Create a Private Online Identity

Create a Private Online Identity

With so much personal information and data stored online, identity theft, getting scammed, and being the victim of fraud is a real threat.

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From online shopping to dating apps to streaming services and simply creating an account to access a single piece of information you’re interested in, we’re all potentially exposing our sensitive personal information and data every time we hit that ‘sign up’ button.

Millions see the effects daily, from online-specific data points like usernames and email addresses leading to email inboxes filled with spam and phishing attempts to exposed phone numbers leading to scam calls and text messages. The latter can lead to severe outcomes, with scam calls and phishing texts looking to infect your mobile device, make a payment, or trick you into revealing additional personal information.

Random Numbers Calling is Just the Beginning

Sharing your phone number can be as risky as any other data point. In April 2022, a Facebook data leak exposed hundreds of millions of users’ personal information, including phone numbers. In June 2021, a LinkedIn hack resulted in the phone numbers and personal information of 700 million users being sold on the dark web. Scam calls, phishing attempts, and random text messages that look suspicious – it doesn’t stop there.

With enough personal information, scammers can even carry out ‘SIM swapping,’ which involves getting mobile carriers to transfer phone numbers to a SIM card they control. This is potentially disastrous for someone’s personal and financial information as it allows bad actors to intercept two-factor authentication (2FA) codes, take control of social media accounts, and even access bank accounts.

Sharing personal information like phone numbers and addresses can feel unavoidable in the modern digital age. With the real threat of identity theft on the table, it’s enough to make you want to create a secret identity – superhero style. Stopping spam calls and emails with a temporary phone number and disposable email address can be messy, and creating a fake name and address is even harder.

Thankfully, there’s an easy solution: Surfshark’s Alternative Number and Alternative ID tools let you generate a brand-new online identity.

Surfshark Alternative Number Helps Keep Your Phone Number Private

Surfshark’s Alternative Number lets you create a virtual or alternative phone number for services and online accounts to keep your actual phone number hidden. It’s not just a tool for keeping your phone number safe from scammers; it also adds an extra layer of privacy or a shield to the various services or platforms you sign up for.

When all you’re after is discounts, updates, and other notifications via text message – it’s easy to see how an alternative phone number can quickly become an invaluable tool, especially with the many apps and services readily accessible via smartphone. Suppose you’re using an online shopping portal with delivery notifications, signing up for a dating app, booking a holiday and signing up for updates about your flight, booking a table at a restaurant, or using an online marketplace to sell or trade goods. In that case, Surfshark’s Alternative Number helps keep your identity safe.

With an Alternative Number, your phone number is protected from online listings, helping keep your actual phone number free from spam and unwanted marketing messages. A virtual phone number also significantly reduces the risk of identity theft.

Create an Alternative Number in Seconds

Alternative Number is available to Surfshark subscribers in the U.S. as an add-on service. It offers a quick and easy way to create an alternative number to access messages and receive calls via the Surfshark app, which is available for iOS and Android devices via Google Play and the App Store. It generates a usable phone number that can be used for any service, which allows you to keep your virtual phone number separate from your actual phone number.

Alternate Number works hand-in-hand with Surfshark Alternative ID, which is available to all Surfshark subscribers. It lets you create an alternative online persona with a name, email address, physical address, and phone number (via Alternative Number). Surfhark’s account dashboard, accessible via browser and all devices, will generate the Alternative ID and Alternative Number for you in a few easy steps. All you really need to do is provide the email address to which you want the emails sent to the disposable email address to be forwarded.

The best part is that if you notice that you’re getting a lot of spam calls and texts alongside phishing emails, you can delete your Alternative ID and Alternative Number and create new ones. With both of these services, you can make a separate online identity, a digital persona that you can use for any number of services and platforms while keeping your real identity, data, and phone number safe.

Surfshark Alternative ID is a part of Surfshark Starter, and Surfshark is currently offering significant discounts on all its services and subscriptions, including Alternative Number.

Originally Appeared Here