How To Keep Your Phone Number Private

If you think of how many times you give out your number, you can’t ever be sure how many people have your mobile phone number. If your mobile number is also your bank, your social media and your personal data, how much access to your private life are you giving away when you share your number?

You are more vulnerable to scammers and cybercriminals the more times your phone number is shared. Yet, it’s never too late to start using your phone number more discreetly, regardless of how long you’ve had it.  Having a secondary number, protects your number and therefore your personal data. Keeping it private protects you from cyber threats and attacks on your personal life. 

Keep your real number for yourself

We recommend keeping your number confidential as much as you can. For important matters, such as your medical and banking accounts and financial records, you’ll need your real phone number. You generally don’t need to provide someone with your real phone number, so use your discretion. In case of doubt, invent a phone number. Some application forms require you to enter a number in order to continue. Simply enter 323-333-3333 or a similar number in the blanks. Just because they ask, you don’t have to provide your phone number.

Get a virtual number

Instead of giving out your private number, why not purchase a virtual number as a second number that you can use? In virtual phone numbers, you can use the same number on several devices, including desktop phones, mobile phones, and computers. You can quickly answer, forward, and record voicemails.  It is highly recommended to use a virtual number for safety. Use your virtual number to register anonymously on popular websites, services, social networks, and apps. Set up a site or service to use your email address or virtual number if it needs authentication. You don’t even need to use your real phone number to secure your account.