From Engadget · Jack Peachey · · 1m 30s
How spam callers get your number
Spam calls flood your phone through data breaches, data brokers and your own sign-ups. Here's where your number goes and how to protect it.
In brief
Spam calls flood your phone through data breaches, data brokers and your own sign-ups. Here's where your number goes and how to protect it. Spam callers obtain numbers through data breaches, random dialing, data brokers and sign-ups you make online. You can limit exposure by hiding your number and checking if your…
Where spam callers find you
Spam calls come from data breaches, random robocaller dials, stolen public records like court directories and property deeds, and data brokers who legally resell your number after you sign up for accounts.
The FTC registry has limits
Even if you register with the FTC's Do Not Call Registry, which restricts most telemarketing calls, you can still be spammed by charities, political parties, debt collectors, telephone surveyors and other exempt callers.
How your data gets sold
The bulk of numbers available to spammers come from data brokers. This data is legally resold to third parties after you sign up for accounts, loyalty programs, contests and sweepstakes, often as a mandatory condition…
Phishing and fake sites
You may have handed over your number by filling out a fake login page, making an account on a sketchy website, applying to a fake job listing or signing up for a bogus app or…
Protect your number going forward
Hide your number on public profiles, avoid sites stuffed with ads, search for reviews before signing up, and check if your email was in a data breach using sites like Have I Been Pwned or…
In short
Spam callers obtain numbers through data breaches, random dialing, data brokers and sign-ups you make online. You can limit exposure by hiding your number and checking if your email was in a breach.
