Be connected without sharing personal data
Hackers employ various methods to steal money from individuals, often requiring little more than a phone number. They can easily defraud someone this way.
The problem is that people are constantly asked to provide their phone numbers and/or email addresses in various contexts, partly due to their carelessness, which can lead to these data falling into the wrong hands, such as hackers. Additionally, this can happen when companies that collect data, like telephone numbers, are hacked. This often results in stolen data records, including telephone numbers and the associated personal information.
Personal information
Hackers exploit a phone number easily by looking up personal data. Some websites can provide this information within seconds. These websites acquire and sell data linked to specific phone numbers and email addresses to hackers. This includes individual details such as home addresses, family members’ names, their addresses, criminal records, and more. Hackers can use this information for blackmail, harassment, or to commit identity fraud.
Redirect numbers
Hackers can easily find out which phone provider someone uses. They then call this provider and impersonate someone else. Using a clever trick, they ensure that calls are redirected to their phone. This allows a hacker to access another person’s account. Although they do not possess the required password, they can easily click on ‘forgotten password’. The reset link is sent to the hacked person’s phone number, but the hacker receives it on his device.
Once the hacker is in someone’s account, it will also be easy to hack other accounts.
Spoofing
The term ‘spoofing’ is becoming increasingly familiar. Unfortunately, fake text messages and fraudulent phone calls from banks are no longer unusual. With spoofing, someone can falsely make a phone call using someone else’s number, even though it’s not the actual person calling. For example, if hackers have a number, they can contact a family member of the individual who has been hacked and ask to borrow money. The same can be done via SMS or WhatsApp, which is also quite common.
SMS Scam
In addition to ‘spoofing’, there is also ‘smishing’, better known as SMS phishing. For example, someone might receive a TEXT MESSAGE from a hacker posing as a bank or general practitioner, making an urgent request for data or to transfer money. The con artist pretends to be someone they know, from a ‘familiar environment’, and will then attempt to mislead the person concerned to obtain personal information and credit card numbers.
PrivacyLinks for consumers
It seems almost impossible these days to avoid sharing a phone number online. While people aren’t required to include their phone number on their Facebook page, many websites demand a telephone number for registration purposes. Is this always a good idea? No, but often it’s unavoidable.
There are now solutions for using a virtual phone number instead of a personal one through services like Google Voice, Burner, or Private Line. However, this is limited to only one or two additional numbers. It’s often expensive and may be just as susceptible to misuse. One major drawback of using a burner number is that if you’ve shared it with multiple companies and one of them gets hacked, you’ll need to replace the number and update it across every service or person who has been given that burner number.
With PrivacyLinks!, these problems do not apply because each contact can be set and blocked separately.
Want to inquire about Privacy Links?
Do not hesitate to contact us.
Business Application of PrivacyLinks:
1. Replacing Phone Numbers with PrivacyLinks
Companies can allow customers to contact them via PrivacyLinks instead of sharing phone numbers. This creates a strong privacy-focused USP: customers stay in control, and companies reduce their exposure to data breaches and fraud. No personal phone numbers are compromised if a company gets hacked—just anonymized, user-controlled links.
2. Enhanced Two-Factor Authentication
PrivacyLinks can be integrated into the company’s authentication flow to create a purer, more secure form of 2FA that doesn’t rely on phone numbers. Thanks to proprietary technology and know-how, PrivacyLinks can help businesses reduce fraud and phishing risks associated with traditional SMS- or phone-based 2FA systems.
3. Custom Cybersecurity Applications
In consultation with PrivacyLinks, companies can develop tailored applications that strengthen their cybersecurity posture and privacy standards. Whether it’s safer internal communication, better identity verification, or GDPR compliance, PrivacyLinks can become a key part of the digital trust layer.