WhoCalled.org.uk is built around community reporting, basic technical checks, and practical editorial judgement. This page explains how number pages are created, how user comments fit into the service, and what visitors should keep in mind when reading the information shown here.
How number pages appear
A phone number page may appear because someone searched for the number, because a report was submitted about it, or because the number matched existing area-code data that helps us place it within the UK numbering system. The site does not claim that every number page represents a confirmed bad actor. In many cases a page simply reflects that people are trying to identify an unfamiliar caller.
When enough reports accumulate around a number, the page becomes more useful because repeated descriptions can reveal patterns: the same sales script, the same impersonation attempt, the same timing, or the same behaviour after someone answers.
How user reports are treated
Reports are submissions from individual users. They are valuable because they capture what happened in plain language, close to the event itself. They are not treated as court-tested facts, official determinations, or proof that a number belongs to any particular person or organisation.
For that reason, we encourage visitors to read number pages critically. A single report can be helpful, but several similar reports from different people are far more meaningful than one isolated complaint or one emotional reaction without detail.
How risk labels are derived
Where the site displays a broad label such as legitimate, nuisance, or scam/fraud, that label is based on the mix of submitted report types rather than on a private investigation or direct verification with the caller. It is a shorthand summary of community reporting, not a legal finding.
Those labels should be read as indicators, not guarantees. A number may be misdialled, reassigned, spoofed, or used differently over time. Context still matters.
How comments are moderated
We aim to preserve useful public reporting while reducing avoidable harm. Comments may be removed or restricted if they contain personal data, threats, hate speech, unlawful allegations, or material that does not help identify the nature of the call.
More detail on acceptable submissions is available in our community standards.
Limits of the service
We are not a regulator, police body, telecom provider, bank, or government agency. We cannot trace every caller, verify every identity claim, freeze payments, or stop a campaign in progress. The service is designed to help with recognition, comparison, and caution. It is one layer of protection, not the whole answer.