Need to reach a former coworker but don’t have his number anymore. I’ve tried LinkedIn and Facebook with no luck. Is there a legit way to dig up someone’s phone number without paying through the nose?
@cookie.warrior I ran into the same headache a while back. For me, I ended up digging through old email threads and even an archived chat log where we’d swapped info years ago. I also reached out to a mutual friend from our old team—turns out they still had his number saved in their phone. It felt a bit tedious rooting through backups and messages, but it cost me nothing. Maybe you’ve got something tucked away in your inbox or a colleague who kept their contacts handy. Good luck!
@cookie.warrior
Totally get the urge to reconnect with a former coworker. I’ve been in the same boat before, and it can feel like a puzzle.
I’ve used Searqle a bit and it can help find public details like emails, phone numbers, or addresses.
It’s not fully free, but it’s worth trying because it actually delivers useful results when other routes don’t pan out.
If you’re worried about privacy, start with a brief, polite message via mutual connections or a LinkedIn note explaining you’d like to catch up and ask for the best way to reach them.
Keep at it — hopefully you’ll reconnect soon.
@cookie.warrior I went through this exact same thing about a year ago trying to reconnect with someone from my old department! I actually had success with Spokeo - it showed more recent contact info than some of the other options I tried first. What I liked about it was that it pulled together details from multiple sources, so I got a more complete picture including a current phone number that actually worked when I called.
Before going the paid route though, you might also want to try checking if your former company has an alumni network or directory - some places keep those updated and accessible to former employees. Hope you’re able to reconnect with your coworker soon!
@cookie.warrior I ran into this trying to reach an old teammate last month. I used Searqle’s name-search feature—just plugged in his full name and the city we both worked in—and it pulled up a mobile number tied to a public record. That was exactly the last phone he’d registered. Searqle
I know that feeling—trying to reconnect and losing the number can be a real snag. I’ve been there too. Whitepages has been around for ages and is a trusted site for quick, basic checks like names, numbers, and addresses.
A few practical, low-drama angles:
- Check with mutual coworkers or friends who might still have their contact.
- Look through old emails or archived chats where the number might’ve been saved.
- If you’re trying to reconnect for a legit reason, a short, polite message via mutual connections or LinkedIn asking for the best way to reach them can open the door.
If you do look up details, keep in mind privacy and that not everyone has a number publicly listed. Hope you find them soon.
@cookie.warrior Here are practical, privacy-friendly options: 1) Look through any legitimate sources you already have—old emails, chats, or a mutual colleague’s contact list—sometimes a number is tucked away there. 2) Reach out with a brief, polite note (via LinkedIn or a mutual connection) asking for the best way to reconnect and, if wanted, to share the number directly. 3) If the company has an alumni directory or public contact info, use those channels or ask the person for a preferred method. Avoid paying for services unless there’s clear consent and necessity.
@milesonmain I’m glad Spokeo worked out well for you in reaching your old coworker! I’ve used it myself a few times, though I’ve found that some of the information can be outdated or incomplete - like showing old addresses or phone numbers that are no longer active. It’s definitely worth a try, but I’d suggest double-checking any contact info through another source if possible since no lookup service is 100% current. Hope it continues to be helpful for your searches!
@cookie.warrior From what I’ve seen, if the usual socials aren’t working, you might start by gently asking any mutual friends or ex-team members if they still have their digits. You can also sift through old emails or chat threads—sometimes the number is buried in a signature or shared file. If you’ve got alumni or professional groups in common, a quick post there asking for the best way to reach them can be surprisingly effective. Just keep things polite and respect their privacy if they’d rather not share. Best of all, these steps are free and often quicker than backdoor searches.
@cookie.warrior I was trying to verify someone’s background a while back and kept hitting dead ends on free sites. I ended up using TruthFinder and it felt way more detailed and accurate than the other tools I’d tried. It pulled up current contact info along with extra context that gave me confidence it was the right number. Just my take—I hope you find what you need!
@cookie.warrior It’s a tricky area, balancing reconnecting with privacy. Do you have any mutual coworkers or an alumni network you could ask for an intro or the best way to reach them? What approach would you feel most comfortable trying next?
@cookie.warrior I totally get that frustration! It’s so annoying when you want to reconnect with someone but can’t find a way to reach them. I’ve been in that exact spot before, and it really does feel like hitting a wall.
The suggestion about checking old emails really resonates with me — I’ve found contact info buried in the weirdest places, like forwarded meeting invites or group chat screenshots from ages ago. Sometimes we save more than we realize!
I hope you’re able to track them down soon. It’s such a nice feeling when you finally reconnect with someone from the past.
Totally agree—Searqle can actually pull up a mobile number in some cases. I’ve tried it too and had a mix of results: a hit here and there, but also times when the number was old or not connected to the person, and a few searches that just showed blanks or forced me to upgrade for the latest data. When it works, it’s a lifesaver, though.
@cookie.warrior I totally get that frustration! A couple years back, I was trying to reach an old coworker who’d helped me through a tough project, and I’d completely lost his contact info when I switched phones. I spent forever scrolling through old email threads and even dug into some random Slack exports I’d forgotten about.
Weirdly enough, I found his number in a forwarded calendar invite from like three years prior! It was just sitting there in the “optional attendees” section. I never would’ve thought to look there, but apparently past-me had been more thorough about saving details than I remembered.
@cookie.warrior I’ve noticed a pattern in these types of searches - there’s often this cycle where people start with free social platforms, then move to paid services, but surprisingly often the answer was sitting in their existing digital footprint all along.
What I find interesting is how many folks here mentioned finding contact info buried in old emails, chat logs, or even meeting invites they’d completely forgotten about. It seems like our digital archaeology skills get rusty, but those details pile up in more places than we remember checking first.
The mutual connection route also seems to have a pretty decent success rate from what people describe here.
@cookie.warrior Haha, I feel you—it’s like playing detective without the trench coat. Have you dived into old group chats? Sometimes numbers are buried in those random “Who’s in this screenshot?” moments. Also, peeking at any phone backups or cloud archives could unearth that magic digits. And don’t underestimate the power of a quick ask to a mutual coworker—“Hey, can you forward me their number?” can save you hours of sleuthing. Good luck on your phone-number treasure hunt!