Intentional or not, someone else using their phone number will drive most people nuts. Plus, things can get pretty messy when your number is being used to sign up for things, and you can even face the problem of having your identity stolen!
First things first. In this post, we’ll show you how to determine if someone is using your phone number. Next, we’ll walk you through six practical ways to stop the culprit and keep the issue under control.
Why is someone else using my phone number?
A recycled phone number may appear like someone else is using it other than you. It’s why you might find that another person’s name and your phone number are linked.
Thus, people use reverse lookup services because they can help gather information linked to specific phone numbers. Unfortunately, scammers may take advantage of this to use the information to impersonate you and scam your contacts.
Caller ID spoofing is also a common technique used by scammers and telemarketers to make their calls appear to have your phone number. Doing so lets them fool your contacts into answering the call or text message, thinking it’s you on the other end.
How to Find Out If Someone Else Is Using Your Phone Number
Technology is central to exposing phone number anomalies. Whether or not you suspect a hacked phone number, below are ingenious ways to confirm your suspicions using technology and other ingenious means.
1. Review your email and monthly bill
One way to verify if someone is using your phone number to sign up for things is to review your email and monthly bill. Most websites and services will send you a confirmation email after signing up.
It’s the most straightforward way to know if someone has unwanted access to your phone number. Also, if a scammer ported out your phone number to their SIM card, your phone bill will significantly increase due to the extra calls made.
As such, we recommend constantly comparing your monthly phone bill so you can review any anomaly you might find.
2. Check with your network operator
If you have reason to believe there are some suspicious calls under your phone number, you can check with your network operator so they can confirm it for you.
You can do this if some people accuse you of scamming them over the phone.
Even with a spoofed caller ID, the call origin is traceable to the scammer’s phone number. After all, caller ID spoofing only makes the scammer’s contact details appear different on the target’s phone screen to bait them into answering.
This way, you won’t have to suffer the anger of people victimized by scammers using your phone number. Plus, it’s crucial to clear up your name as any dirt thrown at you may affect your work, whether or not it’s true.
3. Check your social media accounts
Another sign that someone is using your phone number is when you’ve locked yourself out of your social media accounts. Most hackers will try to access your social media accounts and change their passwords to lock you out of them.
Some social media platforms like Facebook can detect unusual activity and lock out your account from all devices. This security feature helps you recover your account and stop unwanted access by malicious entities.
4. Ask your friends and family
Asking your friends and family is a simple way to confirm if someone is using your phone number to contact and scam them with your identity. You can ask them if they remember getting weird messages from your phone number lately.
We recommend using this opportunity to tell them to block your phone number and give them your new one. It’s better to ask your contacts in person, but you can also do this by contacting them through e-mail or social media accounts.
How to Stop Someone Else From Using Your Phone Number
What follows are proven ways you can do to stop someone else from using your phone number. It’s a guide; take note, however, that some steps may vary depending on your phone and network provider.
1. Update your voicemail greeting
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 40 seconds |
| Things Needed | • Any smartphone |
When someone is using your phone number without your permission, it’s often due to malicious intent. It’s a common tactic used by telemarketers and scammers who spoof caller IDs to bait their victims into picking up their calls.
If you think your phone number has been targeted and used for caller ID spoofing, combat this by updating your voicemail greeting or making a new one. Doing so is the best way to alert your contacts not to trust calls from your hacked phone number.
It’s an easy way to spread awareness; you don’t have to contact your contacts individually. However, this action will only work if you can still access your phone number’s voicemail.
This action will also save you the trouble of explaining yourself to others who may be targeted by the individuals using your phone number. Once people block your phone number, scammers and telemarketers are less likely to use it again.
Step 1: Go to the Call or Phone app.
Step 2: Navigate to Voicemail.
Step 3: Tap the Greeting button.
Step 4: Set the voicemail greeting to the Custom settings.
Step 5: Click Record and start recording your new voicemail greeting.
Note: Be sure to warn all callers to block your phone number since it’s been a target for caller ID spoofing.
Step 6: Click Stop to complete the voicemail recording.
2. Submit a report to your network provider
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | • Any smartphone |
Reporting to your network provider about malicious activities performed using your phone number is necessary if you want them to take immediate action against it. This way, you can protect your and your contacts’ privacy and security.
