# How to identify cell phone carrier by telephone number



## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

I remember reading an online article describing how to decipher Philippine telephone numbers to determine if they are cell phone or a landline, but I believe that the article also described how to determine where the number is located, also which cell phone provider (Smart, Globe, or Sun) the number belongs to. Can't seem to find the same article by searching the Internet, and was wondering if anyone had first hand knowledge in this area. 

I have a friend who is being asked to send a large sum of money, but the entire thing doesn't smell legit, and I'm trying to help him see the picture.


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

Well, I found the below article on Wikipedia, and it explains some of what I'm looking for, but I'm trying to figure out what part of the country a cell phone such as 63-968-383-xxxx might be located.

*Telephone numbers in the Philippines*


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_the_Philippines#Mobile_phone_area_codes


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

You might need to contact the cell phone providers, initially, it looks like a Land Line phone but any Land Line phone would resemble a phone number like in the US, with the area code (XXX)- XXX-XXXX but these other cell phone companies have long numbers.

Here's a link (not sure if it helps) of the various regions and phone numbers. Useful links for expats area codes but basically it's mainly the addition of the extra provider digit and area codes because our PLDT Land Line and PLDT Cell phone begin with a 5 so unsure how you will be able to determine his phone number and what provider it is unless you contact an operator.


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## amcan13 (Sep 28, 2021)

Hope I don't break the rules but I just tested this site with my number here and it worked. You do need a country code, then it will tell you the provider. It also said if wireless or not.





Welcome to FreeCarrierLookup.com


Get Telephone Carrier Data



freecarrierlookup.com




It also gives you the email address you can use to email a text to someone. I text to US cel phone all the time, email is free and the cel providers offer this service free.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

Quited from that wiki page: "Some of the first *area* codes to be assigned for mobile phones were 912 for Mobile/Piltel..."

I dont know but I *believe* that wiki writer has missunderstood it, 
because why would MOBILE phones numbers have area codes? 
E g iif someone buy a simcard when arriving in Manila and then go to the home province, then it would show *wrong* location anyway. And people can move and keep the number I suppouse.
And what would the GAIN be with having *movable* things be market with a *static *location?? 
As I have understood it that part is only telling which supplier as I understand it as the Wiki article say too. But I am new wake up so perhaps I dont think any good 

- - 
@Maxx By if it is as you believe, it can show wrong location anyway, so how would it help to convince him?
Arent there any other red flags, which can be used much better? 
Or signs its NOT a scam?  which is possible too, but its more common with scams as we all know. 
((But I did send rather much money anyway after much research and more or less proven he isnt scammer because otherwice he wouldnt have risked I would have skiped him and done the deal with an other instead by he hesitated so long time so I almost lost patience. If he would have been scammer then he could easy have said Yes direct instead.))

May I ask what signs have you seen in this case and whats the money for?
Will the money go to something, which can be collateral? If so has he done any such precoursions? 
(I know foreigners have less chance to winn cases, BUT some foreigners winn. I know of one "lose face" case where the foreigner were SOME guilty but he wonn anyway by the Filipino had been worse - I suppouse to the Filipino leading the case too  - and the Filipino lost much more face in the court 🤣 when all things the Filipino had done to the foreigner plus some to others was told in public with a lot of spectators by - inspite of such cases are normaly in closed rooms with no sprectatyors, the case leader had made it public and seemed to have "adverticed" because it came a lot of spectators so "whole baranggay" did see and heared all 🤣
Legalities can be used to BLOCK scammers from using the things, make them lose money at court cases and make them stressed  There is even some chance to block scammers from selling their LEGAL OWN real estate they have. (I thought of doing so when a couple broke a deal we had and made me annoyed by a lot of BS, and they got realy scared of risking jail - although they didnt realy risk jail by no jail at the punnishment alternatives at such but they believed so and I didnt bother to tell them it isnt  But their attempt to selling their other properties risk to be blocked many years if I just spend A LITLE money at STARTING the case, by its common with 10 years waiting time at such cases, so I could have skiped continue it when it become first in line 10 years later...  We lost no money to them, just time (and delayed earning) so we havent started any case just to screw up for them, inspite of this rich/middle class Filipino couple realy deserve it. A factor too is screwing up for them would add risk they would send someone to sabotage for us, which wouldnt be so nice  

There is a third possible alternative too though:
Reciever is NOT a scammer, but incompetent, so the money will be lost anyway...  As it have been for many both foreigners and OFWs financing business projects lead by incompetent relatives. There are such cases even when the foreigner started it up, made it profitable and tought them how to continue. When he came back a half year later they had screwed up anyway, NOT refilling the stock so the shop was almost empty at things to sell and they had used up all money counting all income as profit!!! 🤡


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

Lunkan said:


> Quited from that wiki page: "Some of the first *area* codes to be assigned for mobile phones were 912 for Mobile/Piltel..."
> 
> I dont know but I *believe* that wiki writer has missunderstood it,
> because why would MOBILE phones numbers have area codes?
> ...


