Do you want to find out who is calling you with an anonymous number?
Unfortunately, sometimes we are faced with unpleasant situations and it can happen to receive calls from unknown numbers that, responding, we discover to be telephone jokes or real persecutions. It is very easy to call with the private number both from landline and smartphone and not always the ends are “clean” or even legal. Incorrect behavior is obviously at the risk of those who take it: this is because the authorities are able to get the calling number even if this is “disguised” with the private, and because there is a law that allows the operator, on request of the “victim”, to prevent the suppression of the calling identifier. On request and by law, operators can “ignore” the codes for the anonymous and still show the number.

Override service, the legal answer to the private number
This service takes the name of Override and follows article 127 of the old Legislative Decree 196/2003 on privacy, which regulates noise and emergency calls. The article in question mentions textually:

The contractor receiving bothering calls may require that the provider of the public communications network or the electronic communication service accessible to the public temporarily renders the suppression of the presentation of the calling line identification ineffective and keeps the data relating to the origin of the call received. The ineffectiveness of the suppression can be arranged only for the times during which the disturbance calls occur and for a period not longer than fifteen days.

The request made in writing by the contractor specifies how to receive the disturbing calls and, if it is preceded by a telephone request, it is forwarded within forty-eight hours.

In other words, thanks to the legal Override service we can ask our operator to show us the number of those who call us even if the code is used to set the private number.

How does the Override service work?
To use the Override service, a written request must be made to the fixed or mobile telephony operator. Starting from the acceptance of the request and only for the indicated time slots in which disturbance calls are received, the operator undertakes to always show the number of those who call us (even if the anonymous one is used) for a maximum period of 15 days.

This means that the service is not active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but only for the time slots indicated in the form (or specified to the operator) and for a maximum of 15 days.

Displaying the phone number directly on the mobile phone screen is a method, otherwise you can ask to receive the printout of all calls at home. One is the “clear” method and the other is called “Cli reporting”.

How do I activate Override?
It is possible to request activation of the Override service by fax or registered A / R the form filled in at the address specified on it, together with a photocopy of a valid identity document; the module is available for TIM, Vodafone and Wind / Infostrada (download below), while for 3 Italia and Fastweb it will be necessary to contact the customer service and make an oral request.

DOWNLOAD | TIM Override Module

DOWNLOAD | Vodafone Override Module

DOWNLOAD | Override Wind / Infostrada module

At the end of the “check” period the report of the calls received will be sent using the method specified in the form or communicated to the operator.

How much does the Override service cost?
Discovering a private number with the Override service is anything but free; the cost of the service is variable based on the operator; in particular, at the time of writing the article, the cost is of

€ 36 for TIM
€ 26.55 plus VAT (about € 31 total) for Vodafone;
€ 27 for Wind / Infostrada;
3 Italy and Fastweb: communicated by the operator (around € 30).
We reiterate once again that the service has a maximum duration of 15 days and is active only during the disturbed hours reported in the form or in the communication.

Economic alternative to Override
If we do not want to take advantage of the expensive Override we can opt for Whooming, a service offered by third parties that thanks to the call diversion is able to find out who calls us with the private number.