Who called me?

Read the prefix first, then check the number.

Start with the prefix, because it tells you the line type before you know the name. A New Zealand number starting 021, 022 or 027 is a mobile and will not appear in any open directory. A number starting 09, 07, 06, 04 or 03 is a geographic landline and points at a region. 0800 and 0508 are freephone, so ringing back costs you nothing, while 0900 is premium rate and ringing back costs you money. Anything that rings once and stops is wangiri, and you should not ring it back.

What the prefix tells you

021: Mobile, historically One NZ. Normal for a personal call. Not listed in any open directory, so a reverse lookup is usually the only route to a name.
022: Mobile, historically 2degrees. Same rules as 021: no public directory, and number portability means the original carrier no longer proves much.
027: Mobile, historically Spark. Very common for tradespeople and small businesses, so a real business call often arrives from a 027.
020: Mobile, newer ranges including Skinny and resellers. Cheap and quick to obtain, which is also why scam traffic likes them.
09 / 07 / 06 / 04 / 03: Geographic landlines: Auckland and Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Taranaki through Hawke's Bay, Wellington, and the entire South Island. The region should match whatever the caller claims.
0800 and 0508: Freephone. Ringing back costs you nothing. Genuine organisations publish these on their own website, so check the number there rather than trusting the one you were given.
0900: Premium rate. Ringing back costs you money per minute. Never return a 0900 call you did not start yourself.
International, not +64: If it rang once and stopped, it is wangiri: the whole point is to make you ring an expensive international number back. Block it and move on.

Scam patterns that actually run in New Zealand

These are the scripts New Zealanders report most. None of them is proof on its own, but each one is a reason to stop and check the number before you do anything else.

NZ Post and courier texts

A text about a parcel that could not be delivered, with a shortened link and a small fee to release it. Real delivery notices reference a tracking number and never ask for card details on a linked page.

NZTA Waka Kotahi toll and infringement texts

A text claiming an unpaid toll or fine, with a link and a deadline. The urgency is the tell. Check your account through the official website you type in yourself, never the link in the message.

Inland Revenue refunds

A call or text about a tax refund that needs your bank details to release. IRD does not ask for bank logins or card numbers this way, and a refund never requires you to pay anything first.

Bank security team calls

Somebody claiming to be from ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Westpac or Kiwibank says your account is compromised and money must move to a safe account. There is no such thing as a safe account. Hang up and ring the number on the back of your card.

Wangiri one-ring calls

One ring from an international number, late at night, designed purely to make you ring back at premium rates. Never return it.

Remote access and tech support

A caller says your computer or router is infected and asks you to install software so they can help. Installing it hands them your screen and your banking session.

Common questions

Should I ring back an unknown NZ number?

Not straight away. If it rang once and stopped, do not ring back at all, because that is the wangiri pattern. If it left a voicemail naming an organisation, look that organisation up yourself and ring the number on their own website rather than the one you were given.

How do I stop a number ringing me?

Block it in your phone, and turn on your carrier's spam filtering. If the same caller keeps changing number, that is an automated dialler, and blocking one number at a time will not keep up.

Where do I report a scam call or text in New Zealand?

Scam texts and spam are handled by the Department of Internal Affairs, online safety reports go to Netsafe, and if you have lost money, contact your bank immediately and then report it to the Police. The Commerce Commission is the telecommunications regulator.

Can I find out who owns the number for free?

Sometimes. Searching the number in quotes works well for businesses, because they publish their own numbers. Personal 02x mobiles are not in any open directory, which is where a reverse lookup gets further.

Guides for New Zealand numbers

Whose number is this?

An unknown NZ number called or texted. Three ways that actually work: read the prefix, search it properly, and run a reverse lookup. 1M+ lookups.

Who keeps calling me?

The same NZ number keeps ringing. Read the calling pattern, identify who it is, and stop it for good. Private check in about 60 seconds. 1M+ lookups.

Free phone number search in New Zealand

What you can find on an NZ number for free, what you cannot, and where the free routes stop working. Honest limits, no guessing. 1M+ lookups.

Is this number a scam?

The scam signals that actually matter on an NZ number, what each one means, and exactly what to do next. Check a number privately in 60 seconds.

NZ Post and courier text scams

Fake delivery texts imitate NZ Post and couriers. How the real notice differs from the fake, in the link, the sender and the ask. 1M+ lookups.

Is my partner on dating apps?

What a phone number can and cannot reveal about dating app use, stated honestly. No app searching, no private data, no guesswork. 1M+ lookups.

Find out who is really behind the number

The check is private and takes about 60 seconds. The person is not notified and never finds out you looked.

Check a number now