Is it a bad idea to give out your phone number?
Turns out, it doesn’t take much for our info to become public domain. Marlow cautions against giving your number to representatives over the phone asking to “verify” your name, address and phone number “for billing purposes” — even if your caller ID shows a company that you might trust.
What’s the worst thing someone can do with your phone number?
If someone steals your phone number, they become you — for all intents and purposes. With your phone number, a hacker can start hijacking your accounts one by one by having a password reset sent to your phone. They can trick automated systems — like your bank — into thinking they’re you when you call customer service.
What can someone do with your phone number?
Once hackers gain control of a phone number, they can then access their online profiles – on Facebook, Twitter, Gmail and WhatsApp – which are all usually linked to the mobile number. All they need to do is ask the social media companies to send a temporary login code, via text message, to the victim’s phone.