Sometimes, it seems like you need a phone number for everything: deliveries, job applications, dating site profiles, 2FA codes, and plenty more. Although you may hesitate greatly to give a stranger your number in a traditional setting, online, you are handing it out left and right. As with most situations that involve sharing any personal information on the internet, there are risks associated with this, and you should be aware of them to keep yourself safe. So, what can someone do with your phone number, exactly? Let’s discuss the ways in which your phone number may be the perfect gateway to cybercrime and how you can avoid it.
How can your phone number affect your privacy?
Your phone number is not as sensitive as your social security number, home address, or any passwords, but it is still personal. In the wrong situations, you are giving scammers a direct access line into your pocket, which can be confusing and annoying. Also, phone numbers aren’t always used directly to contact you — they may also be used to verify information or forge documents. That means that even if you aren’t receiving calls, your phone number could work against you in other ways. Here are some typical schemes to look out for:
Phishing and Spam
One of the most common ways your phone number may be used is for phishing and spam. Phishing is when scammers devise a way to trick you into clicking links or giving information to unsafe websites to use for crimes like fraud. They can send you these links via your phone and may impersonate reputable brands or create fake scenarios. A popular example is in delivery schemes, where you get a link from a (seeming) ground shipping service using your real name to alert you of a failed delivery. Because they have your phone number and name, these schemes seem legitimate, but just one click on a link may lead you straight to malware.
Spam is also a huge issue when your phone number gets leaked. You may receive dozens of automated robocalls and texts daily, making your phone a constant nuisance of dings and tones. Some of this spam may also include phishing tactics, but many times, it’s random services looking to inflate their numbers or get better exposure for their products. When spammers know your name and number, their tactics can quickly become very convincing.
SIM Swapping
If a scammer were able to get ahold of more information than just your phone number at once, like through a fake website, for example, you are in real danger of this scheme. Using other information like your name, address, social security number, etc., scammers will call your phone provider and convince them through social engineering to port your phone number and information through their own system. This is usually done for customers when their device is lost or stolen, but with the right information, it is an easy way for spammers to take control.
Once they are in, they can easily impersonate you or intercept your phone calls. Everything being sent to your phone, they would have access to. This is especially dangerous since so many websites use 2FA that require you to confirm through a phone number. Nowadays, many sites just send you a login link through text. If a scammer also received this text, they would be able to infiltrate your other accounts without ever knowing the password. They can do a lot of potential damage to not just you and your reputation but also your friends and family who are being targeted by someone pretending to be you.
Identity Theft
This one is one of the biggest pains on our list. As we mentioned multiple times, hackers often get more information about you than just your phone number at once. This gives them more fuel to run more convincing social engineering schemes, which involve calling or contacting you directly, impersonating a reputable brand or bank, and using your information to make themselves seem more legitimate to get more information out of you. However, once they have this information (plus any information they can gather from your social media), they can use it to bypass 2FA on multiple accounts. From here, they begin locking you out of everything and taking control.
However, it doesn’t stop there. They will commit identity fraud if they can weasel out information like your bank account or driver’s license numbers. This includes credit cards, loans, unemployment, bankruptcy, insurance, and other types of fraud. These situations are challenging to recover from and may leave a nasty stain on your financial history. Also, if your debit accounts are affected, there is no guarantee that your fund will be recovered, which is a devastating blow that many endure for simply not considering their online safety as much.
Doxing
This scheme is undoubtedly invasive, so much so that it is illegal. Doxing (also seen as doxxing) is when an outside party reveals private information about you on a public forum, intending to harass or harm you. You may end up in a heated argument via Instagram DMs or WhatsApp, and depending on how far it goes, your phone number may be floating around on disgraced websites like 4chan. This is a hub where dozens of people are awaiting a mission to ruin a person’s life by simply never leaving them alone. Many have resorted to changing their phone numbers and even moving to a new area after being the victim of doxxing.
Thankfully, if your phone number is the only thing that gets doxxed on a public forum, you can recover from that by changing your number. However, it is difficult to change all of your 2FA accounts and contact your entire phone book. However, if scammers recover more than just your number, schemes can escalate to severe dangers like swatting and stalking, requiring authorities’ assistance and potentially taking years to go back to the way things were.
How to keep your phone number safe
Even while knowing these risks and taking every precaution, there are still ways for a hacker to find your phone number and use it against you. One of the biggest ways is through public Wi-Fi networks at libraries, cafes, and even your school. Without using a tool like a VPN, your unencrypted network traffic can reveal a lot of information about you to others who are snooping. For example, if you purchase something online that requires your phone number, a hacker on the same network can swipe it for nefarious purposes.
Additionally, you may accidentally enter your phone number into a scam site without realizing it. Depending on the severity of the scam, it can be very difficult to come back from and may even require you to change your number. However, intuitive features like Threat Protection in IPVanish VPN can help you avoid this. Threat Protection is an extra layer of security that scans links before you enter to weed out malicious ones. That way, you have another chance to return to safety before you end up doing something you regret.
FAQs
Should I use my phone number for my account?
It depends. Reputable sites like prominent social media and shipping companies are relatively safe to give your number to. However, smaller sites you only need to use a couple of times may lose track of your information more easily. It’s best to use an alias email and password in those cases.
Who can I share my phone number with?
It is advisable to only give your phone number to people (or businesses) you trust. For example, for food delivery, you will likely need to use your phone number every single time to order online. If you’re unsure about the required form, calling directly and placing an order is better.
What do I do if my phone number falls into the wrong hands?
There are a few things you can do. Firstly, you can block numbers or register for the Do Not Call Registry if you receive bothersome calls. Secondly, you can call your phone provider and report scams, which they may choose to investigate depending on how many of their customers are affected. But thirdly, if too much damage has been done, you’ll likely want to change your number and start fresh.