The Dilemma of Giving Away Your Phone Number to Unknown Online Companies

What Happens When You Give Away Your Phone Number to Online Companies?

You have no control over what happens to your personal data online. It can be transferred, misused, sold, or put on a sales list. Once you give away your phone number, you can’t take it back. The worst part is that online databases are hacked routinely for stealing these lists and re-selling them. You don’t want your phone number or other personal information compromised, which is why the dilemma of giving away your phone number becomes so pertinent.

Why Do Online Companies Want Your Phone Number?

Every online company has a signup page where you provide your personal information, such as your email address, name, home address, phone number, etc. Online companies use this information for sales and marketing purposes. They use the data collected to form new marketing strategies and create a database for their target market.

What Are the Risks of Giving Away Your Phone Number to Online Companies?

Your phone number is connected to every part of your life today. It’s not only a number connected to your landline as your mobile phone number follows you everywhere. You access membership benefits at various places when shopping by using your phone number and communicate with your workplace and bank. You don’t want your phone number falling into the wrong hands as hackers can find out:
  1. Your past addresses
  2. Your banking information, including taxes you pay, your mortgage
  3. Names of your family members
  4. Information on the places you have traveled
  5. Whether you have a criminal record
This information may seem innocuous, but in the hands of a motivated individual, it can cause a lot of harm and potential identity theft.


What Steps Can I Take to Protect My Phone Number When Sharing It with Online Companies?

There are a few steps you can take to keep your phone number safe and prevent it from falling into the hands of unscrupulous marketers and hackers when sharing it with online companies.
  1. Be smart and cautious when sharing your phone number online
  2. Never make your phone number public on websites
  3. Don’t share your phone number with strangers and unknown companies online
  4. Only share your phone number with trusted online companies
Treat your phone number with the same care as you treat your other personal information, as that extra caution can make your life easier.


How Can TrustedRoads Make It Safe to Share My Phone Number with Online Companies?

TrustedRoads works with online companies to add a privacy rating plugin to their lead generation page. When users give their personal data, they can review the online company’s rating and be comfortable when sharing their information. At any point, users can log in to Consentchecked.com and manage all their consents with the agreed terms. can open an incident with TrustedRoads and all valid incidents will reduce the online company's rating to collect personal data