How we verify numbers

A business name should be backed by evidence

Who’s Calling only puts a business name on your screen when the evidence supports it. We don’t rely on people guessing who a number belongs to – we check it against what the business itself publishes, cross-check it with official records, and hold back anything we’re not sure about.

Numbers checked against the business’s own website
Business details cross-checked with official records
No crowd-sourced tags deciding who a number belongs to
If we’re not sure, we don’t show a name

See how it works Back to Free Caller ID →

Find the businessWe start from public information about UK businesses.

Check what the business publishesThe number must match the one the business publishes itself.

Cross-check the identityOfficial records and further checks must point to the same business.

Verified UK business

The process

How a number becomes verified

No single source is treated as proof on its own. A business name is only shown when the evidence agrees.

Step 1

Find the business

Public information about UK businesses tells us which business to investigate. On its own, that’s a lead – not proof.

Step 2

Check what it publishes

We confirm the number is the one the business publishes itself, and that the business really is who it says it is.

Step 3

Cross-check the identity

We compare against official records such as Companies House, plus further checks of our own, to make sure everything points to the same business.

Step 4

Hold back if unsure

If anything conflicts or doesn’t add up, we don’t guess. The number simply isn’t shown as a verified business.

Three levels of evidence

Only the highest level reaches your screen

We can know quite a lot about a number without being sure enough to put a business name on it. Anything short of fully verified stays behind the scenes.

Low · lead only

We know of a business, but haven’t confirmed the number is theirs

A public record may link a business and a number, but nothing has independently confirmed they belong together.

Comes from a public business record
Number not yet confirmed by the business
Kept on file while we check further
Not shown as a verified business

Medium · probable

Good evidence, but not enough to show the name yet

Several things may point to the same business, but at least one of the checks we require is still missing or needs review.

Probably the right business – not yet confirmed
Some supporting evidence already in place
One or more required checks outstanding
Still not shown as a verified business

High · verified

The number and the business agree

Every check we require has passed, and nothing we’ve found points to a different business.

Number confirmed against what the business publishes
Business identity passes our checks
No conflicting evidence
Shown as “Verified UK business”

What we won’t use as proof

Identity is not decided by a vote

Lots of caller ID apps let users tag numbers. That’s useful for describing what a caller did – but it doesn’t prove who owns a number.

What we rely on

What the business publishes about itself
Official business records
Our own further identity checks
Agreement between all of the above

What isn’t enough on its own

Users tagging or voting on a number
A number copied between online directories
Where a number’s dialling code is from
A single record that nothing else backs up

Why we don’t publish every check. Scammers would love to know exactly how to get a fake business marked as verified. So while we explain our approach openly, some of our checks stay private – that’s what keeps the badge worth trusting.

An important distinction

What “Verified UK business” means – and what it doesn’t

It means

The number matches the one published by that business
The business identity has passed our checks
We have evidence for why that name is shown

It does not mean

Everyone calling from that number can be trusted
Caller ID spoofing is impossible
You should give security details or move money because a number looks familiar

If a caller says they’re your bank, the police, HMRC or another official organisation:

Hang up and call them back on a number you trust. The badge identifies the business’s published number – it can’t guarantee who is actually on the line.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What does “Verified UK business” mean?

It means the number matches the one the business publishes itself, and the business identity has passed our checks.

Do you rely on people tagging numbers?

No. Community reports can describe what a caller did, but they’re never used to decide who a number belongs to.

Why check what the business publishes?

Because a number published by the business itself is much stronger evidence than a number copied between third-party directories.

What are the Low, Medium and High levels?

They describe how much evidence we have. Low is a lead only and Medium is probable – neither is shown as verified. Only High, where every required check has passed, appears as “Verified UK business”.

Why don’t you explain every check in detail?

So scammers can’t use the information to get a fake business verified. We’re open about our approach, but some checks stay private to keep the badge trustworthy.

Does a verified number mean every call is safe?

No. Caller ID can be spoofed. The badge identifies the business’s published number – it doesn’t guarantee who is making a particular call.

What happens if a number isn’t verified?

Who’s Calling tells you the number isn’t on our verified list rather than guessing. With Call Screening, unknown callers can be asked who they are and why they’re calling.

Know why a business name is on your screen

Start with free caller ID, add Call Screening for unknown callers, or choose Guardian for an extra pair of eyes.

See Free Caller ID Explore Call Screening →Explore Guardian →