9 Essential Tips to Safeguard Phone Number Information
- By PurePrivacy
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12 May 2025
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15 mins read
Your phone number is an essential piece of data that can be linked to your social media accounts, financial information, or identity. Keeping all your personal information safe is very important, and you must understand the risks involved if your data is leaked.
You can minimise your risk of exposure with simple privacy management tips and understanding why it is so important to keep your data private today.
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How to Safeguard Phone Number Information?
Identity thieves, hackers, and intruders will always look for ways to find your essential data and use it for malicious purposes. Here are some practical tips you must follow to keep your Phone Number info safe:
1. Be Selective About Sharing Your Number
Only provide your number when necessary. Think twice before giving it out for online forms or surveys or signing up for non-essential services. Also, try to understand the privacy policies of the companies if they are storing your phone number.
2. Use a Secondary Phone Number
Consider using a virtual phone service (e.g., Google Voice, Burner, Hushed, or Sideline) for situations where you need to provide a number but want to keep your primary number private.
3. Enable Security Features on Your Phone
Use device protection so that your number is safe if your phone is stolen. Use a strong PIN, a complex pattern, or a password. Enable "Find My Phone" (iOS) or "Find My Device" (Android). Keep your phone's software and apps updated.
4. Manage Calls and Messages
Block unknown callers through a built-in feature on your phone. You can also use call-blocking apps.
5. Protect Your Accounts
Set a PIN or passcode on your mobile carrier account. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) whenever possible. Try to create strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts.
6. Be Cautious Online
Use privacy-focused browsers. Never post your phone number online. Only download apps from official app stores (Google Play Store, Apple App Store) and review app permissions before installing. Look for "https" in the URL when browsing or shopping online.
7. Report Spam and Scams
Report spam messages to your carrier or any suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in your region.
8. Remove Your Number from Public Listings
Proactively remove your phone number from social media profiles and public people search websites to reduce your vulnerability to spam callers.
9. Secure Your Voicemail
Set a strong PIN for your voicemail to prevent unauthorized access and regularly check your voicemail for any suspicious activity.
Is Your Phone Number Compromised?
Be vigilant and watch for these warning signs that your information may have been compromised and is circulating on the dark web.
1. Unusual Activity on Your Phone
If you see outgoing calls or messages that you didn't make or missed calls from unknown numbers that ring only once. Receiving calls or texts meant for someone else, loss of cellular service, or inability to make calls/send texts, which could be a sign of SIM swapping.
2. Suspicious Account Activity
Unexpected charges for calls, texts, or data usage you didn't incur are a red flag. Unfamiliar activity on your linked online accounts that use your phone number for verification or recovery. If friends or family report strange messages or calls from your number, scammers might be using your number to contact others.
3. Other Red Flags
- An increase in spam calls or text messages is not always a sign of compromise; a sudden increase could indicate your number is on more spam lists, possibly due to a leak.
- Receiving SMS-based One-Time Passwords (OTPs) you didn't request could mean someone is trying to access an account linked to your number.
- Your phone feels unusually hot, or the battery drains quickly, triggers malicious software running in the background, installed through a compromised link sent via SMS.
Immediate Steps You Must Take if Your Phone Number Is Compromised
1. Contact your mobile service provider immediately
2. Change passwords for all important online accounts
3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
4. Inform your contacts
5. Monitor your bank accounts and credit reports
6. Check your phone for suspicious activity
7. Report the incident
8. Be cautious of follow-up communications
How to Check if Your Phone Number Data Has Leaked
PurePrivacy Dark Web Monitoring will notify you if your Phone Number data is leaked and appears on the dark web. It also allows you to track your other critical identifiers like your phone number, email address, and social security number. Receive instant alerts whenever your data is shared on the dark web, and follow the expert recommendations to minimise the damage.
Here's how you can use PurePrivacy Dark Web Monitoring:
- Sign up for PureMax.
- Download and install the PurePrivacy app.
- Log in to your account and click on Dark Web Monitoring.
- Select Add Assets to Monitor and enter your email address, SSN/NIN, Phone Number, passport number, and phone number in the respective fields.
- Enter the code sent to your registered number to verify your identity, and you’re done.
- Follow the recommendations if your data is found on the dark web to minimize the damage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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How do I keep my phone number confidential?
You must always be careful when sharing your phone number with anyone. You must read the privacy policy, avoid public sharing, use a secondary phone number, and always stay alert to track if your phone number is found somewhere without your notice.
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How do hackers keep getting my Phone Number info?
If your Phone Number data is repeatedly exposed online, you might have been a part of a breach, fallen victim to phishing or malware, or had your Phone Number information leaked on the dark web.
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What if my Phone Number is on the dark web?
Your phone number can be used by cybercriminals for various purposes, including spam calls and SMS messages, scams and phishing, SIM swapping, doxing, blackmailing, and more.
Wrapping Up
It is now more important to protect your sensitive information from cyber intruders and hackers operating online. You must stay vigilant and prevent your phone number and other data from leaking to the dark web. Use PurePrivacy Dark Web Monitoring to understand the risks before damage has been done.
