These days, everything is tied to your phone number. Signing up for virtually any service or registering on a website will almost always mean a request for your mobile number. Most times, it’s not optional, either. Even if the company has the best intentions, cybercriminals could breach their system and access your mobile number, resulting in calls trying to scam you out of your money and unwanted marketing intrusions such as robocalls.
Well-known VPN and anti-virus provider Surfshark offers the Alternative Number feature, which acts as a shield for your mobile number.
Alternative Number
In basic terms, Surfshark’s Alternative Number is an alias you can use when signing up for products and services instead of giving out your actual number. Before you ask, it is a working number; it’s not just a random string of digits. If necessary, you can access calls and messages via the Surfshark app.
Why Should You Get Alternative Number?
In 2023, phone call scams were the second most common method of contacting people in the US. In 2022, roughly $39.5 billion was lost to phishing scams. Despite this, many phone users aren’t aware of the dangers scammers pose.
Signing up for a dating app, online shopping coupons, buying flights from a comparison site, or booking a holiday? These are things that Alternative Number and Alternative ID are made for. And yes, it will even work on those X-rated websites.
How Do Scammers Steal Personal Information?
Scammers get hold of your data via two methods: by hacking or breaching legitimate websites (such as what we’ve repeatedly seen with T-Mobile) or by setting fake but realistic-looking websites that users inadvertently try to log in to or purchase goods from.
Once they have your personal data, you are at risk of spam and unsolicited emails or messages, phishing scams via email or phone calls, identity theft, and even identity fraud.
How Do I Get An Alternative Number?
If you already have an active Surfshark subscription, you can add Alternative ID to your plan for $5 monthly at my.surfshark.com/alternative-id.
Once your purchase is complete, click on “Set up” to generate your Alternative Number. Now, the number is ready for you to use during online registrations and even face-to-face if someone puts you on the spot by asking for your number.
But wait, there’s more…
As part of your Surfshark One subscription, you can also access the Alternative ID feature, which gives you an alternate email to use alongside the ‘dummy’ number. This means you are giving out no actual information about yourself, online or in-person.
Alternative ID is already included in your Surfshark subscription, so there’s no additional cost incurred. Simply generate a new online identity, and you will be presented with a new name, home address, email, age, and gender. And if the new ID is detected as having been leaked or stolen from a website, generate a new one.
Jump on the Surfshark train and sign up for Alternative Number and ID via the link below:
