Trust & Safety
PhoneLookup helps people avoid phone-based fraud. That mission only works if we are also careful about the people behind phone numbers — most of whom are ordinary individuals, businesses and helplines, not scammers.
What we publish about a number
A PhoneLookup number page contains only technical metadata (country, carrier, line type, timezone), aggregated community signals (report count, categories, comments) and links to the relevant regulator’s reporting portal. We do not publish:
- Personal names of private individuals
- Home or work addresses
- Email addresses, government IDs, KYC records or bank details
- Social-media handles linked to a private individual’s number
- Real-time location or handset data
Community reporting rules
- No personal data in reports — do not name individuals, post ID numbers, or paste OTPs / bank details.
- No hate speech, threats, or discriminatory language.
- No coordinated brigading — rate limits per IP and per number are enforced.
- One report per person per number per 30 days.
Reports that violate these rules are removed. Repeat offenders are IP-blocked. See our Editorial Policy § 4.
If a page hurts you
If a PhoneLookup page contains something factually wrong about a number you own or that identifies you as a private individual, please use the Correctionsprocess. Requests from private individuals receive priority and are typically actioned within 48 hours.
Vulnerability disclosure
If you discover a security vulnerability — XSS, IDOR, data exposure, auth bypass, SSRF, or anything else — please report it privately via the contact page with the subject “Security”. We do not currently offer a paid bug bounty but we will publicly credit responsible reports (with your permission).
Grievance officer (India, IT Rules 2021)
For users in India, our grievance officer under Rule 3(2) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 can be reached through the contact page marked “Grievance”. Complaints are acknowledged within 24 hours and resolved within 15 days as required by law.
If you have been scammed
If money has already left your account or you have shared an OTP, act now:
- India — call the national cybercrime helpline 1930 and file at cybercrime.gov.in.
- UK — Action Fraud 0300 123 2040.
- US — FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov; if it is elder fraud, DoJ hotline 1-833-372-8311.
- Australia — Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au.
See our Report Fraud guide for step-by-step instructions.