How to ensure privacy when you abandon your mobile number

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In the smartphone industry, privacy and security are a very big deal. Many mobile phone brand spends so much to ensure that the privacy and security of their smartphones are foolproof. However, we can not leave all the work to the smartphone brands. Users have a lot of roles to play in securing their mobile devices. As we may already know, mobile applications are usually linked to mobile numbers. This includes banking applications, social applications, and other applications. When you forget your password, you can request an OTP or for a confirmation code to be sent to your mobile number for you to reaccess the application. While this may seem like a very cool thing, in some cases, it is not entirely cool.

Change the number on the app after you abandon your mobile number

When you misplace your mobile number and are unable to retrieve it, you shouldn’t just go to sleep. Do you know why? Because after a long time of inactivity on the mobile number, the mobile carrier will reintroduce the same number into the market. This number will then fall into the hands of another user. If this person is a fraudster, he will use this mobile number to try and obtain OTPs for different applications. Of course, he wouldn’t know which apps the previous owner of the number has been using. The fraudster’s guess may eventually pay off and he will get a verification code on the number. This leaves you, the previous owner of the number vulnerable.

Therefore, here is a special reminder: if you no longer use a mobile number, do not only cancel the number. Also, ensure that you change the number for all the applications that have links to the number. Most importantly, change the number in your banking card and application. 

It is worth noting that some users just abandon their old mobile number under the assumption that since they are no longer using the number, it will automatically close and log out. In fact, although it will be automatically canceled, this will take several months. During this period, the system will automatically deduct the monthly fee for each month until it is canceled.