What Can People Do With Your Phone Number?

Once people have your phone number, there are a variety of things they can use it for. The side effects will range from annoying to inconvenient to outright dangerous. Your phone number is much more easily accessible online than you think, so it’s important to know what people can do with it so you will be prepared to handle any situation that comes your way. 

How Does Your Phone Number End Up Online?

You may think your phone number is only accessible to people you’ve given it to, but that’s not the case. Any time you use your number online, whether when setting up an account, purchasing something, or chatting, it can fall into the wrong hands. 

If someone unknown gets your number, it may seem like the worst that could happen is that you receive a few more telemarketers than usual. Unfortunately, that’s only the beginning of the possibilities.

In 2023, The Identity Theft Resource Center reported a 78% increase in data compromises from the previous year. Over three hundred million people fell victim to these crimes. Not all were phone number-related, but your number is a gateway into all of your personal information. If it falls into the wrong hands, much more than your phone can be compromised. 

Some other ways your number can be leaked online include: 

• Signing up for online accounts: Many platforms require you to add a phone number when signing up. This includes social media sites, online stores, chat sites, news sites, and anywhere else that requires an account.
  
• Free trial or contest sign-up: When you sign up for a free trial, contest, or giveaway, there will likely be a mandatory box to fill in with your number.
  
• Claim discounts, coupons, and codes: If you see a coupon or discount code online, you will likely have to enter your phone number to claim those rewards.
  
• Giving your number to the wrong person: You may also accidentally give your number to the wrong person in real life or online. A person who seems friendly may not be who they say they are, and they can use your number any way they want after getting it. 

After you enter your number into any of these places, it can circulate online through a data leak, targeted hack, or sale. Hackers and legitimate companies can sell your number for a pretty penny online to people looking to exploit others with their number. 

How Can People Can Use Your Number Online?

Now that you know how your number can fall into the wrong hands, it’s time to learn what happens next. 

Here are a few common examples of ways people can use your number online:

Identity Theft and Impersonation

One way hackers use your phone number is so they can steal your identity and/or impersonate you online. Identity thieves will typically use your information to commit fraud, make their own purchases, and even commit crimes under your name. If you need to report identity theft, you can do so at identitytheft.gov. 

Malware and Spyware

Once a hacker has your number, they can send you malware, specifically spyware, that gives them access to more information about you. These nefarious softwares will usually come hidden in a link or download within a text. If you click the link or download the attachment, you will actually install their malware onto your device. 

Malware can operate in the background without you even noticing, silently mining through your device to obtain useful personal data. Once the hacker has enough information about you, he can attempt to do any number of unwanted things under your name. 

Texting Scams

Texting scams, known as smishing, occur when a scammer attempts to scam you out of money or information via text. They will likely pose as a real person or company and ask you to give out things like your credit card numbers, bank account details, addresses, and more under the guise of a legitimate reason. Because they seem to be from a real company, it can be easy to fall for these scams. 

Texting scammers can also send you malware and spyware via a malicious link embedded in a text. Once you click on it, the malware will install and mine your data in the background. Once a hacker has your information, they can make purchases under your name, find out where you live, impersonate you, and more. 

Number Spoofing

Another thing people can do with your number is spoof it. This means they can use a website or app and make a call that will appear to be coming from your number.

Usually, scammers do this so they can call people with the same area code as you to appear more legitimate. People are more likely to pick up a call from their area code because it may be from a real place they frequent. A hacker with an identity theft mindset could also use this technique to pretend to be you and fool people you know or companies you interact with. 

Redirect Your Number

With your number in their possession, hackers can contact your phone provider, pretend to be you, and redirect your number to connect with their phone instead. Any messages or calls that are supposed to go to you will then end up in their hands. 

This method also allows them access to your email because as long as they have the address, they can click “forgot password” and use the code sent to your number to recover it. With your email, they can gain access to every account you’ve ever made with it, along with your actual emails.

Sell Your Data Online

Some hackers may not want to use your number themselves, but they can sell it to other hackers and criminals online who may be interested. If they’ve used malware or some other tactic to mine more of your personal data, they can sell that, too. 

Sometimes, it’s not always hackers doing this dirty work — it’s also companies. Many major companies all over the world collect your data while you use their site and actively sell it online for profit. 

Once hackers have bought your phone number or other personal information online, they’re free to use any of the tactics mentioned above to benefit from your data. 

Ransomware and Blackmail

Under the category of malware, there is ransomware, which is a type of software that collects your data and prevents you from accessing it until you pay the person holding it. Usually, this is done via file encryption so you can’t see your files until you hand over the ransom money. The texting scams mentioned above can include links that install ransomware onto your device. 

Anyone who uses your phone number to access more of your personal information can hold it hostage on their own and blackmail you into getting your online life back. 

What Do I Do If My Number Is Compromised?

If you suspect your number might be compromised because your device’s battery is draining quickly, you’ve noticed purchases you didn’t make in your card history, or you get an influx of spam texts and calls, you need to know how to handle the situation. 

Report It

The first thing to do is alert your phone carrier company and inform them of the issue. They are the best equipped to help you fix the situation. 

You should also contact your bank and freeze your cards until you can be sure the hacker isn’t making purchases. You can report the incident online with the Federal Trade Commission or Internet Crime Complaint Center. Lastly, inform any close friends and family so that if they get an odd text from your number, they know it’s not you.

Use a Second Phone Number App

As a temporary but immediate fix, you can use a second phone number app like Burner to get a second number that you can use to contact anyone essential while you figure out how to fix the issue. Burner phone can be used on your existing phone, and you can add any contacts you need. This way, your life doesn’t have to be put on hold while you work with your carrier company to get a new permanent number. 

It’s also a good idea to use a second phone number when creating online accounts, entering giveaways, or talking to strangers. In the event your phone number is hacked, you can simply delete your second number and get a new one. 

Change Your Passwords

Change all your essential account passwords and make sure the new passwords are strong, different from each other, and kept track of in a password manager. This might not always prevent a hack, but it can certainly strengthen your defenses. 

Factory Reset Your Phone

As a last resort, you can always factory reset your phone. This will erase all of your apps and data, but it will also clean out any malware or viruses that have been installed by the hacker. 

Ideally you will be able to keep your phone’s data intact, but this is a good final strategy to ensure all traces of the hacker are wiped away. You should consult your carrier company for other options before doing this. 

Sources: 

How to Remove Your Phone Number From the Internet | Security.org

What To Do if Your Phone Has Been Hacked | Security.org

Here’s What Hackers Can Do with Just Your Cell Phone Number | RD