What can someone do with your phone number?
Phone scams are very common, with more than 60% of U.S. adults receiving scam phone calls, emails or text messages at least once a week.
But it can be worse. Here are some examples of threats:
Smishing — a scam that uses fake text messages to trick you into sharing sensitive information, sending money or downloading malware. Often disguised as bank alerts or delivery notices.
SIM swapping — another scam, where criminals trick your mobile carrier into transferring your phone number to a SIM they control, allowing them to intercept security codes and potentially break into your accounts.
SMS 2FA interception — an attack in which criminals capture the one-time security codes sent to your phone to bypass two-factor authentication and access your accounts.
All of these scams can lead to very bad outcomes, of course.
The simplest and most important way to protect yourself is to protect your phone number.
Incogni can automatically remove your number from data broker listings, making you a more difficult target for scammers.