Can Two People Have the Same Phone Number? What You Need to Know

Dave Moore - August 30, 2025

Phone numbers tend to be a personal thing, so if you’ve ever received a phone call from two different people who have the same number, you’re right to be suspicious. However, there may be some circumstances where it’s perfectly normal for two people to have the same phone number, whereas it may not be possible in others.

So, can two people have the same phone number? In this article, we answer that question and offer the context you need to make an educated decision about the legitimacy of two people sharing the same phone number. 

Read on to learn more below.

Can Two People Have the Same Phone Number? 

If you’re wondering if two random people who have no connections can be assigned the same phone number, the answer is no; there are processes in place to prevent that from happening. 

Even if two people have the same phone number, the difference will be the area code or even the country code. Therefore, no, in the traditional sense, two people can’t have the same phone number. 

That said, it is possible for people to share a phone number. If you’re getting a call from two different people who are using the same landline phone service, for example, they technically have the same phone number. This can also apply in situations where companies are using a VoIP service (Voice over Internet Protocol) for their business.

How Two People Can Have the Same Phone Number 

We briefly touched on how two people can have the same phone number, but there’s more to it than that. It’s important to understand how multiple people can end up with the same phone number. 

This is because it can be the difference between falling for a scam and making a smart purchase. 

Learn more about how two people can have the same phone number below.

Family Landlines 

One of the most common reasons for two people to have the same phone number is due to family landlines. This may be something that was more common a few years ago, but many homes still have family lines or house phones. 

These are phone numbers that are associated with an entire house, and the whole family might use them and claim that it’s their phone number. This is especially common for spouses and small families.

While it was more common a long time ago, don’t be surprised if you end up in someone’s voicemail and you hear something along the lines of: “You’ve reached the Smith family,” with a mix of everyone’s voices. In fact, in these cases, two, three, or even more people may be sharing that phone number.

Businesses Using a VoIP Service 

Many businesses, big or small, use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). This is a unique type of phone service that allows businesses to make calls over WiFi instead of through their phone service provider. While this doesn’t change the way the call works too much, it does come with more flexibility than your average phone plan.

Many businesses use VoIP services because they help them make calls using the same phone line. Whether it’s to receive customer service calls or make outgoing telemarketing calls, VoIP enables businesses to do this. Plus, many landline phones may now default to this type of service anyway, especially with landlines going by the wayside in recent years.

Phone Number Spoofing

One of the most common ways to begin a phone scam, phone number spoofing involves someone masking their caller ID or purposely changing it. While the way it works can be complicated, how it appears on your phone is not. Typically, scammers will call you from a phone number that’s not their own and try to claim that they’re someone else. 

A more recent example is the “fake jury duty scam,” which involves someone spoofing their caller ID to appear like a jury duty officer. Then, they direct you to a fake website and steal your personal data.

Phone number spoofing can also result in getting a call from an unknown caller, so it may not just be two people with the same phone number that you have to worry about. While businesses may annoy you with telemarketing, and it can be a hassle to get in touch with a specific person on a family phone line, spoofing is by far the thing you need to worry about.

How to Verify a Caller’s Identity 

It’s always important to verify a caller’s identity, especially if two people are contacting you from the same number. Not only do you need to know if the callers are being legitimate and honest, but if one isn’t, you need to know how to figure out which person the phone number belongs to. 

The good news is that you don’t have to go into these calls blind. You can use our reverse phone lookup tool, call screening services, and other tools to verify a caller’s identity.

Learn more about how to verify a caller’s identity below.

1. Information.com 

The best way to check if the same people have the same phone number is to use our reverse phone lookup tool. It’s a comprehensive tool that will help you find all available public records related to a phone number when you enter it into the search tool. Simply enter the phone number and click Search to start the process. 

From there, your search ends and ours begins. We’ll comb through billions of public records that are associated with a phone number over the course of a search that spans the entire country. Plus, this all happens in as little as 10 minutes. Once the search is done, you can open the comprehensive full report to discover everything you need to know about a phone number.

This includes information like:

• First and last name.
• The location of the caller.
• Businesses associated with the caller.
• Other phone numbers the caller might have.
• Other people who use the phone number. 
• The phone service provider (in some cases).
• Social media and websites that belong to the phone account holder.

If you notice that the information you’re finding doesn’t match what the caller is telling you, then it’s time to start considering the possibility of them being a scammer or telemarketer.

2. Call Screening Services 

Another great way to verify a caller’s identity, well before picking up the phone, is to use a call screening service. These are services that allow you to talk to someone without actually speaking with them. 

Google Pixel phones have this built in, but you’ll also find plenty of apps and online resources to help you install call screening services on your device. In fact, many VoIP services may come with one right off the bat.

While call screening services are helpful, they don’t always work. You’ll find that people may simply hang up and try to call you again. If they do speak with you, they can also lie to get you to pick up the phone. For these reasons, we recommend using one of our people search tools to verify any information they give you.

3. Ask the Right Questions 

If you answer a call from the same phone number and it’s a different person, you’d better start asking some questions. 

You’ll want to ask about who the other caller may have been. If the person on the other line sounds confused, there’s a good chance that something fishy is going on, or at least something that warrants further investigation. Some good questions to ask include:

• An explanation of the business if you’re being called by a representative from a company.
• Information about the other caller, if you’re speaking to someone who claims to be someone’s spouse.
• Asking why two different people have the same phone number, and seeing what their reaction looks like.

There are only a few examples of questions you should be asking in these situations. 

While asking the right questions is helpful, it’s not always the perfect solution because people tend to lie, especially if they’re trying to get one over on you. This is why we always recommend verifying their responses with our phone lookup tools.

Can Two People Have the Same Phone Number? Our Final Verdict 

So, can two people have the same phone number? Our final verdict is that, yes, two people can have the same phone number. In fact, it’s common for businesses and families who have a home phone number. 

While two people can have the same phone number, that doesn’t mean it’s always legitimate, so it’s important to remain vigilant. If you ever receive a phone call from someone and you’re unsure about who’s on the other line, make sure you verify their identity as soon as possible using one of our people search tools. This will prevent you from falling victim to any scams.