Guides
Long-form, citation-rich guides on UK telephone numbering, common scam patterns, and how to identify any UK caller using free public data.
178 guides · showing 12 most recent
The WhoCalledLookup guides are a long-form companion to the per-number lookup. Each piece is research-led, citation-heavy, and aimed at either someone trying to identify a specific UK caller or someone trying to understand the mechanics of how UK telephone numbering actually works. The series is split into four practical clusters:identification guides on how to work out who an unknown number belongs to (who-called-me workflows, area-code lookup, Range Holder vs current provider), scam-pattern guides on the most common UK scam-call shapes (HMRC tax refund scams, parcel redelivery phishing, “Amazon Prime” cold calls, bank impersonation), numbering-plan reference material covering the Ofcom National Telephone Numbering Plan and how 01/02/03/07/08/09 prefixes are allocated, and tooling articles on validation, AI-vs-database lookups, and the data sources used by WhoCalledLookup.
Every guide is reviewed quarterly. Where a piece cites a specific Ofcom statement of policy, statutory instrument, or third-party source, an inline citation is included; if you spot a citation that no longer resolves, please report it via the editorial address on the homepage footer. The byline on each guide links to the author’s profile page, which lists their other articles for the site and a short biography.
If you arrived from a search for a specific kind of caller (for example “0345 numbers explained” or “HMRC scam calls”) the most relevant guide will normally surface in the card grid below. If you arrived from a missed-call CLI on your phone, the fastest answer is usually the per-number reverse lookup on the homepage rather than a guide — paste the digits, get the Ofcom Range Holder and the AI internet check in seconds, then come back to the guides if you want context on the family or the carrier. The guide series is best read in the order it appears: the identification cluster first (how UK reverse lookup actually works), then the scam-pattern cluster (the most common UK scam shapes and their red flags), then the numbering-plan reference material once you know the families well enough to want the underlying rules.
Guides are written to be useful even if you only read the headline and the first paragraph. Each opens with a one-sentence summary of the call type or scam pattern it covers and a clear “what to do next” recommendation; if you have ten seconds, that opening is enough. The remaining body fills in the regulatory and technical detail for readers who want the longer answer — what Ofcom rule applies, what the consumer protection law actually says, what the cited research found, and how the situation is changing.
- Area codes
0113 area code: where it is and who's calling (Leeds)
0113 is the Leeds area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local Leeds call from a spoofed 0113 number, and how to check who called you from an 0113 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
0114 area code: where it is and who's calling (Sheffield)
0114 is the Sheffield area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local Sheffield call from a spoofed 0114 number, and how to check who called you from an 0114 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
0115 area code: where it is and who's calling (Nottingham)
0115 is the Nottingham area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local Nottingham call from a spoofed 0115 number, and how to check who called you from an 0115 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
0116 area code: where it is and who's calling (Leicester)
0116 is the Leicester area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local Leicester call from a spoofed 0116 number, and how to check who called you from an 0116 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
0117 area code: where it is and who's calling (Bristol)
0117 is the Bristol area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local Bristol call from a spoofed 0117 number, and how to check who called you from an 0117 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
0118 area code: where it is and who's calling (Reading)
0118 is the Reading area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local Reading call from a spoofed 0118 number, and how to check who called you from an 0118 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
01202 area code: where it is and who's calling (Bournemouth)
01202 is the Bournemouth area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local Bournemouth call from a spoofed 01202 number, and how to check who called you from an 01202 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
01206 area code: where it is and who's calling (Colchester)
01206 is the Colchester area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local call from a spoofed 01206 number, and how to check who called you from an 01206 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
01223 area code: where it is and who's calling (Cambridge)
01223 is the Cambridge area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local call from a spoofed 01223 number, and how to check who called you from an 01223 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
01224 area code: where it is and who's calling (Aberdeen)
01224 is the Aberdeen area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local call from a spoofed 01224 number, and how to check who called you from an 01224 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
01225 area code: where it is and who's calling (Bath)
01225 is the Bath area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local call from a spoofed 01225 number, and how to check who called you from an 01225 number.
20 Jun 2026
- Area codes
01226 area code: where it is and who's calling (Barnsley)
01226 is the Barnsley area code. Here's exactly where it covers, how to tell a genuine local Barnsley call from a spoofed 01226 number, and how to check who called you from an 01226 number.
20 Jun 2026