Reverse lookup tools like Social Catfish and its alternatives are used to search for information on particular data like an email address, domain name, phone number, IP address, etc. Reverse lookup tools work on getting associated information on the basis of a specific data point to get additional information on what is searched upon.
Reverse lookup services assist in:
- Verification of contact and caller information
- Investigation of unwanted or suspicious communications
- Finding contact related information on an email sender or domain owner, etc
Encountering catfishes is one of the worst things one can hope for while roaming online. The act of catfishing – the pretension of being someone else – is a prevalent form of trickery in the world of the internet. That is why verifying someone’s online identity is a must-do for anyone looking for safe, secure online interactions.
Social Catfish ranks among the leading apps that allow users to keep catfishes at bay through easy online ID verification. I have extensively tested the reverse search service, and although it is good, Social Catfish has some flaws. For that reason, I have also mentioned some of the best alternatives to Social Catfish reverse lookup.
PimEyes
PimEyes is a tool that serves as an online face search engine by taking one photo with a face as input and searching for that face throughout the internet.
Its advanced face recognition algorithm helps PimEyes provide results containing the given face. This enables its users to stay protected against defrauders, identity thieves, or anyone using your photos for crooked purposes.
Besides, looking up a particular image online empowers users to delete their photos from the internet forever if they want and also to hide their existing photos from appearing on PimEye’s public search results page.
The tool offers multiple pricing options that cater to users with different needs and preferences. One-time use costs 7.99 USD/search, while monthly and annual subscriptions start from 14.99 USD and 143.90 USD, respectively, which is really affordable considering Social Catfish’s high prices.
BeenVerified
With BeenVerified, verifying people’s online identity becomes a cakewalk. From People Search to Reverse Phone Search to Email Lookup – BeenVerified can do everything effortlessly. Also, it can search for a person using their username, address, etc.
However, this is not all. BeenVerified has other unique features like Unclaimed Money Search and Vehicle Lookup.
The Unclaimed Money Search feature can help you find out if you have any unclaimed money from government or private agencies. Unclaimed money can come from uncollected tax refunds, disremembered security deposits, etc.
On the other hand, Vehicle Lookup lets you find details about your car or a car you wish to purchase using its VIN Number.
BeenVerified has two plans – a 1 Month Membership for 29.99 USD/month and a 3 Month Membership for 19.49 USD/month.
Search People FREE
Search People FREE lets individuals search for over 700 million people free of cost and find information about them.
By utilizing just a phone number, address, email, and so on., one can effectively discover the person behind a virtual identity.
Besides, it allows its users to look for people whose names start with a specific letter of the alphabet, for instance, A, B, C, etc.
Plus, Search People FREE comes equipped with a GPS Location Lookup feature that enables GPS-based nearby address searches. All you have to do is provide a GPS location, and the tool will show you nearby addresses and their residents.
Spokeo
Spokeo is a great way of discovering people’s real identities using their names, email addresses, physical addresses, or contact numbers.
The tool provides details regarding somebody’s full name, location, social media profiles, wealth data, associate/relative list, criminal records, and whatnot.
Searches on Spokeo are free. But you have to pay 0.95 USD to get your report, which includes a 7-day free trial. Note that Spokeo offers criminal records in exchange for cash, even if you do not opt for its basic or membership fees.
NumLookup
NumLookup is a solid Social Catfish alternative that comes with some pretty handy features. These are Reverse Phone Lookup, People Search, Reverse Image Search, etc.
For your info, NumLookup’s most reliable service is its Reverse Phone Lookup, which empowers a user to find information like someone’s full name, telco data, social media profiles, address, photos, and relative list.
But you have to remember that NumLookup’s services do not seem to work outside the United States. So, if you are a non-US resident, NumLookup is not for you.
That’s Them
That’s Them comes with a free-to-use People Search Engine that enables people to search for an individual’s identity using their name, address, phone number, etc.
Also, it has two other significant features – IP Address Lookup and Vehicle Search that enrich the tool.
The report contains data like full name, contact information, physical address, age, gender, financial details, and more.
Apart from these, That’sThem provides lifestyle information (if the person loves gaming, owns a pet, reads books, etc.) and Quality Score too.
Intelius
Intelius helps its users find detailed info about someone using their name, phone, or address.
Some of its sought-after features include Reverse Phone Lookup, People Search, Background Check, Public Records Search, and Reverse Address Lookup.
The tool goes through 20 billion+ public records to provide accurate results. These comprise an individual’s full name, address, social networking profiles, location history, and birthday, among others.
As of now, Intelius has different pricing for different services. For 0.95 USD though, first-timers can get either Reverse Phone Lookup + People Search or Address Lookup + People Search with 5-day and 7-day trials, respectively.
Anywho
Anywho is an online tool that gives people access to a person’s full name, email address, phone number, etc., for free. The tool utilizes a huge amount of available public records.
Users can search for people by their name, contact number, physical address, and more.
In case you were unaware, Anywho makes use of Intelius’ database. Therefore, if you do not want your details to appear in Anywho’s search results, you are free to opt out by visiting Intelius’ website.
Instant Checkmate
Instant Checkmate offers beneficial services like Public Records Search, People Search, Reverse Phone Lookup, and more.
It also permits users to search for an individual’s Criminal and Traffic Records, Inmate Status, etc.
Instant Checkmate’s reports include birth info, contact number, assets, social media profiles, and business ownership, among others.
Currently, it has two membership plans – a 1-month membership for 35.12 USD/month and a 3-month membership for 28.09 USD/month.
Background Checks
Background Checks is a free online tool that searches over 1 billion public records using a person’s first and last names and region.
The service is ideal for looking up someone’s background info, bankruptcy data, criminal record, address, family history, and more.
