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AT&T Reverse Phone Lookup



Text messaging can be a great addition to your phone, even if you don't utilize the service very much. Block your text service and you might miss that one important text from your text-crazy sister or be unable to receive an emergency alert that you've signed up for.

However, if your cell device carrier is AT&T, you might be tempted to find other ways to receive that emergency message. AT&T charges 20 cents for every text/SMS message you receive unless you purchase its $20/month text plan. Gizmodo recently calculated this to be a 10,000,000 percent overcharge. Being overcharged for that emergency dial probably won't bother you, but when your mobile number gets picked up by an advertising service, and you start to receive spam text messages that cost you money, you might find you have a strong incentive for blocking the entire feature.

Don't block yet. There are other alternatives.

The first thing you should do is register with the National Do Not Call Registry. This registry, put in place as part of the CAN-SPAM act, represents a real victory for American consumers. People finally have the ability to control the large numbers of telemarketers who call at all hours of the day and night. Simply register your cell device at www.dontcall.gov and you will limit your exposure to spam.

The registry, however, doesn't solve the entire problem. Here's why: many organizations are exempt from it. Charities, political organizations, telephone surveyors, companies that you have done business with or have contacted in the last three months, and debt collectors can still call you. If you file a complaint about mobile dials originating from these organizations, you won't get anywhere.

So what do you do?

Start by using an AT&T reverse phone lookup. AT&T doesn't have its own reverse number directory, so you have to go online. The first thing you need to do is figure out who is calling you, but you don't want to dial or text the sender back directly. This costs more money and lets the initiating company know that its message is being received. When you look the phone number up in an AT&T reverse phone lookup, you'll know who is calling; if you find that the number belongs to one of these protected organizations, you need a better tactic than the National Do Not Call Registry. Luckily, many of these organizations have an internal do not contact list.

Once you know the name of the organization, and you have determined that the call is protected, call the company and ask to get added to their internal do not call registry. Companies that you do business with are usually more than happy to pursue the less expensive option and call you at home or on your mobile device.

Spam will always be a problem, but you shouldn't let it stop you from getting meaningful texts delivered to your phone. Combine your AT&T phone with a reverse phone lookup and start taking action. Do not call lists are not a perfect solution, but they will dramatically reduce both text and voice spam.  

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