Stay Safe Online: Use a Virtual Number for Privacy

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As technology advances, many businesses use online forms to collect people's information, raising concerns about the safety of personal data. Some crucial information that needs to be kept private is residential addresses and phone numbers, since they tend to bring insecurity to your private lives.

Many forms may require your contact information, which may be listed in the organisation’s marketing call list. This leads to unsolicited marketing and spam calls that phish for information and defraud people at the end of the call.

This article will explore ways to protect your personal phone number, even if it is already public and how virtual mobile numbers can help you be anonymous.

Why should you Protect your personal phone number?

There are many reasons to protect your personal phone number, from defrauding to phishing. Giving out personal phone number information removes the hedge, increasing the risk of exposure to sensitive data and opening doors to unwanted calls at any time.

To begin with, protect your personal phone number for privacy reasons. Your personal phone number is private and should only be given to your family members and confidants. With the advancement in technology, people use criminal methods to steal personal information, such as your contacts and defraud them in your name.

Additionally, hiding personal phone numbers prevents spam calls from marketing organisations. When you sign up for marketing forms with your personal phone number, you will be more prone to getting marketing calls from third-party organisations that also share their customers' personal information with other companies. Apart from the company you signed up for the marketing form with, you will receive calls and texts from third-party companies you have no idea about.

Lastly, hiding personal phone numbers keeps your information and location secure. People can track your phone number to know where you are, making it unsafe for you and your family. So, hiding your personal number with a virtual phone number makes it easier to protect your privacy.

Overall, it is vital to keep your number anonymous for privacy and security reasons, not to forget avoiding unsolicited marketing calls from third-party companies. Now that we have understood the reasons for hiding personal phone numbers, let’s explore how you can be anonymous without getting rid of your personal number.

How to protect your personal phone numbers?

Some may wonder if hiding their personal number that has already made rounds in the public is possible. It is possible, and we will highlight how to do it seamlessly to ensure you stay anonymous.

Port your existing phone number to a virtual phone service

Those who do not want to discard their personal number can port it to a virtual phone service. Your existing number will be ported to Voice over Internet Protocol (Voip). This communication technology enables users to make and receive calls using broadband internet.

Many Voip service providers allow porting numbers, where you must choose a number of your choice. To port our existing number, you must have the following requirements:

•  The existing number must be active with your service provider
•  Have the service bill from your previous service provider
•  Correct billing address as that of your previous service provider
•  PIN
•  Letter of authorisation. Your previous service provider must authorise the porting of your existing number.

Once you have all these requirements, porting the number will be easier. Before porting the number, ensure you;

• Choose a service provider that offers Voip services
• Inform the current provider about the switching process to process the request. They will generate a porting authorisation form and PIN, which you must provide to your new Voip service provider.
• Keep the current account active until the porting process is over.

Use virtual mobile numbers

The other way to protect a personal phone number is to use a virtual mobile number that does not use a physical SIM card. Virtual phone numbers are linked to online accounts and Voip services and are not tied to one device. These numbers are used via an app or software, and with a stable internet connection, you can make and receive calls.

These numbers can integrate with smartphones, laptops, and tablets through a Voip application or software. These offer entrepreneurs and individuals the flexibility of receiving and making calls from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

Virtual phone numbers will help you protect your personal number by calling and receiving calls and texts using a separate number rather than your primary number. This helps protect our identity since you will only use your personal number for private purposes, while your virtual mobile number is for public purposes. When signing marketing or other public forms, you can use the virtual mobile number as your contact information.

Virtual phone numbers use an app where users can manage all their calls and SMS. Through the app, you can register and verify your phone number on any social media platform of your choice. It also has features such as voicemail, call notifications, and call forwarding. If there is a call you would like to receive at your personal number, you can easily forward it from the virtual mobile number.

What are the benefits of virtual numbers for privacy?

Enhance security

With a virtual mobile number, your personal information is secured since it allows two-factor authentication and other security measures. This ensures your information is secured from phishers.

Easy to discard/dispose of

In case your virtual phone number becomes compromised, you can easily discard it and get another one. The numbers are easily replaceable without legal consequences.

Personal privacy

Using a virtual mobile number means you will not give out your personal number. This will shield you from unsolicited marketing calls and scammers who use personal numbers to defraud people.

Separates personal from business communications

You can use a virtual phone number for business purposes, ensuring you maintain your personal number private and separate from business communications.

Geographical flexibility

Those who track people's personal numbers to know their location can no longer do that with a virtual mobile number. Virtual phone numbers are not tied to one location. If you are located abroad but are in need of a UK virtual mobile number, you can choose an area code that will maintain local communication while shielding your location.

To conclude, hiding your personal phone number is critical to prevent you from being vulnerable to criminal communication activities. One of the negative impacts of technological advancement in communication is privacy and security concerns, where cybercriminals target personal data.

It is vital to ensure that your personal number is only available to family and confidants while you use virtual phone numbers for your other communications, such as business. If you do not want to discard your existing number, you can port it to a Voip service provider and still protect your personal number.

Now that you know how to protect and hide your personal number, the next step is to purchase a virtual phone number, which you can get from Icon Offices. We offer both UK and USA virtual numbers that will not only help you maintain your anonymity but also maintain local communication from anywhere you are.

The virtual phone numbers come with an app and features such as HD sound quality, free voicemail to Email, free call recording, call divert, and many more. For security purposes, you can receive OTPs for verification from Banks, Social Media, Shopping Platforms, and many more. OTPs will be delivered to you in real-time via SMS to email.

We also offer UK and Irish Voip landline services with a mobile app. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today to get a virtual phone number or port your existing phone number to our Voip service at [email protected].