One of the most common reasons for using a reverse phone search is to stop prank callers. A number with no name shows up on your caller ID, but the voice on the other end just laughs wildly, or maybe even makes lewd or obscene comments. Harassing or threatening calls can be more than a frustration, especially when they awaken you from a deep sleep in the middle of the night.

So, how does using a reverse phone search help? The simple answer is it will allow you to know the name and address of the owner of the phone being used to make the calls. You will simply need to report that information to the proper authorities to get the menacing phone calls stopped.

One way of using a reverse search is to simply type the phone number in question into your Google search bar. Using the format (xxx) xxx-xxxx will usually bring up the name and address of the owner of the registered phone number. The problem is that these search engines, regardless of whether you use Google, Yahoo, MSN or whatever, will not help you trace a cell phone number or be able to lookup unlisted numbers. You will need to subscribe to a service, such as Reverse Phone Detective, in order to find those numbers. The good news is that there are several such services available online and most are quite affordable to subscribe to.

Another growing use of these services is for help in catching a cheating spouse! Yep! You can become your own private eye with these services. If a spouse notices several numbers on the old cell phone bill that look suspicious, they simply enter the number into the old phone detective, and wham! That important business call at 1AM turned out to business after all...monkey business!

Parents are using a reverse phone search more as means of reassurance and safety when their children have cell phones. Again, by using the monthly phone statements, any unknown or suspicious numbers can easily be traced.

There are many reasons for subscribing to one of these reverse search services. They are very affordable and can create peace of mind for several situations. I've mentioned only three situations due to limited space, but I am willing to bet you have had other reasons that such a system would be of great benefit to you.