Well, a friend of mine showed me a text message he received from someone in the Philippines, claiming to be a member of the US Consulate staff in Cebu. The text message asked for money to be sent, so that a girl my friend has been writing to can come to the US and work as a nurse. Of course this has scam written all over it. I tried to explain to my friend that the consulate would never get involved in something like this, and if they did, they wouldn't be sending you a text from a pay as you go cell phone located in Mindanao. 

My friend is in his seventies, he's stubborn, and right now he is having a hard time accepting that maybe he really didn't find a girl who loves him, and maybe he's really being conned by a con-artists. 

I was hoping to show him some hard evidence that the text didn't come from anyone working at the US Consulate in Cebu, but even so, I think that he is starting to realize things.


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## Lunkan (Aug 28, 2020)

@ I see.
And I suppouse fees for such would be paid to an OFFICIAL acount anyway. Your friend can research himself how so he see himself


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Maxx62 said:


> Well, a friend of mine showed me a text message he received from someone in the Philippines, claiming to be a member of the US Consulate staff in Cebu. The text message asked for money to be sent, so that a girl my friend has been writing to can come to the US and work as a nurse. Of course this has scam written all over it. I tried to explain to my friend that the consulate would never get involved in something like this, and if they did, they wouldn't be sending you a text from a pay as you go cell phone located in Mindanao.
> 
> My friend is in his seventies, he's stubborn, and right now he is having a hard time accepting that maybe he really didn't find a girl who loves him, and maybe he's really being conned by a con-artists.
> 
> I was hoping to show him some hard evidence that the text didn't come from anyone working at the US Consulate in Cebu, but even so, I think that he is starting to realize things.


Talk him into finding a woman much closer like South of our border.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Maxx, ask your friend to contact the Philippine Consulate in California that should solve that problem quickly.


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

M.C.A. said:


> Maxx, ask your friend to contact the Philippine Consulate in California that should solve that problem quickly.


I don't know. In the past I repeatedly tried contacting their consulate in San Francisco about certain things, and they never got back to me on it. Most likely they'd consider something like this too silly, and they wouldn't want to bother with it. 

Also, I explained to him how the US Embassy called my relatives in the US, when I had my emergency in the Philippines, and how the embassy didn't try and communicate with my relatives via text. This seemed to open his eyes a little.


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## Blue Dog (Apr 5, 2021)

Suckers are born every minute of the day. Your friend got well and truelly suckered. BTW. Cell phones dont have area codes. They have a 3 digit number that identifys the carrier. Cell phone sims are not regionalized. They work anywhere in the country providing the carrier has a network there. Never send money to a Filipino, never reply to a text that says contack me now, by (email provided) It is urgent.


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

Blue Dog said:


> Suckers are born every minute of the day. Your friend got well and truelly suckered. BTW. Cell phones dont have area codes. They have a 3 digit number that identifys the carrier. Cell phone sims are not regionalized. They work anywhere in the country providing the carrier has a network there. Never send money to a Filipino, never reply to a text that says contack me now, by (email provided) It is urgent.


I think that all of that was already said above.


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## DonAndAbby (Jan 7, 2013)

Maxx62 said:


> Well, a friend of mine showed me a text message he received from someone in the Philippines, claiming to be a member of the US Consulate staff in Cebu. The text message asked for money to be sent, so that a girl my friend has been writing to can come to the US and work as a nurse. Of course this has scam written all over it. I tried to explain to my friend that the consulate would never get involved in something like this, and if they did, they wouldn't be sending you a text from a pay as you go cell phone located in Mindanao.
> 
> My friend is in his seventies, he's stubborn, and right now he is having a hard time accepting that maybe he really didn't find a girl who loves him, and maybe he's really being conned by a con-artists.
> 
> I was hoping to show him some hard evidence that the text didn't come from anyone working at the US Consulate in Cebu, but even so, I think that he is starting to realize things.


The U.S. Embassy in Manila or Cebu would never use a cell phone and certainly not text. Landlines only.

Mobile phone prefixes for the Philippines are readily available. Here is one site:



https://digitalpinas.com/cellphone-number-prefixes-philippines/


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