It’s not hard to get your hands on a cell number, so what makes you think a hacker or a scammer cannot get his hands on your number?

The hackers and scammers can easily get their hands on the cell phone, and it’s actually the easiest way for them to unlock your personal data and use it maliciously. So, if you are concerned about your safety, we are sharing how they misuse your cell numbers and promising ways of protecting yourself. 

Data Mining 

The most convenient way for hackers and scammers to use your cell number is to type it in the people search websites. This is because these search websites can reveal a significant amount of personal information about a person. Some of the common information provided by these websites include address, name, and address of family members, bankruptcies, and criminal records, and all this information can be used for stalking, blackmailing, and identity theft. 

Rerouting The Number 

The hackers and scammers can also contact the mobile carrier providers, claim to be you, and route the phone number to their own phone. As a result, they will be able to log into your personal email by choosing the “forgot password” option. Once they have access to the email account, it will only take them a few minutes to all the connected accounts – do you see how troubled it is?

This is the prime reason the mobile carrier providers have set high-end security features to ensure scammers cannot gain access to your phone number. Even more, if someone is intrusive enough to call the carrier provider on your behalf, they will have to answer multiple security questions. 

Spoofing 

According to research, there were 26 billion scam calls made in 2019, but it’s needless to say that the scammers are becoming smarter with each passing day. Now, they are leveraging spoofing techniques to make it easier to scam. To illustrate, spoofing revolves around someone pretending to be you and making sure that their caller ID shows up on the screen. 

In simpler words, spoofing is all about tricking someone into thinking that it’s you, while in reality, it’s the scammer. Keep in mind that spoofing isn’t difficult because there are tons of websites and apps that allow the scammers to enter the phone number and make calls – it’s convenient, and that’s what every hacker loves. 

Texting-Related Scams 

In the past few years, it has become extremely easy for scammers to use your phone number for sending out malicious texts. This scam is actually known as smishing. With this form of scamming, scammers tend to send links that can infect the cell phone with viruses and malware that steals personal information. Even more, some of them scam by pretending to be the bank. 

Tips To Protect Yourself 

• If you suspect any form of scamming, you need to call the network service provider right away for reporting 
• Let all your family and friends know that you are a victim of such abuse 
• Never give your phone number to someone online 
• Try to avoid the apps and websites linked to the phone 
• Always switch on two-factor authentication on the accounts 
• Never click on the links sent to you in email and texts 

So, start putting your security first, and you can navigate here to track the phone without falling prey to online scams!