# finding someone **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2001, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-someone/69011 "2001-06-16T05:25:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-someone/69011/1 "2001-06-16T05:25:26Z")
i have an address, i just need to know who lives there? all the sights on the web work the other way (name to find the address). anyone know what i can do? ---
**Author:** ![robgruver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@robgruver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robgruver)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-someone/69011/2 "2001-06-16T05:58:41Z")
Check [http://www.phonelosers.org](http://www.phonelosers.org) in their Private Investigator links. Its also a fairly funny site, so spend a few minutes there for some laughs. ---
**Author:** ![eLunatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@eLunatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eLunatic)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-someone/69011/3 "2001-06-16T12:22:20Z")
I did a [Yahoo](http://google.yahoo.com/bin/query?p=%22reverse+address+lookup%22&hc=0&hs=0) search for “reverse address lookup” and got several sites. (Sorry, Yahoo is my preferred search engine. I don’t do Google. Guess I’m not a real doper.) I looked at [this site](http://infospace.com/yp.smart/revaddr.htm). I plugged in my address and it didn’t come up with my name, though it did give the name of the person who lives in the other apartment. So take it with a grain of salt because it may be a little outdated. ---
**Author:** ![Lyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Lyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lyra)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-someone/69011/4 "2001-06-16T12:27:58Z")
This may not tell you who exactly live there, but it does provide clues. Call your directory assistance, instead of telling them a name for a number tell them an address and they will give you the phone number associated with that address. Next call your local (or that city’s local) phone company and ask who said number is registered to. It never ceases to amaze just how much info you can legally find out if you really want to …kind of scary actually. I have done this before for various reasons, so it does work. Good Luck!!!