{"id":79141,"date":"2024-06-18T18:05:40","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T10:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/?p=79141"},"modified":"2024-06-14T12:32:29","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T04:32:29","slug":"my-phone-number-was-found-on-the-dark-web-what-do-i-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/version-2.com\/zh\/2024\/06\/my-phone-number-was-found-on-the-dark-web-what-do-i-do\/","title":{"rendered":"My phone number was found on the dark web \u2014 What do I do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

<\/p>

Recognizing the dark web threat<\/h2>

The dark web<\/a> remains one of the most mysterious parts of the internet. You may have heard of it and have a general idea of what it is, but you might be surprised by its size and the extent of its illegal activities. Dark web markets, for instance, are vast virtual spaces where hackers, cybercriminals, and shady characters trade all sorts of illegally obtained digital items. These include driver’s licenses, passports, ID cards, credit card details, bank statements\u2026. and even phone numbers.<\/p>

Right now you might be wondering \u2014 why would anyone try to sell my phone number on the dark web?<\/i> The answer is pretty simple: to use it for illegal activities such as scam calls, identity theft, or fraud, so that it ultimately leads to making illegal profits.<\/p>

The problem is that most people don\u2019t even know their phone numbers and other personal information is for sale on the dark web. So, as Jeff Daniels\u2019 character said in the pilot episode of \u201cNewsroom\u201d: \u201cThe first step to solving a problem is recognizing there is one.\u201d<\/i> Therefore, every online user should check if their data \u2014 including phone numbers \u2014 is on the dark web, and here\u2019s how you can do it.<\/p>

How to find out if your phone number is on the dark web<\/h2>

Some people think checking if their personal information, like their phone number, is on the dark web is complicated and requires finding a way to get inside the dark web. In reality, however, it’s quite easy \u2014 provided you have the right tools.<\/p>

Today, many breach monitoring platforms and dark web scan services can check if your data is for sale on the dark web. However, not all of them can check for phone number leaks. Therefore, it’s important to choose a data breach scanner or monitoring system that includes phone number checks along with credential and email breaches.<\/p>

With the right tool, finding out if your phone number is on the dark web is pretty straightforward. You simply enter your phone number into the application, and the tool scans the dark web for matches. Then, you just need to check whether the result is positive or negative.<\/p>

What can happen if your phone number ends up on the dark web?<\/h2>

When the results are in, and it turns out that your phone number is indeed on the dark web, you may feel a little unsettled. In that moment you need to remember that you are not the only person this has happened to. Unfortunately, phone number theft is quite common these days, affecting millions of users each year, and often, it is very difficult to prevent.<\/p>

What can worry you is what cybercriminals will do with that stolen piece of information. Sadly, there is quite a lot they can do with it. If cybercriminals get a hold of your phone number via the dark web, they can use it to:<\/p>