What To Do If A Scammer Has Your Phone Number?
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By Farrukh Mushtaq
Farrukh Mushtaq
See author profileFarrukh Mushtaq, a digital marketer at PureSquare, possesses a keen interest in cybersecurity and enjoys writing about it. With several years of experience in the digital marketing industry, he brings expertise and passion to his work.
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20 March 2025
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13 mins read
Do you keep getting spam calls? Do you not know where to go or what to do? A phone number is one of the most personal pieces of information anyone has, and for anyone with malicious intent, it could be all they need to dig up even more information about you.
Your phone number is enough to access your details, address, and socials. Scammers take advantage of how simple the process is and try to get your banking details, leak your data, or worse, sell it on the dark web.
What Should You Do If Your Phone Number Is Hacked?
The immediate step is to block and report any spam calls to the authorities. Picking up a suspicious phone call could be dangerous as it could allow the other party to trace your location.
The best way to deal with a scammer is by blocking any contact attempts. You can start by focusing on your social accounts, banking details, and other apps that are linked with your number and stay vigilant for any suspicious activity.
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It is always recommended that you change your passwords across every important platform and activate 2-factor authentication. This can help prevent any loss in the situation that a scammer has gotten hold of your sensitive details.
Next, you can enable spam filtering. Most modern smartphones have this feature built-in, and it helps by simply blocking and ignoring any calls or text messages from unknown callers without any ID. This is especially helpful when you already suspect that the scammers know your phone number.
How To Prevent Your Phone Number From Leaking?
There are a few steps you can take to avoid getting into such a situation. The best way is to be extremely careful when sharing your phone number with the people you meet. A phone number can be used to access your social media, address, and location.
Avoid using your phone number when filling out surveys, signing into new websites, and making any sort of online transactions.
Many websites sell these phone numbers to marketing agencies, through which they target you for unwanted advertisements. Be wary; not all of them are legitimate, and you could be tricked into phishing, scams, or data leakages.
What Can Scammers Do With My Phone Number?
Scammers have a very straightforward goal, and that is to earn easy money no matter how. The most common method is that they try to sell you something and get your banking details, but this is not the end of it. A lot of scammers end up selling your information on the dark web, which, as we know, has a reputation for hosting criminal activities.
If your data ends up on the dark web, financial loss is the least of your worries, as your socials, location, and even your family could be targeted.
Harassment and blackmail are common on the dark web, and it is extremely important to protect yourself from that side of the internet.
Interested reading :
- What to Do If a Scammer Has Your Email Address
- What To Do If A Scammer Has Your Credit Card No
- What To Do If A Scammer Has Your Passport No
- What To Do If A Scammer Has Your SSN
How to Find Out If Your Phone Number Is on the Dark Web?
Knowing that your information could be on the dark web is scary, but not knowing about it is even worse. A lot of users don’t even realize that they have been compromised before something severe happens.
PureVPN’s dark web monitoring helps track critical identifiers that might have ended up on the dark web so you can take the necessary precautions before anything happens.
How to Enable Dark Web Monitoring on PureVPN
- Install PureVPN on your device or update your existing VPN app.
- Visit the Members Area to get access.
- Go to Dark Web Monitoring from the main menu.
- Select Add Assets to Monitor.
- Add your email address, SSN, credit card number, passport number, and phone number.
- Mention the code sent to your registered number, and you’re done.
7. Take the recommended steps if your data is part of a breach.
8. You can mark the breaches as resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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What can a scammer do with my phone number?
A scammer who has access to your phone number can find out your name, linked social accounts, and even your location. A phone number is a very personal piece of information and should only be shared with those you trust to avoid any scam calls.
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How do I know if my phone number is being used for fraud?
If you receive any verification codes, messages, or any other requests that you did not approve, this means that your phone number has been compromised and is being used for fraudulent activities.
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How can I prevent scammers from getting my phone number?
Avoid sharing your phone number on any websites, sign-up pages, and surveys. Always use the call screening feature on your smartphone to avoid phishing calls, and regularly change the passwords of accounts that are linked with your number.
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Should I change my phone number if I gave it to a scammer?
No, all you have to do is monitor your linked accounts for any suspicious activities, block and report any unknown callers, and activate 2-factor authentication on your online accounts.
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Can scammers hack my bank account with just a phone number?
Scammers cannot hack your bank account with just your phone number, but they can call you and trick you into sharing more information by pretending to be someone else.
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How do I know if my information is on the dark web?
PureVPN’s dark web monitoring continuously tracks your email address, SSN, phone number, and more to monitor how vulnerable your sensitive information is on the dark web.
Final Thoughts
Getting your phone number into the wrong hands can be a scary experience, but taking quick action can help prevent any danger. Take precautionary steps and stay aware of data breaches with PureVPN.
