Get caller ID info for blocked numbers
You know the drill: your cell phone rings, you look at the caller ID, and you get the dreaded "Private" or "Restricted". Now the guessing game begins—do you take a risk that it's that surly bill collector or your less-than-stable ex calling, or is it your privacy freak mom? You'll never know, because the caller's information is blocked. Well guess what? There's a way around that.
TrapCall is a free service that thwarts the anonymity by displaying info for blocked numbers. You see, there are places where caller ID isn't—and can't—be blocked, like when you call 911 in an emergency, or when you call a toll-free number. Yep, it's true: when you call a "1-800" or other toll-free number, your caller ID information is displayed, no matter how much you don't want it to be. It's this principle that TrapCall uses to tell you who's on the line.
With TrapCall, you use "unanswered call forwarding" to forward your call to them. Since that forwarded call is coming into a toll-free line on their end, they get the caller ID info, and shoot it back to you. Now you know who's on the line before you pick up.
TrapCall has several different service levels, but the basic one is free. IT works with several, but not all, US providers. You should check with your carrier to see if it's going to cost you extra to use their call forwarding service.