Phone number searchability, abusive relationship

[TerryG]

Hi everyone, my relative is trying to escape an abusive partner. I have used the feature of Public’s system to assign a new number to the relative’s phone. Should I/can I do more to keep the phone number found by a Web search by name?

[chainsawcowboy]

@TerryG 

You're a good man. You have to look out for family.

[CountyDownIeUk]

Oh....pay account by voucher paid for with cash. 

[CountyDownIeUk]

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@TerryG wrote:

Thanks so much to all of you for your quick, comprehensive and kind replies. I’m paying for the phone and the account is in my name, so if the phone number can’t be searched by name, then that hole seems to be plugged. I really appreciate your posts ❤️

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You have a “pre paid” phone sometimes referred to as a burner. The name on the account does not have to be true......it can be Barney Rubbles if you like. But in the event of any PM issue you need to know the exact name and address on the account. So write it down or take a screen print and file it. The number can be out of area or out of province as well....as long as those calling it have Canada Wide calling. Keeping the number private....is to be very careful who it is given to and if used for any online stuff. 

[TerryG]

Thanks so much to all of you for your quick, comprehensive and kind replies. I’m paying for the phone and the account is in my name, so if the phone number can’t be searched by name, then that hole seems to be plugged. I really appreciate your posts ❤️

[darlicious]

@TerryG 

To be absolutely sure the "partner" cannot gain access to the pm account by verifying the info on the account edit the profile name and address and record the new "fake" info as it will be needed for verification for the relative. If the payment card info on the account is also known then replacing that payment card with a new one or even a credit gift card with a $0 balance and paying by voucher would make access by the "partner" nearly impossible. ( I can give you a visa gift card info that can used if needed just private message me.) 

One more note.....as reported by another member in a similar position who's "partner" did a chargeback on previous months payments on the credit card used for payments caused immediate account suspension and if the particular circumstances are not known causes a huge mess gaining account access and service back. If this is possible I would recommend having a couple of plan payments in the account balance just in case to cover any possible chargeback for the next couple of months til that limited time period passes.

To contact customer support click below:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

To pre-verify your account include your full name, address, email, phone # and 4 digit acct pin #

[softech]

@TerryG   there is really no public database to keep track of mobile number owner.  So, you don't have to worry about that part

I guess you can also have your relative to setup a VoIP line (TextNow or Fongo). The VoIP line will give you another phone number as well and can be used just like a regular phone but using the app.  So, for any non critical, unimportant places that need to fill in phone number , just put in the VoIP phone number instead.  Also, for those non important things , don't fill in a full name, use initials or partial names as much as you can.  Leave the Full name and real PM phone number for important places like Banks or so.

[JL9]

Yeah to be in the safe side they may want to change their phone as well as their login info and account for the phone.. So if they are an iPhone user and have their Apple account they may want to start a new one so the other person can't attempt to use the find my phone feature. Or that person can turn all those features off as well but prob easier to start fresh with everything 

[Meow]

Try to find out if abusive partner had access to relative’s phone. Partner might have knowledge of that phone IMEI and in spite report it as lost or stolen and blacklisted it – make it unusable.

I am not sure but I suspect knowing IMEI, phone’s location could be detected through various web services. Somebody to correct me if I am wrong, please.

[TerryG]

Oops, that should have read, “from being found”…

[darlicious]

@TerryG 

It's unlikely a web search would be able to associate the number to anything more than the provider. The profile info for pm can be anything you want so there us no real way to associate a phone number to the name on the account. Only if the SIM card # or the IMEI # of the phone is known could they be associated to a phone number but that info is covered by the privacy act unless a court order is presented compelling pm to hand over that info.

To contact customer support click below:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

To pre-verify your account include your full name, address, email, phone # and 4 digit acct pin #

[Yummy · Accepted solution]

Cell numbers do not appear in any database on internet nor on any web site, as per my best knowledge.

Even info regarding real land line numbers slowly disappear from 411.ca and similar as people move to voip 'land line'.

Unless your relative has a habit of leaving its mobile number on social and similar networks I doubt anybody could find it.

[dust2dust]

Also get a replacement phone. They can be found. Cellular numbers aren't searchable/published.