how secure is my phone number?

[Webb]

Hi everyone. Webb here.

I just became a Public user and within a week the first call I received was a scam. At that point only the one friend I have and me, knew my new Public mobile number. So how do scammers get new numbers like mine?

DW

[Korth]

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@WoozyPolarBear wrote:

 Companies like Telus or Public Mobile can absolutely in NO WAY give out the previous history of a phone number without violating the previous owners privacy ...

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This is true enough.

But the internet knows everything ever reported to the internet. If you search for a number then you'll likely find all sorts of information about previous uses or previous owners of the number. A lot of the reverse-lookup sites will still assume the most recent owner of the number is still using it since they often don't update their records (due to Telus/etc not releasing "private" information) until new information is submitted.

If you want to pick a new number and plan to use it for some time then it's smart to first see what sort of online baggage is attached to it.

[darlicious]

@WoozyPolarBear 

The "call control" feature.....does it prompt you to enter a voicemail box number? My voicemail of a self suspended account via lost/stolen is prompting me to enter a voicemail box number....which I have no idea what that might be?

[WoozyPolarBear]

Another solution is the thing Telus does with their "Call Control" feature. Basically you create a white list of calls you will accecpt, and any number not on your list has to pass a test by entering a number that the voice system prompts you to enter before allowing the call to go through. The robo-dialiers all fail that system. Maybe it's time the Government makes "Call Control" a legally required feature that must be offered to all customers.

[WoozyPolarBear]

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@BKNS27 wrote:

@Webb 

Unfortunately, this seems to happen to everyone. There should be regulations against RoboCalls.

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Regulations are hare to enforce when the majority of these scam calls come from foreign countries (mostly India). Canada can't enfore it's laws over there. Also, DO NOT sign up for things like the "Do not call" list. From experience, numbers I've registered on that list tend to get even more scam calls. Again, the laws around the "Do Not Call" list only apply to Canadian businesses and individuals. Often the scam centers in India pretend to be a Canadian Company, get access to the "Do Not call" list under false pretences, and then just use that list as a verified set of active phone numbers.

[WoozyPolarBear]

Offering customers 

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@Webb wrote:

Maybe companies like Public and the rest should offer users the history of the numbers they receive. 

 Companies like Telus or Public Mobile can absolutely in NO WAY give out the previous history of a phone number without violating the previous owners privacy. If they did that, they would be sued and fined into oblivion. I certainly wouldn't want Telus to give out my information to a complete stranger about an old number of mine, and I would take legal action against them if I found out that was the case.

[Korth]

@Webb 

If you're not particularly attached to your phone number - and it is only known to yourself and a few contacts anyhow - then you can change it in Self-Serve at no cost.

You may want to check what the search engines report about the new number you want to choose before doing a commit.

I registered on the Canadian Do Not Call List - and the American Do Not Call Registry (because many telemarketers are USA-based or outsourced by USA-based companies) - and it seems to have worked well. Only one persistent multi-number spammerscammer has attempted to contact me in years.

Many people report that DNCL registrations did or do nothing. Because they certainly won't stop unethical, illegal, illegitimate, criminals from calling you. But they can't hurt. And you can always change your number (again) if necessary.

Any active number can be dialed from any phone, even if it's unlisted or delisted. Garbage callers use autodialers to brute force blocks of numbers. And once they know the number is "live" - somebody answered, replied, etc - they'll keep it on their hotlist (and trade it with other spammerscammers) for a long time.

[JL9]

Uggh, that can be frustrating for sure. Dealing with all of that with your landline and your cell. Unfortunately a lot of ppl have ppl calling asking for someone else or scam or sales calls bc they are just calling a bunch of numbers and throwing as many darts at the dartboard as they can.

[hairbag1]

@Webb...

in 2022 it's a good idea to rethink our phone-answering procedures.

When you get a call, look at the phone display to see if it's a number you recognize. If you don't recognize the number...don't answer the call. If it's a legit caller, they'll leave a message and you can call them right back.

The bad guys know how to make their number look like it's a local number...when in reality, they're up to no good. It's another epidemic...this time its called "spoofing". Once they know you'll answer any calls..they'll hound you continually.

Best practice...don't answer any call if you don't recognize the calling number.

[BKNS27]

@Webb 

Unfortunately, this seems to happen to everyone. There should be regulations against RoboCalls.

[darlicious]

@Webb 

You can change your phone # up to 4 times per 30 days. Go to the change number feature in your self serve account. Choose an area in your locality. You will be presented with 5 options. Refresh the options by choosing another area and switching back to yours until you find a phone # you like.

[hTideGnow]

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@Webb wrote:

 Maybe companies like Public and the rest should offer users the history of the numbers they receive.

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Hi @Webb , sorry, no provider will do this.

One trick to avoid this   is to pick a number in brand new area code.  It is better chance you get a first hand number, or a number that changed hand less

Or don't pick number with nice pattern.  The nicer the pattern, the bigger chance it was used before, or even used by business

[Webb]

Hi RossN. Webb here.
My Public number was the one assigned to me when I activated the sim card. Maybe companies like Public and the rest should offer users the history of the numbers they receive. Your explanation makes sense because when I got my land line (I am 70 so yes I still have a land line 🙂 ) Telus did not tell me the previous user loved ordering services by phone so I got a lot of calls for home services. Not only that but my Telus home number is one digit off from the phone number used by a palliative hospice. Lots of confused callers until I give them the number they seek.
Thanks for your input.
DW

[Webb]

Hi darlicious. Webb here.

My Public number was the one assigned to me when I activated the sim card. Maybe companies like Public and the rest should offer users the history of the numbers they receive. Your explanation makes sense because when I got my land line (I am 70 so yes I still have a land line 🙂 ) Telus did not tell me the previous user loved ordering services by phone so I got a lot of calls for home services. Not only that but my Telus home number is one digit off from the phone number used by a palliative hospice. Lots of confused callers until I give them the number they seek. 

Thanks for your input.

DW

[hTideGnow]

HI @Webb   you got a new number from PM?

It could be a number used by someone else before.  Friends (or enemies 🙂 ) from the old owner could be still calling the number.  If you like, you can pick another number.  You can make 4 number change in every cycle

[computergeek541 · Accepted solution]

@Webb 

These companies/people/organizations don't need to be given your phone number. They're likely calling every possible phone number by batch dialing.

[RossN]

@Webb hi very rarely will you get a new number they have all been used by someone before it's just the luck of the draw 

[darlicious]

@Webb 

Did you pick a new number? New numbers have previous owners and scammers have access to pretty much everybody's phone #.