In today’s digital world, cybercrimes such as identity theft and fraud are common and pose significant risks to people. You don’t even need world statistics to understand the scale of the problem: everyone has a story where data was compromised in one way or another. The simplest consequences are the loss of access to the desired account. It is more difficult when the situation ends with bullying, blackmail, loss of money, or carries reputational risks. In most of these stories, you could protect yourself and your profile using a temp phone number. But you may not have known about such an option at that time. That’s why we decided to talk about it in more detail. You need to know this because it is about security and vulnerabilities, which, unfortunately, are increasing.
Prevalence of the problem of cybercrime
If you think this will never happen to you, we are very sad to dispel all your hopes. You are constantly under attack if you use banking services or have an email or work or personal profile on social networks. Online data theft is extremely common and can happen to anyone. Hackers can hack into accounts, steal email data, and learn sensitive or financial information, which is often done by getting your mobile phone number.
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Mobile number porting fraud occurs when fraudsters use your personal information to transfer your mobile number from one service provider to another without your knowledge or consent. These scammers often obtain your personal information, such as your phone number, address, and date of birth, through your social media profiles.
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Fraudsters can access your email accounts and bank details by gaining control of your mobile phone number. They intercept verification codes and other sensitive information sent to your mobile phone number, allowing them to authorize fraudulent transactions and steal money from your bank account.
Cases of fraudulent number porting have been reported where victims unknowingly provided fraudsters with their bank account details. This type of fraud can have serious consequences for consumers, including financial loss, negative credit ratings, and emotional distress. Recovering your identity and recovering from identity theft can be a complex and lengthy process. Be proactive — use a virtual temporary phone number that no cybercriminal can access.
What is a temporary virtual mobile number, and how can it help you improve your online security?
Virtual numbers can be obtained and used online without a physical SIM card or phone. You can protect your personal information by using a virtual number for online registration. It is enough to indicate your online phone number instead of a regular mobile number. Even if hackers gain access to this virtual number, it has no connection to the person and cannot be used to harm them.
Advantages of a virtual phone number to protect personal data and financial information
- The actual phone number remains hidden and known only to friends, family, or colleagues, which minimizes the risk of disclosure of personal data by cyber thieves.
- You can use a one-time number to register on one or another web platform. Because of this, hackers cannot use it in the future. Most online resources allow you to register using a virtual number easily. At the same time, you can also use the number of any region and, thus, get access to local services. It is extremely convenient not only for personal use but also in the business sphere.
- You can have separate virtual phone numbers for registration on different web services, thus minimizing the risks of losing all data simultaneously. After all, the main feature that plays into the hands of cybercriminals: we all like to use the same phone number and specify the same password everywhere. It is enough to hack one account — and a fraudster on the Internet gets access to everything we have.
- Use virtual phone numbers for verification, registration on various resources, and receiving codes with confirmations. All of these are essential tools in the fight against identity theft and fraud. Using virtual numbers provides an effective and appropriate approach to achieving the maximum level of security for your data in the online space.
Protect yourself on the Internet using a temporary mobile number
Virtual phone numbers have become a pitfall for cyber crooks, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to get to the information they are interested in. Unexpectedly, they come across the fact that users of Internet services indicate a virtual number instead of a regular mobile number. Because of this, it becomes almost impossible to access their accounts on social networks, bank profiles, electronic wallets, and other web resources.
Want to make it more difficult for cybercriminals to hunt for your personal data? Do it using temporary online numbers.
- Specify a temporary phone number when registering on social networks;
- Use the online number to create a new email;
- Use a virtual phone number to register for video hosting;
- Choose a permanent virtual number to specify when creating an e-wallet.
- You can also make online purchases using virtual numbers instead of regular ones. In this way, you will not only protect your information but also get rid of the need to regularly receive promotional messages, which are pretty frequent and intrusive.
How else can you protect online data from cybercriminals?
Implementing security measures such as two-factor authentication and regular monitoring of bank accounts and communications, can help detect and prevent fraud. But that’s not all you can do to protect yourself.
You can also improve your online security in the following ways:
- Contact your mobile operator and bank to create a unique PIN or password you only know.
- Hide your friends list from public view and from your friends to minimize the risk of scammers creating fake profiles.
- Check your social media profiles like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to ensure your mobile number is not publicly available.
- Avoid publicly posting your date of birth on social media.
Following these steps can significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of mobile number porting scams and protect your personal information from theft.
