In a highly interconnected world, most of us see our phone as an extension of ourselves; it holds special messages from loved ones, pictures of our everyday lives, and the power of social media to share our thoughts and feelings with others.
Unfortunately, though, with that essential connection comes a great deal of risk. Harassment, identity theft, and doxing are all serious dangers for those who attach their information to their phone number, whether that is entering it into a website for verification or freely sharing it with others we meet. This is why a disposable US phone number comes in handy in many areas of life, whether in the workplace or at home. Today, we’ll discuss the four most pressing reasons that you should investigate disposable phone numbers as a way to stay safe and secure in an increasingly perilous world.
eCommerce Sales
Online sales, whether a casual one-off listing on Facebook Marketplace or a full-time gig, can be both lucrative and relatively easy. You can communicate with buyers, coordinate shipments, and check the status of your dispatched goods, all at the click of a button.
For those who are more small-time sellers, a disposable phone number allows you to arrange your meetings without worrying that the buyer will repeatedly annoy you with unsolicited requests or express their ire should something not be to their satisfaction. It also makes sure that a bad actor won’t take the transaction as an invitation to intrude on your personal life.
Dating Safety
Sadly, a disposable phone number may just save your life when it comes to dating. It’s a devastating fact that dating sites like Tinder or eHarmony can lead to serious risks for users, particularly now that Tinder allows people you have not matched with to message you anyway through a program called Tinder Select.
Predators and garden-variety harassers frequently trawl these dating apps looking for new victims; should you give one of them a phone number attached to your real name and address, you may be subject to stalking or even interpersonal violence. Using a disposable phone number on dating apps allows you to safely communicate with potential partners, secure in the knowledge that should you accidentally give your number out to Mr. Wrong, you’ll be able to ditch the number and avoid being found again.
Short-Term Business Needs
Freelancers need to market themselves in order to secure work, but they also must protect themselves from potential harassment, spam, and incessant requests from previous clients. It’s also true that freelancing can lead to fuzzy boundaries between you and the companies you work for; you may find yourself up late at night finishing an assignment, only to be woken early the next morning by another request.
Using a disposable phone number while working with a client helps to ensure work-life balance, and it also means that should you need to fire a client for bad behavior, you won’t need to worry about them sharing the phone number with others. You can simply turn your extra phone off when working hours are done without missing important messages from your loved ones, leaving your job at your desk and enjoying the rest of your day.
Social Media Communication
While social media is a wonderful way to connect with others, it has become increasingly intrusive in recent years. Nearly every platform requires you to sign up with a phone number and email address, but this opens you up to spam emails and even doxing or data breaches. You want to express yourself, but you also want to ensure that you’re safe from leaks and unsolicited advertisements, which is why a disposable phone number is an excellent way to protect your private information.
You can run your favorite fan account, sure that you won’t need to worry about someone getting ahold of your phone number and taking an unpleasant exchange into the real world; you’ll also be secure in the knowledge that you won’t get phishing texts from a bad actor. This is especially true if you run a large account with thousands of followers, some of whom may have the skills to hunt down your personal information and spread it around the internet.
A disposable phone number helps you safely engage with the world around you, striking a perfect balance between openness and security. They’re easy to use and simple to cancel should you encounter an unpleasant customer, client, date, or social media account, letting you move on without concern for your safety. Whether you’re arranging a meeting in a public place for a Craiglist transaction or looking for that special someone, you can conduct yourself with confidence, sure that you’re protected from harassment, doxing, and verbal abuse.
