# Can you get my phone number from just my username? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 4, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819 "2012-11-04T03:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![theLuckyWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@theLuckyWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theLuckyWalker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/1 "2012-11-04T03:45:55Z")
About two hours ago I was posting on another thread, and suddenly I received a call (number blocked) from another poster. A threatening call. How was that person able to obtain my phone number? Does anybody know? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/2 "2012-11-04T03:57:37Z")
Is it possible that this person already knew you in real life? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/3 "2012-11-04T04:00:22Z")
Or, I see in your public profile that your email address is visible, which appears to be your full name. If your number is listed, then there you go. ---
**Author:** ![theLuckyWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@theLuckyWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theLuckyWalker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/4 "2012-11-04T04:02:48Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Is it possible that this person already knew you in real life? No, I haven’t discussed my message board postings with anyone I know. Of course, many people could have viewed the postings, so the caller could have been practically anyone. However I suspect it was one of the posters I was arguing with over the First Amendment. It’s true that my email address is a Google one, and my real name is associated with it, but I still can’t see how you could go from there and get my number. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/5 "2012-11-04T04:13:36Z")
Does it end in a 6? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/6 "2012-11-04T04:17:56Z")
> [@drlarson](#): > > It’s true that my email address is a Google one, and my real name is associated with it, but I still can’t see how you could go from there and get my number. It’s actually a Yahoo address in your public profile that is your real name. A Google search of your real name come up with lots of info. If you are the Doug R Larson that lives in Mesquite, TX, your phone number is in the 2nd result. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/7 "2012-11-04T04:19:39Z")
First by my attempt, with another in AZ and UT. ---
**Author:** ![theLuckyWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@theLuckyWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theLuckyWalker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/8 "2012-11-04T04:19:42Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Does it end in a 6? No. But I just discovered that one of my email addresses is visible on my profile, and it consists of my full name. So, once you have that you can get my number. Simple. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/9 "2012-11-04T04:21:11Z")
Still sucks that a poster would do that. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/10 "2012-11-04T04:23:08Z")
> [@drlarson](#): > > No. But I just discovered that one of my email addresses is visible on my profile, and it consists of my full name. So, once you have that you can get my number. Simple. I took a shot in the dark with the state. DougLarson(at)[gmail.com](http://gmail.com) (since you said it was a google address) came back with a Buffalo address. Anyways, you’ve given out your real name on at least two message boards. It’s just a matter of someone with some free time finding out your location and plugging it into [Whitepages.com](http://Whitepages.com). If you’ve ever mentioned the city you lived in here or on the other message board…you’ve basically given away your home address and phone number (and facebook page if you have one). ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/11 "2012-11-04T04:23:18Z")
… and if you do a google search on the email address, the address in Saint Louis, MO and the phone # there shows up as second result. As of 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/12 "2012-11-04T04:23:23Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Still sucks that a poster would do that. ☹ I couldn’t agree more. What an utter and complete douche. I think it’s a clear violation of “don’t be a jerk” and this person should be banned. ---
**Author:** ![theLuckyWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@theLuckyWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theLuckyWalker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/13 "2012-11-04T04:26:43Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Still sucks that a poster would do that. ☹ Yes I agree, but we were having a rather bitter dispute over some fuzzy area vaguely protected by the First Amendment. And I really think some people are just basically authoritarianists on the inside. They can’t grasp certain ideas fundamentally connected to freedom and democracy because it’s just not in them. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/14 "2012-11-04T04:28:00Z")
> [@drlarson](#): > > Yes I agree, but we were having a rather bitter dispute over some fuzzy area vaguely protected by the First Amendment. And I really think some people are just basically authoritarianists on the inside. They can’t grasp certain ideas fundamentally connected to freedom and democracy because it’s just not in them. You probably don’t want to go too far rehashing the other thread in this forum. It’s generally frowned upon. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/15 "2012-11-04T04:30:22Z")
A PM if someone must. But anything beyond that is sheer assholery. I’d agree a banning is in order if the accusation can be proven. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/16 "2012-11-04T04:30:30Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > … and if you do a google search on the email address, the address in Saint Louis, MO and the phone # there shows up as second result. As of 2008. There’s also a blog that would seem to confirm the MO address as of Feb of this year. ---
**Author:** ![theLuckyWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@theLuckyWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theLuckyWalker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/17 "2012-11-04T04:32:07Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > You probably don’t want to go too far rehashing the other thread in this forum. It’s generally frowned upon. Oh, right. That makes sense. Sorry but I am brand new to this medium and I don’t know the culture. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/18 "2012-11-04T04:35:22Z")
So, in the end, what it comes down to is that, yes, if you put your real name out on the internet, even ‘hidden’ in an email address, it’s not hard for someone to track down your phone number, home address, where you go to school, your facebook page, Freedom of Information stuff etc etc etc. Not that they should, but with everything in the ‘cloud’ so to speak, often times it’s pretty easy. Of course, most people would just look at it and snicker to themselves, maybe write a nasty email if they’re really pissed off. Making a phone call takes things to a whole 'nother level. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/19 "2012-11-04T04:39:47Z")
what a creeper, esp since they went through the trouble of cyber-stalking you then calling from an unlisted number. ---
**Author:** ![theLuckyWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@theLuckyWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theLuckyWalker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819/20 "2012-11-04T04:40:48Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > So, in the end, what it comes down to is that, yes, if you put your real name out on the internet, even ‘hidden’ in an email address, it’s not hard for someone to track down your phone number, home address, where you go to school, your facebook page, Freedom of Information stuff etc etc etc. Not that they should, but with everything in the ‘cloud’ so to speak, often times it’s pretty easy. Of course, most people would just look at it and snicker to themselves, maybe write a nasty email if they’re really pissed off. Making a phone call takes things to a whole 'nother level. Yes I was very surprised, and I have to admit for a moment I found it somewhat frightening. Then I realized that to her it was probably just a real funny prank and poetic justice or something. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-get-my-phone-number-from-just-my-username/639819.md?page=2)