How Do You Keep Your Cell Phone Number – Assuming you have strong passwords and two-factor authentication, do you think your account is secure? Think again. There is much work to be done
You might think of your Social Security or bank account number as the most sensitive number in your life Nowadays, hackers can do a lot of damage with little effort just by using your phone number But unlike your Social Security number, you’re less likely to keep your phone number a secret—otherwise no one can contact you!
How Do You Keep Your Cell Phone Number
Whether you’re an AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile customer, every cell phone number can be a target for hackers. And it takes an incredible amount of effort to ruin your online life
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Think about it. You always use your phone number You use it when you register with websites and services, and sometimes you use it to log in to apps or games on your phone. Your phone number can be used to reset your account if you forget your password And, you use it for two-factor authentication to securely log into your account.
If someone steals your phone number, they’re yours – for all intents and purposes With your phone number, hackers can set new passwords sent to your phone and start hacking one account at a time. When you call customer service, they think they can trick an automated system like your bank And worse, they can use your stolen phone number to hack into your work emails and documents – potentially exposing your employer to the theft.
Think of all the websites and services that have your phone number That’s why you need to protect your phone number
It’s easier than you think Phone numbers can be found anywhere – thanks to many data breaches
Moving Your Number And Going Mobile
Often times, hackers will find their target’s phone number floating around the Internet (or from a junk phone directory) and call their service provider posing as a customer. With a few simple questions to answer — often little more than a person’s place of residence or birthday — they ask a customer service representative to “export” the phone number to another customer or SIM card.
It is. As soon as the “port out” is complete, the phone number is activated on the attacker’s SIM card and the hacker can send and receive messages and make calls as if they were the only person hacked.
In most cases, the only sign that this is happening is if the victim suddenly loses cell phone service for no reason
From there, it’s as simple as resetting the password on the account associated with that phone number Facebook, Gmail, Twitter – and more Hackers can use your stolen phone number to steal all your digital currency, take over your useless Instagram username or delete all your data on purpose.
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In the worst case scenario, it may be difficult or impossible to get your phone number back – let alone a broken account. Your best bet is to make sure it never happens in the first place
Just as you can use two-factor authentication with your online account, you can also add a backup security code to your mobile account.
You can call customer service or do it online (Many people feel more confident by calling and talking to others.) You can ask customer service, for example, to set a backup password on your account to ensure that only you—the account owner—can change the account or port. Leave your number
All service providers handle secondary security codes differently You can limit your password, code, or password, but try to keep it between four and six digits. And make sure you keep a backup of the code!
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If your provider is not listed, you may want to check if they use the same third-party security code as your account to prevent any breaches. And if they don’t, maybe you should give your phone number to the carrier Can I port my landline number – a number I’ve had for years – to a wireless smartphone?
A: It is possible to port your landline number to a cell phone if you are in the same area, but you should check with your wireless carrier to make sure the company can handle it. (However, if you had a separate long-distance calling plan for your old home phone service, expect it to lag when your new provider takes over.)
In addition to operating a landline, the Federal Communications Commission says you can keep the same wireless number if you switch carriers. There is a customer guide on the agency’s website to carry your phone number
Most national wireless carriers have their own online guides that will guide you through the process of transferring (or “porting”) a network to an existing phone number. And AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless all have pages on their websites where you can type in your number to check its portability.
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Most major wireless carriers have online tools you can use to see if your current phone number can be ported to the company’s service. Credit… The New York Times
You should be able to make a move by visiting a retail store run by your prospective service provider. Have your current phone bill or other account information available to prove the number is legally yours Once the transfer is activated, it may take a few days for the complete conversion to complete and during this time both land lines and smartphones may ring when incoming calls are received. A quick guide to the dos and don’ts of number porting, including information on how to keep your phone number when switching mobile phone providers.
When you sit down and think about everything related to your phone number, the thought of losing it is terrifying…
You’ll have to contact banks, utilities, doctors, and again go to the trouble of setting up two-factor authentication on the service.
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That doesn’t include all your family and friends who will spend months trying to remember your number…
Fortunately, whether you’re changing networks, combining accounts, or letting kids set up their own accounts as they get older, transferring numbers between providers is easy.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know With these steps, you can enjoy your old number in service within hours!
While the process of sending numbers is simple, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind before you begin:
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As long as you follow the above rules, your carrier cannot stop you from porting your number
If your account is closed for non-payment, or you close your account before sending the number, you may lose it.
Porting your number is a hands-off process Most of the time, everything happens behind the scenes when you start the process
If you’re not sure what you need or where to start, our guide to switching networks covers all the important topics and breaks them down into easy, actionable steps.
How To Transfer Your Phone Number
Once you have a plan in mind, you need to gather some information to start the process of sending the number
Also known as porting authorization codes, PAC codes allow you to port your phone number from one network to another. Just call your existing provider and request one
They have the legal right to give you the code as long as you can prove your identity So if they send you to the storage department or disconnect first, you don’t have to deal with them.
PAC code is valid for 30 days only So be sure to start the porting process early to avoid potential issues
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Sign up for your new plan and confirm that you want to withdraw your amount from your existing plan Once you provide the PAC code from your previous network, they can start the process of porting your number
Your new network will contact your old network and negotiate to port your number You may want to leave the SIM in the mobile phone to make and receive calls while the process is complete
However, keep a close eye on your service If you notice that you can no longer make calls, or you have no coverage where coverage is normally strong, these may indicate that the switch is complete.
In most cases, the number porting process only takes a day or two to complete However, there may be slight delays during weekends and UK bank holidays
Safelink Keep Your Own Phone Sim Kit
Once the phone number is transferred, open your new SIM in the handset and reactivate it. Then follow any activation instructions provided by the network
In most cases, activation is as simple as calling customer service You can find customer service numbers for all networks in our network summary
Make a few calls to check if everything is working properly If you can, call a friend or family member and…
