mobile number for accessing these tools or installation of OSINT apps on your personal mobile phone.

Neglecting OPSEC in your OSINT investigations could put your personal information at risk.

Recommended steps

Use a Burner Phone for Apps installation.
If you don’t have a Burner Phone, then purchase a new phone with a new SIM card and use it specifically for OSINT investigation.
Create a fake email address.
Create fake social media accounts on all platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.)
For insights into the ethical and legal aspects of OSINT investigations, check out my article 4 Best Telegram BOTs for Phone Number Investigation.

You are all set: Let’s begin

1. Getcontact App

This app is available on both Google Play and App Store. You can search and uncover multiple names (saved by different people in their contact lists) associated with your target phone number.

More than one name can give you valuable insights into the caller’s identity and provide context on how others know them, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Output of Getcontact App against a Phone Number search

2. Castrick

The free version of this tool reveals details of Skype accounts associated with a phone number, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 4. Results of a reverse phone lookup via Castrick

3. BigDomainData

This tool will identify whether your target phone number is linked to a website, also known as registrant phone number.

If the number is found to be linked to a website, then further ownership details (Name, address, city, country and email etc.) will also be acquired using the bigdomaindata website.

Simply search for your target phone number without the (+) sign, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. BigDomainData Reverse Phone Lookup

A free sign-up is required to view the results, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Results of a Reverse Phone Lookup

Expand the above results to view the Registrant ownership information, as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Phone number linked Registrant information

4. Epieos

The FREE version of Epieos reveals the profile picture and associated Skype account connected to a phone number.

It also indicates if a phone number is linked to multiple social media platforms e.g. Instagram etc, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Figure 9. Epieos output — Skype account and connected social networks information

5. HaveIbeenZuckered

This site reveals whether your phone number was included in Facebook 2021 data breach that exposed 533 million accounts.

Output from this site will appear as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11. Output from HaveIbeenZuckered website

6. Eyecon App

This app is available on both Google Play and App Store and can identify whether a phone number is linked to a Facebook account. It also reveals the profile picture and owner’s name, as shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12. Eyecon App — Connected Facebook account identification

This app also checks if a phone number is involved in spam, fraud or scam activities, as shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13. Eyecon scam/ Fraud numbers identification

7. TrueCaller App

TrueCaller is a well-known app in the OSINT community. The app is available on Google Play and App Store. You can check the owner’s name, profile picture and email address via truecaller.

It also reveals if a phone number is reported in spam or fraud activities, as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14. Output from the TrueCaller App

8. Global Scammer Database

ScamSearch is a free public database of reported scammer details, including their email address, phone number, username, website and crypto address.

You can search your target phone number in this database to check for any scam-related activities, as shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15. Global Scammer Database — Catch a Scammer

9. Bonus — How to Find Instagram and VK accounts Connected to a Russian Phone Number

This last section is about how to find Instagram and VK accounts linked to a Russian phone number.

This free Telegram bot, DetectivA | BIO, can check if a Russian phone number is associated with Instagram or VK accounts.

It also reveals the previous names and usernames for both accounts, as shown in Figure 16.

Figure 16. DetectivA | BIO Telegram Bot *for Investigating Russian Phone Numbers*

Conclusion

Phone number OSINT investigations can uncover a wealth of information, from social media profiles and websites to potential fraud involvement.

The eight free tools highlighted in this article provide powerful capabilities for investigators seeking digital footprints linked to phone numbers worldwide.

However, ensuring your own safety with strong OPSEC practices, such as using burner phones and fake credentials, is crucial to avoid exposing personal information.