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How Do You Know A Phone Number Supplied Is Valid And Active?

A person interacts with a digital interface about phone number validation on a tablet, ensuring the mobile number is still active, with a call-to-action to read an article by Fergal Parkinson.

How To Know If a Mobile Number Provided Is Valid

From shopping online to applying for jobs more and more companies are now asking customers or applicants to add a mobile number to online forms. But how do you know the number supplied is valid and true and active, and not just made up?

The short answer is that it depends on what you mean by ‘valid’ and there are 2 main ways that you one can answer that question.

To put it into context, at the very least a valid number must be the following:

  • The right length
  • Have the right prefix (for example in the UK mobile numbers typically start with ‘07’)
  • Belong to an allocated range (because not all possible numbers are allocated to phone service providers)

You’d be amazed how many fraudsters just put in a fake number that ‘looks about right’ especially if they give an international number. Many businesses, who aren’t specialists in numbering intelligence, wouldn’t know a valid number from a fake one.

How Do You Know If A Mobile Number Provided Is Active

Secondly, how can you tell if the number is active? For this a different solution is needed.

Because network operators allocate numbers from within their ranges as they bring on new customers, it’s difficult to tell a valid number from a real (in service) one. You can’t really do this without doing some kind of real-time check at the network level, but if you do, you can be sure that the number you’re looking it is truly ‘valid and active’

At TMT ID, we offer customers both of these options.

Our vast global numbering database offers a fast and low-cost check which will tell you if a number is valid in milliseconds. We can then provide a real-time mobile network check to spot the difference between an unallocated number and one that’s actively in use. Our number plan information covers the whole world and is updated daily, so your risk of getting fooled by totally fake numbers can become a thing of the past.

Depending upon your need for certainty, we’ve got something to offer you.  

Speak to us today about how TMT ID can help your business info@tmtid.com.

 

Last updated on September 18, 2024

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What Our Customers Are Saying

"Phone number verification plays a critical role in helping to detect and prevent online fraud. TMT ID’s TeleShield product provides easy access to global mobile data, enabling us to enhance the actionable results of our MaxMind minFraud® services."

MaxMind

"BTS (Business Telecommunications Services) is successfully using TMT’s Velocity and Live services to check the status of mobile numbers. This way we make sure we optimize the performance of the service offered to our customers and ensure the quality of terminating traffic to all countries.”

Business Telecommunications Services

"Working with TMT’s TeleShield service has expanded our ability to detect fraud and minimise the risk to our business. TeleShield brings peace of mind and the opportunity to stop fraud before it affects our customers’ bottom line or the service."

Six Degrees Labs

"LATRO relies on TMT’s TeleShield to provide the most up to date and reliable numbering qualification information within our fraud reporting tools, enabling us to protect our customer’s revenues and empowering them to defend themselves against fraudulent numbers."

LATRO

"TMT is a valued partner that enables us to manage our routing costs effectively. They proactively and continuously expand their operator and country coverage while delivering exceptional customer service. We can always count on them to achieve high-quality results and look forward to our continued collaboration."

Global Message Service

"TMT provides us with the most comprehensive numbering intelligence data through their fast and reliable Velocity and Live services. TMT is a trusted partner for us, their products ensure that we continue to optimise the best performance and service to our customers."

Global Voice

"TeleShield from TMT gives 42com the power to detect and target telephony fraud scams internationally, thereby protecting our company from the financial and customer experience impacts of telecommunications fraud."

Alberto Grunstein - CEO

"It has been a pleasure to work with the team at TMT. They have become an essential provider of accurate numbering data information and Number Portability services globally."

Luisa Sanchez - VP of SMS and Messaging Solutions, Identidad Technologies

"Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier uses TMT ID as one of their key suppliers for Mobile Number Portability Data services. Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier uses TMT ID’s Velocity MNP solution. This is an ultra-fast query service that optimises the routing of international voice calls and A2P messaging."

Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier

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