Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Davey Winder is a veteran cybersecurity writer, hacker and analyst. Update, Jan. 25, 2025: This story, originally published Jan.

Scammers have various methods when it comes to getting their hands on your phone number. You might think, "Well, what's the big deal? Isn't it easy to find someone's number these days, no matter what?

Let's face it: Most of us don't call our own phones very often. If you're like most people, this means you probably don't know your own phone number off-hand, especially if you rarely give it out to ...

In an age of constant communication, receiving phone calls or messages from unknown numbers has become increasingly common. Whether it's a missed call from an unfamiliar number, a potential scam or a ...

Phone numbers used to be shared carefully. You gave it to family, close friends, or maybe a workplace, and that was it. Today ...