Whitepages
Whitepages take a name, phone number, or address and find an individual’s contact information, age, relatives, financial and traffic records, carrier data, scam/fraud ratings, etc.
It offers a full background check as well, known as Whitepages SmartCheck, that users can utilize for an all-encompassing criminal/other record from all 50 U.S. states.
And the best part? The tool is completely free.
SearchUSAPeople.com
SearchUSAPeople.com aids you in discovering a person’s contact info, house ownership, criminal records, social media profiles, etc., by their name, address, or phone number.
The tool also has a Plate Lookup feature that lets you search for a particular License Plate Number and know its details.
For 2.95 USD, you can get unlimited searches and reports for an entire week.
But remember, SearchUSAPeople.com is a USA-only service. So, users from other countries cannot use this website.
Now let’s look into what Social Catfish, its key features and limitations.
What is Social Catfish?
Social Catfish is a tool for looking up the real person behind an online ID using their name, email address, phone number, username, address, or image.
The app verifies a person’s virtual identity by scanning through many documents. These include educational websites, government archives, public records, and more.
Social Catfish is ideal for anyone worried about catfishing, wishing to double-check some info, or looking forward to reigniting lost connections.
Key features of Social Catfish
Social Catfish provides its users with a plethora of useful features, including:
#1. Reverse Name Lookup
Social Catfish lets users find information about a person using only their name. By writing a name in the provided field and hitting ‘Search,’ users trigger the app’s advanced algorithm to go through a pile of billion records to locate the person.
After searching, the app gives you their social profiles, physical addresses, contact numbers, and sometimes the list of their relatives.
#2. Reverse Email Lookup
Using Social Catfish, people can easily find detailed info about a person via their email ID. From just an email address, users can discover a person’s full name, address, phone number, social connections, and so on.
In some instances, one can find their IP address and location specifics too.
Also read: Social Catfish Reverse Email Search Helps You Stay Ahead of Scammers
#3. Reverse Phone Lookup
Reverse Phone Lookup lets a Social Catfish user see who is behind a phone number by providing details about a person using their phone number only.
Whenever someone gets a new number, they have to register it with a service provider under their real name. Social Catfish utilizes this and finds the full name, physical address, relatives, social profiles, etc., and separates a VoIP number from a real one.
#4. Reverse Username Lookup
Social Catfish’s Reverse Username Lookup feature makes it hassle-free to find someone’s real name, social accounts, email address, physical address, mobile number, etc., using their username.
By allowing users to double-check the information provided in someone’s online profile with their real self, Social Catfish helps users detect scammers early on and maintain their safety.
#5. Reverse Address Lookup
Social Catfish’s Reverse Address Lookup is a powerful tool that helps users quickly unveil public info about an address. This includes purchase history, deed details, owner information, etc.
They can also get to know other minutiae, like the square footage and the price of the said property. This comes in handy for people who are thinking of renting or buying a property to ensure its legitimacy.
It can help an individual find whether someone resides in an address they claim to live in.
#6. Reverse Image Lookup
Social Catfish also has a Reverse Image Lookup feature, similar to reverse image tools; that allows individuals to find important details about a specific picture. These include online accounts associated with the photo, copyright info, authenticity checks, search for a product, and even looking for identical content.
Limitations of Social Catfish
While Social Catfish comprises many cool features, it has some drawbacks that may compel people to search for alternative platforms. Here are some of those limitations:
#1. Inaccurate and outdated results
One of the major issues with Social Catfish is that although it claims to be incredibly accurate, the reality is different. The website literally asks you to brace for impact as the results might shock, but sometimes, it is the inaccuracies that become a shocker.
Oftentimes, the tool cannot find any results for even the most well-known phone numbers, usernames, email IDs, etc.
At other times, it annoyingly provides details about a person that are either far from being accurate or have become obsolete long ago. I ran a reverse search on myself, and it showed my location to be “Remote,” among other results. What does remote really mean? Is it a remote village near Africa or a TV remote? Only Social Catfish knows!
#2. Expensive Subscriptions
To use Social Catfish’s tools, you have to opt for their paid subscriptions first, which is fine, but the prices aren’t! When I wanted to see my full report, I was asked to pay $5.73 for the first three days and $27.48 for the entire month.
For reference, that’s three times more than my Spotify subscription I use all the time. I highly doubt anyone would use Social Catfish as frequently as they would pay 30 bucks a month unless they are either private detectives or highly skeptical of everyone.
I would like to point out another one of their exploitative tactics of running a timer on the subscription page, mentioning that the report might change within 5 minutes. Honestly, no CIA or FBI is working on deleting your usual Jane Doe’s record within those 5 minutes. It is just a clever or manipulative way of gaining more subscribers.
#3. Complex Refund Process
There is no easy way to get a refund from Social Catfish. The company makes it clear that users have to reach out to them for any refund-related requests via phone call or email.
Upon assessing your refund request, Social Catfish can accept or reject it based on fulfilling its refund criteria. Funnily enough, the website just has a placeholder that mentions the number of days for processing the refunds, which instills confidence in their transparent refund process.
Conclusion
As you can see, Social Catfish is a fairly effective catfish detector, but it is not the only one. Its drawbacks include glitched/outdated reports, high pricing, and a tricky refund process. There are numerous solid alternatives available in the market that can go toe-to-toe with Social Catfish any day.
In this article, I have mentioned some of the best tools to provide a Social Catfish-like experience. Nonetheless, they are wonderful people search engines in their own right, with some even surpassing Social Catfish in some aspects. With these fantastic tools at your disposal, you can say scammers and fraudsters goodbye for good.
Next, check out our article on Social Catfish reverse image search.