Since scammers tend to impersonate their victims, your information is likely used for scamming other people. As such, It’s always ideal to file a report as soon as you find out someone is using your phone number behind your back.
Once you’ve relayed the information to your network provider, they should be able to guide you with the proper steps to take next. You can also ask them to put up a pin or password protection for your phone number to improve its security level.
This action will help prevent scammers and hackers from quickly changing and updating your phone number’s information. The harder you make your phone number a target of scammers and hackers, the less likely they will use it for caller ID spoofing.
If your network provider doesn’t offer a security PIN code or password protection, it might be better to consider other options. It’s not worth settling with a network provider that can’t promise to help protect your information on your behalf.
3. Submit a report to FCC
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A working internet connection |
If your network provider fails to address the issue with someone using your phone number, you can raise your concern to the Federal Communications Commission.
After all, the FCC can compel your network provider to take action.
You can contact FCC by filing an official complaint on their consumer complaint page or using the various contact details listed on their website’s contact page. Someone from their office should contact you immediately if more information is required.
With proper coordination, your network provider will receive your complaint so they can act on it quickly. The sooner they take action, the more people you can save from falling victim to your spoofed caller ID.
Please note that the FCC encourages you to file a complaint with them only after you’ve tried contacting your network provider to no avail. After all, it’s better to try setting issues instead of allowing them to escalate to a bigger mess.
4. Change your number
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | • Any smartphone |
When it comes to the mess caused by having your phone number targeted by scammers and hackers, the best way to avoid it is to change your phone number. Cutting off your hacked phone number should save you from future headaches.
Some network providers have an app where users can easily apply for a phone number change. If unsure, you can always contact your network provider so they can guide you through changing your phone number.
However, it would be best if you didn’t forget to inform your contacts to block your old phone number after you get a new one. After all, your friends and family may still fall victim to these scams if they’re unaware someone is using your old phone number.
Thus, we recommend performing this action once you finish the first three solutions we’ve shared in this article. It would be irresponsible to change your phone number and not inform the people whom your spoofed caller ID may fool.
Protecting others is also the best way to discourage scammers and hackers from continuing their activity. It’s always good to have fewer people falling for these scams, or none if possible.
5. Reset your phone
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 6 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 2 minutes |
| Things Needed | • An Android phone • A USB cable |
Even if someone isn’t using your phone number yet, we don’t recommend lowering your guard as it’s hard to predict when you might be a target of caller ID spoofing. As such, we’re also including a way to prevent someone from using your phone number.
This method involves resetting your phone to delete all its saved data, including sensitive information. It’s an excellent way of removing any information that hackers can steal from your phone if you switch to a new one.
Therefore, we only recommend this action if you’re getting rid of an old phone but keeping your phone number. With this, you can protect yourself even if you throw, give, or sell your old phone to someone else.
This action will provide you with peace of mind that your information won’t be accessible by others using your old phone. Again, this will also help protect your contacts since the factory reset will delete their information from your old phone.
Step 1: Press and hold the volume-down and power buttons simultaneously to force your phone to shut down.
Step 2: Press and hold the volume-up and power buttons simultaneously to start your phone in recovery mode.
Step 3: Select the Wipe data/factory reset option.
Step 4: Select the Factory data reset option.
Step 5: Wait for a confirmation telling you the process is complete.
Step 6: Tap Reboot System Now and restart your phone.
6. Dispose of your phone
| Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
| Number of Steps | 1 |
| Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
| Things Needed | • Any smartphone • A nearby e-waste collection facility |
Another way to prevent someone from using your phone number and stealing your information is to dispose of your old device properly. You can do this by bringing it to your local e-waste collection facility so they can process it on your behalf.
Doing so will prevent malicious individuals from trying to salvage information from your old device and using it to access your phone number. Recycling your phone is also beneficial for reducing the effects of e-waste production.
You can consider this solution as a way of hitting two birds with one stone. After all, this action is suitable for both the Earth and your information alike.
Can someone steal your identity using your phone number?
Someone can impersonate you using your phone number since they can use it to gain more information about you. For example, a reverse lookup service can provide scammers with any information previously or currently linked to the phone number.
By collecting enough information about you, they can pose as you to scam your contacts. Scammers can also use your information to access your social media accounts and lock you out of them.
A scammer may even impersonate you and contact your network provider to “port out” your phone number to a different SIM card. Doing so allows scammers to receive text messages and calls intended for their victims.
