If so, then you're not the only one! You can be sure that all around the world, people are receiving telephone calls from numbers they don't recognise. This is the reason why so many reverse phone number lookup systems are available on the internet these days. OK, you say, so now I know I'm not alone, I don't feel so bad. But I still don't know who the telephone number belongs to, that I keep finding on my phone!

Don't worry, there are a few things you can do, and some of them don't cost anything.

The easiest one, and the one that some people don't even think about, is to simply call the number and ask who it is. Now, this is fine if it's, say, a work or business number that you're getting called on. Go ahead, make that call! It's probably either a wrong number, or somebody trying to call the person who used to work where you do. Things get a bit more complicated if it's your home or mobile number. The trouble is, quite often, there's potentially some sort of problem attached to the number.

What do I mean by "problem"? Well, maybe the phone being called isn't your phone, but it's your partner's. You suspect they're getting calls and not telling you about it, and you're getting suspicious, and a little worried too. That's perfectly natural. Trouble is, you don't want to call the telephone number and start a whole load of trouble. It might be perfectly innocent, and if it gets back to your partner that you're checking up on them, then suddenly, you're the bad guy! Also, it's possible that there's a good reason why your partner doesn't want you to know who he or she is calling - maybe they're planning a surprise party, or a trip somewhere!

The other reason why most people, especially single girls, may not want to call a number to find out who it belongs to, is that it may be a nuisance call, or prank call, and they don't want to give the person calling the satisfaction of knowing that they're getting worried.

There's a simple way to get round this. Just get a good friend to make the call for you. If it's innocent, then they should be able to find out enough to put your mind at rest, and if the person at the other end of the telephone line doesn't play ball, then you know you need to take it to the next level, and use a specialist service.