Methodology

Last updated: April 20, 2026

At Who-Calls.me.uk, we aim to provide you with accurate and up-to-date information about phone numbers. Our approach combines user reports with online data to give you reliable insights about who might be calling you.

How We Collect Information

Our database is built primarily from two sources:

• Reports submitted by users like you through our website
• Publicly available information from reputable online sources

This combination allows us to maintain a comprehensive and current database of phone numbers and their associated activities.

How We Analyze Call Reports

When you submit a report about a phone number, you can classify the call as:

• Unknown - Calls where the caller’s identity or purpose is unclear
• Scam/Fraud - Suspected scam attempts, fraud, or other deceptive activity
• Spam - Unwanted nuisance calls that are irrelevant or unsolicited
• Legitimate - Verified genuine calls from real people or organisations
• Telemarketer - Sales or marketing calls promoting products or services
• Debt Collector - Calls related to collecting outstanding payments or debts
• Robocaller - Automated or prerecorded calls
• Survey - Calls made to collect opinions, feedback, or research responses

Our system uses a specialized algorithm that:

• Analyzes keywords and phrases in your reports
• Evaluates the sentiment (positive, negative, or neutral) of these words
• Filters out inappropriate language that could skew results
• Calculates an overall rating for each phone number

How We Present Information

We organize information on our website in a user-friendly format with several key sections:

• Overall Rating - A summary score based on all user reports
• User Reports - Individual experiences with the number
• Common Keywords - Frequently mentioned terms associated with the number
• Caller Details - Any identified information about who owns the number

We're committed to protecting your privacy, so all user reports are anonymized. We implement strong data protection measures to keep your information secure while sharing helpful insights with our community.

How We Keep Information Current

Our database is updated in real-time as new reports come in. This means:

• New information is immediately available to all users
• Ratings can change over time as more data is collected
• Historical reports remain accessible for context
• You always see the most current assessment of a number

We prioritize recent reports while maintaining access to older information, giving you a complete picture of a number's activity over time.

About the Telephone Preference Service (TPS)

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is the UK's official opt-out register for unwanted sales and marketing calls. When you register your number with the TPS, organizations are legally required to stop making unsolicited sales and marketing calls to you. For a comprehensive explanation, read our guide on Understanding the UK's Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

Key facts about the TPS:

• Approximately 14 million UK landlines and 4 million mobile numbers are registered
• Registration is free for individuals
• Some organizations are exempt from TPS restrictions, including:
  • Market research companies conducting genuine research
  • Companies with whom you have an existing relationship
  • Organizations you've given explicit permission to contact you

If you receive unwanted marketing calls despite being registered with the TPS, you can report these violations through our platform or directly to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). See our guide on How to Report Nuisance Calls to Ofcom and ICO for step-by-step instructions.