deepthi sWondering why you were getting more spam calls lately? It’s probably because your personal data is out on the dark web.
Data leaks are an increasing concern for companies of all sizes. There were over 5.1 billion records compromised worldwide in 2024, which shows how easily sensitive data can fall into the hands of those intending to harm.
The leak can damage an organisation’s operation, its clients’ trust, and its compliance with regulators. Learning how data leaks occur and taking proactive measures could save your business from financial and reputational fallout.
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- Hacker Forums: Conversations about your company and system weaknesses
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- Exposed Assets: Unsecured code, databases, and configurations
Every leaked password or record can shut down your business
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How Scammers Can Get Your Phone Number
Your phone number may not seem dangerous to share, but there are multiple locations where it can be collected.
Public databases, social media profiles, and online forums are some of the sources from which data can be leaked. Once cybercriminals get your contact details, they sell that data to other scammers.
Once they have a number, they will group it with larger lists of phone numbers, allowing them to find even more victims. Scammers use automated tools to identify and diagnose which phone numbers are active, then pair them with their other leaked personal data.
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What Scammers Can Do With Your Phone Number
When scammers get access to your phone number, they can easily exploit it in several ways to steal information, money, or even your entire digital identity.
Here are the most common threats:
- SIM Swapping and Account Takeover
Scammers can call your mobile carrier pretending to be you and request a SIM replacement. If the operator falls for it, your phone number gets transferred to their SIM card.
Once this happens, they can receive all your OTPs, reset passwords to your banking apps, digital wallets, or email accounts, and gain complete access before you even notice. SIM swap fraud has resulted in huge financial losses globally because it allows attackers to bypass security checks instantly.
- Smishing and Phishing Attacks
Cybercriminals can send convincing messages that appear to be from your bank, delivery service, or government portals. These texts often include malicious links asking you to verify details or claim refunds.
A single click may lead to malware installation or a fake login page designed to steal your credentials. Since the message lands directly in your SMS inbox, users tend to trust it more than email phishing.
- Tracking Your Online Presence
Many social media platforms allow people to search accounts using phone numbers. Scammers use this to discover your profiles, email IDs, location clues, and personal connections.
This helps them build a detailed profile that can be used for identity theft, extortion, or targeted fraud. Even simple information like your workplace or hobbies can make social engineering much easier for attackers.
With over 3.4 billion phishing emails sent every day, understanding the different attack types is crucial to protecting your business from scams.
- Signing You Up for Paid Services
Some scammers misuse your phone number to subscribe you to premium calling or messaging services.
These hidden charges then appear in your monthly bill, and most victims only notice after losing money for several months. Because these transactions are tied to your number, disputing them can also be time-consuming.
- Impersonating You for Fraud
Fraudsters can contact your friends, colleagues, or family members pretending to be you in an “urgent help” scenario. They might claim you lost your card or need money quickly and request transfers or sensitive data.
If they have already obtained your social profile using your number, they may sound convincing enough to fool even close contacts.
- Adding Your Number to Spam and Scam Call Lists
Once leaked, your number can end up in massive spam databases sold on the dark web.
This leads to continuous robocalls, promotional scams, and even attempts at fake insurance or loan approvals. The harassment often continues for years and becomes difficult to block entirely.
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How to Identify if Your Phone Number or Details Have Been Leaked?
Here are a few ways to know if your phone numbers and your personal data have been compromised:
- You’ll notice a rise in spam calls, unsolicited messages, and requests for personal information. It is highly likely that your number has been compromised.
- If you begin receiving OTP (One-Time Password) or verification codes for transactions or logins to accounts you are not initiating, this is a clear indicator that your account may be compromised.
- If you start to see unauthorised activity on your personal accounts, such as password resets or login notifications from devices you do not recognise, this signals that your number has been misused.
- Check online tools or breach-checking services to see if your phone number or linked credentials are included in leaked datasets or lists of publicly leaked information.
- Be aware of unusual activity occurring on any accounts tied to your phone number, especially email or social media accounts.
Note: Change your key passwords frequently, and do not reuse passwords on multiple accounts, so that if your number does get leaked, the impact will be low.
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Conclusion
Your phone number is a potential target for attackers, but you can mitigate the risk by staying cautious.
Contact Mitigata today to learn how our advanced cyber monitoring and protection services can help secure your personal and business information
akshit k