Does a telephone number identify a person?¶

A message or call record may show a telephone number linked to the communication.

Evidential caution: that the number identifies the person who used it.

What this means¶

A telephone number identifies a communications service or line at a particular time. It may be allocated to an individual, a business, a family account, a virtual service or another organisation.

Numbers also move. They can be ported between providers, reassigned to new subscribers, used through VoIP services or redirected to another device.

A number can still be valuable evidence. It may link communications, accounts, devices, subscriber records, payments and other enquiries.

Then distinguish the subscriber, the device associated with the number and the person who controlled it. Relevant corroboration may include SIM and device records, account logins, location, possession, contact patterns and witness evidence.

In reporting, “The number was allocated to this subscriber” is different from “This person sent the message.”

Evidential limits¶

The subscriber or account holder may not be the person who actually used the number. A phone may be shared, borrowed, stolen, remotely accessed or used through a linked application. A business number may be used by several employees.

Preserve the full number, country code, service, date and time. Do not assume that a number shown without an international prefix is unambiguous.

Establish the provider and allocation history for the relevant period. Current subscriber information may not reflect who held the number when the communication occurred.