You just missed a call from an unknown number and you want to know who called. Before calling back, a few seconds of verification can save you from falling into a scam or abusive canvassing trap. This guide covers all available methods to find out who called you.
Why you should not call back an unknown number straight away
Calling back without checking carries real risks. Premium-rate numbers (08xx) can generate high per-second charges the moment you connect. Ping call scams lure you into calling back a foreign number where each minute costs several euros. Fraudulent call centres use your callback to confirm your line is active and then intensify their solicitations. Two minutes of prior verification are worth more than tens of euros in charges or an unwanted commitment.
Search the number on TelCheck first
The fastest and most reliable first step is to enter the number on TelCheck (telcheck.fr). TelCheck aggregates community reports and displays a reputation score from 1 (very trustworthy) to 9 (very suspicious), the caller category (scam, commercial canvassing, customer service, bank, government, etc.), total report count and detailed comments from people who received the same call. Within seconds you know whether this number is known for abusive practices or whether it is a legitimate professional call.
Analyse the number's prefix
The prefix gives useful initial information under the national numbering plan managed by ARCEP.
- 01, 02, 03, 04, 05: geographic landlines. 01 covers Île-de-France, 02 the North-West, 03 the North-East, 04 the South-East and 05 the South-West. Generally more trustworthy, though spoofing can fake them.
- 06 and 07: mobile numbers. Legitimate, but also used by canvassers who buy large number ranges in bulk.
- 09: non-geographic VoIP numbers, favoured by canvassing platforms because of their low acquisition cost.
- 08xx: special numbers with specific pricing — some are free (0800), others are premium-rate (0899, 0897).
- Foreign prefix (+222, +678, +252…): a strong ping call indicator. Never call back without checking first.
Use an internet search
Copy the number into a search engine (Google or Bing) as-is or in international format (+33…). If the number has been reported on consumer forums, cybersecurity blogs or social networks, testimonies will appear immediately in the results. Keywords such as "scam", "spam" or "canvassing" linked to the number are obvious warning signs.
Your carrier's tools
All four major French carriers offer integrated protection. Orange has "Protection avancée", SFR has "Anti-spam vocal", Bouygues Telecom has "Stop SPAM", and Free offers filtering via the client portal. These tools sometimes identify the caller before you even pick up, but their database is less comprehensive than TelCheck's.
Your smartphone's native features
On iPhone (iOS 16+), the "Silence Unknown Callers" option in Settings → Phone automatically sends calls from numbers not in your contacts to voicemail. On Android (Pixel, recent Samsung Galaxy), the built-in Phone app spam filter displays "Likely spam" or "Likely scam" alerts in real time while the phone is ringing.
What to do once you have identified the number
If the number is flagged as fraudulent or malicious, do not call back. Block it directly on your smartphone and report it on TelCheck to protect the community, as well as on Signal Conso (signalconso.gouv.fr) to alert the DGCCRF. For abusive canvassing, register for free on Bloctel (bloctel.gouv.fr) to reduce unsolicited commercial calls. If you have already been defrauded, file a complaint at service-public.fr.